First records of Yellowbar King Angelfish, Pomacanthus maculosus (Forsskål, 1775) (Perciformes, Pomacanthidae), in the Tropical Eastern Pacific

Abstract

The first records are presented of Pomacanthus maculosus (Forsskål, 1775) in the Tropical Eastern Pacific. The natural range of this fish species extends from the Persian Gulf to the coast of East Africa. Two adults were recorded at Los Arcos de Mismaloya, México, one in June 2018 and another in September 2020, 1 km from the site of the first observation. This species was probably introduced into this area as an aquarium release due to proximity of the two sites to highly dense human population centers.

Keywords

• Exotic
• fish
• introduced
• marine
• reef