Anali za istrske in mediteranske študije Annali di Studi istriani e mediterranei Annals for Istrian and Mediterranean Studies Series Historia Naturalis, 34, 2024, 1 UDK 5 Annales, Ser. hist. nat., 34, 2024, 1, pp. 1-172, Koper 2024 ISSN 1408-533X KOPER 2024 Anali za istrske in mediteranske študije Annali di Studi istriani e mediterranei Annals for Istrian and Mediterranean Studies Series Historia Naturalis, 34, 2024, 1 UDK 5 ISSN 1408-533X e-ISSN 2591-1783 ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 Anali za istrske in mediteranske študije - Annali di Studi istriani e mediterranei - Annals for Istrian and Mediterranean Studies ISSN 1408-533X UDK 5 Letnik 34, leto 2024, številka 1 e-ISSN 2591-1783 UREDNIŠKI ODBOR/ COMITATO DI REDAZIONE/ BOARD OF EDITORS: Alessandro Acquavita (IT), Nicola Bettoso (IT), Christian Capapé (FR), Darko Darovec, Dušan Devetak, Jakov Dulčić (HR), Serena Fonda Umani (IT), Andrej Gogala, Daniel Golani (IL), Danijel Ivajnšič, Mitja Kaligarič, Marcelo Kovačič (HR), Andrej Kranjc, Lovrenc Lipej, Vesna Mačić (ME), Alenka Malej, Patricija Mozetič, Martina Orlando- Bonaca, Michael Stachowitsch (AT), Tom Turk, Al Vrezec Glavni urednik/Redattore capo/ Editor in chief: Darko Darovec Odgovorni urednik naravoslovja/ Redattore responsabile per le scienze naturali/Natural Science Editor: Lovrenc Lipej Urednica/Redattrice/Editor: Martina Orlando-Bonaca Prevajalci/Traduttori/Translators: Martina Orlando-Bonaca (sl./it.) 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Navodila avtorjem in vse znanstvene revije in članki so brezplačno dostopni na spletni strani https://zdjp.si/en/p/annalesshn/ The submission guidelines and all scientific journals and articles are available free of charge on the website https://zdjp.si/en/p/annalesshn/ Le norme redazionali e tutti le riviste scientifiche e gli articoli sono disponibili gratuitamente sul sito https://zdjp.si/en/p/annalesshn/ ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 Anali za istrske in mediteranske študije - Annali di Studi istriani e mediterranei - Annals for Istrian and Mediterranean Studies UDK 5 Letnik 34, Koper 2024, številka 1 ISSN 1408-53 3X e-ISSN 2591-1783 VSEBINA / INDICE GENERALE / CONTENTS SREDOZEMSKE HRUSTANČNICE SQUALI E RAZZE MEDITERRANEE MEDITERRANEAN SHARKS AND RAYS Hakan KABASAKAL & Murat BİLECENOĞLU A Review of Occurrences of Hammerhead Shark (Carcharhiniformes: Sphyrnidae) on Turkish Seas over the Past Five Decades .................................. Pregled pojavljanja kladvenic (Carcharhiniformes: Sphyrnidae) v turških morjih v zadnjih petih desetletjih Alen SOLDO & Rigers BAKIU Additional Historical Records of the Great White Shark, Carcharodon carcharias (Lamniformes: Lamnidae) in the Eastern Adriatic: Updating Regional Occurrence of a Critically Endangered Shark ......................... Dodatni historični zapisi o pojavljanju belega morskega volka, Carcharodon carcharias (Lamniformes: Lamnidae) v vzhodnem Jadranskem morju: aktualno regionalno pojavljanje kritično ogrožene vrste Farid HEMIDA, Christian REYNAUD & Christian CAPAPÉ First Records of Sawback Angelsharks Squatina Aculeata (Squatinidae) from the Algerian Coast (Southwestern Mediterranean Sea) .............. Prvi zapisi o pojavljanju trnastega sklata Squatina aculeata (Squatinidae) iz alžirskih voda (jugozahodno Sredozemsko morje) Cemal TURAN, Mevlüt GÜRLEK, Servet Ahmet DOĞDU, Deniz ERGÜDEN, Ali UYAN, Ayşegül ERGENLER, Nuri BAŞUSTA & Alen SOLDO Phylogenetic Relationships and Conservation Implications of Shark Species from Turkish Waters ................................ Filogenetski odnosi in posledice ohranjanja vrst morskih psov v turških vodah Farid HEMIDA, Christian REYNAUD & Christian CAPAPÉ On the Occurrence of Undulate Ray, Raja undulata (Rajidae), from the Algerian Coast (Southwestern Mediterranean Sea) ....................... O pojavljanju valovito progaste raže, Raja undulata (Rajidae), iz alžirske obale (jugozahodno Sredozemsko morje) Sara A.A ALMABRUK, Abdulghani ABDULGHANI & Francesco TIRALONGO First Record of Himantura Müller & Henle, 1837 in Libyan Waters: a Comprehensive Discussion of Misidentification Issues and Ecological Implications in the Mediterranean Sea ................. Prvi zapis o pojavljanju rodu Himantura Müller & Henle, 1837 v libijskih vodah: celostna razprava o problemu napačne identifikacije in ekoloških posledicah v Sredozemskem morju Hakan KABASAKAL, Ayşe ORUÇ, Ebrucan KALECİK, Efe SEVİM, Nilüfer ARAÇ & Cansu İLKILINÇ Recent Occurrences of Rhinoptera marginata and Mobula mobular in Turkish Aegean and Mediterranean Waters ......................................... Recentno pojavljanje vrst Rhinoptera marginata in Mobula mobular v turških egejskih in sredozemskih vodah IHTIOFAVNA ITTIOFAUNA ICHTHYOFAUNA Deniz ERGUDEN, Servet AHMET DOGDU & Cemal TURAN On the Occurrence of the Greater Pipefish Syngnathus acus Linnaeus, 1758 in the South-Eastern Mediterranean, Turkey ................... O pojavljanju velikega morskega šila Syngnathus acus Linnaeus, 1758 v jugovzhodnem sredozemskem morju, Turčija Deniz ERGUDEN, Servet AHMET DOGDU & Cemal TURAN First Record of Roche’s Snake Blenny Ophidion rochei Müller, 1845 (Osteichthyes: Ophidiiformes) in the North-Eastern Mediterranean ..................... Prvi zapis o pojavljanju huja vrste Ophidion rochei Müller, 1845 (Osteichthyes: Ophidiiformes) v severovzhodnem Sredozemskem morju Osama A. ELSALINI & Laith A. JAWAD Fluctuating Asymmetry in Chelon auratus from the Libyan Mediterranean Coast and the Ain Ziana Lagoon ................................... Nihajoča asimetrija pri zlatem ciplju iz libijske sredozemske obale in lagune Ain Ziana 11 1 21 27 37 63 51 69 75 45 ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 Francesco TIRALONGO & Enrico RICCHITELLI Salaria basilisca (Actinopterygii: Blenniidae) in Mediterranean Waters: New Biological and Ecological Data Emerging from the Collaboration between Citizen Scientists and Researchers .......................... Salaria basilisca (Actinopterygii: Blenniidae) v sredozemskih vodah: novi biološki in ekološki podatki na podlagi sodelovanja med ljubiteljskimi raziskovalci in raziskovalci BIOTSKA GLOBALIZACIJA GLOBALIZZAZIONE BIOTICA BIOTIC GLOBALIZATION Jakov DULČIĆ, Robert GRGIČEVIĆ & Branko DRAGIČEVIĆ Additional Record of Pterois miles (Scorpaenidae) in Croatian Waters (Eastern Adriatic Sea) ................ Dodatni zapis o pojavljanju navadne plamenke Pterois miles (Scorpaenidae) v hrvaških vodah (vzhodno Jadransko morje) Okan AKYOL & Zafer TOSUNOĞLU On the Occurrence of the Indo-Pacific Nakedband Gaper Champsodon nudivittis (Champsodontidae) in the Sea of Marmara, Turkey ................................. O pojavljanju zobate krokodilke Champsodon nudivittis (Champsodontidae) v Marmarskem morju, Turčija Deniz AYAS, Sibel ALAGOZ ERGUDEN & Deniz ERGUDEN Range Expansion of Priacanthus hamrur (Fabricius, 1775) in the Northeastern Mediterranean (Mersin Bay, Turkey) ...................... Širjenje areala lunastorepega veleokega ostriža Priacanthus hamrur (Fabricius, 1775) v severovzhodnem Sredozemskem morju (zaliv Mersin, Turčija) Malek ALI, Aola FANDI, Amina ALNESSER & Christian CAPAPÉ Confirmed Occurrence of Jaydia smithi (Apogonidae) and Seriola fasciata (Carangidae) on the Syrian Coast (Eastern Mediterranean Sea) .................................. Potrjeno pojavljanje smithovega morskega kraljička Jaydia smithi (Apogonidae) in malega gofa Seriola fasciata (Carangidae) na sirski obali (vzhodno Sredozemsko morje) Deniz ERGUDEN, Deniz AYAS & Sibel ALAGOZ ERGUDEN Range Expansion of Synodus randalli Cressey, 1981 in the Northeastern Mediterranean .......................... Širjenje areala Randalljevega morskega kuščarja Synodus randalli Cressey, 1981 v severovzhodno Sredozemsko morje Abdel Fattah N. ABD RABOU, Jehad Y. SALAH, Mohammed A. ABUTAIR, Sara A.A. AL MABRUK, Bruno ZAVA & Maria CORSINI-FOKA Occurrence of Cheilinus lunulatus (Labridae), Triacanthus cf. biaculeatus (Triacanthidae) and Other Four Non-Indigenous Fish Species New to the Gaza Strip Waters, Palestine .............. Prvo pojavljanje vrst Cheilinus lunulatus (Labridae), Triacanthus cf. biaculeatus (Triacanthidae) in še štirih tujerodnih vrst v vodah ob Gazi, Palestina FAVNA FAUNA FAUNA Nour BEN MOHAMED & Abdelkarim DERBALI Status of the Exploited Clam Ruditapes decussatus in the Littoral Zone of Sfax, Tunisia ............................................................... Stanje komercialno izkoriščene brazdaste vongole Ruditapes decussatus v litoralnem območju Sfax, Tunizija Izdihar Ali AMMAR A Preliminary Checklist of Marine Heterobranchs (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Heterobranchia) of Syria ..................................... Preliminarni seznam morskih polžev zaškrgarjev (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Heterobranchia) Sirije FLORA FLORA FLORA Martina ORLANDO-BONACA, Diego BONACA, Romina BONACA, Erik LIPEJ & Domen TRKOV Five-Year Monitoring of the Ecological Status of the Cymodocea nodosa Meadow near the Port of Koper .......................... Petletno spremljanje ekološkega stanja travnika kolenčaste cimodoceje (Cymodocea nodosa) v bližini koprskega pristanišča IN MEMORIAM Alenka MALEJ Thomas Charlton Malone (7. september 1943 – 24. februar 2024) ................ Kazalo k slikam na ovitku ................................... Index to images on the cover .............................. 101 95 107 113 87 145 137 171 125 159 173 173119 ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 1 received: 2024-01-02 DOI 10.19233/ASHN.2024.01 A REVIEW OF OCCURRENCES OF HAMMERHEAD SHARK (CARCHARHINIFORMES: SPHYRNIDAE) IN TURKISH SEAS OVER THE PAST FIVE DECADES Hakan KABASAKAL İstanbul University, Institute of Science, Fisheries Technologies and Management Program, 34116 Fatih, İstanbul, Türkiye WWF Türkiye, Asmalı Mescit, İstiklal Cd. No:136, 34430 Beyoğlu, İstanbul, Türkiye e-mail: kabasakal.hakan@gmail.com Murat BİLECENOĞLU Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biology, 09010 Aydın, Türkiye ABSTRACT The screening of data sources has revealed five evidence-based records of the smooth hammerhead shark Sphyrna zygaena captured or sighted in Turkish Aegean and Mediterranean waters between 1977 and 2015. Three individuals were recorded in the Aegean Sea and two in the north Levantine Sea. Despite previous reports on the occurrence of S. lewini and S. tudes in Turkish waters, these two species of hammerhead shark are apparently absent from the region and may not have ever inhabited the Turkish coast at all. The occurrence data of smooth hammerhead shark for the period from 1977 to 2015 (n=5; 0.13 individuals per year) shows that S. zygaena is a very rare shark in Turkish waters. Key words: Sphyrnidae, eastern Mediterranean, historical occurrence, evidence based record RASSEGNA DELLE PRESENZE DI PESCE MARTELLO (CARCHARHINIFORMES: SPHYRNIDAE) NEI MARI TURCHI NEGLI ULTIMI CINQUE DECENNI SINTESI Lo screening delle fonti di dati ha rivelato cinque segnalazioni basate su prove del pesce martello Sphyrna zygaena catturato o avvistato nelle acque turche del Mar Egeo e del Mediterraneo tra il 1977 e il 2015. Tre individui sono stati trovati nel Mar Egeo e due nel Mar Levantino settentrionale. Nonostante le precedenti segnalazioni sulla presenza di S. lewini e S. tudes nelle acque turche, queste due specie di squalo martello sono apparentemente assenti dalla regione e potrebbero non aver mai abitato la costa turca. I dati di presenza dello squalo martello per il periodo dal 1977 al 2015 (n=5; 0,13 individui per anno) mostrano che S. zygaena è uno squalo molto raro nelle acque turche. Parole chiave: Sphyrnidae, Mediterraneo orientale, presenza storica, dati basati sull’evidenza ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 2 Hakan KABASAKAL & Murat BİLECENOĞLU: A REVIEW OF OCCURRENCES OF HAMMERHEAD SHARK (CARCHARHINIFORMES: SPHYRNIDAE) IN TURKISH SEAS ..., 1–10 INTRODUCTION During the 440 million years of evolutionary history, numerous species of sharks have existed, varying in life history traits, ecological preferences, behavior, size, and shape (Fowler et al., 2005; Ebert et al., 2021). Today, hammerheads (Carcharhini- formes: Sphyrnidae) are one of the most charismatic taxa among the 536 extant shark species (Ebert et al., 2021) due to the characteristic shape of their heads, which makes them easily identifiable compared to other shark families (Gilbert, 1967; Nakaya, 1995; Ebert et al., 2021). Hammerhead sharks are globally represented by two genera, Eusphyra and Sphyrna, and 11 valid species. They are found in tropical and warm seas, inhabiting shelf waters and submarine mounts from surface down to a depth of 1,043 m (Ebert et al., 2021; Froese & Pauly, 2023). The Mediterranean Sea currently hosts four hammerhead sharks: S. zygaena (Linnaeus, 1758), S. lewini (Grif- fith & Smith, 1834), S. mokarran (Rüppell, 1837), and S. tudes (Valenciennes, 1822) (Kovacic et al., 2021). However, the latter two species are probably vagrant, and further confirmation of their presence is required (Otero et al., 2019; Serena et al., 2020). The occurrence of hammerhead sharks in the Mediterranean Sea is mentioned both in general ichthyological inventories (e.g., Bellon, 1553; Risso, 1810; Fischer et al., 1987; Papakonstantinou, 1988; Golani et al., 2006; Bariche, 2012), and shark-spe- cific studies (e.g., Tortonese, 1956; Capapé, 1989; Lipej et al., 2004; Celona & De Maddalena, 2005; Damalas & Megalofonou, 2012; Sperone et al., 2012; Kabasakal, 2020; Barone et al., 2022). Although the presence of the hammerhead shark along the Turkish coastline is historically known (see Belon, 1553), no relevant information about the species was provided in the pioneering ichthyological inventories published in the early decades of the 20th century (Ninni, 1923; Deveciyan, 1926). S. zygaena was first mentioned by Nalbandoğlu (1952), who sought to compile the common names of marine fish inhabiting Turkish seas; the second revised version of his study added S. tudes to the list (Nalbandoğlu, 1954). While the first ever published identification key to Turkish marine fish (Akşıray, 1954) already included these two species and their drawings, a third hammerhead species, S. lewini, was added in the publication’s updated ver- sion (Akşıray, 1987). Unfortunately, none of these studies were supported by any solid proof of the species’ presence that would include photographs, morphological examination of a captured individual, data on sampling locality and date, or, most con- clusively, preserved specimens in local collections or museums. Current local ichthyological checklists only tend to keep S. zygaena as part of Turkish fauna (e.g., Mater & Meriç, 1996; Bilecenoğlu et al., 2014; Kabasakal, 2020), and disregard previous records of its congenerics. In the present article, authors review the current status of hammerhead sharks in the seas of Turkey following an evidence-based approach and present a previously unpublished record of S. zygaena captured in Adrasan, Antalya Bay. MATERIAL AND METHODS The presented data on historical, previous, and contemporary records of Sphyrna spp. in Turkish waters were collected from: (a) ichthyological inventories of Turkish marine fishes; (b) peer-reviewed scientific articles and books on sharks in Turkish waters; and (c) news reports on the captures of hammerhead sharks published in printed, digital, and social media. In the case of news reports (data source c), the main source was verified through interviews with the owners of the respective social media post or news report via direct messaging in order to avoid duplication of records. Whenever possible the following basic data were gathered for each record: total length (TL), total weight (TW), sex, date and locality of capture, and type of fishing gear. Due to the fishery-dependent nature of opportunistic research (Jessup, 2003), the data on TL and TW of some specimens were necessarily based on information provided by the fishermen or extracted through data mining in the fishing logs or on social me- dia. Species identification of the specimens captured in photographs was performed in accordance with guidelines by Ebert and Stehmann, (2013), Ebert et al. (2021), and Barone et al. (2022). Confirmed records of S. zygaena in Turkish waters follow evidence-based criteria provided by Kovačić et al. (2020). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Sphyrna zygaena (Linnaeus, 1758) Description of the specimens depicted in the photographs: anterior margin of head arched with- out median indentation in any stage of life (Fig. 1a–c); mouth broadly arched, anterior teeth oblique and blade-like with slightly serrated edges (Fig. 1a); posterior margin of first dorsal fin moderately falcate, free rear tip of first dorsal fin well anterior of origin of pelvic fin base; posterior margin of pelvic fin straight and non-falcate; posterior margin of anal fin deeply notched (Fig. 1b,c). Since the photograph of specimen no. 5 was taken in blue water as the shark was maneuvering, the smaller second dorsal fin bent to the side of the body and was briefly obscured by the shade of dorsal color- ation (Fig. 1c). The hammerhead sharks depicted in the photographs are in agreement with descriptions of S. zygaena by Ebert and Stehmann (2013), Ebert et al. (2021), and Barone et al. (2022). ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 3 Hakan KABASAKAL & Murat BİLECENOĞLU: A REVIEW OF OCCURRENCES OF HAMMERHEAD SHARK (CARCHARHINIFORMES: SPHYRNIDAE) IN TURKISH SEAS ..., 1–10 Fi g. 1 : Sp ec im en s of S ph yr na z yg ae na c ap tu re d in T ur ki sh w at er s. ( A ) a sm oo th h am m er he ad s ha rk ( sp . 1) c ap tu re d of f th e no rt he rn c oa st o f G ök çe ad a Is la nd in 1 97 7 (p ho to : H ak an K ab as ak al ); ( B ) a sm oo th h am m er he ad s ha rk ( sp . 2 ) ca pt ur ed o ff A dr as an in 1 98 5, w it h ↑ p oi nt in g at t he or ig in o f th e pe lv ic f in b as e, / d em ar ca ti ng t he f re e re ar t ip f ro m t he f ir st d or sa l fi n, a nd ← i nd ic at in g th e sm oo th m ar gi n of t he c ep ha lo fo il at m id po in t (p ho to : O be n O rh an ); a nd ( C ) a sm oo th h am m er he ad s ha rk ( sp . 5) s ig ht ed o ff K aş i n 20 15 , w it h / de si gn at in g th e no n- fa lc at e po st er io r m ar gi n of th e pe lv ic fi n, ↓ p oi nt in g at th e or ig in o f t he p el vi c fi n, / d em ar ca ti ng th e fr ee r ea r ti p fr om th e fi rs t d or sa l f in , a nd th e la rg er ↓ in di ca ti ng th e sm oo th m ar gi n of t he c ep ha lo fo il at m id po in t (p ho to : p er so na l a rc hi ve o f H ak an K ab as ak al ). Sl . 1: P ri m er ki n av ad ne k la dv en ic e, u je ti v t ur šk ih v od ah . (A ) kl ad ve ni ca ( pr im er ek 1 ), u je ta o b se ve rn i ob al i ot ok a G ök çe ad a le ta 1 97 7 (F ot o: H ak an K ab as ak al ); ( B ) kl ad ve ni ca ( pr im er ek 2 ) uj et a pr i A dr as an u le ta 1 98 5, ↑ o zn ač uj e sp re dn ji ro b tr eb uš ne p la vu ti , b el a čr ta / o zn ač uj e pr os to ko ni co p rv e hr bt ne p la vu ti , i n ← k až e gl ad ki r ob b oč ni h ra zš ir it ev g la ve ( ce fa lo pf oi l) n a sr ed in i ( fo to : O be n O rh an ); in ( C ) kl ad ve ni ca ( pr im er ek 5 ), op až en a pr i K aş u le ta 2 01 5, k je r / oz na ču je n es rp as ti z ad nj i r ob t re bu šn e pl av ut i, ↓ k až e na b az o tr eb uš ne p la vu ti , / o zn ač uj e pr os to k on ic o pr ve hr bt ne p la vu ti , i n ve čj a ↓ k až e gl ad ek r ob c ef al of oi la n a sr ed in sk i t oč ki ( fo to : o se bn i a rh iv H ak an a K ab as ak al a) . ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 4 Hakan KABASAKAL & Murat BİLECENOĞLU: A REVIEW OF OCCURRENCES OF HAMMERHEAD SHARK (CARCHARHINIFORMES: SPHYRNIDAE) IN TURKISH SEAS ..., 1–10 The screening of available references and non-conventional data sources revealed five records of S. zygaena captured or sighted in Turkish Aegean and Mediterranean waters between 1977 and 2015 (Tab. 1). Three of the smooth hammerhead sharks were recorded in the Aegean Sea and two in the northern Levantine Sea (Fig. 2). In 1977, a female smooth hammerhead shark measuring 240 cm TL was captured in the trammel net fishery off Gökçea- da Island (northern Aegean Sea). Its taxidermied head, anterior torso, and pectoral fins are currently on display (catalogue no. PSC20170513-27) at the Gökçeada Marine Museum of Istanbul University (Fig. 1a), representing the single specimen ever captured in Turkey. Furtherly, in 1985, a smooth hammerhead shark measuring 200 cm TL was inci- dentally captured in pelagic longlining off Adrasan coast (Antalya Bay, northern Levantine Sea), but the occurrence was not recorded at the time. The photograph of this specimen has recently been made available online, on Facebook (Köpekbalıkları Türkiye / Sharks and Rays in Turkey; link provided in Table 1, sp. 2; Fig. 1b). In 1995, a smooth ham- merhead shark was captured in the entangling-net fishery off the coast of Marmaris (southeastern Aegean Sea) and followed by an incidental capture of a female specimen of 221 cm TL in a trammel net fishery off the southwestern coast of Gökçeada Island in 1998 (sp. 3 and 4, respectively; Table 1). Finally, in 2015, a smooth hammerhead shark with an estimated 250 cm TL (Fig. 1c) was sighted and photographed during scuba diving in the waters around Kaş (Antalya Bay, northern Levantine Sea). Despite the contemporary rarity of S. zygaena in the Mediterranean Sea, several historical anec- dotes suggest that it might have once been common throughout the region. One of the earliest anecdotal records of the Mediterranean hammerhead shark can be found in the ancient epic titled Halieutica (2nd century AD), in which the poet Oppianus the Cilician writes of the fear of sharks shared among Mediterranean mariners and divers in a story that portrays S. zygaena (referred to as Zygaena malleus, Valenciennes 1822) as a large and fearsome shark patrolling the Strait of Messina (Oppianus, 1928; p. 463). In another historical account by the 16th century naturalist Pierre Bellon, which constitutes the earliest mention of the hammerhead shark in Turkish waters, S. zygaena is mentioned as a dangerous species with a distribution range in the Tab. 1: Summary of evidence-based occurrences of Sphyrna zygaena (Linnaeus, 1758) along the Turkish coast in chronological order. N/A: Not available. The specimen numbers correspond to those in Figure 2. Tab. 1: Povzetek na dokazih temelječih primerov pojavljanja vrste Sphyrna zygaena (Linnaeus, 1758) vzdolž turške obale v kronološkem zaporedju. N/A: ni podatka. Številke primerkov ustrezajo tistim na Sliki 2. No Year Location Size (cm) Sex Depth Evidence type [Kovačić et al. (2020)] Remarks Reference 1 1977 Gökçeada, Northern Aegean Sea 240 F N/A Collection: verified presence (Fig. 1A) Captured by means of trammel net deployed in coastal water. Body parts of the specimen are preserved in Gökçeada Marine Museum of İstanbul University (catalogue no. PSC20170513-27) Ulutürk (1987); Gönülal & Güreşen (2017) 2 1985 Adrasan, northern Levantine Sea ca. 200 cm N/A N/A Publication: evidence from photo (Fig. 1B) Captured by means of pelagic long- line. Visual evidence of this record, which was uploaded to facebook page by Mr. Oben Orhan, is available at the following link: https://www.facebook. com/groups/sharksinTurkey/permalink/ 1058239638125238/?mibextid=Nif5oz Unpublished record 3 1995 Marmaris, southeastern Aegean Sea N/A N/A N/A Publication: expert providing individual collecting data Captured by means of unknown type of set-net Kabasakal (2002) 4 1998 Gökçeada, North Aegean Sea 221 F 70 Publication: expert providing individual collecting data Captured by means of trammel net Kabasakal & Kabasakal (2004) 5 2015 Kaş, western sector of eastern Mediterranean Sea ca. 250 N/A N/A Publication: evidence from photo (Fig. 1C) Sighted during scuba diving. Photographic evidence is available. Kabasakal et al. (2017) ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 5 Hakan KABASAKAL & Murat BİLECENOĞLU: A REVIEW OF OCCURRENCES OF HAMMERHEAD SHARK (CARCHARHINIFORMES: SPHYRNIDAE) IN TURKISH SEAS ..., 1–10 Mediterranean Sea extending as far as Smyrna (now Izmir, eastern Aegean Sea) (Belon, 1553; p.61). The existing occurrence records of the hammerhead shark were compiled by Carus (1893). They include almost 30 locations for S. zygaena, ranging from the Balearic Islands in the west to Naxos Island (southern Aegean Sea) in the east, and 8 locations for S. tudes, extending from the Gibraltar Strait to the Adriatic Sea. Until the early 20th century, infor- mation from the eastern Levant was scarce, with the most detailed account provided by Gruvel (1931), who indicated that S. zygaena is still quite common in the region, can be found in nearly all fish mar- kets, and is generally consumed by the poor. Interviews conducted by the authors with local fishermen over the last three decades have revealed that in the period from the 1970s to the 1990s, the captured smooth hammerhead sharks were either discarded or sold immediately, without the oppor- tunity to take photographs or perform further exam- ination of them. This is not uncommon, but lack of concrete evidence prevents us from including these observations in the literature as valid. Examples are available from Bodrum, southern Aegean Sea, where a hammerhead shark was captured and immediately released during the early 1980s, with a few people witnessing the incident (Aşkın Cambazoğlu, pers. comm., 1998), and from Alanya (Antalya Bay, northern Levant), where the species is reported to have made rare appearances in longline fishery during the 1970s and 1980s (Mehmet Mısırlıoğlu, pers. comm., 1993). Inventories compiled in shark-specific studies that were carried out in the Mediterranean Sea over the past two decades demonstrate that S. zygaena still exists in the region (Kabasakal, 2002; Lipej et al., 2004; Celona & De Maddalena, 2005; Golani et al., 2006; Storai et al., 2006; Bariche, 2012; Damalas & Megalofonou, 2012; Sperone et al., 2012; Kabasakal et al., 2017; Mancusi et al., 2020; Giovos et al., 2021; Barone et al., 2022). To date, S. zygaena has not been reported in the Sea of Marmara (Eryılmaz & Meriç, 2005; Kabasakal, 2020, 2022), while the single record of the smooth hammerhead shark from the Romanian coast of the Black Sea dating from the 19th century (Vasil’eva, Fig. 2: Locations of capture (sp. 1–4) or sighting (sp. 5) of Spyhrna zygaena in Turkish waters. The specimen numbers correspond to those in Table 1. Sl. 2: Lokalitete ulova (primerki 1–4) ali opazovanj (primerek 5) vrste Spyhrna zygaena v turških vodah. Številke primerkov ustrezajo tistim v Tabeli 1. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 6 Hakan KABASAKAL & Murat BİLECENOĞLU: A REVIEW OF OCCURRENCES OF HAMMERHEAD SHARK (CARCHARHINIFORMES: SPHYRNIDAE) IN TURKISH SEAS ..., 1–10 2007; Kvach & Kutsokon, 2017) is questionable and would require confirmation (Serena et al., 2020). Historical changes in the abundance of large predatory sharks have been investigated along the northwestern Mediterranean coasts, where the hammerhead shark has recorded the most signifi- cant decline, by almost 100 percent compared to its former abundance (Ferretti et al., 2008). This is in agreement with results obtained from the central Mediterranean Sea, particularly the Sicilian waters, where populations of S. zygaena have declined by 96 to 98 percent (Celona & De Maddalena, 2005). During an extensive survey investigating the occurrences of large elasmobranch species in pelagic longline fishery in southeastern Mediterra- nean Sea between 1998 and 2005, no specimen of S. zygaena was captured or observed (Damalas & Magalofonou, 2012), which supports the statements of Bariche (2012) and Kabasakal et al. (2017) that the species is either occasional or very rare in the area. In the Mediterranean Large Elasmobranchs Monitoring (MEDLEM) database, which contains more than 3,000 records of over 4,000 specimens, gathered from 1666 to 2017, S. zygaena is eval- uated as rare (Mancusi et al., 2020). In a second MEDLEM evaluation, no additional record of S. zygaena was reported for the period between 2017 and 2022 (Gallo et al., 2022). Despite a remarkable case of population recovery for this shark on the Ionian side of Calabria (Sperone et al., 2012), the smooth hammerhead shark population has severely declined during the last century, thus becoming a critically endangered species in the Mediterranean Sea (Otero et al., 2019). Sphyrna lewini (Griffith & Smith, 1834) and S. tudes (Valenciennes, 1822) The presence of S. lewini in the Mediterranean Sea was first mentioned by Tortonese (1956), based on a single specimen captured in an unknown lo- cality and preserved in the British Museum, but the topic of its occurrence has long been a matter of dispute. According to Compagno (1984) and Ebert et al. (2021), S. lewini is a questionable species in the Mediterranean shark fauna; Quero (1984) and Fischer et al. (1987), on the other hand, still mention the distribution of the scalloped hammer- head shark in the western basin. While Barone et al. (2022) consider S. lewini to be a rare shark in the Mediterranean Sea, the recent MEDLEM report (Gallo et al., 2022) does not mention it at all. The species is not included in the inventory of fish fau- na of the eastern Mediterranean by Golani (1996) and Golani et al. (2006), but there are two recent studies (Bariche, 2012; Serena et al., 2020) that list the species as occurring in the region, although without providing any references or evidence. The most recent observation of S. lewini was made in June 2009 along the southern Italian coast (Leonetti et al., 2020), which stands to be the easternmost record of the species. In the Mediterranean Sea, S. tudes was first re- corded off the coast of Nice, in the western basin (Risso, 1810), and subsequently in the Patraikos Gulf, in the Ionian Sea (Hoffman & Jordan, 1892). According to Carus (1893), the smalleye hammer- head shark is an extremely rare shark only occur- ring in the western and central Mediterranean Sea; its rarity in the region was later also emphasized by Tortonese (1956), Quero (1984), and Fischer et al. (1987). However, contrary to the above refer- ences, Compagno (1984) and Ebert et al. (2021) stated that S. tudes is not present in the Mediter- ranean Sea and that its distribution is confined to the western Atlantic, from the coast of Venezuela southward to the Brazilian coast. According to Serena et al. (2020) S. tudes is a vagrant species only occurring in the western Mediterranean Sea, but its contemporary occurrence in the region re- quires confirmation (Barone et al., 2022). During the second MEDLEM evaluation covering the 2017–2022 period, no specimens of S. tudes were recorded in the Mediterranean Sea (Gallo et al., 2022). Collareta and Farina (2023) have recently argued that the occurrence of S. tudes in the region is supported by two historical specimens captured in Nice (southeastern France) and Leghorn (north- ern Tyrrhenian coast of central-northern Italy), and further suggested that a population of smalleye hammerheads inhabited the Mediterranean at least as recently as the early 19th century. However, according to Serena (2005), who also confirmed the validity of Tortonese’s specimen (observed in 1951), it had been purchased at the fish market. For this reason, it is not possible to establish with absolute certainty that the individual was captured in Mediterranean waters, much less that there was an entire population present in the region in the past. Therefore, contrary to Collareta and Farina’s (2023) conclusion, S. tudes remains a doubtful inhabitant of the Mediterranean and further inves- tigations are required to confirm its presence. Since the earliest records of S. tudes (Nalban- doğlu, 1954; Akşıray, 1954; Akyüz, 1957; Akşıray, 1987) and S. lewini (Akşıray, 1987) from Turkish waters were presented without essential taxonomic data and specimens available for inspection, there is currently not enough evidence to support their occurrence in the region. Only the presence of S. zygaena can be confirmed, as it is corroborated by data from general ichthyological and shark-specif- ic checklists published since the 1990s (Mater & Meriç, 1996; Kabasakal, 2002, 2020; Bilecenoğlu ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 7 Hakan KABASAKAL & Murat BİLECENOĞLU: A REVIEW OF OCCURRENCES OF HAMMERHEAD SHARK (CARCHARHINIFORMES: SPHYRNIDAE) IN TURKISH SEAS ..., 1–10 et al., 2014). Applying the evidence-based record criteria established by Kovačić et al. (2020), it can be confirmed that five smooth hammerhead sharks were captured in Turkish Aegean and Levantine wa- ters between 1977 and 2015, with the frequency of occurrence of 0.13 individuals/year indicating that S. zygaena is a very rare shark species in Turkish waters. S. zygaena is a critically endangered and thus protected shark species in the Mediterranean Sea (List of endangered or threatened species – An- nex II to the SPA/BD Protocol of the Barcelona Con- vention, Recommendations GFCM/42/2018/2 and GFCM/44/2021/16) (Barone et al., 2022). Since the smooth hammerhead shark is considered a species requiring regular monitoring and data collection following the relevant annexes to the SPA/BD Proto- col (Barone et al., 2022), it is necessary to monitor its occurrence as bycatch in commercial fisheries or its possible landings in order to regularly update the contemporary status of this species in the seas of Turkey. A comprehensive study based on local ecological and/or fishers’ knowledge could provide additional information on hammerhead shark oc- currences in the region. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Authors thank to commercial fisherman Mr. Oben Orhan from Fethiye (southwestern Türkiye, Aegean seaboard), for generously sharing the photograph and relevant information of the smooth hammerhead shark (specimen no 2 in Table 1; Fig. 1b), and his voluntary and protective actions sup- porting our efforts for the conservation of rare and endangered chondrichthyans in the seas of Türkiye. Special thanks go to two anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments, which improved the con- tent and quality of the article. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 8 Hakan KABASAKAL & Murat BİLECENOĞLU: A REVIEW OF OCCURRENCES OF HAMMERHEAD SHARK (CARCHARHINIFORMES: SPHYRNIDAE) IN TURKISH SEAS ..., 1–10 PREGLED POJAVLJANJA KLADVENIC (CARCHARHINIFORMES: SPHYRNIDAE) V TURŠKIH MORJIH V ZADNJIH PETIH DESETLETJIH Hakan KABASAKAL İstanbul University, Institute of Science, Fisheries Technologies and Management Program, 34116 Fatih, İstanbul, Türkiye WWF Türkiye, Asmalı Mescit, İstiklal Cd. No:136, 34430 Beyoğlu, İstanbul, Türkiye e-mail: kabasakal.hakan@gmail.com Murat BİLECENOĞLU Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biology, 09010 Aydın, Türkiye POVZETEK Na podlagi preverjanja podatkovnih virov sta avtorja razkrila pet primerov pojavljanja navadne kladvenice Sphyrna zygaena, ujetih ali opaženih v turških vodah Egejskega morja in Sredozemskega morja med leti 1977 in 2015. Tri primerki so bili zabeleženi v Egejskem morju in dva v severnem Levantskem morju. Kljub predhodnim zapisom o pojavljanju vrst S. lewini in S. tudes v turških vodah, omenjeni vrsti očitno nista prisotni na tem območju in verjetno tudi nista nikoli naseljevali turška morja. Podatki o pojavljanju navadne kladvenice v obdobju od 1977 do 2015 (n=5; 0,13 osebkov na leto) kažejo, da je S. zygaena zelo redek morski pes v turških vodah. Ključne besede: Sphyrnidae, vzhodno Sredozemsko morje, zgodovinsko pojavljanje, na dokazih temelječi zapisi ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 9 Hakan KABASAKAL & Murat BİLECENOĞLU: A REVIEW OF OCCURRENCES OF HAMMERHEAD SHARK (CARCHARHINIFORMES: SPHYRNIDAE) IN TURKISH SEAS ..., 1–10 REFERENCES Akşıray, F. (1954): Türkiye deniz baliklari tayin anahtari [A key to marine fishes of Türkiye]. İstanbul Üniversitesi Fen Fakültesi Hidrobiologi Araştırma Enstitüsü Yayınları, İstanbul, 277 pp. Akşıray, F. (1987): Türkiye Deniz Balıkları ve Tayin Anahtarı 2nd edition, İ.Ü. Rektörlüğü Yayınları, İstanbul. 811 pp. [in Turkish]. Akyüz, E.F. 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Vniro publishing, Moskow, 238 pp. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 11 received: 2024-04-19 DOI 10.19233/ASHN.2024.02 ADDITIONAL HISTORICAL RECORDS OF THE GREAT WHITE SHARK, CARCHARODON CARCHARIAS (LAMNIFORMES: LAMNIDAE) IN THE EASTERN ADRIATIC: UPDATING REGIONAL OCCURRENCE OF A CRITICALLY ENDANGERED SHARK Alen SOLDO Department of Marine Studies, University of Split, Croatia e-mail: soldo@unist.com Rigers BAKIU Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, Agricultural University of Tirana, Koder-Kamez, Albania ACEPSD, Albanian Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Tirana, Albania ABSTRACT This paper presents additional historical records of Carcharodon carcharias in the eastern Adriatic and provides an updated list of the species’ occurrence in this area from 1868 onwards. Since the publication of the last list in 2002, 10 new records have been added based on newly available information. Out of these, 8 records date back to the 19th and 20th centuries, while the remaining 2 are from the 21st century. Key words: Carcharodon carcharias, great white shark, occurrence, Adriatic Sea ULTERIORI SEGNALAZIONI STORICHE DEL GRANDE SQUALO BIANCO, CARCHARODON CARCHARIAS (LAMNIFORMES: LAMNIDAE) NELL’ADRIATICO ORIENTALE: AGGIORNAMENTO DELLA PRESENZA REGIONALE DI UNO SQUALO A RISCHIO CRITICO DI ESTINZIONE SINTESI Il presente lavoro fornisce ulteriori dati storici di Carcharodon carcharias nell’Adriatico orientale e un elenco aggiornato della presenza della specie in quest’area dal 1868 in poi. Dalla pubblicazione dell’ultimo elenco nel 2002 sono state aggiunte 10 nuove segnalazioni basate su nuove informazioni disponibili. Di queste, 8 risalgono al XIX e XX secolo, mentre le restanti due sono del XXI secolo. Parole chiave: Carcharodon carcharias, grande squalo bianco, presenza, Adriatico ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 12 Alen SOLDO & Rigers BAKIU: ADDITIONAL HISTORICAL RECORDS OF THE GREAT WHITE SHARK, CARCHARODON CARCHARIAS (LAMNIFORMES: LAMNIDAE) ..., 11–20 INTRODUCTION The great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias (Lin- naeus, 1758), is a cosmopolitan species that inhabits various marine environments, ranging from shallow coastal waters, including bays and estuaries, to far offshore areas, including remote oceanic islands. It is found at depths of up to 1,300 m (Compagno, 2001; Ebert & Dando, 2021). C. carcharias is one of the fish species with the widest habitat and geographic ranges, tolerating temperatures from 5 to 25°C and able to un- dertake long-distance seasonal migrations across oceans (Compagno, 2001; Ebert & Dando, 2021). It has a long historical track record in the Adriatic Sea, particularly in its eastern part. This is not surprising, considering that the white shark, as the world’s largest carnivorous fish with a nearly global distribution and dramatic interactions with humans, has always appeared as a charismatic species, attracting significant public attention (Huveneers et al., 2018). But despite its high media presence, this apex predator is still considered elusive in the Mediterranean, and in the Adriatic, due to its low population density and absence of conventional aggregation sites. Such a situation is highly challenging for any comprehensive study. Although electronic tagging is commonly used in