Fishes

The Mediterranean Sea is considered to be one of the “biodiversity hotspots”; distinguished by an unusually high biological diversity for this type of ecosystem, the Mediterranean basin hosts around 7% of all marine fish species present in the world, with a broad representation of species typical of both temperate and tropical environments.

Of the 519 native species and subspecies of marine fish found in the Mediterranean Sea, 73 are cartilaginous (sharks, rays and chimaeras) and 446 bony fish. The Mediterranean region is also home to some of the world’s most endangered fish populations, bony fish and cartilaginous fish being threatened with extinction at regional level.

In the Mediterranean basin, the level of endemism is unusually high. Of the 519 fish species evaluated, 74 are endemic to the Mediterranean Sea, being found exclusively in this region. The abundance of these species is greater in the western part of the basin, especially around the Ligurian, Tyrrhenian and Tunisian coastline. Source IUCN

In maltese Waters

Wide biodiversity characterises Maltese waters, it is possible to find species such as Bear, Wrasse, Comber, Mullet, Parrotfish, but also Amberjack, Barracuda, Albacore Tuna, Skipjack, Dentex, Gold.

Sharks are ecologically esential ; they control the marine food chain. Sharks feed on all the different species of animals in the food chain, they are considered to be apex hunters and are helpful to help keep a healthy balance in the marine ecosystem.

In the Mediterranean Sea, there are 45 species of shark. Blue Sharks, which used to be a common species throughout the Mediterranean and around the Maltese Islands, have seen their numbers drop by over 90% in the last ten years alone. This is almost to a point where they will not be able to recover. Source Shark Lab Malta