First record of Pomacanthus maculosus (Perciformes, Pomacanthidae) in the south-western Atlantic Ocean

Abstract

A single Pomacanthus maculosus was filmed during a scuba diving survey on a rocky reef from southern Brazil. The body shape and coloration pattern confirmed the species identification. The biological and ecological characteristics of P. maculosus and the long distance of Brazil from its original distribution strongly suggest of an anthropogenic pathway of dispersion.