monitoring studies in other parts of the world, it has not been successful in the Mediterranean Sea, despite attempts being made (Soldo & Peirce, 2005). Most of the knowledge about the species is therefore derived from occurrence records published for the various regions of the Mediterranean Sea (e.g., Bradai & Saidi, 2004; Storai et al., 2005; Kabasakal et al., 2022). The problem with these records is that they provide limited information, which allows for various opinions on different patterns related to the biology and ecology of the species. Fur- thermore, the origin, and therefore credibility, of many records is questionable. Numerous regional records are opportunistic, being collected and reported without using a consistent field method, as well as without specific knowledge of the situation and various factors potentially impacting the validity of the data in a partic- ular region. For example, Soldo & Jardas (2002a, 2002b) reported a total of 61 records of the white shark in the eastern Adriatic from 1868 to 2000, but did not include Fergusson’s records (1996) related to several alleged sightings of a white shark in 1993 near Šibenik and the Lošinj area. In fact, Soldo & Jardas (2002a, 2002b) thor- oughly investigated these records and, after tracing the original information, discovered that they were based on fake news. As a result, they excluded them from their list. However, since those records had already been published, some authors (De Maddalena & Heim, 2012; Boldrocchi et al., 2017; Moro et al., 2020) ignored Soldo & Jardas’s findings (2002a, 2002b) and continued to cite Fergusson (1996), thus perpetuating the error and inevi- tably compromising the validity of their conclusions, as they were based on inaccurate data. Soldo & Jardas (2002a, 2002b) were the first in the Mediterranean region to associate the presence of the great white shark in the coastal waters of the eastern Adriatic Sea with a high abundance of Atlantic bluefin tuna Thunnus thynnus (Linnaeus, 1758), which was suggested as the shark’s major prey. With the intro- duction of intensive tuna fishing in the open waters of the Adriatic Sea, and especially during the 1970s, the tuna disappeared from the coastal waters of the eastern Adriatic and, as a result, the great white shark was no longer recorded in the last decades of the 20th centu- ry. Soldo & Jardas (2002a, 2002b) then predicted that future records of the great white shark in the Adriatic Sea would be linked to new migratory routes and areas with high tuna populations. This was later supported by a record of a 5.70 m long female shark caught in a tuna purse-seine 15 Nm southwest of the island of Jabuka (Soldo & Dulčić, 2005). Great white sharks recorded in the Adriatic are considered to be part of the Mediterranean population, which is classified as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Soldo et al., 2016). A recent assessment has found the species to be critically endangered in the Adriatic Sea as well, prompting the introduction of several protective regulations, the most important being the designation of the strictly protected species status in Croatia (Soldo & Lipej, 2022). Taking into account the critically endangered status of the species, it is important to understand the changes in its abundance and distribution and prioritize the conservation efforts accordingly. Any information on the occurrence of this species in the Adriatic is valuable. This paper aims to present additional historical records of C. carcharias in the eastern Adriatic and thus update the list of its occurrences in this area since 1868. MATERIAL AND METHODS The new database of occurrences of the great white shark in the eastern Adriatic is based on the most com- prehensive list published by Soldo & Jardas (2002a, 2002b), which includes records from 1868 until the end of the 20th century. Further investigation involved extensive bibliographic research of other currently available “grey literature”, such as historical editions of various newspapers and personal reports written in different languages, e.g., Croatian, German (Austrian), Hungarian, Italian, and Albanian. For each observation, we followed Soldo & Jardas (2002a, 2002b) and record- ed: date and location; total length; weight; sex; and type of record (capture, sighting, stomach content, fishing gear used). The identification of the specimens was based on the most distinctive characteristics of the great white shark, which clearly set C. carcharias apart from other sharks and facilitate accurate species determination. One of the basic traits we focused on was the length ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 13 Alen SOLDO & Rigers BAKIU: ADDITIONAL HISTORICAL RECORDS OF THE GREAT WHITE SHARK, CARCHARODON CARCHARIAS (LAMNIFORMES: LAMNIDAE) ..., 11–20 Tab. 1: The records of the great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias, in the Eastern Adriatic since 1868. Tab. 1: Zapisi o pojavljanju belega morskega volka (Carcharodon carcharias) v vzhodnem Jadranu od leta 1868. NO. DATE LOCATION TL (cm) WEIGHT (kg) SEX REMARKS 1 01.09.1868 Trieste - - - attack with fatal injury 2 14.09.1868 Jablanac - - - - 3 16.12.1868 Sv. Juraj 460 - - - 4 16.04.1872 Rijeka 490 - - man’s head and leg and dolphin in stomach 5 19.04.1872 Trieste 300 - - - 6 12.05.1872 Opuzen 95 - - - 7 12.05.1872 Mljet 237 - - - 8 08.06.1872 Rijeka 131 - - - 9 16.06.1872 Dugi Otok 146 - - - 10 25.07.1872 Cavtat 260 - - - 11 08.08.1872 Rab 130 - - - 12 05.05.1877 Cres 460 - - - 13 08.05.1877 Cres 413 - - - 14 17.06.1878 Osor-Cres 371 - - - 15 09.08.1878 Poreč - - - - 16 21.05.1879 Osor 382 - - - 17 23.07.1879 Split 402 - - - 18 21.09.1879 Cres 530 - - - 19 05.10.1879 Gradac 250 - - - 20 22.04.1881 Rab 380 - - - 21 16.10.1881 Rab 405 - - - 22 13.04.1882 Cres 529 - - - 23 13.06.1883 Vrboska-Krk 300 - - - 24 26.09.1883 Rab 396 - - - 25 14.09.1885 Trieste 400 - - - 26 03.03.1886 Korčula 560 - - - 27 02.09.1887 Krk 470 - - - 28 July 1888 Sv. Juraj 470 - - woman’s body and lamb in stomach 29 23.10. 1888 Sušak 500 3500 female caught during tuna fishing, in stomach 7 unborn sharks and human remains 30 26.08. 1890 Senj 4,40 m - - - 31 15.09.1890 Bakarac 3,84 32 26.04.1891 Pag - - - preserved at Nat. Hist. Mus. Zagreb 33 September 1892 Bakarac 450 - - - 34 19.02.1893 Zlarin 165 - male - 35 29.08.1894 Bakar - - - preserved at Nat. Hist. Mus. Rijeka 36 15.07.1901 Dubrovnik 520 - - - 37 1901 Eastern Adriatic 500 - - - 38 1902 Trieste 375 - male - 39 30.09.1903 Povile 450 - - - 40 29.06.1906 Bakarac 522 - female - 41 June 1908 Trieste - 1400 - - 42 October 1909 Kraljevica 550 - - - 43 02.02.1920 Dugi Otok-Kornati 525 1300 - dolphin in stomach 44 March 1926 Ugljan 500 700 - noticed and the second shark 45 June 1926 Herceg Novi 300 - - woman’s shoes, laundry in the stomach 46 August 1926 Lumbarda 400 500 - human remains in the stomach 47 Summer 1926 Kraljevica 600 1000 - several inedible objects in the stomach 48 October 1926 Lumbarda 600 1800 - caught in gillnet 49 1931 Rogoznica 150 - female - 50 1934 Kraljevica 775 1100 - caught in tuna gillnet 51 21.08.1934 Kraljevica - - - fatal attack 52 September 1934 Mošćenička Draga 600 1000 - caught 53 20.07.1935 Lukovo 600 2500 - caught in tuna gillnet 54 Summer of 1946 Bakarac - - - a pig of 10 kg in the stomach 55 May 1947 Eastern Adriatic 300 300 - - 56 August 1950 Primošten 700-800 - - encounter during the eating of a dead calf 57 02.10.1954 Pag 550 1500 - attack on boat 58 August 1955 Budva - - - fatal attack 59 1956 Krk 400 - - - 60 24.09. 1961 Opatija - - - fatal attack 61 22.10. 1963 Izola 600 1100 - dolphin of 200 kg in the stomach 62 15.04.1964 Qeparo-Borsh, Himare, 445 >550 female Caught in trammel net, the stomach empty 63 1968 Rava - - - - 64 1969 Central Adriatic - - - - 65 1971 Opatija - - - fatal attack 66 17.08.1972 Kornati 600 - - - 67 26.07.1973 Luka Šipanska - - - - 68 10.08.1974 Lokva Rogoznica - - - fatal attack 69 17.6.1976 Vrsi near Nin - - - killed by locals 70 25.06.2003 15 SI of island of Jabuka 570 2000-2500 female caught during tuna purse seining 71 06.10.2008 Smokova Bay, island of Vis cca. 450 - - non-fatal attack on speardiver ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 14 Alen SOLDO & Rigers BAKIU: ADDITIONAL HISTORICAL RECORDS OF THE GREAT WHITE SHARK, CARCHARODON CARCHARIAS (LAMNIFORMES: LAMNIDAE) ..., 11–20 of the captured specimen, reported and/or visible from the available photo. Other indicative characteristics included the visible heavy spindle-shaped body and moderately long conical snout, as well as the broadly triangular and serrated teeth, an unmistakable feature of this species (Compagno, 2001; Ebert & Dando, 2021). Only records in which these characteristics were reported and/or unquestionably visible were considered valid; reports in which the species of the specimen was not immediately determinable and could not be irre- futably verified were not listed, as the potential issues arising from reporting uncertain data were deemed more significant than any value gained from their inclusion. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Since 1868, a total of 71 records of the great white shark have been reported for the eastern Adriatic (Tab. 1). The new list presented herein contains 10 additional records (Fig. 1) compared to the one previously pub- lished by Soldo & Jardas (2002a, 2002b), along with some newly available information that rectifies previous presumed data. This information, related to records no. 47 and 51 also cited by Soldo and Jardas (2002a, 200b), changes the previously reported date of catch from 1927 to 1926 in record no. 47, and further specifies the location of record no. 51, from ‘nearby Sušak’ to ‘Kraljevica’. The correction to record no. 47 is based on an article published on 2 September 1926 in Austrian newspapers (Fig. 2), which described an event so similar to the one reported for 1927 that it was inferred to be the same, thereby suggesting that the catch likely occurred during the summer of 1926. The first additional record (no. 29) is based on a newspaper article published on 23 October 1888, an- nouncing the display of a 5-meter-long carcass weighing Fig. 1: Distribution of great white shark records in the eastern Adriatic. Red circles indicate previously published records, red triangles indicate new historical records dating from the 19th and 20th centuries, and red stars mark the locations of 21st century records. Sl. 1: Razširjenost belega morskega volka na podlagi zapisov o pojavljanju v vzhodnem Jadranu. Rdeči krogci označujejo predhodno objavljene zapise o pojavljanju, rdeči trikotniki označujejo nove historične zapise o pojavljanju iz 19. in 20. stoletja, in rdeče zvezdice označujejo lokalitete, ki se nanašajo na zapise in 21. stoletja. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 15 Alen SOLDO & Rigers BAKIU: ADDITIONAL HISTORICAL RECORDS OF THE GREAT WHITE SHARK, CARCHARODON CARCHARIAS (LAMNIFORMES: LAMNIDAE) ..., 11–20 3.5 tons, along with the price of the ticket. The article mentions that the shark was caught near Rijeka during tuna fishing and was killed by fishermen after getting entangled in a purse-seine. Further on, three rows of large triangular and serrated teeth are mentioned, along with other distinguishing and described characteristics (although the weight is probably overestimated). These point to the great white shark, one that was likely caught just a few days before the publishing date. There are also 33 historical records dating to the last decades of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th cen- tury, more specifically to the period from 1872 to 1909, which have been reported by Klinger (2011). Some of these were previously cited by Soldo & Jardas (2002a, 2002b), and many are associated with tuna fishery, re- porting sharks that were either caught during fishing or found entangled in tuna seines. It should be noted that Klinger himself (2011) questioned the homogeneity of the data and concluded that many of the records are like- ly unreliable, as a large number of them were essentially based on reports by Professor Giovanni (János) Matisz and not verified against any other source. Hence, the au- thors of this paper, reluctant to indiscriminately include all additional unsubstantiated records, decided to only include those which, along with the reported length, contained other information that could be attributed to the great white shark, such as the description of large triangular teeth (records no. 30, 31, and 39). Also, the records were reported for the larger area of Kvarner Bay, which has already been identified as a historical hotspot for the great white shark in the last decades of the 19th century and for the greater part of the 20th century. As explained, this was associated with intensive tuna fishing conducted in coastal areas at the time (Soldo & Jardas, 2002a, 2002b). There are several other available photos showing landed great white sharks, presumably from the wider area of Kvarner Bay and allegedly dating from the first half of the 20th century, but since they lack other corroborating information, these records were not included in the list either. The record with most information is no. 62, which pertains to the great white shark caught on 15 April 1964, close to the coast of Qeparo-Borsh in Albania. It is based on morphological and biometric measure- ments performed by a researcher, Panajot Jorgji, who published that information in his personal report in the Albanian language. According to his data, the shark got entangled in a trammel net with a mesh size of 28 mm, at a depth of 5–6 m. At that time, this spe- cies of shark was highly uncommon on the Albanian coast and even more conspicuous for its dimensions. Panajot Jorgji measured its total length at 4.45 m and estimated a weight exceeding 550 kg. He also includ- ed a description of the shark, noting that its body was relatively slim along the main axes. The mouth was large, located on the underside of the head, 45 cm long and with a perimeter of 65 cm (bottom jaw). The snout length was 1.4 times larger than the mouth and 2.3 times larger than the mouth perimeter. The dorsal fin was triangular, measuring 0.5 m in height and 0.44 m in width at the base, which means that the base width was 1.1 times smaller than the height. Further- more, Jorgji reported that the pectoral fins, located in the first third of the shark’s body, were triangular in shape, with their base dimension 2.5 times smaller than the height of the triangle. The pelvic fins were located in the middle of the body, triangularly shaped and with the height 1.3 times larger than the triangle Fig. 2: Photo of record no. 47. Sl. 2: Fotografija v zvezi z zapisom št. 47. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 16 Alen SOLDO & Rigers BAKIU: ADDITIONAL HISTORICAL RECORDS OF THE GREAT WHITE SHARK, CARCHARODON CARCHARIAS (LAMNIFORMES: LAMNIDAE) ..., 11–20 base. The triangular anal fins were relatively small, located close to the end part of the body, their height 2 times larger than the base. The caudal fin was com- posed of two parts, with the bottom part measuring about 2/3 of the upper part. The eye diameter equalled 1/7 of the snout length. Additional morphologic and biometric measurements were reported in Table 2. The teeth of the upper jaw were described as being arranged in two rows attached to the base, with 14 teeth in each row. The teeth of the lower jaw were positioned in the same way and their number was also the same. The teeth were triangular in shape, with a 30 mm wide base and 38 mm long sides. Each tooth was serrated, resembling the edge of a saw. The distance between two teeth (at their highest points) in a row was 50 mm, while the distance between the rows measured up to 70 mm. The shark’s body was dark on the dorsal and white on the ventral side. The skin was rough and thick. Underneath Fig. 3: Photos of record no. 62. Sl. 3: Fotografija v zvezi z zapisom št. 62. Tab. 2: Measurement of the great white shark caught on 15th April 1964, close to the coast of Qeparo-Borsh near Himare on the Albanian coastline (translated from the Albanian language). Tab. 2: Meritve belega morskega volka, ujetega 15. aprila 1964 blizu obale Qeparo-Borsh pri Himari na albanski obali (prevedeno iz albanskega jezika). Total length 445 cm Standard length 430 cm Head length (Ceph.) 134 cm Biggest height of the body (H) 50 cm Smaller height of the body (h) 30 cm Antedorsal (Antd) 180 cm Anteventral (Antv) 265 cm Anteanale (Anta) 330 cm Snout length 28 cm Base length of dorsal fin 44 cm Height of the dorsal fin 50 cm Base length of the pectoral fin 35 cm Height of the pectoral fin 88 cm Base length of the pelvic fin 43 cm Height of the pelvic fin 58 cm Base length of the anal fin 8 cm Height of the anal fin 13 cm Maximal width of the body (in the part where the pectoral fin begins) 85 cm Minimal width of the body 12 cm Fig. 4: Photo of record no. 63. Sl. 4: Fotografija v zvezi z zapisom št. 63. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 17 Alen SOLDO & Rigers BAKIU: ADDITIONAL HISTORICAL RECORDS OF THE GREAT WHITE SHARK, CARCHARODON CARCHARIAS (LAMNIFORMES: LAMNIDAE) ..., 11–20 the skin, there was a stratum similar to a fatty layer, with a thickness of up to 2 cm. The shark’s stomach was empty, with no presence of any organisms observed inside. The specimen was iden- tified as female. Based on the provided morphometric data, the researcher concluded that the shark belonged to the genus Carcharhinus. Indeed, although some of the characters were not measured or described according to contemporary standards, the description and the avail- able photos (Fig. 3) undoubtedly correspond to those of the great white shark. It should be noted that this is the most recent documented record of the great white shark from the Albanian coast. The additional record no. 63 is from 1968, but the exact date is not known. The available information refers to the catch of a great white shark on the NE coast of the island Rava (Fig. 4). Another new record, no. 67, is related to the capture of a 4-meter-long great white shark near Luka Šipanska on the island of Šipan on 26 July 1973. Not many details are provided, apart from several photos and the infor- mation that many locals kept its large teeth as souvenirs (Fig. 5). Record no. 69 refers to a male great white shark measuring 4.5 m in length, which was caught on 17 June 1976 in Vrsi near Nin. There are several accounts of this event, two differing in the date of the catch, one placing the record in 1978, the other one in 1975. Since the former was provided by persons involved in catching the shark themselves, it is considered more accurate. As all the accounts are similar, it can be presumed that they are all related to this single event. The great white shark entered a very shallow area where it was spotted by the locals. These eventually killed it and landed it on the coast with the use of a tractor (Fig. 6). The shark’s belly was cut open but, according to the available information, the stomach did not contain anything worth mentioning. Subsequent to the latest list of records published by Soldo & Jardas (2002a, 2002b), two additional records were reported. The first (no. 70), reported and published by Soldo & Dulčić (2005), referred to a large female measuring 570 cm in length and weighing 2–2.5 tons, which was caught during tuna purse-seining on 24 June 2003. The second (no. 71) reported an attack by a great white shark on a spear diver that occurred on 6 October 2008 on the island of Vis. It seems that the great white shark was attracted to the fish caught by the spear diver, whom it then bit on the leg. Luckily, the spear diver was quickly transported to the hospital, where he recovered after a long treatment. Teeth particles extracted from the bitten leg were examined (Fig. 7) by one of the authors of this paper (A. Soldo), who confirmed that the attack was carried out by a great white shark. Apart from these new verified records, others have been reported over the past two decades and all of them were again related to tunas, either of sharks seen feeding on tuna or following or swimming in the vicinity of a school of tunas. However, since these reports were not substantiated with additional evidence (reliable photo or video) or the available evidence was inconclusive (photos not allowing proper identification), they were Fig. 5: Photo of record no. 67. Sl. 5: Fotografija v zvezi z zapisom št. 67. Fig. 6: Photo of record no. 69. Sl. 6: Fotografija v zvezi z zapisom št. 69. