First record of the twobar sea bream Acanthopagrus bifasciatus (Teleostei: Sparidae) in the Mediterranean Sea

In September 2010, one specimen of the twobar seabream Acanthopagrus bifasciatus was recorded for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea, off the Islands of Zembra (Gulf of Tunisi: 37°07’03’’N; 10°48’35’’E). This species could have entered the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal or alternatively by unintentional human transport

Tracking the invasion of Hemiramphus far and Saurida undosquamis along the southern Mediterranean coasts: A Local Ecological Knowledge study

Local Ecological Knowledge of 92 professional fishers from Tunisia and Libya was used to investigate on the occurrence and establishment of the exotic Hemiramphus far and Saurida undosquamis along the southern Mediterranean coasts. According to fisherman’s knowledge, H. far and S. undosquamis appeared in Libya, in 1980 and 1989 respectively. In Tunisia these species were observed afterwards, in 2004 and 2007. Currently both H. far and S. undosquamis result to be well distributed and established, along the entire surveyed area, from Tubrouk (eastern Libya) to Tabarka (western Tunisia). A statistical analysis of the qualitative trends in abundance perceived by the respondents show that both species have significantly increased in abundance in Tunisia. In Libya an increase of the abundance of H. far was also apparent during the first decade of the 21st century but the current abundance of S. undosquamis resulted to be stable at the level of occasional captures. Given the lack of regular environmental monitoring programmes in the area, these findings provide information that could not have been obtained otherwise. Besides improving our understanding on the status and chronology of these invasions, this approach highlights the value of fisherman’s knowledge to reconstruct ecological process in the course of rapid historical modifications

Unicorn leatherjacket filefish, Aluterus monoceros (Actinopterygii: Tetraodontiformes: Monacanthidae): first record off the Tunisian coast and confirmed occurrence in the Mediterranean Sea

Investigations conducted off the northern Tunisian coast (central Mediterranean) allowed the authors to collect a male of the unicorn leatherjacket filefish, Aluterus monoceros (L.). The specimen is described in this note, including morphometric measurements and meristic counts. This finding constitutes the first record of A. monoceros off the Tunisian coast and the second record for the Mediterranean Sea. The occurrence of this species in the area and the Mediterranean Sea is discussed and commented

Tracking the invasion of Hemiramphus far and Saurida lessepsianus along the southern Mediterranean coasts: A Local Ecological Knowledge study

8 pages, 4 figures, 3 tablesLocal Ecological Knowledge of 92 professional fishers from Tunisia and Libya was used to investigate the occurrence and establishment of the exotic Hemiramphus far and Saurida lessepsianus along the southern Mediterranean coasts. According to fisherman’s knowledge, H. far and S. lessepsianus appeared in Libya in 1980 and 1989, respectively. In Tunisia these species were observed later on, in 2004 and 2007. Currently both H. far and S. lessepsianus are well distributed and established, along the entire surveyed area, from Tobruk (eastern Libya) to Tabarka (western Tunisia). A statistical analysis of the qualitative trends in abundance perceived by the respondents shows that both species have significantly increased in abundance in Tunisia. In Libya an increase in the abundance of H. far was also apparent during the first decade of the 21 century, but the current abundance of S. lessepsianus was found to be stable at the level of occasional captures. Given the lack of regular environmental monitoring programmes in the area, these findings provide information that could not have been obtained otherwise. Besides improving our understanding on the status and chronology of these invasions, this approach highlights the value of fisherman’s knowledge to reconstruct ecological processes in the course of rapid historical modificationsThe present work was developed within the framework of the project ‘‘Tropical signals’’ (CIESM, Commission Internationale pour l’Exploration Scientifique de la Mer Méditerranée) founded by Fondation Albert II of MonacoPeer Reviewe