
Pietro BattagliaStazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn di Napoli - Sicily Marine Centre - Villa Pace - Contrada Porticatello 29 - 98167 Messina
Pietro Battaglia
PhD in "Environmental Sciences: Marine Environment and Resources"
About
143
Publications
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Introduction
My research activities are aimed to investigate various aspects of marine fish and cephalopod taxonomy, biology and ecology as well as fishery resources and management. Special attention is given to 1) ecology and behaviour of Mediterranean deep-sea fish, large pelagic fish and cephalopods; 2) sustainable use of fishing resources and fishery management, with particular attention to small-scale fisheries; 3) trophic ecology; 4) age and growth; 5) marine litter
Publications
Publications (143)
This paper provides for the first time data on age and growth of
Remora osteochir
, also describing its sagittal otolith together with other biological and ecological aspects. Overall, 236 individuals of marlin sucker were collected in the southern-central Mediterranean Sea, from 2008 to 2009. All samples were hosted by the Mediterranean spearfish,...
This study focuses, for the first time, on the presence of plastic debris in the stomach contents of large pelagic fish (Xiphias gladius, Thunnus thynnus and Thunnus alalunga) caught in the Mediterranean Sea between 2012 and 2013. Results highlighted the ingestion of plastics in the 18.2% of samples. The plastics ingested were microplastics (<5mm),...
New records of the rare Messina rockfish Scorpaenodes arenai (Scorpaenidae) stranded on the Sicilian coast of the Strait of Messina (central Mediterranean Sea) are reported. Morphometric and meristic characters are given together with information on age data. The first underwater observations by ROV in different Mediterranean areas contributed to i...
This paper provides new data on the swordfish harpoon fishery carried out during 1999–2011 in Italian waters (central Mediterranean Sea), concerning fleet structure and its changes over the last decade, spatial distribution of fishing effort and catches, trend of catch rates, size composition of catches as well as fishing of other species. These da...
This study focuses on the occurrence of cephalopod prey in the stomach contents of 35 marine mammals, 19 Stenella coeruleoalba, 13 Tursiops truncatus, two Grampus griseus and one Ziphius cavirostris, stranded along the coast of Tuscany (western Mediterranean Sea) between 1990 and 2012. Cephalopod remains were identified to the lowest possible taxon...
Several specimens of the Lessepsian species Hemiramphus far (Forsskål, 1775) were caught by fishermen in Lampedusa Island (Straits of Sicily) in January and August 2013. Their morphometric and meristic characteristics as well as diet observations are reported. These findings represent the first documented record of this species in Italian waters an...
The feeding habits of the bathypelagic, non-migratory myctophid Diaphus metopoclampus from a shrimp fishing ground area in the Strait of Sicily were analyzed. Overall, 296 adult specimens ranging from 50.8 to 92.8 mm standard length (SL) (mean SL = 72.9 ± 8.0 mm) were collected during two trawl surveys (October 2010 and May 2011) and their stomach...
The feeding habits of juvenile fishes belonging to three medusivorous species (Centrolophidae and Nomeidae) from the Strait of Messina (central Mediterranean) during 2009–2010 and 2012 are reported. Individuals were collected after stranding along the shore and their diets were investigated by stomach content analysis. Young Schedophilus medusophag...
The finding of a rare specimen of Microichthys sanzoi (Epigonidae) stranded on the shore on
the Sicilian coast of the Strait of Messina (central Mediterranean Sea) is reported. Morphometric
and meristic characters are given and the first colour photograph of a fresh specimen is provided.
Information on its prey items is provided together with addit...
A contribution to the knowledge of the photophore structure of the mesopelagic fish Cyclothone braueri (Gonostomatidae) from the central Mediterranean Sea (Strait of Messina) is given by means of a structural and ultrastructural study, to better identify and classify the real anatomical structures costituing these luminous organs. The photocytes ex...
Preliminary data on age, growth and diet of bluespotted cornetfish Fistularia commersonii Riippell, 1838 (Fistulariidae) in the central Mediterranean Sea are provided. In the study area, this invasive Lessepsian fish showed piscivorous behaviour, focusing mainly on labrids, clupeids and sparids. Prey composition suggests that bluespotted cornetfish...
One rare post-larval stage and three adult specimens of Facciolella oxyrhyncha (Nettastomatidae) were found stranded on the shore of the Sicilian coast of the Strait of Messina, from 2006 to 2010. Morphometric and meristic data as well as some biological information were provided.
The document has been prepared by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC) with
the contribution of experts from Member States, Regional Seas Conventions and ICES and following
consultation of the Working Group on Good Environmental Status. The document should be regarded as presenting an informal consensus position on best practi...
Information on distribution and abundance of cephalopods inhabiting pelagic water masses is often not available because of the difficulty of applying conventional methods in this remote habitat. An alternative source of information is represented by stomach content analysis of pelagic predators that are known to be efficient cephalopod prey collect...
Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing for swordfish, mainly of immature specimens, are known to be the highest threats for this resource. This study provide a simple and useful tool for the maritime security service to recognize illegal landing sizes (/68). The purpose of the present paper is to reduce the illegal swordfish fishing in the Me...
This 2-year study was aimed to investigate the early effects of protection measures on fish assemblage in the
Plemmirio marine reserve and to evaluate its level of enforcement. Sampling was carried out by means of
underwater visual census techniques in four sampling sites within the reserve boundaries and eight outside
the reserve. Results showed s...
Il pescespada (Xiphias gladius) è un’importante risorsa commerciale, le cui catture in Mediterraneo sono ripartite tra differenti attività di pesca, tra cui la pesca con arpione, che in Italia viene esclusivamente praticata nello Stretto di Messina e nei mari limitrofi da maggio ad agosto, con imbarcazioni chiamate “feluche”. Dal 1999, tale attivit...
