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

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

The New Maximum Length and Depth of Lagocephalus guentheri Miranda Ribeiro, 1915 in the Mediterranean Sea

In this study, one specimen of Lagocephalus guentheri, the largest individual (536 mm) ever recorded, was obtained from the Iskenderun Bay, Levantine Sea. The specimen was caught from two nautical miles off the Samandağ coast at a depth of 128 m with a commercial trawler. The present finding reports the maximum length and the deepest record of the species for the Mediterranean Sea. Apparently, the distribution of the species in the Mediterranean Sea will expand in the following years

The Northernmost Record of Champsodon nudivittis (Ogilby, 1895) in the Mediterranean Sea

Champsodon nudivittis (Ogilby, 1895), also known as nakedband gaper, is distributed in the Aegean and Levantine parts of the Mediterranean Sea. It has been reported in the Mediterranean Seaas a Red Sea immigrant. The first record of the species in the Mediterranean Sea was reported in2009 from the Levantine coasts. In this study, two individuals of nakedband gaper were capturedabout two months apart north of Gokceada Island, in the North Aegean Sea. The specimens wereobtained using a trawl at depths of 100-120 m. Their total lengths were measured as 117 and 122mm. This report extends the distribution of C. nudivittis to the North Aegean Sea, marking itsnorthernmost record in the Mediterranean Sea to date. Moreover, the species is the second RedSea origin fish recorded in the area between Gokceada Island, Samothraki Island and Saros Bay. C.nudivittis is known as a predator, hence, its population density should be monitored and its impacton the ecosystem should be assessed in the North Aegean Sea

The Northernmost Record of Champsodon nudivittis (Ogilby, 1895) in the Mediterranean Sea

Champsodon nudivittis (Ogilby, 1895), also known as the nakedband gaper, is distributed in the Aegean and Levantine parts of the Mediterranean Sea. It has been reported in the Mediterranean Sea as a Red Sea immigrant. The first record of the species in the Mediterranean Sea was reported in 2009 from the Levantine coasts. In this study, two individuals of nakedband gaper were captured about two months apart from the north of Gokceada Island, in the North Aegean Sea. The speci-mens were obtained using a trawl at depths of 100-120 m. Their total lengths were measured as 117 and 122 mm. This report extends the distribution of C. nudivittis to the North Aegean Sea, marking its northernmost record in the Mediterranean Sea to date. Moreover, the species is the second Red Sea originated fish recorded in the area between Gokceada Island, Samothraki Island and Saros Bay. C. nudivittis is known as a predator, hence, its population density should be monitored and its impact on the ecosystem should be assessed in the North Aegean Sea

Journal of the Black Sea / Mediterranean Environment

Marine top predators, such as sharks, teleosts and cetaceans, are great indicators of a healthy ecosystem. The primary goal of this paper is to fill the knowledge gaps on top predators in Gökçeada Island located in the North Aegean Sea. Data on marine top predators were collected through Local Ecological Knowledge. Besides, visual and acoustic field surveys were carried out in the summer and autumn of 2019 and winter of 2020. According to the results of the current study, a total of 464 individuals were reported via social media platforms and questionnaires applied to stakeholders as fishermen, divers and harpooners.Delphinus delphisLinnaeus, 1758,Tursiops truncatus(Montagu, 1821) andPhyseter macrocephalusLinnaeus, 1758 were detected during approximately 15 hours of acoustic recording. The records ofCarcharodon carcharias(Linnaeus, 1758), Isurus oxyrinchusRafinesque, 1810, Xiphias gladiusLinnaeus, 1758, Thunnus thynnus(Linnaeus, 1758),D. delphis, Stenella coeruleoalba(Meyen, 1833),T. truncatus,Grampus griseus(Cuvier, 1812),P. macrocephalus, Ziphius cavirostris(Cuvier, 1823),Monachus monachus(Hermann, 1779) were listed in this study. A total of 358 individuals ofX. gladiusandT. thynnuswere reported between the years 2017-2020, being the most abundant top predators in the area