Najzapadniji nalaz vrste Terapon jarbua (Forsskål, 1775.) u Sredozemnom moru: nova nezavičajna vrsta ribe u Libiji

The occurrence of the Indo-Pacific fish Terapon jarbua (Forsskål, 1775) is documented for the first time from Libya. This record represents the third and westernmost observation of the species in the Mediterranean Sea. Introduction pathway for this fish in Libyan waters and in the Mediterranean Sea in general is discussed.Nalaz indo-pacifičke vrste Terapon jarbua (Forsskål, 1775.) po prvi put je dokumentiran na području Libije. Ovaj nalaz predstavlja treće i najzapadnije opažanje ove vrste u Sredozemnom moru. U radu se raspravlja o razlozima pojavljivanja ove ribe u libijskim vodama i Sredozemnom moru općenito

First record of Naso annulatus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825) and further records of Scatophagus argus (Linnaeus, 1766) and Charybdis (Charybdis) natator (Herbst, 1794) in the Mediterranean Sea

Here, we report the recent capture (October, November 2021) of the following three non-indigenous species (NIS) from the Indo-Pacific in the Mediterranean Sea: the fishes Naso annulatus and Scatophagus argus and the brachyuran Charybdis (Charybdis) natator. The record of the white margin unicorn fish N. annulatus from the island of Malta represents the first for this species from the basin. Both the spotted scat S. argus and the ridged swimming crab C. natator were found in Egyptian waters, in localities significantly far from ones previously reported. Possible vectors of introduction for these three NIS to the Mediterranean locations in question include Lessepsian migration, ship-mediated transport, aquarium release, and are briefly discussed.peer-reviewe

“New Alien Mediterranean Biodiversity Records” (November 2021)

This Collective Article includes records of 29 alien and cryptogenic species in the Mediterranean Sea, belonging to eight Phyla (Rhodophyta, Ochrophyta, Cnidaria, Annelida, Mollusca, Arthropoda, Echinodermata, and Chordata) and coming from 11 countries. Notes published here can be divided into three different categories: occupancy estimation for wide areas, new records for the Mediterranean Sea, and new records of species expanding within the Mediterranean Sea. The first category includes a visual survey held along the coastline of Peloponnese (Greece), which yielded records of 15 species. The second category includes the first Mediterranean records of the Coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch (Greece) and of the Arabian monocle bream Scolopsis ghanam (Tunisia). The third category includes new records for countries (Ganonema farinosum in Malta, Cassiopea andromeda in Libya, Cingulina isseli in Greece, Okenia picoensis in Italy, Callinectes sapidus in Slovenia, Charybdis cf. hellerii in Malta, Urocaridella pulchella in Cyprus, Ablennes hians and Aluterus monoceros in Lebanon, and Fistularia petimba in Greece and Lebanon), new records for MSFD areas or regional seas (Septifer cumingii in the Greek Ionian Sea and F. petimba in the Marmara Sea), and confirmation of old, doubtful, or spurious records/statements (Branchiomma luctuosum in Tunisia, Thalamita poissonii in the Saronikos Gulf, and Pterois miles in Albania). Noteworthy, the three new records of F. petimba suggest that it may soon spread further in the Mediterranean Sea, as already happened for its congeneric Fistularia commersonii. Distributional data reported here will help tracing colonization routes of alien species in the basin and may facilitate the development of mitigation measures

“New records of rare species in the Mediterranean Sea” (October 2021)

“New records of rare species in the Mediterranean Sea” (October 2021

New Alien Mediterranean Biodiversity Records (August 2022)

In this Collective Article on alien and cryptogenic diversity in the Mediterranean Sea we report a total of 19 species belonging to nine Phyla and coming from nine countries. Several of these records concern fish species, and of particular interest are the first records of: Terapon puta for Italian waters; Pteragopus trispilus from Malta; Plotosus lineatus from Cyprus; and the northernmost Mediterranean record of Lagocephalus sceleratus. The northernmost Mediterranean record was also reported for the sea urchin Diadema setosum. The portunid crab Thalamita poissonii was recorded for the first time in Libya. The copepod Pseudodiaptomus marinus was recorded for the first time in the Marmara Sea. The polychaete Branchiomma luctuosum was recorded for the first time from the Mediterranean coast of France. The alien anemone Diadumene lineata was recorded for the first time from Slovenia. The macroalgae Sargassum furcatum was recorded for the first time from Italy. The new Mediterranean records here reported help tracing abundance and distribution of alien and cryptic species in the Mediterranean Sea

First occurrence of the needle-spined urchin Diadema setosum (Leske, 1778) (Echinodermata, Diadematidae) in the southern Mediterranean Sea

The first occurrence of Diadema setosum in the southern Mediterranean waters is recorded from the shores of Libya and Egypt, through the input by citizens’ science. The expansion of this invasive sea urchin in the Mediterranean basin is briefly discussed.peer-reviewe

First record of enchelycore anatina (Muraenidae) from Libyan waters and an additional record from southern Italy (western Ionian Sea)

In the Bomba Gulf, Tobruk, eastern Libya, a specimen of the fangtooth moray, Enchelycore anatina (Lowe, 1839), was caught in gill nets at approximately 20 m of depth. An additional observation of the species from southern Calabria, Italy, is also reported. The findings of this range-expanding species of Atlantic origin document the first record from Libyan waters and from the southern shores of the Mediterranean Sea as well as the expansion of the species’ distribution in western Ionian waters.peer-reviewe