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 18 Alen SOLDO & Rigers BAKIU: ADDITIONAL HISTORICAL RECORDS OF THE GREAT WHITE SHARK, CARCHARODON CARCHARIAS (LAMNIFORMES: LAMNIDAE) ..., 11–20 not included in the list. Interestingly, despite advance- ments in information technologies, the records reported in recent times are not always more accurate and val- idated, as would be expected. In fact, the same errors are frequently made, with plain misidentification being particularly common (Casey & Pratt, 1985). Typically, the mistake consists in confusing the great white shark with its close relatives, the shortfin mako Isurus oxyrin- chus, Rafinesque, 1810, or the porbeagle Lamna nasus (Bonnaterre, 1788), and erroneously reporting them as juvenile great white sharks. Such misidentifications are not only suspected in historical records, which cannot be verified anymore without any additional data, but are even discovered in contemporary records. For example, in the recently reported case of a porbeagle caught near Šibenik on 14 September 2023. Porbeagles are rarely but typically caught in that area, and a careful examination of the available photos confirmed it was indeed another case of a porbeagle. However, in many media the specimen was reported as a juvenile great white shark, which would have been the first record of a juvenile in the Adriatic Sea ever. In the beginning of the 20th century, a sudden increase in the records of basking shark Cetorhinus maximus (Gunnerus, 1765) was observed in the northern Adriatic, and probably due to its size, the species was mistakenly reported as the great white shark at the time (Soldo et al., 2008). Nowadays, the general public is better educated about the basking shark, so mistakes in identification are much fewer. As for historical records, given the absence of any confirmable data, we will never know for sure how many reports of the great white shark were actually of the basking shark or some other species. Considering that even nowadays, numerous new records of different shark species are being published without verification, Soldo and Lipej (2024) encourage authors to refrain from making tentative identifications of species and publishing arbitrary observations in the absence of veri- fied evidence. This would avoid adding to the confusion surrounding the status of sharks in the Mediterranean, which is particularly important for species such as the great white shark, where such records are usually the only source of data used to interpret their population patterns. Soldo & Jardas (2002a, 2002b) assumed that as tuna fishing activities gradually declined near the Adriatic coast in the late 20th century and shifted more towards open sea areas, new discoveries of great white sharks would occur in the open sea, where tuna now mainly live, while previously known areas of high abundance of the great white shark, such as Kvarner Bay, would lose their importance. Reports in the 21st century, both ver- ified and unverified, seem to confirm that assumption. Interestingly, since the beginning of the 21th century, the tuna farming industry has developed in the eastern Adriatic, but there have been no reports yet of white shark sightings around the tuna cages. The reason may be the fact that their location is near the coast; however, based on the same set of data, some authors suggest that this is rather the result of a significant decline in the great white shark population in the eastern Adriatic. They estimate a 3- to 20-fold decline (median estimate = 8) in population abundance from 1868 to 1970 and an 84% decrease over three generations (McPherson & Myers, 2009). However, McPherson & Myers (2009) also argue that interpretations of high declines do not take into account an important predator-prey interaction between the great white shark and tunas. This raises a new ques- tion: are the reported population declines real, or have they been influenced, fully or in part, by a relocation of the great white shark populations due to changes in tuna distribution? The answer to this question is obviously very important, not only for the Adriatic Sea, but for the Mediterranean as a whole. Therefore, further studies are needed to address this issue and find an accurate answer that would explain the true conservation status of this charismatic species in the Mediterranean. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors thank to the researcher of the Laboratory of Aquaculture and Fisheries in Durres (Agricultural University of Tirana) Mrs. Jerina Kolitari, for sharing the printed document which included information about the landed great white shark from the Albanian coast, to Prof. Robert Lončarić from the University of Zadar for providing a photo of the record No. 63 and Ivo Ba- tričević for a photo of the record No. 67. Fig. 7: Photo of teeth particles related to record no. 71. Sl. 7: Fotografija zobnih partiklov, ki se nanašajo na zapis št. 71. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 19 Alen SOLDO & Rigers BAKIU: ADDITIONAL HISTORICAL RECORDS OF THE GREAT WHITE SHARK, CARCHARODON CARCHARIAS (LAMNIFORMES: LAMNIDAE) ..., 11–20 DODATNI HISTORIČNI ZAPISI O POJAVLJANJU BELEGA MORSKEGA VOLKA, CARCHARODON CARCHARIAS (LAMNIFORMES: LAMNIDAE) V VZHODNEM JADRANSKEM MORJU: AKTUALNO REGIONALNO POJAVLJANJE KRITIČNO OGROŽENE VRSTE Alen SOLDO Department of Marine Studies, University of Split, Croatia e-mail: soldo@unist.com Rigers BAKIU Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, Agricultural University of Tirana, Koder-Kamez, Albania ACEPSD, Albanian Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Tirana, Albania POVZETEK Avtorja predstavljata dodatne historične zapise o pojavljanju belega morskega volka v vzhodnem Jadranu in ponujata posodobljen seznam pojavljanja vrste na tem območju od leta 1868 naprej. Od objave zadnjega seznama iz leta 2002 je bilo na podlagi razpoložljivih podatkov dodanih 10 novih zapisov o pojavljanju. Od teh jih 8 sega v 19. in 20. stoletje, druga dva pa sta iz 21. stoletja. Ključne besede: Carcharodon carcharias, beli morski volk, pojavljanje, Jadransko morje ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 20 Alen SOLDO & Rigers BAKIU: ADDITIONAL HISTORICAL RECORDS OF THE GREAT WHITE SHARK, CARCHARODON CARCHARIAS (LAMNIFORMES: LAMNIDAE) ..., 11–20 REFERENCES Boldrocchi, G., J. Kiszka, S. Purkis, T. Storai, L. Zinzula & D. Burkholder (2017): Distribution, ecology, and status of the white shark, Carcharodon carcharias, in the Mediterranean Sea. Rev. Fish. Biol. Fisheries, 27, 515-534. Bradai, M.N. & B. Saidi (2013): On the occurrence of the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) in Tunisian coasts. Rapp. Comm. int. Mer Médit., 40, 489. Casey, J.G. & H.L. Jr. Pratt (1985): Distribution of the white shark, Carcharodon carcharias, in the western North Atlantic. So. 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ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 21 received: 2024-03-21 DOI 10.19233/ASHN.2024.03 FIRST RECORDS OF SAWBACK ANGELSHARKS SQUATINA ACULEATA (SQUATINIDAE) FROM THE ALGERIAN COAST (SOUTHWESTERN MEDITERRANEAN SEA) Farid HEMIDA École Nationale Supérieure des Sciences de la Mer et de l’Aménagement du Littoral, BP 19, Bois des Cars, 16320 Dely Ibrahim, Algiers, Algeria Christian REYNAUD Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire en Didactique, Education et Formation, Université de Montpellier, 2, place Marcel Godechot, B.P. 4152, 34092 Montpellier cedex 5, France Christian CAPAPÉ Laboratoire d’Ichtyologie, Université de Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier cedex 5, France e-mail: capape@orange.fr ABSTRACT The present paper reports the captures of two specimens of sawback angelshark Squatina aculeata Risso, 1810 in the eastern region of the Algerian coast (GSA 04). Both specimens were sub-adult females, with a total length (TL) of 1200 mm and 1300 mm, and an estimated total body weight of 10 kg and 18 kg, respectively. These findings provide the first substantiated records of S. aculeata in the Algerian ichthyofauna and address the gap in knowledge for the Maghreb coast. The origin of these specimens remains speculative. However, if the possibility of a viable population in the Mediterranean Sea cannot be completely ruled out, a management plan is needed for S. aculeata to prevent the extinction of this squatinid and its two congeneric species. Key words: Squatinidae, Angel shark, Squatina aculeata, Mediterranean Sea, origin, management PRIME SEGNALAZIONI DI SQUADROLINO SQUATINA ACULEATA (SQUATINIDAE) LUNGO LA COSTA ALGERINA (MARE MEDITERRANEO SUD-OCCIDENTALE) SINTESI Il presente lavoro riporta la cattura di due esemplari di squadrolino Squatina aculeata Risso, 1810 nella regione orientale della costa algerina (GSA 04). Entrambi gli esemplari erano femmine subadulte, con una lun- ghezza totale (TL) di 1200 mm e 1300 mm, e un peso corporeo totale stimato a 10 kg e 18 kg, rispettivamente. Questi risultati forniscono la prima documentazione di S. aculeata per l’ittiofauna algerina e colmano la lacuna di conoscenze per la costa del Maghreb. L’origine di questi esemplari rimane speculativa. Tuttavia, sebbene non si possa completamente escludere la possibilità di una popolazione vitale nel Mediterraneo, è necessario un piano di gestione per S. aculeata per prevenire l’estinzione di questa specie e delle due specie congeneriche. Parole chiave: Squatinidae, squadrolino, Squatina aculeata, Mediterraneo, origine, gestione ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 22 Farid HEMIDA et al.: FIRST RECORDS OF SAWBACK ANGELSHARKS SQUATINA ACULEATA (SQUATINIDAE) FROM THE ALGERIAN COAST ..., 21–26 INTRODUCTION The sawback angelshark, Squatina aculeata Risso, 1810, is distributed from the eastern Atlantic south to the Strait of Gibraltar, off Morocco (Llorid & Rucabado, 1998) and Mauritania (Maurin & Bonnet, 1970). It is caught in relative abundance in the coast of Senegal and landed in craft fishing sites (Capapé et al., 2005). The species is locally used for human consumption, and the oil extracted from its liver protects dried flesh from insects and acarians (Gueye-Ndiaye et al., 1996). Further south, S. aculeata has been recorded in Guinea-Bissau (Sanchès, 1991), in the Gulf of Guinea (Blache et al., 1970), and, apparently, along the coast of Angola and Namibia (Compagno, 1984; Roux, 1984). S. aculeata is found in the Mediterranean Sea with its two other congeneric species: the smoothback an- gelshark S. oculata Bonaparte, 1840 and the common angelshark S. squatina (Linnaeus, 1758) following Roux (1984). At present, S. aculeata is caught sporadically and is classified as critically endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List of threatened species, reflecting a drastic decline of captures (Zava et al., 2020, 2022). The spe- cies has been progressively disappearing from fishery landings and is presently absent from some northern Mediterranean areas, such as the Languedocian coast (Capapé et al., 2000). Moreno (1995) and Barrull & Mate (2002) considered its presence doubtful off the coast of Spain. Massuti & Moranta (2003) reported no captures of squatinid species from the bottom trawl surveys that were carried out in depths between 46 and 1800 m in the waters surrounding the Balearic Islands. Tortonese (1956) reported the occurrence of S. aculeata in Italian marine waters, based on specimens deposited in ichthyological collections, but Zava et al. (2022) now deem such occurrence doubtful. While Soljan (1975) still reported the presence of S. aculeata in the Adriatic Sea, the species, according to Soldo & Lipej (2023), no longer exists in the area. Eastwards, S. aculeata has been reported through- out the Aegean Sea (Filiz et al., 2005; Zava et al., 2020) and Basusta (2016) stated that the finding of a juvenile specimen in the Bay of Iskenderun suggested the ex- istence of a nursery ground in Turkish marine waters. Additionally, during the second phase of MEDITS surveys from bottom trawling in the Mediterranean Sea (period 2012–2015), S. aculeata was only reported from the Aegean Sea (GSA 22), with a 3.3% frequency of occurrence in the total chondrichthyan captures in the depth range of 200–800 m (Follesa et al., 2019). The species has also been reported from the Levant Basin, where rare specimens were generally observed and/or captured off the Israeli coast (Golani, 2005), the Syrian coast (Ali, 2018), and the Lebanese coast (Bar- iche & Fricke, 2020). S. aculeata is also sporadically caught in Libyan (Shakman et al., 2023) and Egyptian marine waters (El Sayed et al., 2017). With special regard to the Algerian coast, only two squatinid species have been recorded to date: S. squatina, reported by Dieuzeide et al. (1953) and, more recently, S. oculata, by Capapé et al. (2023). S. aculeata was previously unknown in the area (Dieuzeide et al., 1953), but scientific investigations regularly carried out in the same area have allowed us to collect two specimens of S. aculeata, which are herein described and provided with comments on the distribution of the species. MATERIAL AND METHODS The specimens of S. aculeata were observed at the main fish market in Algiers, where fish caught from various areas along the Algerian coast, between the Moroccan and Tunisian borders, are landed. During the sampling period, which extended from 2010 to Fig. 1: Map of the Algerian coast with the black star indicating the capture site of the specimens of Squatina aculeata (redrawn from Capapé et al., 2023). Sl. 1: Zemljevid alžirske obale z označeno zvezdico, ki ponazarja lokaliteto ulova primerkov vrste Squatina aculeata (prirejeno po Capapé in sod., 2023). ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 23 Farid HEMIDA et al.: FIRST RECORDS OF SAWBACK ANGELSHARKS SQUATINA ACULEATA (SQUATINIDAE) FROM THE ALGERIAN COAST ..., 21–26 Fi g. 2 : S pe ci m en o f S qu at in a ac ul ea ta c au gh t o n 26 D ec em be r 2 01 6. A . D or sa l s ur fa ce w ith a rr ow in di ca tin g m ed ia n lin e of sp in es . B . L at er al a nd p os te ri or vi ew s ho w in g hi nd t ip s of p el vi c fin s (P el F in ) re ac hi ng l ev el o f fir st d or sa l fin o ri gi n (F ir st D or s Fi n) . C . A nt er io r vi ew o f he ad w ith a rr ow s in di ca tin g de rm al fo ld s on s id es , s lig ht ly u nd ul at e (1 ), ex te rn al n as al fl ap h ea vi ly fr in ge d w ith p ro m in en t f ri ng es (2 ). Ph ot os b y F. H em id a, s ca le b ar = 2 00 m m . Sl . 2 : P ri m er ek v rs te S qu at in a ac ul ea ta u je t 2 6. d ec em br a 20 16 . A . H rb tn a po vr ši na s p uš či co , k i o zn ač uj e sr ed in sk i n iz tr no v. B . P og le d na b oč ni in z ad nj i de l t el es a ka že z ad nj i k on ic i t re bu šn ih p la vu ti (P el F in ), ki d os eg at a ko re n pr ve h rb tn e pl av ut i ( Fi rs t D or s Fi n) . C . S pr ed nj i p og le d gl av e s pu šč ic am i, ki ka že jo : k ož ni g ub i n a st ra ne h, r ah lo v al ov iti (1 ), in z un an je n os ne k rp e, iz ra zi to r es as te (2 ). Fo to gr afi je : F . H em id a, m er ilo = 2 00 m m . ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 24 Farid HEMIDA et al.: FIRST RECORDS OF SAWBACK ANGELSHARKS SQUATINA ACULEATA (SQUATINIDAE) FROM THE ALGERIAN COAST ..., 21–26 2020, only these two specimens were recorded. Both specimens were captured by a commercial trawl at a depth of 100 m over sandy-muddy bottoms, off Annaba, in the east, at 35°42’’35” N and 1°22’17” W (Fig. 1). The geographical region where the presented specimens of S. aculeata were captured coincided with the borders of the GFCM geographical subarea (GSA) 04 (GFCM, 2018). The specimens were careful- ly examined and identified using field guides in ich- thyological fauna. One specimen was photographed, and both were measured for total length (TL) to the nearest millimetre. Their total body weights (TBW) to the nearest kilogram was provided by fishermen and/ or sellers. It should be noted that it is generally diffi- cult to get morphometric measurements at the market, as the fish here, intended for local consumption, are sold rapidly and mainly in bulk. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The first specimen, captured on 27 March 2010, was a female measuring 1200 mm TL and with an es- timated total body weight of 10 kg (Fig. 2). The second specimen, also a female, was caught on 26 December 2016. It measured 1300 m TL and weighed about 18 kg. Based on Capapé et al. (2005), who noted that the size at first sexual maturity for female S. aculeata is typically about 1370 mm TL, the studied specimens were determined to be sub-adults, nearing adulthood. Both specimens were identified as S. aculeata through a combination of main morphological charac- ters: dorsal surface rough with a median line of spines (Fig. 2-A), pectoral fins very high and broad with rounded rear tips; hind tips of pelvic fins reaching level of first dorsal fin origin (Fig. 2-B), dermal folds on sides of head slightly undulate (Fig. 2-C1); external nasal flap heavily fringed with prominent fringes (Fig.2-C2); teeth pointed, slightly curved at the distal end and with triangular base; colour greyish-brown with some white spots, belly beige. The morphology and colour of both specimens were consistent with previous descriptions of the species (Roux, 1984; Capapé & Roux, 1980; Compagno, 1984; Ebert & Stehman, 2013; Zava et al., 2020, 2022; Barone et al., 2022). Therefore, S. aculeata can be considered as present in Algerian marine waters and included in the local ichthyofauna. The main morphological difference between S. acuelata and S. oculata is that in S. oculata, the hind tips of pelvic fins do not reach the level of first dorsal fin origin. While in both S. aculeata and S. squatina the hind tips of pelvic fins reach the level of first dorsal fin origin, S. aculeata can be distinguished from S. squatina by the spinules on the dorsal surface and by the heavily fringed external nasal flap. Zava et al. (2022) reported the capture of one spec- imen of S. aculeata off the Sardinian coast, and one in the central Mediterranean Sea in the marine waters surrounding the Islands of Malta, Lampedusa, and Linosa. Capapé et al. (2005) reported that 27 spec- imens, 15 males and 12 females, of different sizes, including small specimens, were caught throughout the Tunisian coast, also located in the central Mediter- ranean Sea, which could constitute a nursery ground for S. aculeata. The finding of the two specimens herein presented fills the gap in the knowledge of the species concern- ing the area between the Tunisian coast (Capapé et al., 2005) and the Moroccan coast (Lloris & Ruca- bado, 1998). The origin of both specimens remains speculative. A potential nursery ground in the central Mediterranean Sea could indicate an easterly origin of these specimens. On the other hand, S. aculeata is caught in relative abundance along the eastern trop- ical Atlantic coast (Capapé, 2005), and therefore a westerly migration of the species through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea cannot be totally ruled out. At the moment, both hypotheses regarding the origin remain equally plausible. Between 2005 and 2022, a total of 18 specimens of S. aculeata were detected in the Mediterranean Sea according to Zava et al. (2022); the present report brings the count to 20. The species appears to be very rare and could potentially be considered as critically endangered due to fishing pressure and its k-selected characteristics (Zava et al., 2020). However, according to Zava et al. (2020), the species’ rarity could also be attributed to the prohibition of captures and trades since 2012, as recommended by GFCM/36/2012/3. Nevertheless, local fishermen have observed a substantial de- cline in captures of squatinid species throughout the Algerian coast. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 25 Farid HEMIDA et al.: FIRST RECORDS OF SAWBACK ANGELSHARKS SQUATINA ACULEATA (SQUATINIDAE) FROM THE ALGERIAN COAST ..., 21–26 PRVI ZAPISI O POJAVLJANJU TRNASTEGA SKLATA SQUATINA ACULEATA (SQUATINIDAE) IZ ALŽIRSKIH VODA (JUGOZAHODNO SREDOZEMSKO MORJE) Farid HEMIDA École Nationale Supérieure des Sciences de la Mer et de l’Aménagement du Littoral, BP 19, Bois des Cars, 16320 Dely Ibrahim, Algiers, Algeria Christian REYNAUD Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire en Didactique, Education et Formation, Université de Montpellier, 2, place Marcel Godechot, B.P. 4152, 34092 Montpellier cedex 5, France Christian CAPAPÉ Laboratoire d’Ichtyologie, Université de Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier cedex 5, France e-mail: capape@orange.fr POVZETEK Avtorji poročajo o ulovu dveh primerkov trnastega sklata Squatina aculeata Risso, 1810 v vzhodni regiji alžirske obale (GSA 04). Bili sta skoraj odrasli samici, ki sta merili 1200 mm in 1300 mm telesne dolžine in tehtali 10 kg oziroma 18 kg. Ti najdbi predstavljata prva utemeljena zapisa o pojavljanju vrste S. aculeata v alžirski ihtiofavni in odpravljata vrzel v poznavanju te vrste na obali Magreba. Izvor teh primerkov ostaja nejasen. Ni možno povsem izključiti možnost pojavljanja viabilne populacije v Sredozemskem morju, zato je smiselna priprava načrta upravljanja, da bi s tem preprečili izumrtje vrste S. aculeata in njegovih najbliž- jih sorodnikov iz istega rodu. Ključne besede: Squatinidae, sklat, Squatina aculeata, Sredozemsko morje, izvor, načrt upravljanja ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 26 Farid HEMIDA et al.: FIRST RECORDS OF SAWBACK ANGELSHARKS SQUATINA ACULEATA (SQUATINIDAE) FROM THE ALGERIAN COAST ..., 21–26 REFERENCES Ali, M. (2018): An updated checklist of marine fishes from Syria with an emphasis on alien species. Medit. Mar. Sci., 19(2), 388-393. Barone, M., C. Mazzoldi & F. 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ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 27 received: 2024-04-04 DOI 10.19233/ASHN.2024.04 PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS AND CONSERVATION IMPLICATIONS OF SHARK SPECIES FROM TURKISH WATERS Cemal TURAN, Mevlüt GÜRLEK, Servet Ahmet DOĞDU, Deniz ERGÜDEN, Ali UYAN & Ayşegül ERGENLER Iskenderun Technical University, Faculty of Marine Sciences and Technology, Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Laboratory, 31220 Iskenderun, Hatay, Türkiye Nuri BAŞUSTA Fırat University, Fisheries Faculty, Elazığ, Türkiye Alen SOLDO Department of Marine Studies, University of Split, Split 21000, Croatia e-mail: soldo@unist.hr ABSTRACT Phylogenetic relationships of seven shark species (Squalus blainville, Carcharhinus plumbeus, Galeus me- lastomus, Scyliorhinus canicula, Isurus oxyrinchus, Mustelus mustelus and Oxynotus centrina) sampled from Turkish marine waters were examined using the mtDNA cytochrome b region. There were 293 variable and 74 conservative nucleotides, 279 of which were parsimony informative over 367 bp sequences of the mtDNA Cyt b region. Overall mean genetic diversity was 0.433, with the smallest genetic distance (0.2384) observed between M. mustelus and S. canicula, and the largest (1.3040) between G. melastomus and I. oxyrinchus. All species were clearly separated in NJ and MP trees, exhibiting high bootstrap values, and the observed genetic divergence clearly discriminated among all the shark species examined. Additionally, the study identified low genetic diversity and the presence of regional haplotypes, which suggests the need for immediate conservation strategies that are tailored specifically to these ecologically important predatory shark species. Key words: shark species, mtDNA Cyt b, phylogeny, DNA barcoding, Turkey, Mediterranean Sea RELAZIONI FILOGENETICHE E IMPLICAZIONI PER LA CONSERVAZIONE DELLE SPECIE DI SQUALI DELLE ACQUE TURCHE SINTESI Le relazioni filogenetiche di sette specie di squali (Squalus blainville, Carcharhinus plumbeus, Galeus me- lastomus, Scyliorhinus canicula, Isurus oxyrinchus, Mustelus mustelus e Oxynotus centrina) provenienti dalle acque marine turche sono state esaminate utilizzando la regione del citocromo b del mtDNA. C’erano 293 nucleotidi variabili e 74 conservativi, 279 dei quali erano informativi per parsimonia su 367 bp di sequenze della regione del citocromo b del mtDNA. La diversità genetica media complessiva è stata di 0,433, con la distanza genetica più piccola (0,2384) osservata tra M. mustelus e S. canicula, e la più grande (1,3040) tra G. melastomus e I. oxyrinchus. Tutte le specie sono state chiaramente separate negli alberi NJ e MP, mostrando alti valori di bootstrap, e la divergenza genetica osservata discriminava chiaramente tra tutte le specie di squali esaminate. Inoltre, lo studio ha identificato una bassa diversità genetica e la presenza di aplotipi regionali, il che suggerisce la necessità di strategie di conservazione immediate, specificamente adattate a queste specie di squali predatori ecologicamente importanti. Parole chiave: specie di squalo, mtDNA Cyt b, filogenesi, DNA barcoding, Turchia, Mediterraneo ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 28 Cemal TURAN et al.: PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS AND CONSERVATION IMPLICATIONS OF SHARK SPECIES FROM TURKISH WATERS, 27–36 INTRODUCTION Chondrichthyans, particularly the group of sharks, are an extraordinarily diverse group of large preda- tory animals inhabiting the world’s seas. As primary predators of many species they play a significant role in oceanic ecosystems (Soldo, 2003; Vélez-Zuazo & Agnarsson, 2011; Kabasakal, 2021a). However, due to their life history characteristics, such as long gener- ation times and low intrinsic population growth rates, these species are especially susceptible to over-ex- ploitation. In many seas around the world, sharks are commercially captured for their meat, fins, gill plates, and liver oil, resulting in documented serious declines (Davidson et al., 2016). The first global assessment by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), which is widely recognized as the most com- prehensive and scientifically-based source of informa- tion on the global status of plant and animal species, estimated that one quarter of sharks were in danger of extinction, making sharks the most threatened ver- tebrate lineage after amphibians (Dulvy et al., 2014). For the Mediterranean region, the IUCN reported vulnerability of chondrichthyans and a general lack of data. Over half of the species assessed, specifically 39 out of 73, were found to be regionally threatened (critically endangered, endangered, or vulnerable), while 13 species were data deficient (Dulvy et al., 2016). This makes the Mediterranean the world region with the highest level of threat to chondrichthyans. Furthermore, in some areas of the Mediterranean, the situation is even more serious; a recent assessment of the conservation status of chondrichthyan species in the Adriatic Sea, for example, has revealed that 70% are regionally threatened and three species are regionally extinct (Soldo & Lipej, 2022). As members of chondrichthyans, sharks comprise over 500 documented species distributed among nine orders: Hexanchiformes, Heterodontiformes, Orectolobiformes, Lamniformes, Carcharhiniformes, Squaliformes, Echinorhiniformes, Pristiophoriformes, and Squatiniformes (Van der Laan et al., 2024). Di- versity patterns across these shark lineages are highly uneven. Over 75% of extant shark diversity is found within two lineages, the Carcharhiniformes and the Squaliformes. The Squatiniformes, Lamniformes, and Orectolobiformes exhibit moderate species diversity: ~4%, ~3%, and ~12%, respectively. The Echinorhini- formes, Heterodontiformes, and Pristiophoriformes are species poor, accounting for ~3% of the total described shark species diversity combined (Sorenson et al., 2014). Scientific data for chondrichthyans related to life parameters, particularly for the Mediterranean area, are available only for a few common species (Fowler et al., 2005). In Turkey, limited research has been con- ducted on sharks, with a significant portion focusing on distribution and bycatch data only (Yaglıoglu et al., 2015; Başusta, 2016; Kabasakal, 2021a; 2021b; Gül et al., 2022; Kabasakal et al., 2023). Overall, 37 species of sharks have been reported so far in Turkish marine waters (Kabasakal, 2021a). Genetic markers are a valuable tool for describing species and monitoring genetic diversity levels in an exploited species (Turan, 2008). Molecular genetic studies utilizing mtDNA have proven advantageous in investigating the phylogeography and phylogeny of marine fish species (Turan et al., 2009; Avise, 2012; Doğdu & Turan, 2021; Yağlıoğlu et al., 2023; Uyan et al., 2024). Sequence analysis of mtDNA regions is a common tool used for elucidating phylogenetic relationships of marine species (Avise et al., 1994; Carvalho & Hauser, 1994; Turan et al., 2017). The cy- tochrome b gene (Cyt b), whose phylogenetic perfor- mance is comparable to that of COI, has been widely used for fish species identification and enhancing our understanding of phylogenetic relationships (Farias et al., 2001; Dettai & Lecointre, 2005; Sevilla et al., 2007; Doğdu & Turan, 2016; Karan et al., 2019). In this study, we aimed to analyze the phylogenetic relationship of seven shark species (Squalus blainville (Risso, 1827), Carcharhinus plumbeus (Nardo, 1827), Galeus melastomus Rafinesque, 1810, Scyliorhinus canicula (Linnaeus,  1758), Isurus oxyrinchus Rafin- esque, 1810, Mustelus mustelus (Linnaeus, 1758), and Oxynotus centrina (Linnaeus, 1758)) from Turkish waters by sequencing the Cyt b region. MATERIAL AND METHODS Seven shark species, comprising Squalus blainville (5 specimens), Carcharhinus plumbeus (2 specimens), Scyliorhinus canicula (5 specimens), Galeus melasto- mus (3 specimens), Isurus oxyrinchus (2 specimens), Mustelus mustelus (5 specimens), and Oxynotus cen- trina (3 specimens), were collected from Iskenderun Bay, in the northeastern Mediterranean. Tissue samples were collected in Eppendorf tubes from the specimens caught by fishermen and transported to the laboratory in bags with crushed ice. All tissue samples were then stored in 98% ethanol at –20 °C until analysis. Total genomic DNA was extracted from muscle samples using a slightly modified phenol-chloroform procedure (Sambrook et al., 1989). The total DNA was visualized by agarose gel electrophoresis (1.5%) and quantified by spectrophotometric assay. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification was performed with the following universal mtDNA Cyt b primers (Kocher et al., 1989): Cyt b- Forward 5’- AAA CTG CAG CCC CTC AGA ATG ATA TTT GTC CTC -3' Cyt b- Reserved 5’- CGA ACG TTG ATA TGA AAA ACC ATC GTT- 3' ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 29 Cemal TURAN et al.: PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS AND CONSERVATION IMPLICATIONS OF SHARK SPECIES FROM TURKISH WATERS, 27–36 The PCRs were conducted in a total volume of 50 µl with 0.4 uM of each primer, 0.2 mM of dNTP, and 1.25 U of Taq DNA polymerase in a PCR buffer containing 20 mM of Tris–HCl (pH 8.0), 1.5 mM of MgCl2, 15 mM of KCl, and 1–2 μl of template DNA. The pre-de- naturation step at 95°C for 1 min was followed by 5 cycles of denaturation at 94°C for 30 s, 50 °C for 30 s, and 72 °C for 45 s. This was repeated for 30 cycles, with a final extension step at 72 °C for 7 min. The PCR products were visualized using electrophoresis on a 1.5% agarose gel. The DNA sequencing was per- formed to determine the order of the nucleotides in the mtDNA Cyt b region. The chain termination method by Sanger et al. (1977) was applied with Bigdye Cycle Sequencing Kit V3.1 and ABI 3130 XL genetic analyz- er. The initial alignments of partial Cyt b sequences were carried out using the Mega X program (Kumar et al., 2018), and the final alignment was completed manually with BioEdit (Hall, 1999). Haplotype diver- sity, genetic diversity (Nei, 1987), and mean number of pairwise differences (Tajima, 1983) were calculated using the Arlequin program (Schneider et al., 2000). Tab. 1: The number of haplotype and its distribution among the species. Tab. 1: Oznaka in prisotnost haplotipa in njegova razširjenost med vrstami. Haplotype S. blainville C. plumbeus S. canicula I. oxyrinchus M. mustelus G. melastomus O. centrina Hap_1 1 - - - - - - Hap_2 1 - - - - - - Hap_3 1 - - - - - - Hap_4 1 - - - - - - Hap_5 1 - - - - - - Hap_6 - 1 - - - - - Hap_7 - 1 - - - - - Hap_8 - - 1 - - - - Hap_9 - - 1 - - - - Hap_10 - - 1 - - - - Hap_11 - - 1 - - - - Hap_12 - - 1 - - - - Hap_13 - - - 1 - - - Hap_14 - - - 1 - - - Hap_15 - - - - 1 - - Hap_16 - - - - 1 - - Hap_17 - - - - 1 - - Hap_18 - - - - 1 - - Hap_19 - - - - 1 - - Hap_20 - - - - - 1 - Hap_21 - - - - - 1 - Hap_22 - - - - - 1 - Hap_23 - - - - - - 1 Hap_24 - - - - - - 1 Hap_25 - - - - - - 1 Total 5 2 5 2 5 3 3 ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 30 Cemal TURAN et al.: PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS AND CONSERVATION IMPLICATIONS OF SHARK SPECIES FROM TURKISH WATERS, 27–36 We also created a haplotype network for shark species. Haplotypes were obtained with the DnaSP 6 program (Rozas, 2017). The minimum spanning tree (Excoffier & Smouse, 1996) of haplotypes was produced with the FigTree (v1.4.3) program. The molecular phylogenetic tree was constructed using Mega X (Kumar et al. 2018), employing neighbor joining (NJ) (Nei & Kumar, 2000) as the distance-based method and cladistics as the maximum parsimony (MP) criterion. The reliability of the inferred phylogenies was evaluated using the bootstrap method (Felsenstein, 1985) with 1000 replicates. RESULTS There were 293 variable and 74 conservative nucle- otides, 279 of which were parsimony informative over 367 bp sequences of the mtDNA Cyt b gene region. The average nucleotide composition was 28.1% A, 31.3% T, 24.9% G, and 15.7% C. Twenty-five haplotypes were found, all of them unique, resulting in a haplotype diver- sity of 1.00 (Tab. 1). The minimum spanning tree revealed the relationships among the haplotypes (Fig. 1), with an- cestral haplotypes 1, 2, and 4 only found in S. blainville. The Tamura 3-parameter method was selected as the best method for analyzing intra- and interspecific variations (BIC score: 6923.7398). The mean genetic diversity across all species was found to be 0.43367. The matrix of pairwise genetic distances within species is presented in Table 2. The smallest genetic distance was observed between M. mustelus and S. canicula (0.2384), the largest between G. melasto- mus and I. oxyrinchus (1.3040). The lowest genetic diversity within species (0.024) was detected in O. centrina. In the neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree, two main phylogenetic nodes were detected, with I. oxyrinchus separately branched as one main node. In the second main node, four sub-branches were identified, with each sub-branch comprising one species with a high bootstrap value (Fig. 2). The maximum parsimony tree showed a different topology, with two main phylogenetic nodes detected. In the first node, G. melastomus was branched sepa- rately, whereas in the second node, four sub-branches were generated: O. centrina was closely grouped with S. blainville, while C. plumbeus was closely grouped with I. oxyrinchus (Fig. 3). Fig. 1: A minimum spanning tree illustrating the relationships among the haplotypes. Sl. 1: Minimalno vpeto drevo, ki kaže na odnose med haplotipi. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 31 Cemal TURAN et al.: PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS AND CONSERVATION IMPLICATIONS OF SHARK SPECIES FROM TURKISH WATERS, 27–36 DISCUSSION The study investigated the phylogenetic relationships of the seven shark species distributed in Turkish marine waters. All the species resulted separated in the NJ and MP trees with high bootstrap values. No shared haplo- types were detected between species, with the identified haplotypes distinct for each examined shark species. The number of examined species was low due to the endangerement of shark species in the studied area. However, despite the small number, the results show a clear discrimination of each species. O. centrina had the lowest genetic diversity (0.024), which may call into question its conservation status (VU) as assessed by the IUCN. The genetic diversity of G. melastomus (0.0871) was the highest among the examined species. Castilho et al. (2007) studied the morphological and mitochondrial DNA divergence of G. melastomus and Galeus atlanticus (Vaillant, 1888) in the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal, using the mtDNA ND2 gene. Haplotype diversity and genetic diversity of G. melastomus were found to be 0.911 and 0.1, respectively, and seven haplotypes were observed. Their results for this species were similar to the findings presented herein. The genetic diversity of M. mustelus was also found to be low. Pereyra et al. (2010) studied the population genetic structure of Mustelus Schmitt Springer, 1939, in Río de la Plata, southwest Atlantic Ocean, using mitochondrial cytochrome b gene region. The genetic and haplotype diversity resulted to be 0.226 and 0.0015, respectively. Much lower genetic diversity was observed on the Atlantic coast, which may suggest a more conserved status of the species in the Mediterranean. Kousteni et al. (2015) studied the pop- ulation genetic structure of the small-spotted catshark, S. canicula, in the Mediterranean using the mtDNA COI gene region. The investigation revealed high haplotype diversity (0.808) and low genetic diversity (0.0032). The detected genetic diversity of S. canicula in the present study was found to be low (0.0357), but still much higher than that established by Kousteni et al. (2015). Coastal and demersal chondrichthyans, such as S. ca- nicula, are expected to exhibit genetic differentiation in complex geomorphology like the Mediterranean Basin due to their limited dispersal ability (Kousteni et al., 2015). Furthermore, Kousteni et al. (2015) suggested that strong genetic subdivision in both mitochondrial and nuclear microsatellite DNA data between the western and eastern Mediterranean is indicative of the geographic isolation of the two basins, with the deep sea acting as a significant barrier to dispersal. Kousteni et al. (2015) sampled from the Aegean and Egyptian coasts, while the present study is the first to sample from the northeastern Mediterranean for this species and has indicated that more conserved populations may exist in this area. The genetic diversity of C. plumbeus in the present study was observed to be low (0.0278). Geraghty et al. (2014) investigated the genetic structure of the dusky shark, Carcharhinus obscurus (Lesueur, 1818), and the sandbar shark, C. plumbeus, in the Indo-Australian region using the mtDNA ND4 region. They found haplotype diversity and genetic diversity to be 0.2814 and 0.0009, respectively. The genetic