short scientific article DOI 10.19233/ASHN.2016.22 received: 2016-06-09 ADDITIONAL RECORD OF ALECTIS ALEXANDRINA (CARANGIDAE) FROM THE NORTH-WESTERN LEVANTINE SEA (FETHIYE, TURKEY) Tevfik CEYHAN & Okan AKYOL Ege University Faculty of Fisheries, 35100 Bornova, Izmir, Turkey e-mail: tevfik.ceyhan@ege.edu.tr ABSTRACT A specimen of Alectis alexandrina (425 mm TL) was caught on 26th of May 2016 by a commercial gillnet from the Katranci Cove, Fethiye, north-western Levantine Sea, at a depth of 70 m. This is the third finding of this species for the area. Keywords: Alectis alexandrina, new record, measurement, Fethiye, Mediterranean Sea NUOVA SEGNALAZIONE DI ALECTIS ALEXANDRINA (CARANGIDAE) NEL MAR DI LEVANTE NORD-OCCIDENTALE (FETHIYE, TURCHIA) SINTESI Un esemplare di Alectis alexandrina (lunghezza totale di 425 mm) e stato catturato il 26 maggio 2016 con una rete da posta commerciale nella baia Katranci, Fethiye, nel Mar di Levante nord-occidentale, ad una profondita di 70 m. Si tratta del terzo ritrovamento della specie per l'area in questione. Parole chiave: Alectis alexandrina, nuova segnalazione, misurazioni, Fethiye, mare Mediterraneo INTRODUCTION Alexandria pompano, Alectis alexandrina (Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1817), is a bentho-pelagic marine fish species and its young individuals (up to 20 cm) characterized by very long and filamentous anterior rays of dorsal and anal fin (Golani et al., 2006). Adults are solitary in coastal waters near bottom to at least 50 m and strong swimmers, while young usually pelagic and drifting. It feeds on squid and fishes (Smith-Vaniz, 1986). A. alexandrina is an Atlanto-Mediterranean originated species distributing from Spain to Angola, southern parts of Mediterranean (Syria, Israel, Malta, southern Spain, and Morocco) and eastern Atlantic off Morocco (Smith-Vaniz, 1986; Golani et al., 2006). A specimen of A. alexandrina with 205 mm TL was collected from Split, the Adriatic Sea in 1973 (Dulcic, 2005). Torcu et al. (2001) mentioned only by name of A. alexandrina within Northern Cyprus fish fauna. Some specimens have also been reported from Italy (Smith-Vaniz & Carpenter, 2015). In the certain areas of Turkish seas, an A. alexandrina specimen with 347 mm TL has been recorded from Gökova Bay, with limited data (Ögretmen et al., 2005). On 22 August 2015, a juvenile with 21.4 mm TL has been reported from Ekincik port, Mugla, Turkey by Y. Özvarol (see Crocetta et al., 2015). All successive re- cords of A. alexandrina, mentioned above seem that it can be considered as a rare species. This paper presents the third report of the rare A. alexandrina from the coasts of Fethiye, north-western Levantine Sea, in the Mediterranean Sea. MATERIAL AND METHODS On 26th of May 2016, a specimen of Alectis alexandrina with a total length (TL) of 425 mm (Fig. 1) was captured by a commercial gillnet off Katranci Cove, Fethiye (Coordinates: 36°42'N-29°04'E, Fig. 2) at a depth of 70 m. The specimen was fixed in 10% formaldehyde solution and deposited in the fish collection of the Fisheries Faculty, Ege University (ESFM-PIS/2016-07). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The specimen was measured to the nearest millimeter (Tab. 1). Brief description of the specimen: body very compressed and deep. Anterior soft rays of dorsal and anal fins are filamentous, besides pectoral fins are longer than head. No scales on body and some parts of head, and cycloid scales are very small and difficult to see where present. Scutes in straight line are relatively small. The color is silvery with a light metallic blue tint on the upper third of the body and head. All measurements, counts, Fig. 1: Alectis alexandrina, caught from Fethiye, NW Levantine Sea (Photo: T. Ceyhan) Sl. 1: Alectis alexandrina, ujet na lokaliteti Fethiye, SZ Levantsko morje (Foto: T. Ceyhan) Fig. 2: Map showing successive records of Alectis alexandrina from north-western Levantine Sea, Turkey. Localities: 1: Gökova; 2: Ekincik; 3: present study. Sl. 2: Zemljevid pojavljanja vrste Alectis alexandrina v severozahodnem Levantskem morju v Turčiji. Lokalitete: 1: Gökova; 2: Ekincik; 3: pričujoče delo. Tab. 1: Morphometric measurements as percentage of total length (%TL) and meristic counts recorded in Alectis alexandrina, captured from Fethiye, NW Levantine Sea. Tab. 1: Morfometrične meritve in delež celotne dolžine (%TL) ter meristična štetja pri primerku vrste Alectis alexandrina, ujetem pri lokaliteti Fethiye, SZ Levantsko morje. Reference ESFM-PIS/2016-07 Measurements Size (mm) Proportion (%) Total length (TL) 425 100.0 TL Fork length (FL) 350 82.4 TL Standard length (SL) 335 78.8 TL Maximum body depth 197 46.4 TL Pectoral fin length 130 30.6 TL Pre-dorsal fin length 151 35.5 TL Pre-pectoral fin length 93 21.9 TL Pre-anal fin length 140 32.9 TL Head length (HL) 98 23.1 TL Eye diameter 24 24.5 HL Pre-orbital length 32 32.7 HL Meristic counts Dorsal fin rays VIII+20 Anal fin rays III + 18 Ventral fin rays I+5 Pectoral fin rays 17 and color patterns determined are in accordance with the descriptions of Smith-Vaniz (1986), Dulcic (2005), Golani et al. (2006), and Froese & Pauly (2016). The presence of 3 specimens of A. alexandrina in the close localities (i.e. coastal waters of Gökova, Ekincik and Fethiye, Fig. 2) and occurrence of a juvenile form (21.4 mm) in the area gives the sign of a naturally breeding population along the north-western Levant. In addition, this ichthyological note represents the largest specimen among the records of A. alexandrina in Turkey. DODATEN ZAPIS O POJAVLJANJU VRSTE ALECTIS ALEXANDRINA (CARANGIDAE) IZ SVEROZAHODNEGA LEVANTSKEGA MORJA (FETHIYE, TURČIJA) Tevfik CEYHAN & Okan AKYOL Ege University Faculty of Fisheries, 35100 Bornova, Izmir, Turkey e-mail: tevfik.ceyhan@ege.edu.tr POVZETEK Primerek vrste Alectis alexandrina (425 mm TL) so ujeli 26. maja 2016 v stoječo komercialno mrežo v zalivu Katranci, Fethiye v severozahodnem Levantskem morju na globini 70 m. To je tretji podatek o najdbi te vrste na obravnavanem območju. Ključne besede: Alectis alexandrina, nov zapis, merjenja, Fethiye, Sredozemsko morje REFERENCES Crocetta, F., D. Agius, P. Balistreri, M. Bariche, Y.K. Bayhan, M. ^akir, S. Ciriaco, M. Corsini-Foka, A. Deidun, R. El Zrelli, D. Ergüden, J. Evans, M. Ghelia, M. Giavasi, P. Kleitou, G. Kondylatos, L. Lipej, C. Mifsud, Y. Özvarol, A. Pagano, P. Portelli, D. Poursanidis, L. Rabaoui, P.J. 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