Macaronesian Archipelagos (Madeira, Azores, Canaries and Cape Verde) and adjacent seas - pelagic and benthic; shelf, bathyal and abyssal faunas; coastal and oceanic

Fish morphology, age and physiology; Fish abundance in water bodies; Fish taxonomy-related abundance per unit area of the bed; Fish behaviour; Zooplankton growth rates; Zooplankton reproduction rate parameters; Zooplankton feeding

Plankton nets; pelagic trawl nets

The main object of this long term research project is to gather as much ichthyological information as possible in the geographic area concerned. A fish collection has been built up and holds at present more than 10,000 specimens, most of them deep sea pelagic and benthic fishes. Several species new to science were described and some are in the process of being so. Taxonomy of some families (e.g. Squalidae, Chiasmodontidae and Gobiesocidae) is under revision. Feeding habits of two species (Aphanopus carbo and Alepisaurus ferox) are being investigated as well as the biology and ecology of Heteroconger longissimus. A new check-list of the fishes of Madeira is in preparation. The most relevant publications are listed under Reference. Data is being continuously updated as more information is collected and remote access to it is not yet possible.

Anon (1949) Lista sistematica dos peixes assinalados nos mares da Madeira e Indice alfabetico. 53 pp., Junta Geral do Distr. Aut. Funchal.; Anon (1949) Alguns peixes notaveis., Bol. Mus. Mun. Funchal, IV (11): 22-42.; Anon (1951) Monografia dos Peixes do Museu Municipal do Funchal., Familias Macrouridae e Merlucciidae. Op. cit., V (12): 5-51.; Anon (1952) Monografia dos Peixes do Museu Municipal do Funchal., Familias Gadidae e Bregmacerotidae. Op. cit., VI (15): 5-51.; Anon (1955) Five species of rare sharks new for Madeira including two new to science., Not. Nat., 279: 1-13.; Anon (1961) The ceratioid fishes in the collection of the Museu Municipal do Funchal (Melanocetidae, Himantolophidae, Oneirodidae, Linophrynidae)., Bol. Mus. Mun. Funchal, XIV (50): 1-32.; Anon (1976) The fishes taken in bottom trawls by R.V. 'Meteor' during the 1967 Seamounts Cruises in the Northeast Atlantic., 'Meteor' Forsch. -Ergebnisse, D. (22): 1-89.; Anon (1986) On the identity of Heteroconger longissimus Gunther 1870 and Heteroconger halis (Bohlke 1957) (Pisces Congridae)., Bocagiana, 104: 1-17.; Biscoito, M. J., and Maul, G. E. (1989) A New Species of Laemonema from the Northeastern Atlantic (Pisces: Moridae)., Bocagiana, 127: 1-8.

Museum of Funchal, Madeira (IMAR network)
Museu Municipal do Funchal Rua da Mouraria, 31
Funchal
Madeira
9004-546
Portugal