diversity detected herein was relatively higher than that established by Geraghty et al. (2014), which may indicate a more conserved status for sandbar sharks in the Mediterranean Sea. The level of genetic and haplotype diversity of other shark species from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans was also low compared to that observed in the Mediterra- nean Sea. Murray et al. (2008) studied the relationships of sleeper sharks Somniosus microcephalus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801), Somniosus pacificus Bigelow & Schroeder, 1944, and Somniosus antarcticus Whitley, Tab. 2: Pairwise genetic distances between species and diversity within species (transversal diagonal) given in bold. Tab. 2: Parne genetske razdalje med vrstami in genetska variabilnost med vrstami (transverzalna diagonala) je podana v krepkem tisku. Species 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Squalus blainville (1) 0.0324 Carcharhinus plumbeus (2) 0.3683 0.0278 Scyliorhinus canicula (3) 0.3290 0.4343 0.0357 Isurus oxyrinchus (4) 1.1958 1.2574 1.3715 0.0686 Mustelus mustelus (5) 0.3003 0.3854 0.2384 1.1601 0.0555 Galeus melastomus (6) 0.3255 0.4020 0.3077 1.3040 0.3294 0.0871 Oxynotus centrina (7) 0.2569 0.4530 0.3530 1.2713 0.3269 0.3854 0.024 ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 32 Cemal TURAN et al.: PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS AND CONSERVATION IMPLICATIONS OF SHARK SPECIES FROM TURKISH WATERS, 27–36 1939, using the mtDNA Cyt b region. They observed a haplotype diversity of 0.7937 for S. pacificus, 0.6667 for S. antarcticus, and 0.7750 for S. microcephalus. Li et al. (2017) studied the genetic differentiation of Prionace glauca (Linnaeus, 1758) in the central Pacific Ocean, and found the haplotype diversity and genetic diversity to be 0.768 and 0.0011, respectively. Although S. blainville had ancestral haplotypes, the highest genetic differentiation in this study was observed in I. oxyrinchus. This may be related to the species’ low genetic diversity, which could be caused by anthropogenic factors such as fishing pressure and distraction of fishing grounds since limited spawning grounds of this species are known (Costa et al. 2002). In phylogenetic analysis, all the species of the seven genera resulted aggregated into clusters in the NJ and MP trees, with high bootstrap values. The discrimina- tion success of the present study can be associated with the detected low levels of sequence differentiation within species and higher levels between species, as also reported by studies by Holmes et al. (2009) and Barbuto et al. (2010). The discrimination performance of the Cyt b gene is reasonable and applicable in future barcoding studies, especially in comparison to the performance of the COI gene, which has been widely used for identifying fish species and resolving fish phy- logenies (Chen et al., 2003; Dettai & Lecointre 2005; Sevilla et al., 2007; Seyhan & Turan, 2016). This study indicates that O. centrina, C. plumbeus, S. blainville, and S. canicula, which have low genetic diver- sity, are under threat. These results are only partially in accordance with the status of the mentioned species in the Mediterranean, as O. centrina is indeed assessed as critically endangered, and C. plumbeus as endangered. On the other hand, S. canicula is categorized as least concern and S. blainville as data deficient (Dulvy et al., Fig. 2: A neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree based on Cyt b sequences. Dipturus batis (Linnaeus, 1758) was used as an outgroup. Bootstrap values are indicated on the nodes. Fish illustrations from Froese & Pauly (2023). Sl. 2: Filogenetsko drevo združevanja sosedov, ki temelji na sekvencah Cyt b. Kot stranska skupina je bila uporabljena vrsta Dipturus batis (Linnaeus, 1758). Vrednosti bootstrap so navedene na vozliščih. Ilustracije rib so povzete po Froese in Pauly (2023). ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 33 Cemal TURAN et al.: PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS AND CONSERVATION IMPLICATIONS OF SHARK SPECIES FROM TURKISH WATERS, 27–36 2016). These two species belong to a group of demersal chondrichthyans that are highly impacted by various fishing gears, especially bottom trawls (Soldo & Lipej, 2022). Soldo & Lipej (2022) warned that even if these species are protected by various legislation, this does not prevent them from being caught. This is especially true for those inhabiting inshore areas where fishing effort is highest and a broad range of various unselective bottom fishing gear is used in both small-scale and large-scale fisheries. Soldo & Lipej (2022) therefore proposed that the ultimate conservation priority should be to identi- fy and map the critical habitats of these species and, subsequently, implement in these relatively small areas such management measures that will only allow the use of highly selective bottom fishing gear. This approach is aimed at avoiding strong conflicts with the interests of fisheries, which can prevent any conservation measure. An overview of IUCN extinction risk assessments shows that most of the Mediterranean populations of elasmobranches are at a higher risk of extinction than their counterparts elsewhere (Dulvy et al., 2016; Vella & Vella, 2023). Due to the infrequency of shark encounters in the Mediterranean Sea, conducting detailed studies on these species poses a challenge. Consequently, there are still knowledge gaps that need to be addressed in order to better understand and safeguard these species. There is an increasing need to improve the data on sharks to more accu- rately assess their status in the region. This study has identified low genetic diversity and the presence of regional haplotypes, highlighting the importance of developing immediate conservation strategies that are specifically tailored to these ecologically significant predatory species. Fig. 3. A maximum parsimony phylogenetic tree based on Cyt b sequences. Dipturus batis was used as an outgroup. Bootstrap values are indicated on the nodes. Fish illustrations from Froese & Pauly (2023). Sl. 3: Filogenetsko drevo z največjo parsimonijo (varčnost), ki temelji na sekvencah Cyt b. Za stransko skupino so uporabili vrsto Dipturus batis. Vrednosti bootstrap so navedene na vozliščih. Ilustracije rib so povzete po Froese in Pauly (2023). ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 34 Cemal TURAN et al.: PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS AND CONSERVATION IMPLICATIONS OF SHARK SPECIES FROM TURKISH WATERS, 27–36 FILOGENETSKI ODNOSI IN POSLEDICE OHRANJANJA VRST MORSKIH PSOV V TURŠKIH VODAH Cemal TURAN, Mevlüt GÜRLEK, Servet Ahmet DOĞDU, Deniz ERGÜDEN, Ali UYAN & Ayşegül ERGENLER Iskenderun Technical University, Faculty of Marine Sciences and Technology, Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Laboratory, 31220 Iskenderun, Hatay, Türkiye Nuri BAŞUSTA Fırat University, Fisheries Faculty, Elazığ, Türkiye. Alen SOLDO Department of Marine Studies, University of Split, Split 21000, Croatia e-mail: soldo@unist.hr POVZETEK Avtorji so raziskovali filogenetske odnose pri sedmih vrstah morskih psov (Squalus blainville, Carcharhinus plumbeus, Galeus melastomus, Scyliorhinus canicula, Isurus oxyrinchus, Mustelus mustelus in Oxynotus centrina) iz turških voda z uporabo mtDNA citohrom b regija. Bilo je 293 variabilnih in 74 konzerva- tivnih nukleotidov, od katerih jih je bilo 279 varčnih informativnih v 367 bp sekvencah regije mtDNA cyt b. Skupna genetska diverziteta je bila 0,433, z najmanjšo ugotovljeno genetsko razdaljo (0,2384) med vrstama M. mustelus in S. canicula, in največjo (1,3040) md vrstama G. melastomus in I. oxyrinchus. Vse vrste so se dobro razlikovale na nivoju NJ in MP dreves, ki so pokazale visoke zagonske vrednosti, opažena genetska divergence pa je jasno razlikovala med vsemi raziskanimi vrstami morskih psov. Poleg tega je raziskava odkrila nizko genetsko variabilnost in prisotnost regionalnih haplotipov, kar kaže na potrebo po takojšnjih strategijah ohranjanja, ki so posebej prilagojene tem ekološko pomembnim plenilcem. Ključne besede: vrste morskih psov, mtDNA Cyt b, filogenija, DNA barcoding, Turčija, Sredozemsko morje ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 35 Cemal TURAN et al.: PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS AND CONSERVATION IMPLICATIONS OF SHARK SPECIES FROM TURKISH WATERS, 27–36 REFERENCES Avise, J.C. (2012): Molecular markers, natural history and evolution. Springer Science Business Media, 511 pp. Avise, J.C., W.S. Nelson, & C.G. Sibley (1994): DNA sequence support for a close phylogenetic relationship between some storks and New World vultures. PNAS USA, 91(11), 5173-5177. Barbuto, M., A. Galimberti, E. Ferri, M. Labra, R. Malandra, P. Galli, M. Casiraghi (2010): DNA barcoding reveals fraudulent substitutions in shark seafood products: The Italian case of “palombo” (Mustelus spp.). Int. Food Res., 43(1), 376-381. Başusta, N. (2016): Length-weight relationship of sandbar shark Carcharhinus plumbeus (Nardo, 1827) in Iskenderun Bay (north-eastern Mediterranean Sea. Rapp. Comm. int. 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ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 37 received: 2024-01-10 DOI 10.19233/ASHN.2024.05 ON THE OCCURRENCE OF UNDULATE RAY, RAJA UNDULATA (RAJIDAE), FROM THE ALGERIAN COAST (SOUTHWESTERN MEDITERRANEAN SEA) Farid HEMIDA École Nationale Supérieure des Sciences de la Mer et de l’Aménagement du Littoral (ENSSMAL), BP 19, Bois des Cars, 16320 Dely Ibrahim, Algiers, Algeria Christian REYNAUD Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire en Didactique, Education et Formation, Université de Montpellier, 2, place Marcel Godechot, B.P. 4152, 34092 Montpellier cedex 5, France Christian CAPAPÉ Laboratoire d’Ichtyologie, Université de Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier cedex 5, France e-mail: capape@orange.fr ABSTRACT The authors report past captures of undulate ray Raja undulata Lacépède, 1802 from the coast of Algeria. One specimen was an adult male, caught off Annaba in the eastern region of the Algerian coast, measuring 501 mm in disc width (DW) and 792 mm in total length (TL), with an estimated total body weight (TBW) of 3200 g. Other specimens were off caught off Tipasa in the central region of the Algerian coast. The paper describes the specimens, discussing and commenting the occurrence of the species in the local area and in the broader Mediterranean Sea. Key words: Rajidae, Raja undulata, distribution, Algerian coast, migration, eastern Atlantic, Mediterraenan Sea PRESENZA DI RAZZA ONDULATA, RAJA UNDULATA (RAJIDAE), LUNGO LA COSTA ALGERINA (MEDITERRANEO SUDOCCIDENTALE) SINTESI Gli autori riportano le catture della razza ondulata Raja undulata Lacépède, 1802 lungo le coste dell’Algeria. Uno degli esemplari era un maschio adulto, catturato al largo di Annaba, nella regione orientale della costa alge- rina, e misurava 501 mm di larghezza del disco (DW) e 792 mm di lunghezza totale (TL), con un peso corporeo totale (TBW) stimato a 3200 g. Altri esemplari sono stati catturati al largo di Tipasa, nella regione centrale della costa algerina. L’articolo descrive gli esemplari, discutendo e commentando la presenza della specie nell’area locale e nel più ampio mare Mediterraneo. Parole chiave: Rajidae, Raja undulata, distribuzione, costa algerina, migrazione, Atlantico orientale, Mediterraneo ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 38 Farid HEMIDA et al.: ON THE OCCURRENCE OF UNDULATE RAY, RAJA UNDULATA (RAJIDAE), FROM THE ALGERIAN COAST (SOUTHWESTERN ..., 37–44 INTRODUCTION The undulate ray Raja undulata Lacépède, 1802 occurs in the north-eastern Atlantic, ranging from the British Isles, southern Ireland, the English Channel, and Bay of Biscay (Ellis et al., 2012; Conant, 2015), to the Portuguese and Spanish coasts, and further down, south of the Strait of Gibraltar, to the coasts of Morocco (Alon- cle, 1966) and Senegal (Almeida & Biscoito, 2019). In Portugal, the fish is especially captured in the south- western region, in shallow coastal waters less than 50 m deep, over sandy bottoms (Coelho et al., 2005), while in the northern coasts of Spain it occurs at depths between 20 and 90 m (Bañon et al., 2008). In the Mediterranean, R. undulata is mainly dis- tributed in the western areas of the basin (Stehmann & Bürkel, 1984; Conant, 2015). The species was once fairly abundant in the Gulf of Lion, but currently, cap- tures have been declining (Capapé et al., 2017). In the northern region of the western Mediterranean basin, off the Balearic Islands, there has been a report of a single specimen (Massutí & Moranta, 2003), followed by a report of two additional specimens (Massutí & Reñones, 2005). Psomadakis et al. (2006) noted that only 10 re- cords have been reported from the Italian seas, confirm- ing that R. undulata is a rare occurrence there. Further to the east, in the Adriatic Sea, R. undulata is a rare species only found in the deep waters of the southern Adriatic region (Soldo & Lipej, 2022), with still unknown population limits. While the species is sporadically caught off Turkey (Bilecenoglu et al., 2014), it has never been recorded on the coasts of Syria (Ali, 2018) or Lebanon (Bariche & Fricke, 2020). Golani (in letteris, 2024) has noted that the information on the presence of R. undulata in Israeli marine waters was based on old records in Ben-Tuvia’s publications. Additionally, Golani (pers. com., 2024) assumes that he never collected or saw this species in the area where at present it probably no longer exists. Similarly, this ray is not present on the coasts of Egypt (El Sayed et al., 2017) or Libya (Shakman et al., 2023). With regard to the latter area, Fitori et al. (2023) recently reported the capture of a specimen of R. undulata, but it was, apparently, a misidentified specimen of rough skate R. radula Delaroche, 1809. In the central Mediterranean, R. undulata has been reported from the waters surrounding the islands of Malta (Borg et al., 2023), but no specimens have been found for confirmation. On the other hand, the species has not been recorded in Tunisian marine waters despite extensive research carried out in the area (Capapé, 1989; Rafrafi-Nouira et al., 2015; Enajjar et al., 2023). In the south-western Mediterranean, two specimens were caught off Melilla, Morocco (Dieuzeide et al., 1953), both reaching a total length of 780 mm, while the species was considered very rare off the Algerian coast. These trends are also consistent with more recent observations by Hemida (2005), which suggest that the species is not currently observed in the region. Never- theless, investigations carried out along the Algerian coast with the help of local fishermen familiar with the fishing grounds, resulted in the capture of a few speci- mens described herein. The document also provides a few insights into the distribution of the species in the area and throughout the Mediterranean Sea. MATERIAL AND METHODS On 6 January 2000, a specimen of R. undulata was caught with a trammel net off Annaba, a town located in the eastern region of the Algerian coast at 37°06’10” N and 7°51’02” E (Fig. 1). The catch was made at a Fig. 1: Capture sites of Raja undulata located along the Maghreb shore. 1. Off Melilla (Dieuzeide et al., 1953). 2. Off Tipasa, this study (2000). 3. Off Annaba, this study (2019). Sl. 1: Lokalitete ulova vrste Raja undulata vzdolž magrebske obale. 1. Melilla (Dieuzeide in sod., 1953). 2. Tipasa, ta raziskava (2000). 3. Annaba, ta raziskava (2019). ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 39 Farid HEMIDA et al.: ON THE OCCURRENCE OF UNDULATE RAY, RAJA UNDULATA (RAJIDAE), FROM THE ALGERIAN COAST (SOUTHWESTERN ..., 37–44 depth of 114 m on soft bottom, and included speci- mens of monkfish Lophius piscatorius Linnaeus, 1758 and hake Merluccius merluccius (Linnaeus, 1758). On 16 March 2019, new specimens, at least four, were caught off Tipasa, a town located in the central region of the Algerian coast at 36°41’18” N and 2°27’14” E (Fig. 1). The catches were made at a depth of 110 m on a sandy-rocky seabed partly covered with seaweed and algae, together with a slender rockfish Scorpaena elongata Cadenat, 1943, and a comber Serranus ca- brilla (Linnaeus, 1758). The R. undulata specimens were carefully exam- ined and identified with the help of field guides in ichthyological fauna. They were photographed and, where possible, measured. It was generally difficult to obtain morphometric measurements, because the specimens were sliced and quickly sold by fishmon- gers for local consumption. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The R. undulata specimen caught off Annaba was a large adult male with well-developed, rigid, and cal- cified claspers; it measured 501 mm disc width (DW), 792 mm total length (TL), and its total body weight (TBW) was estimated by the fish trader at 3200 g (Fig. 2). The specimens caught off Tipasa appeared to be fe- males of similar size, of which a single specimen with 350 mm DW and 540 mm TL could be measured, but their TBW was estimated by the fishermen to be over 4000 g. It was assumed they were juveniles, based on Ellis et al. (2012) who found that females mature at a TL of 84 cm in Portuguese waters. However, it has been known since Leloup & Olivereau (1951) that there are latitudinal differences between Mediterranean and Atlantic elasmobranchs, with the former maturing at smaller sizes and reaching a smaller maximum length than the latter. These latitudinal differences have been confirmed by Mellinger (1989), Capapé et al. (2004), and Moreira et al. (2021). Nevertheless, currently, there are no studies on the reproductive biology of R. undulata in the Mediterranean Sea to compare sizes at first sexual maturity and maximum sizes between specimens from this sea and those from the Atlantic Ocean. All the specimens examined were identified as R. undulata according to the following combination of morphological characters: disc broadly rounded, especially posterior margins, anterior margins very slightly concave opposite the spiracles and at the level of the eyes; snout short and blunt, tip prominent and rounded; mouth arched; dorsal surface covered with spines, except on the posterior part of the disc and pelvic fins, where rather smooth, snout and tail covered with dense spines; ventral surface smooth ex- cept on snout, disc margins, and tail; a discontinuous median series of spines spanning from end of body to first dorsal fin, three rows of spines on tail; dorsal surface ochre to greyish brown, with white spots and long wavy dark brown bands edged with light spots resembling pearl strings; ventral surface white except for the greyish brown end of tail. The morphology and colouration are fully consistent with previous descriptions of R. undulata by Garman (1913), Clark (1926), Capapé & Desoutter (1979), Stehmann & Bürkel (1984), and Capapé et al. (2017). Therefore, the presence of the species from the Algerian coast can be considered confirmed, however, further Fig. 2. Specimen of Raja undulata captured off Tipasa (2000). A. Anterior view, scale bar = 200 mm. B. Posterior view, scale bar = 200 mm (photos: Farid Hemida). Sl. 2: Primerek vrste Raja undulata, ujet v vodah okoli Tipase (2000). A. Pogled na prednji del, merilo = 200 mm. B. Zadnji del, merilo = 200 mm (fotografije: Farid Hemida). ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 40 Farid HEMIDA et al.: ON THE OCCURRENCE OF UNDULATE RAY, RAJA UNDULATA (RAJIDAE), FROM THE ALGERIAN COAST (SOUTHWESTERN ..., 37–44 records are needed before asserting that a viable popu- lation is successfully established in the area. Doumet (1860), Moreau (1881), and Quignard (1965) noted that R. undulata was quite common in the Mediterranean coast of France. Nevertheless, it appears that the spe- cies is only sporadically caught in the area, with merely a few specimens observed across several decades: two captured in 1992 (Capapé et al., 2006), one captured in 2015 (Capapé et al., 2017), and one photographed in the wild by Louisy (2002). Like other skates and rays, R. undulata develops K-selected biological characteristics (sensu McAuley et al., 2007) and its vulnerability to fish- ing pressure contributes to the decline and rarity of its catches. It is very important to improve the sustainable efforts for preserving the species in this region, following Aldebert’s recommendations (1997), and also in other Mediterranean regions. R. undulata can easily be mistaken for its closely related species. Ellis et al. (2012) note that early ac- counts of British fishes did not include R. undulata because it was likely confused with the small-eyed ray R. microocellata Montagu 1818. Juveniles of rough ray R. radula Delaroche, 1807 display wavy dark bands on the dorsal surface similar to those of R. undulata, which has led to misidentification and erroneous re- ports of the latter species off Jalta, an island in northern Tunisia (Le Danois, 1925), as well as from the Gulf of Hammamet in central Tunisia (FAO, 1970) and, more recently, off the Libyan coast (Fitori et al., 2023). An adult R. radula can easily be distinguished from a R. undulata by the presence of a circular eyespot with a dark centre surrounded by a yellowish inner ring and a brown outer ring (see Fig. 4). In the Mediterranean, R. undulata appears to be captured more frequently in the western basin than in the eastern basin, where records for confirmation are sometimes unavailable (Capapé et al., 2017). R. undulata is not a Mediterranean species sensu stricto and the occurrence of specimens is likely due to mi- grations from the eastern Atlantic through the Strait of Fig. 3. Specimen of Raja undulata captured off Annaba (2019), scale bar = 50 mm (photo: Farid Hemida). Sl. 3: Primerek vrste Raja undulata, ujet v vodah okoli Annabe (2019), merilo = 50 mm (foto: Farid Hemida). ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 41 Farid HEMIDA et al.: ON THE OCCURRENCE OF UNDULATE RAY, RAJA UNDULATA (RAJIDAE), FROM THE ALGERIAN COAST (SOUTHWESTERN ..., 37–44 Gibraltar, where the species is relatively abundant in temperate waters (Ellis et al., 2012). This could explain why more specimens were recorded from the western than from the eastern coast of Algeria. Furthermore, the decline and rarity of R. undulata catches can partly be attributed to climate change, as the warming of Mediterranean waters discourages new migrations of specimens (Ben Raïs Lasram & Mouillot, 2009), as well as to fishing pressure. Unfortunately, no statistical data are available in relation to the abundance and distribution of the species in the Medi- terranean, unlike the situation in the eastern Atlantic (Ellis et al., 2012). Further in-depth studies employing biological tools are needed to provide new records of R. undulata and help determine the true status of this species in all regions of the Mediterranean Sea. Fig. 4. Dorsal surface of the specimen of rough ray Raja radula Delaroche, 1809, captured off Annaba (2019), with the arrow (1) indicating a circular eyespot with a dark centre surrounded by a yellowish inner ring and a brown outer ring, scale bar = 200 mm (photo: Farid Hemida). Sl. 4: Hrbtna površina primerka hrapave raže, Raja radula Delaroche, 1809, ujetega v vodah pri Annabi (2019), s puščico (1), ki kaže okroglo lažno oko s temnim središčem, rumenkastim notranjim obročem in rjavim zunanjim obročem, merilo = 200 mm (foto: Farid Hemida). ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 42 Farid HEMIDA et al.: ON THE OCCURRENCE OF UNDULATE RAY, RAJA UNDULATA (RAJIDAE), FROM THE ALGERIAN COAST (SOUTHWESTERN ..., 37–44 O POJAVLJANJU VALOVITO PROGASTE RAŽE, RAJA UNDULATA (RAJIDAE), IZ ALŽIRSKE OBALE (JUGOZAHODNO SREDOZEMSKO MORJE) Farid HEMIDA École Nationale Supérieure des Sciences de la Mer et de l’Aménagement du Littoral (ENSSMAL), BP 19, Bois des Cars, 16320 Dely Ibrahim, Algiers, Algeria Christian REYNAUD Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire en Didactique, Education et Formation, Université de Montpellier, 2, place Marcel Godechot, B.P. 4152, 34092 Montpellier cedex 5, France Christian CAPAPÉ Laboratoire d’Ichtyologie, Université de Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier cedex 5, France e-mail: capape@orange.fr POVZETEK Avtorji poročajo o dosedanjih ulovih valovito progaste raže Raja undulata Lacépède, 1802 ob alžirski obali. Navajajo primerek odraslega samca, ujetega ob Annabi na vzhodnem delu alžirske obale, ki je meril 501 mm v premeru diska (DW) in 792 mm v totalno dolžino (TL), telesno maso (TBW) pa so ocenili na 3200 g. Drugi primerki so bili ujeti v vodah pri Tipasi v osrednjem delu alžirske obale. V prispevku opisujejo primerke in razpravljajo ter komentirajo o pojavljanju te vrste na lokalnem prostoru in v širšem Sredozemskem morju. Ključne besede: Rajidae, Raja undulata, razširjenost, alžirska obala, selitev, vzhodni Atlantik, Sredozemsko morje ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 43 Farid HEMIDA et al.: ON THE OCCURRENCE OF UNDULATE RAY, RAJA UNDULATA (RAJIDAE), FROM THE ALGERIAN COAST (SOUTHWESTERN ..., 37–44 REFERENCES Aldebert, Y. (1997): Demersal resources of the Gulf of Lions (NW Mediterranean). Impact of exploitation of fish diversity. Vie Milieu, 47, 275-284. Ali, M. (2018): An updated Checklist of the Marine fishes from Syria with emphasis on alien species. Medit Mar. 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ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 45 received: 2023-12-07 DOI 10.19233/ASHN.2024.06 FIRST RECORD OF HIMANTURA MÜLLER & HENLE, 1837 IN LIBYAN WATERS: A COMPREHENSIVE DISCUSSION OF MISIDENTIFICATION ISSUES AND ECOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA Sara A. A. ALMABRUK Marine Biology in Libya Society, El Bayda, Libya Higher Institute of Science and technology – Cyrene, Shahat, Libya Abdulghani ABDULGHANI Marine Biology in Libya Society, El Bayda, Libya Department of Marine Resources, Omar Al-Moukhtar University, El Bayda, Libya Francesco TIRALONGO Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy Ente Fauna Marina Mediterranean, Scientific Organization for Research and Conservation of Marine Biodiversity, Avola, Italy Institute for Biological Resources and Marine Biotechnologies, National Research Council, Ancona, Italy e-mail: francesco.tiralongo@unict.it ABSTRACT The Dasyatidae family encompasses about a hundred stingray species distributed across the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. In the Mediterranean Sea, six stingray species are documented, including Himantura uarnak. Despite records of the Himantura genus in the Mediterranean Sea since the 1950s, their existence remained largely unstudied until a comprehensive examination that revealed the presence of four species within the H. uarnak species complex, one of which is Himantura leoparda. This study marks the first documentation of the Himantura in Libyan waters. The finding was established based on three records between 2021 and 2023. Citizen science initiatives have played a significant role in detecting and tracking these stingray species in the Mediterranean. This research underscores the need for further investigation into the diversity and distribution of these enigmatic stingray species. Key words: taxonomical approach, Lessepsian immigrants, elasmobranchs, citizen science, stingray, biological invasions PRIMA DOCUMENTAZIONE DI HIMANTURA MÜLLER & HENLE, 1837 NELLE ACQUE LIBICHE: DISCUSSIONE COMPLETA DI PROBLEMI DI IDENTIFICAZIONE ERRATA E IMPLICAZIONI ECOLOGICHE NEL MEDITERRANEO SINTESI La famiglia Dasyatidae comprende circa cento specie di razze, distribuite negli oceani Atlantico, Indiano e Pacifico. Nel Mediterraneo sono documentate sei specie di trigoni, tra cui Himantura uarnak. Nonostante le segnalazioni del genere Himantura nel Mediterraneo fin dagli anni ‘50, la loro esistenza è rimasta in gran parte poco studiata fino ad un esame approfondito che ha rivelato la presenza di quattro specie all’interno del complex rappresentato da H. uarnak, tra cui Himantura leoparda. Questo studio segna la prima documentazione del genere Himantura nelle acque libiche. Tre avvistamenti tra il 2021 e il 2023 sono stati utilizzati per confermare questa scoperta. Le iniziative di citizen science hanno svolto un ruolo significativo nel rilevare e monitorare queste specie di trigoni nel Mediterraneo. Questa ricerca sottolinea la necessità di ulteriori indagini sulla diversità e distribuzione di queste enigmatiche specie di trigoni. Parole chiave: approccio tassonomico, migranti lessepsiani, elasmobranchi, citizen science, trigoni, invasioni biologiche ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 46 Sara A. A. ALMABRUK et al.: FIRST RECORD OF HIMANTURA MÜLLER & HENLE, 1837 IN LIBYAN WATERS: A COMPREHENSIVE DISCUSSION OF ..., 45–50 INTRODUCTION The Dasyatidae family comprises 107 species across 19 genera of coastal marine, brackish, and freshwater fishes. In the Mediterranean Sea, only two species of the Himatura genus have been recorded to date (Ali et al., 2010, 2013; Myers et al., 2021), namely, Himantura leoparda Manjaji-Matsumoto & Last, 2008, and Himantura uarnak (Gmelin, 1789). This genus is marine and predominantly found in the Indo–West Pacific region. The honeycomb stingray, H. uarnak, is a widely distributed Indo-Pacific species, documented from the Indo-Pacific to the Red Sea, eastern Africa to northern Africa, and the Philippines (McEachran & Capapé, 1984). Recent observations indicate its expansion from the Red Sea into the eastern Mediter- ranean through the Suez Canal (Golani et al., 2002). This species is a Lessepsian immigrant, reported from Turkish waters (Ben-Tuvia, 1966; Başusta et al., 1988), the Egyptian coast (El Sayed, 1994), and the Levant Basin (Mouneimne, 1977; Golani, 2005; Ali et al., 2010). H. leoparda has a widespread distri- bution in the tropical Indo-Pacific region, spanning from South Africa, eastern India, and Sri Lanka, through southern India, including the Philippines, southern Japan, Taiwan, New Guinea, and northern Australia from Coral Bay to the Cape York Peninsula (Manjaji-Matsumoto & Last, 2008). Similarly to its close relative H. uarnak, H. leoparda has entered the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal, with its first recorded appearance off the Turkish coast (Yucel et al., 2017). Subsequently, a second record was documented from the coast of Lebanon (Bariche et al., 2020). These two species are part of the H. uarnak spe- cies complex that includes H. leoparda, H. tutul, H. uarnak, and H. undulata (Borsa et al., 2013; Last et al., 2016). The species of this complex, while exhibiting similar general morphological and chro- matic characteristics, can be differentiated through accurate analysis of specific features (e.g., color pat- tern on dorsal surface, arrangement of mid-scapular denticles, disc shape). Drawing from citizen science contributions, we report herein the first observation of the Him- antura genus in Libyan waters. We discuss the likely introduction pathway of these specimens in the Mediterranean Sea, highlighting the importance of citizen science initiatives in the early detection and monitoring of non-native fishes in the region. MATERIAL AND METHODS Three separate occurrences of the Himantura genus have been documented in the waters off Libya between 2021 and 2023, using a combination of citizen science and social media. The first record, reported on 15 July 2021, involved the capture of an individual by longline gear at a depth of 54 m near the Al-Tamim coastline in eastern Libya (Fig. 1a). A second sighting occurred on 12 July 2023, when a recreational fisherman shared a live stream on his Facebook account, revealing an adult male of the Himantura sp. caught in a set gill net at a depth of 15 m in the Gulf of Bomba (Fig. 1b). Most recently, on 18 August 2023, an underwater video footage by a spearfisher showed a Himantura sp. specimen swimming at a depth of 7 m off Ras Alteen in eastern Libya (see the video in supplementary material). RESULTS Given that all the three reports were documented solely through photos or videos, without the pos- sibility of physically examining the animal, a cau- tious approach was warranted. This decision was influenced by the substantial difficulty arising from the great similarities displayed by the species within this genus and the identification errors that had oc- curred in previous studies. For these reasons, it was decided we would refrain from specifying the spe- cies and maintain identification at the genus level. All the specimens were captured/observed in coastal shallow waters, in the depth range of 7–54 m. The genus Himantura is characterized by the following features (Last et al., 2016): large size, with adults reaching 130–160 cm disc width (DW); a robust, sub-oval to rhombic disc with a broadly rounded to narrowly angular pectoral-fin apex; snout broadly angular and moderately elongate (1.7–2.8 times combined orbit and spiracle length), the eye small and protruding. Nasal curtain broadly skirt- shaped, mouth narrow with 4–5 oral papillae (lateral papillae always present). Tail very long and whip-like (length 2.5–3.7 times disc width), with a narrow and oval to almost circular base in cross-section. Pelvic fins small and almost entirely concealed by the disc. Dorsal fold and ventral folds absent, caudal sting close to tail base (distance from pectoral-fin insertion to caudal sting base is 1.7–2.3 times interspiracular width). With 1–3 thorns in mid-scapular region or in row on nape, and no other scapular thorns present. Denticle band well-developed and with a diffused edge, patchy dermal denticles on the rest of the disc in adults. No enlarged median thorns on tail, but small thorns and denticles present posteriorly in adults. Dorsal surface with strong color pattern (spots, ocelli, and/or reticulations), ventral surface white. Posterior tail typically banded in young indi- viduals. Not all of these characteristics were visible or examinable in the available photos and video, due to the long distance at which the animal was observed ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 47 Sara A. A. ALMABRUK et al.: FIRST RECORD OF HIMANTURA MÜLLER & HENLE, 1837 IN LIBYAN WATERS: A COMPREHENSIVE DISCUSSION OF ..., 45–50 (video) and the fact that the specimens were unfor- tunately damaged and only visible dorsally (photos). Nevertheless, based on the discernible color pattern and the overall body morphology we could still con- fidently identify the genus as Himantura. DISCUSSION Although the number of cartilaginous alien fish recorded in the Mediterranean Sea is significantly lower than that of their bony counterparts, their im- pact on the ecosystem could be dramatically more substantial (Bradai et al., 2012). The settlement of the Himantura in Libyan waters, documented through photographic and video materials, raises significant concerns regarding the repercussions of these non-native mesopredators on the native fauna of the coastal Mediterranean marine ecosystem. Mesopredators are organisms positioned in the mid- dle of the food chain and are typically carnivorous (Peterson et al., 2001; Tiralongo et al., 2020a). The intrusion of non-native mesopredators into marine ecosystems can have multifaceted consequences (Ingeman, 2016). Firstly, the mesopredator can ex- ert direct predation pressure on native species, po- tentially leading to changes in population dynamics and community structure. Native organisms lacking evolutionary adaptations to cope with the alien predator may experience elevated predation risk, which can lead to population declines or changes in behavior and distribution patterns due to com- petition with non-indigenous species. Secondly, the ingression of a mesopredator can have indirect effects on native fauna through trophic interactions. Changes in the abundance or behavior of one spe- cies can trigger cascading effects throughout the ecosystem, influencing the abundance and behavior of other species. Overall, the potential implications of such spe- cies for native fauna underscore the importance of closely monitoring the spread and impact of meso- predators like Himantura in the Mediterranean Sea. Understanding ecological interactions and dynamics is crucial for implementing effective management and conservation strategies aimed at mitigating any negative effects on the native marine ecosystem. However, the main challenge lies in resolving the taxonomic ambiguity associated with the two Him- antura species found in the Mediterranean, namely H. leoparda and H. uarnak. In fact, the morphologi- cal and color similarities between the two species compromise classification accuracy and have likely contributed to past misidentifications (Borsa et al., 2013; Last et al., 2016). Therefore, further taxonomic Fig. 1: New records of the genus Himantura in the Mediterranean Sea (Libya): a) specimen caught on 15 July 2021; b) specimen caught on 12 July 2023. Sl. 1: Novi podatki o pojavljanju vrst iz rodu Himantura v Sredozemskem morju (Libija): a) primerek ulovljen 15. julija 2021; b) primerek ulovljen 12. julija 2023. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 48 Sara A. A. ALMABRUK et al.: FIRST RECORD OF HIMANTURA MÜLLER & HENLE, 1837 IN LIBYAN WATERS: A COMPREHENSIVE DISCUSSION OF ..., 45–50 investigations are required that will encompass both morphological and chromatic analyses, and, above all, genetic studies. This comprehensive approach is necessary to ensure proper species identification and determine the abundance and Mediterranean distri- bution of the species. Notably, the risk of misiden- tification may extend to other similar species within the genus Himantura currently unreported, but pos- sibly present in the Mediterranean Sea. Knowledge about their distribution and behavior is crucial for informing effective management and conservation strategies and for a comprehensive understanding of the ecological impact of these elusive alien species on the Libyan marine ecosystem and the broader region. In this regard, some authors have already underscored the invaluable role of citizen scientists and the social media in data collection, enhancing the understanding of marine ecosystems, and aid- ing in the detection of invasive species (Azzurro & Tiralongo, 2020; Tiralongo et al., 2020b; Al Mabruk et al., 2021). This collaborative effort not only pro- motes scientific engagement but also enriches the dataset of records on species of interest, offering a more comprehensive perspective on the presence, behavior, and potential ecological impacts of non- indigenous species in the Mediterranean Sea. Finally, the most plausible explanation for the presence of these species in Mediterranean waters, considering their natural distribution range, is their ingression through the Suez Canal. Supplementa ry mate r ia l : h t tps : / / a rch ive . o r g /de t a i l s / 395291011 -6731596236895022 - 4453523919132992277-n ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 49 Sara A. A. ALMABRUK et al.: FIRST RECORD OF HIMANTURA MÜLLER & HENLE, 1837 IN LIBYAN WATERS: A COMPREHENSIVE DISCUSSION OF ..., 45–50 PRVI ZAPIS O POJAVLJANJU RODU HIMANTURA MÜLLER & HENLE, 1837 V LIBIJSKIH VODAH: CELOSTNA RAZPRAVA O PROBLEMU NAPAČNE IDENTIFIKACIJE IN EKOLOŠKIH POSLEDICAH V SREDOZEMSKEM MORJU Sara A. A. ALMABRUK Marine Biology in Libya Society, El Bayda, Libya Higher Institute of Science and technology – Cyrene, Shahat, Libya Abdulghani ABDULGHANI Marine Biology in Libya Society, El Bayda, Libya Department of Marine Resources, Omar Al-Moukhtar University, El Bayda, Libya Francesco TIRALONGO Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy Ente Fauna Marina Mediterranean, Scientific Organization for Research and Conservation of Marine Biodiversity, Avola, Italy Institute for Biological Resources and Marine Biotechnologies, National Research Council, Ancona, Italy e-mail: francesco.tiralongo@unict.it POVZETEK Morski biči (družina Dasyatidae) štejejo približno 100 vrst, ki so razširjene v Atlantskem, Indijskem in Tihem oceanu. Sredozemsko morje naseljuje šest vrst, vključno z vrsto Himantura uarnak. Čeprav obstajajo zapisi o pojavljanju vrst iz rodu Himantura v Sredozemskem morju že od leta 1950, je bilo pojavljanje tega rodu v veliki meri neraziskano, dokler ni celovita raziskava razkrila obstoj štirih vrst v kompleksu vrste H. uarnak, med katerimi je tudi vrsta Himantura leoparda. Pričujoča raziskava je obelodanila prvo pojavljanje vrst iz rodu Himantura v libijskih vodah. Temelji na treh najdbah v obdobju med 2021 in 2023. Pri odkrivanju in sledenju teh vrst morskih bičev v Sredozemskem morju je imela pomembno vlogo ljubiteljska znanost. Ta raziskava narekuje potrebo po nadaljnjih raziskavah pestrosti in razširjenosti teh enigmatičnih morskih bičev. Ključne besede: taksonomski pristop, lesepske selivke, hrustančnice, ljubiteljska znanost, morski biči, bioinvazija ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 50 Sara A. A. ALMABRUK et al.: FIRST RECORD OF HIMANTURA MÜLLER & HENLE, 1837 IN LIBYAN WATERS: A COMPREHENSIVE DISCUSSION OF ..., 45–50 REFERENCES Ali, M., A. Saad, M.M. 