Mass Stranding of fish in the Cape Region of the Gulf of California

Abstract

A mass stranding of several species of teleostean fish occurred on the south-eastern beaches of Los Cabos on Mexico´s 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 fromnecropsies was not available to the authors, so other causes cannot be excluded.