Article Nº 1547 Fish Vol. II · p. 103
Freira
Madeiran vernacular name shared by two animals: Ray's bream (Brama raii), a pelagic fish of poor eating quality, and the rare Zino's petrel (Ostrellata mollis), a seabird that nests near Curral das Freiras and on the Desertas.
In Madeira this name is given to Brama raii, a pelagic fish of the mackerel family (scombrids), and to Ostrellata mollis, a web-footed seabird of the petrel family (procellariids) native to the archipelago. Brama raii is eaten, but its flesh is of poor quality. Ostrellata mollis is a rare species, known to nest in the mountains near Curral das Freiras (‘nuns’ fold’) and on the sea cliffs of the Desertas (‘deserted islands’), where it has been observed in the summer and autumn months.
Places mentioned