Independent variables used in this study for each Operational Geographical Unit (OGU).

Key: LAT, latitude (degrees); LON, longitude (degrees); OAR, the OGU area (km2); DISTG, distance from the centroid of each OGU to the Strait of Gibraltar (km); DISTS, distance from the centroid of each OGU to the Suez Canal(km); SST, sea surface temperature (°C); SD, salinity in depth (PSU); FAM, number of taxonomic families of bony fishes for each OGU.