Mass stranding of fish in the Cape region of the Gulf of California

What is it about?

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

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Why is it important?

We report for the first time in the zone a fish mass stranding