The study of feeding habits of the Atlantic bluefin tuna was carried out in 123 specimens, ranging from 115 to 222 cm fork length (FL) and collected during spring seasons of 2010 and 2011 in the central Mediterranean Sea (Strait of Messina). The analysis of stomach contents allowed us to identify 91 taxa of prey items, mainly belonging to Teleostea...
The finding of a specimen of Eretmophorus kleinenbergi (Moridae) stranded on the shore on the Sicilian coast of the Strait of Messina (central Mediterranean Sea) is reported. Morphometric and meristic characters are given, and the description of sagittal otoliths and a colour photograph of a fresh specimen are provided.
Trophic relationships between Scorpaena porcus, S. notata and
Chelidonichthys lucerna collected near natural gas platforms were
investigated for the first time in central Adriatic Sea from July 2005
to May 2006. Sampling was repeated at control sites on soft bottom
where, however, only C. lucerna occurred. All of the three predators
showed diet spe...
The pelagic cephalopod fauna of the central Mediterranean Sea was investigated through stomach content analyses of large fish
predators. A total of 124 Xiphias gladius, 22 Thunnus thynnus, 100 Thunnus alalunga, and 25 Tetrapturus belone were analyzed. Overall, 3,096 cephalopods belonging to 23 species and 16 families were identified. The cephalopod...
Swordfish is the target species for harpoon fishery in the Central Mediterranean Sea (southern Tyrrhenian Sea and Strait of Messina). This is a seasonal fishing activity, carried out in daylight during the swordfish's reproductive period. The relationship between sea surface temperature (SST), catches, Catch per Unit Effort (CPUE) and fish swimming...
Several factors can affect the biomass and the distribution of pelagic fish stocks,
influencing directly or indirectly the survival, dispersion and mortality. The decreasing catches and the
interruption of the fishing activity of the tuna trap sets (Milazzo, Sicily) at the end of the 60s can be
related to several effects including coastal activity...
F. Andaloro, P. Battaglia, L. Castriota, P. Consoli, V. Esposito, M. Falautano, P. Perzia, M. Sinopoli, P. Vivona, T. Romeo
The objective of this study was to examine the space and environment variables that contributed to the presence of swordfish in the Strait of Messina during the 2003 and 2004 harpoon fishing activity. The relationships between catches per location and environmental factors (current, moon phase and sea surface temperature) were analyzed using a gene...
This paper provides data on age, growth and diet of the bluemouth rockfish, Helicolenus dactylopterus dactylopterus (Scorpaenidae), central Mediterranean Sea. Estimated by otolith readings, ages ranged from 0 to 21 years. Parameters of the von Bertalanffy growth curves were Linf = 26.1 cm, k = 0.14 year−1, t0 = −1.92 years and the growth performanc...
The length-weight relationships and the regressions between otolith size (length and width) and fish length of some mesopelagic and bathypelagic fishes living in the central Mediterranean Sea were provided. Images and morphological description of otoliths (sagittae) from 16 species belonging to the families of Gonostomatidae (1), Microstomatidae (2...
Artisanal or small-scale fishery represents an important share of the Mediterranean fishery, even if it has been poorly investigated until now. In order to improve the knowledge on this sector we studied the Aeolian fishery, with the following aims: (a) to characterize fishery and fishing activities together with their socio-economic aspects; (b) t...
Age and growth of pearly razorfish Xyrichtys novacula (Labridae) were determined in specimens caught on sandy bottoms by surrounding nets and lines (depth range 5–30 m) between January 2000 and December 2002. The study location was in the central Mediterranean Sea. For this purpose the annual growth increments (annuli) in sagittae were analysed. A...
The diet composition of the Atlantic lizardfish Synodus saurus, caught on sandy bottoms of the north-western coast of Sicily (southern Tyrrhenian Sea) is described. The stomachs of 224 specimens (from 73 to 280 mm TL) were collected between June 2005 and May 2006. The analysis of stomach contents showed that this species is almost exclusively pisci...
In order to assess feeding habits and trophic level of this species, we analysed the stomach content of 189 specimens collected
monthly in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea (central Mediterranean Sea). The results showed that this species is a pelagic predator
focusing on paralepidid fish and, more in detail, on two species such as Paralepis speciosa and...
In order to assess feeding habits and trophic
level of this species, we analysed the stomach content of
189 specimens collected monthly in the southern Tyrrhenian
Sea (central Mediterranean Sea). The results showed
that this species is a pelagic predator focusing on paralepidid
fish and, more in detail, on two species such as
Paralepis speciosa and...
Data collected by two different Operative Units in the Gulf of Patti (Northern Sicily) through trawl-surveys carried out in the frame of various research projects, gave the opportunity for a periodic monitoring of the demersal resources in the area. The changes in catch rates along 20 years (1985-2004) have been evaluated. The hauls performed on th...
The offshore fish farming of Bluefin Tuna (Company Pescazzurra Ltd) is located in north-eastern Sicily in the locality Giammoro-Milazzo (ME). In this area, starting from the month of May 2002 (first year), three floating cages were installed having a diameter of 50m and a vertical wall of 20m, at a depth of 50m average. During the breeding period w...
The research has been aimed to establish the actual composition of the fish fauna in the ponds of Capo Peloro (NE of Sicily). Up 46 species have been caught, whose 21 were recorded in both ponds, 22 exclusively in the pond of Faro and 3 only in the pond of Ganzirri. Twelve new species have been identified. The fish fauna is mainly composed by ather...