First record of little sleeper shark, Somniosus rostratus (Elasmobranchii: Squaliformes: Somniosidae), from the Tunisian coast, central Mediterranean Sea

The first record of the little sleeper shark, Somniosus rostratus (Risso, 1827), from the Tunisian coast, is presented in this note. It was an adult female measuring 990 mm total length and weighing 4500 g. The capture occurred off Ras Jebel located in north-eastern Tunisia at a depth of 120 m. The specimen is herein described including morphological measurements, color, and dental formula. Due to a lack of records, the real status of the species in the Mediterranean Sea remains questionable. Somniosus rostratus is rarely caught in this sea because it lives in deep bottoms poorly exploited by commercial vessels. However, recent captures of specimens and occurrence of nursery grounds suggest that a viable population of S. rostratus is probably established in this sea

First record of the Mediterranean spiderfish, Bathypterois dubius (Actinopterygii: Scopeliformes: Ipnopidae), from the Tunisian coast (central Mediterranean Sea)

The Mediterranean spiderfish, Bathypterois dubius Vaillant, 1888,  is recorded for the first time in Tunisian waters. The specimen was caught in the northwest Tunisian coast. It measured 183 mm in total length and weighed 32.9 g. The specimen is briefly described including morphometric measurements and meristic counts. Its distribution in the Mediterranean Sea is discussed. This capture is the southernmost extension range of the species in the Mediterranean

First record of Physiculus dalwigki (Actinopterygii: Gadiformes: Moridae) from the Tunisian coast (central Mediterranean Sea)

A specimen of Physiculus dalwigki Kaup, 1758 measuring 218 mm in total length, 190 mm in standard length, and weighing 90 g was caught off the northern Tunisian coast. This capture constitutes the first record of this fish from the Tunisian coast. The specimen is described including morphological measurements, meristic counts, and color. Due to a lack of records, the real status of the species in the Tunisian waters still remains questionable. Physiculus dalwigki occurs only off northern Spain and south to the Strait of Gibraltar in the waters surrounding Madera and the Azores Islands, and in the Mediterranean Sea from Nice (southern France) to the Tunisian coast. Therefore, it appears that P. dalwigki is displaying a disjoint distribution with the exclusion of a large western region of the Mediterranean Sea

First record of the Mediterranean spiderfish, Bathypterois dubius (Actinopterygii: Scopeliformes: Ipnopidae), from the Tunisian coast (central Mediterranean Sea)

The Mediterranean spiderfish, Bathypterois dubius Vaillant, 1888,  is recorded for the first time in Tunisian waters. The specimen was caught in the northwest Tunisian coast. It measured 183 mm in total length and weighed 32.9 g. The specimen is briefly described including morphometric measurements and meristic counts. Its distribution in the Mediterranean Sea is discussed. This capture is the southernmost extension range of the species in the Mediterranean

First record of imperial blackfish, Schedophilus ovalis (Actinopterygii: Perciformes: Centrolophidae), from the Tunisian coast, central Mediterranean

Two specimens of imperial blackfish, Schedophilus ovalis (Cuvier 1829), were found for the first time off the Tunisian coast, in northern area. Both specimens are described, and occurrence of the species in the area and the Mediterranean Sea is discussed and commented

First Mediterranean records of spinetail devil ray, Mobula japanica (Elasmobranchii: Rajiformes: Mobulidae)

International audienceCaptures of 11 spinetail devil rays, Mobula japanica (Müller et Henle, 1841), from the northern coast of Tunisian (central Mediterranean) are reported in the present paper. Of these 11 specimens, fi ve specimens were described. These captures constitute the fi rst records of the species in the Tunisian waters, but also in the Mediterranean Sea, extending its distribution. This unusual occurrence of M. japanica is probably due to a migration from the eastern tropical Atlantic into the Mediterranean Sea through the Strait of Gibraltar