On the occurrence of the pelagic stingray Pteroplatytrygon violacea (Bonaparte, 1832) (Chondrichthyes: Dasyatidae) in the eastern Mediterranean basin, Turkey

Abstract

A single female specimen of Pteroplatytrygon violacea (Bonaparte, 1832) was incidentally captured on sandy/muddy bottom approximately at a depth of 40 m from Çevlik, Iskenderun Bay, Turkey on 21 March 2016 by a commercial trawler. After the capture, the fresh specimen was identified, photographed, measured to the nearest millimetre, and weighed to the nearest gram. This particular individual of P. violacea measured 950 mm total length (TL) with disc width (DW) of 403 mm and weighed 3940 g. This is the first report of P. violacea from the north eastern Mediterranean (Turkey). Thus, the present study is an indication of the occurrence of P. violacea in the eastern Mediterranean Sea coast of Turkey. © Biharean Biologist, Oradea, Romania, 2018