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Mass stranding of fish in the Cape region of the Gulf of California

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 August 2012

José De La Cruz-Agüero*
Affiliation:
Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Colección Ictiológica, Laboratorio de Fitoplancton, Apartado Postal 592, La Paz, BCS, México23000
Ismael Gárate-Lizárraga
Affiliation:
Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Colección Ictiológica, Laboratorio de Fitoplancton, Apartado Postal 592, La Paz, BCS, México23000
Graciela Tiburcio-Pintos
Affiliation:
Campamento Tortuguero Don Manuel Orantes, Los Cabos, BCS, México
Carmela Sánchez-García
Affiliation:
Campamento Tortuguero Don Manuel Orantes, Los Cabos, BCS, México
Ernesto Acevedo-Ruíz
Affiliation:
Campamento Tortuguero Don Manuel Orantes, Los Cabos, BCS, México
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: J. De La Cruz-Agüero, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Colección Ictiológica, Apartado Postal 592, La Paz, BCS, Mexico23000 email: [email protected]
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Abstract

A mass stranding of several species of teleostean fish occurred on the south-eastern beaches of Los Cabos on Mexicós Baja California peninsula between 16 and 21 June 2011. At least 22 species belonging to 17 families, an estimated 50 t, were stranded along 43.5 km of beach from 9 km north-west of the Cabo San Lucas harbour (22°54′ 54.06″N–109°50′ 07.45″W) to Playa San Luis (23°10′41.78″N–109°28′39.49″W). Stranding of fish was attributed to a bloom of the photosynthetic planktonic ciliate Myrionecta rubra by local health authorities; however the information derived from necropsies was not available to the authors, so other causes cannot be excluded.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2012

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References

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