NEW REPORTS OF FISHES FOR THE UPPER CONTINENTAL SLOPE OF THE COLOMBIAN CARIBBEAN (ORDERS ALBULIFORMES, ANGUILLIFORMES, OSMERIFORMES, STOMIIFORMES, ATELEOPODIFORMES, AULOPIFORMES AND PLEURONECTIFORMES)

Abstract

Five cruises were made between October 1998 and April 1999 in order to improve the knowledge about the fish fauna of the upper continental slope in the Colombian Caribbean, as a part of the project “INVEMAR MACROFAUNA I”. A total of 80 trawls were made during five cruises between October of 1998 and April of 1999, distributed along of the ecoregions of Guajira, Palomino, Tayrona , Magdalena, Morrosquillo, and Darién, along the continental slope of the Colombian Caribbean between 200 and 525 m depth using a semi-balloon trawling net. Nineteen species of the orders Albuliformes, Anguilliformes, Osmeriformes, Stomiiformes, Ateleopodiformes, Aulopiformes and Pleuronectiformes are reported for the first time from Colombian waters, and the presence of two others is ratified. The results show a first report for the Caribbean, three first reports for the Southern Caribbean, and 15 first reports for the Colombian Caribbean. The data extend the depth range of two species and the maximum size of another one.