Coastal Fish

Most of the species that inhabit the Madeira coast are benthic (species that depend closely on the bottoms). However, there are also some plagic species (living in the water column) that belong to the dynamics of the coastal ecosystems, such as the Blue Jack Mackrel (Trachurus picturatus), the Club Mackerel (Scomber japonicus), the Yellowtail Amberjack (Seriola spp.) and the Devil Fish (Mobula mobular).

As for the diversity of fish in Madeira, we may say that they are evidently European and Mediterranean species. Some fish of large dimension stand out, like the Dusky Grouper (Epinephelus marginatus), the characteristic Garden Eels (Heterocoger longissimus) that live in the sandy bottoms, and other more common species, like the White Sea Bream (Diplodus sargus), the Blacktail Comber (Serranus atricauda) and the Parrotfish (Sparisoma cretense).

Oceanic Fish

The oceanic fish live in high seas, and are considered pelagic because they live in the water column, in the superficial or middle zone of the sea. Some species, like the tunny, are migratory and are not in the Madeiras waters all year round. Among the tunny, the Bigeye Tuna, Thunnus obesus, the Longfin Tuna, Thunnus alalunga, and the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, Thunnus thynnus, are the most common species and the ones with the highest commercial value. Large shoals of small fish like the Blue Jack Mackerel, Trachurus picturatus, and the Club Mackerel, Scomber japonicus, are also a usual presence in our waters. Another common species are the Atlantic Blue Marlin, Makaira nigricans, which atracts many tourists from all over the world, to the deep-sea fishing and Big Game Fishing especially in the summer. Others are the Yellowtail Amberjacks, Seriola spp., and the dolphinfishes, Coryphaena spp., among others.

As for deep-water fish, the most famous one is the Black Scabbardfish, Aphanopus carbo, that occurs preferentially between 800 and 1.200 m depth. When fishing for this species, it is common to catch some deep-water sharks belonging to the Squalidae family, such as the Kitefin Shark, Dalatias licha.