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ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 51 received: 2024-02-01 DOI 10.19233/ASHN.2024.07 RECENT OCCURRENCES OF RHINOPTERA MARGINATA AND MOBULA MOBULAR IN TURKISH AEGEAN AND MEDITERRANEAN WATERS Hakan KABASAKAL İstanbul University, Institute of Science, Fisheries Technologies and Management Program, 34116 Fatih, İstanbul, Türkiye WWF Türkiye, Asmalı Mescit, İstiklal Cd. No:136, 34430 Beyoğlu, İstanbul, Türkiye e-mail: kabasakal.hakan@gmail.com Ayşe ORUÇ, Ebrucan KALECİK, Efe SEVİM, Nilüfer ARAÇ & Cansu İLKILINÇ WWF Türkiye, Asmalı Mescit, İstiklal Cd. No:136, 34430 Beyoğlu, İstanbul, Türkiye ABSTRACT The monitoring of commercial fisheries and internet media screening have revealed recent captures of the Lusitanian cownose ray, Rhinoptera marginata (Geoffroy St. Hilaire, 1817), and the devil fish, Mobula mobular (Bonnaterre, 1788), in Turkish Aegean and Mediterranean waters. The capture ratios of 0.56 individuals/year for R. marginata over a 25-year period and 0.74 individuals/year for M. mobular over a 51-year period confirm that the occurrence of both batoids in Turkish waters is rare. Although further research is required, available data suggest that the Bay of İskenderun could represent a feeding or nursery ground or perhaps only a migration corridor for R. marginata. Similarly, the zooplankton-rich summer waters of the Bay of Antalya could serve as a feeding ground for M. mobular. Key words: Myliobatiformes, rarity, vulnerability, batoids PRESENZA RECENTE DI RHINOPTERA MARGINATA E MOBULA MOBULAR NELLE ACQUE TURCHE DELL’EGEO E DEL MEDITERRANEO SINTESI Il monitoraggio della pesca commerciale e lo screening dei media su Internet hanno rivelato la recente cattura di Rhinoptera marginata (Geoffroy St. Hilaire, 1817) e di Mobula mobular (Bonnaterre, 1788) nelle acque turche del Mar Egeo e del Mediterraneo. I rapporti di cattura di 0,56 individui/anno per R. marginata in un periodo di 25 anni e di 0,74 individui/anno per M. mobular in un periodo di 51 anni confermano che la presenza di entrambi i batoidi nelle acque turche è rara. Sebbene siano necessarie ulteriori ricerche, i dati disponibili suggeriscono che la baia di İskenderun potrebbe rappresentare una zona di alimentazione o di nursery o forse solo un corridoio di migrazione per R. marginata. Allo stesso modo, le acque estive della baia di Antalya, ricche di zooplancton, potrebbero servire come area di alimentazione per M. mobular. Parole chiave: Myliobatiformes, rarità, vulnerabilità, batoidi ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 52 Hakan KABASAKAL et al.: RECENT OCCURRENCES OF RHINOPTERA MARGINATA AND MOBULA MOBULAR IN TURKISH AEGEAN AND MEDITERRANEAN WATERS, 51–60 INTRODUCTION The Mediterranean Sea is a hot spot for marine biodiversity and a complex region, with approx- imately 17,000 marine species and strong inter- action of ecological and human influences (Coll et al., 2010). Among the 759 confirmed species of marine fishes reported to inhabit the Mediter- ranean Sea in an updated and evidence-based checklist (Kovačić et al., 2021), there are 88 species of chondrichthyans (sharks, batoids, and chimaeras) representing 11.59% of the regional ichthyofauna, which makes the Mediterranean Sea a “chondrichthyan-rich” basin (Serena et al., 2020; Barone et al., 2022). When considering chondrich- thyan diversity in the Mediterranean Sea, there are 38 species of batoids accounting for 43.18% of the total chondrichthyan fauna, with a greater richness of batoids (79%) in the eastern Mediterranean (Serena et al., 2020). Contrary to this description of the eastern basin being a “batoid-rich region”, the results of the International Mediterranean Trawl Survey (MED- ITS) conducted in this area during the 2012–2015 period show no records of two batoid species (GSAs 22, 23 and 25; Follesa et al., 2019), namely: Rhinoptera marginata (Geoffroy St. Hilaire, 1817) (Myliobatiformes: Rhinopteridae) and Mobula mobular (Bonnaterre, 1788) (Myliobatiformes: Mobulidae). However, several regional studies have recently revealed that these two batoids have been captured in Turkish Aegean and eastern Mediterranean waters as bycatch in commercial fisheries (Başusta et al., 2012; Ceyhan & Akyol, 2014; Yağlıoğlu et al., 2015; Başusta & Özgür Özbek, 2017). Since the batoids in question are considered either rare (R. marginata) or vulnerable (M. mobular) (GFCM, 2018), filling the gaps in the knowledge about these species and collect- ing photographic evidence of them is of critical importance (Tsikliras & Dimarchopoulou, 2021; Barone et al., 2022). The present article reports re- cent occurrences of R. marginata and M. mobular in the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean waters of Turkey, enhancing their data-deficient records with new information, and providing a review of previous sightings or captures of the two species in the mentioned region. MATERIAL AND METHODS Study area The described specimens (Rhinoptera marginata and Mobula mobular) have been sighted or captured in the northern Aegean Sea and the eastern Medi- terranean Sea, which are defined as geographical subareas (GSAs) 22 and 24, respectively, by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterra- nean (GFCM) (Fig. 1). Data acquisition Data on R. marginata bycatch throughout the marine area extending from Foça (GSA 22) to Silifke (GSA 24) were acquired from WWF-Türkiye observers or collaborating fishers. Furthermore, the data and images of a single specimen of M. mobular sighted off Gökçeada (northeastern part of GSA 22) and the related video footage uploaded to the web- site of a mainstream news portal by a commercial swordfish harpooner were obtained from the follow- ing link: https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/turkiye/nesli-teh- like-altinda-olan-dev-vatoz-gokceadada-goruntulen- di/1846028. The Image Capture function of the VLC Media Player was used to capture still images of M. mobular (Fig. 2) from the video footage. The present study was supported by the WWF-Türkiye Wildlife Programme within the scope of the Cartilaginous Fish (Chondrichthyes) Data Generation project. The photographs of R. marginata specimens and the video footage of M. mobular are stored in the ar- chive of the first author and are available on request for further inspection. Since online communities and website administrators may react negatively to researchers using their online content, all internet content scraping activity was performed responsibly, following the ethical code proposed by Monkman et al. (2017), to avoid compromising any personal data or images. Species identification follows Barone et al. (2022), and taxonomic nomenclature follows Froese and Pauly (2024). The IUCN Red List status of the elasmobranchs identified in the Mediterranean Sea is aligned with Otero et al. (2019). The evidence criteria for occurrences are based on Kovačić et al. (2020). The basic data, such as disc width (DW, cm), sex, type of fishing gear, and location of capture, were obtained from WWF-Türkiye observers or through collaboration with local fishers. The review of previous sightings or captures of R. marginata and M. mobular in Turkish waters is based on the literature available and presented in Table 1 (Geld- iay, 1969; Ulutürk, 1987; Başusta, 1998; Kabasakal, 2002; Başusta et al., 2012; Ceyhan & Akyol, 2014; Yağlıoğlu et al., 2013, 2015; Başusta & Özgür Öz- bek, 2017; Gönülal & Güreşen, 2017). RESULTS Description of the examined specimens Rhinoptera marginata (Geoffroy St. Hilaire, 1817) Transversally lozenge-shaped disc with sharply angled outer corners; head elevated from disc, with ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 53 Hakan KABASAKAL et al.: RECENT OCCURRENCES OF RHINOPTERA MARGINATA AND MOBULA MOBULAR IN TURKISH AEGEAN AND MEDITERRANEAN WATERS, 51–60 Fig. 1: Localities of past and present sightings or captures of Rhinoptera marginata (above) and Mobula mobular (below) in Turkish waters. The numbers on the maps correspond to those in Table 1. Illustrations of species in the lower left corner of each map are adapted from Serena (2005). Sl. 1: Lokalitete recentnih in novejših opazovanj ali ulova vrst Rhinoptera marginata (zgoraj) in Mobula mobular (spodaj) v turških vodah. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 54 Hakan KABASAKAL et al.: RECENT OCCURRENCES OF RHINOPTERA MARGINATA AND MOBULA MOBULAR IN TURKISH AEGEAN AND MEDITERRANEAN WATERS, 51–60 eyes and spiracles located on sides; snout short, with short subrostral lobe deeply notched medially. Colour uniformly greenish brown to bronze dorsal- ly; underside whitish, with disc margins and wing tips darker, tail dark (Fig. 2). Mobula mobular (Bonnaterre, 1788) Very broadly lozenge-shaped disc with very broad head marked off from the body disc; anterior parts of pectoral fins separated from pectoral wings to form two long, thin, vertically oriented cephalic fins; small dor- sal fin on tail base level with inner pelvic fin margins. Dorsal surface plain brown to bluish-black, sometimes with a blackish collar across the head; underside white, but dark spots and blotches may occur (Fig. 2). Sighting or capture data related to unpublished specimens On 20 June 2021, a male of R. marginata was incidentally captured by a commercial bottom long-liner in the Bay of Antalya and released alive. Since the claspers of the specimen were hard and longer than the tips of the pelvic fins, the individual Fig. 2: Recent images of Rhinoptera marginata (sp. 13 and 14 in Tab. 1 and Fig. 1) and Mobula mobular (sp. 38 in Tab. 1 and Fig. 1) individuals. Definitions of arrows: in A and C, ↓ points at the concave front edge of the head resulting in a deeply incised subrostral lobe; in B, → and ← indicate the claspers of R. marginata (sp. 13 in Table 1); in D, → and ← indicate the cephalic fins of M. mobular (sp. 38 in Table 1); in E, top ← indicates a laterally located spiracle, bottom ← points at the eye; in F, → indicate sharp and darker tips of the pectoral fins, and ← indicates the concave front edge of the head of R. marginata (sp. 14 in Table 1) (Photos: archives of WWF Turkey). Sl. 2: Recentni posnetki primerkov vrst Rhinoptera marginata (primerka 13 in 14 v Tab. 1 in Sl. 1) in Mobula mobular (primerek 38 v Tab. 1 in Sl. 1). Razlaga puščic: v A in C, ↓ kaže na konkavni prednji rob glave in globoko zajedo subrostralne krpe; v B, → in ← kažeta klasperja primerka vrste R. marginata (primerek 13 v Tab. 1); v D, → in ← kažeta naglavna izrastka primerka vrste M. mobular (primerek 38 v Tab. 1); v E, zgoraj ← kaže spirakel na boku, spodaj ← označuje oko; v F, → označujeta ostri in temni konici prsnih plavuti, in ← kaže konkavni prednji rob glave primerka vrste R. marginata (primerek 14 v Tab. 1) (Fotografije: arhiv WWF Turkey). ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 55 Hakan KABASAKAL et al.: RECENT OCCURRENCES OF RHINOPTERA MARGINATA AND MOBULA MOBULAR IN TURKISH AEGEAN AND MEDITERRANEAN WATERS, 51–60 Tab. 1: Review of past and present sightings and captures of Mobula mobular and Rhinoptera marginata in Turkish waters. Abbreviations as follows: NEAS, northeastern Aegean Sea; NEMS, northeastern Mediterranean Sea; CAS, central Aegean Sea; M, male; F, female. Evidence criteria based on Kovačić et al. (2020) are as follows: (1) collection-verified presence, (2) publication-evidence from photo, (3) publication - expert providing individual collected data, (4) publication - expert performing broad study. Tab. 1: Pregled historičnih in današnjih opazovanj in ulovov vrst Mobula mobular in Rhinoptera marginata v turških vodah. Okrajšave: NEAS, severovzhodno Egejsko morje; NEMS, severovzhodno Sredozemsko morje; CAS, centralno Egejsko morje; M, samec; F, samica. Na dokazih temelječi podatki sledijo kriterijem po Kovačić in sod. (2020): (1) prisotnost v zbirki, (2) fotografija v objavi, (3) objava - podatke zagotovil strokovnjak, (4) objava - strokovnjak je opravil obsežno raziskavo. Rhinoptera marginata (Geoffroy St. Hilaire, 1817) No Date Locality DW (cm) Sex Type of fishing gear Type of record Criteria Remarks 1 Before 1996 Bay of İskenderunNEMS 63.2 --- Pelagic trawl Capture 3 Published in Başusta (1998) 2-4 Before 1999 Gökçeada NEAS --- --- Trammel net Capture 4 Published in Kabasakal (2002) 5-8 Before 1999 Off KuşadasıCAS --- --- --- Capture 4 Published in Kabasakal (2002) 9 Before 2010 Bay of İskenderunNEMS --- --- Bottom trawl Capture 3 Published in Yağlıoğlu et al. (2015) 10 December 2010 Bay of İskenderunNEMS 82.4 F Bottom trawl Capture 3 Gravid female carrying one near-term pup in the uterus, published in Başusta et al. (2012) 11 December 2010 Bay of İskenderunNEMS 87.4 F Bottom trawl Capture 3 Gravid female carrying one near-term pup in the uterus, published in Başusta et al. (2012) 12 April 2011 Bay of İskenderunNEMS 23 M Bottom trawl Capture 3 Near term embriyon, published in Başusta et al. (2012) 13 20 Jun 2021 Bay of AntalyaNEMS --- M Bottom long line Capture 2 Unpublished record by WWF Türkiye MedBycatch observers, released alive (Fig. 2) 14 21 Oct 2021 Bay of AntalyaNEMS --- --- Gill net Capture 2 Unpublished record by WWF Türkiye MedBycatch observers, captured at a depth of 46 m (Fig. 2) Mobula mobular (Bonnaterre, 1788) No Date Locality DW (cm) Sex Type of fishing gear Type of record Criteria Remarks 1 Before 1969 Bay of İzmirCAS --- --- --- Capture 3 Published in Geldiay (1969) 2 2 Jun 1980 Gökçeada NEAS --- --- --- Capture 1 Taxidermied cephalic part is preserved in the field museum of Gökçeada with registration number PSC20170513-31. Mentioned in Ulutürk (1987) and Gönülal & Güreşen (2017) 3 Before 1999 BozcaadaNEAS --- --- --- Sighting 4 Published in Kabasakal (2002) 4 Before 1999 Bay of AntalyaNEMS --- --- --- Sighting 4 Published in Kabasakal (2002) 5 18 Mar 2012 Bay of İskenderunNEMS 140.4 M Purse seining Capture 3 Single specimen released alive, published in Yağlıoğlu et al. (2013) 6 Before 2013 Off FethiyeNEMS --- --- Swordfish long line Capture 3 Single specimen released alive, published in Ceyhan & Akyol (2014) 7-36 10 Mar 2017 Bay of AntalyaNEMS --- --- Purse seining Capture 1 Published in Başusta & Özgür Özbek (2017). Detailed morphometric measurements are available in the relevant reference, and DWs of 1 male and 1 female were 272 cm and 270 cm, respectively, which are currently are on display at Marine Biology Museum of the Antalya, Metropolitan Municipality 37 Summer 2019 Gökçeada NEAS --- --- --- Sighting 4 Unpublished record 38 19 May 2020 Gökçeada NEAS ~200 --- --- Sighting 2 Unpublished record, sighted by commercial swordfish harpooner nearly 10 km off northeastern coast of Gökçeada, where the water depth was 400- 500 m (Fig. 2) ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 56 Hakan KABASAKAL et al.: RECENT OCCURRENCES OF RHINOPTERA MARGINATA AND MOBULA MOBULAR IN TURKISH AEGEAN AND MEDITERRANEAN WATERS, 51–60 was assumed to be a mature male. On 21 October 2021, a second Lusitanian cownose ray was captured by a commercial gill-netter in the Bay of Antalya at a depth of 46 m. In summer 2019, a single specimen of M. mob- ular was sighted by a swordfish harpooner off the northern coast of the island of Gökçeada. On 19 May 2020, a second devil fish with an estimated DW of about 200 cm was sighted by the same fisher nearly 10 km off the northeastern coast of Gökçeada, where the water depth ranged between 400 and 500 m. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS The descriptions of the observed specimens are consistent with those for R. marginata and M. mob- ular provided by Ebert and Stehmann (2013) and Barone et al. (2022). The review of available data has revealed that 14 Lusitanian cownose rays (prior to the 1996–2021 period) and 38 devil fishes (prior to the 1969–2020 period) were sighted or captured in Turkish Aegean and Mediterranean waters (Tab. 1). The bycatch of both batoid species in commer- cial fishing in Turkish Aegean and Mediterranean waters has also been mentioned in previous studies (Başusta, 1998; Kabasakal, 2002; Başusta et al., 2012; Ceyhan & Akyol, 2014; Yağlıoğlu et al., 2013, 2015; Başusta & Özgür Özbek, 2017). Considering the periods in which the species were sighted or captured, the capture ratios of 0.56 individuals/ year for R. marginata over a 25-year period and 0.74 individuals/year for M. mobular over a 51-year period confirm that the occurrence of both batoids in Turkish waters is rare. Available literature and recent captures con- firm the contemporary occurrence of R. marginata in Turkish seas (Başusta et al., 1998; Kabasakal, 2002; Başusta et al., 2012; Bilecenoğlu et al., 2014; Yağlıoğlu et al., 2015); however, the population status of this species in the region has not been investigated, which is true for the Mediterranean as a whole (Ferretti et al., 2016). R. marginata is rare in the Mediterranean and was only found in two out of 6,336 hauls made (in the eastern Ionian Sea) during the first phase of the International Trawl Survey (MEDITS) conducted between 1994 and 1999 at depths of 10–800 m (Baino et al., 2001). In the second phase of the MEDITS survey (2012–2015), R. marginata was not found at all (Follesa et al., 2019). Judging from the available literature and recent captures, R. margi- nata appears to occur mostly in the eastern Med- iterranean basin (Başusta et al., 1998; Kabasakal, 2002; Başusta et al., 2012; Yağlıoğlu et al., 2015), but the available data are insufficient to estimate its population trends. Based on an incidental capture of two gravid females and one near-term embryo, Başusta et al. (2012) assumed that the Bay of İskenderun may be a nursery ground for R. marginata in the northeastern Mediterranean Sea. According to Yağlıoğlu et al. (2015), the Bay of İskenderun may also serve as a feeding ground or merely as a migration corridor. Further evidence is required to confirm any of these assumptions. Although recent sightings of M. mobular have consisted of solitary specimens, the species is known to aggregate in certain regions of the eastern Mediterranean Sea (e.g. in the Bay of Antalya and off the Gaza Strip), where it is targeted (Abudaya et al., 2017) or captured as bycatch (Başusta & Özgür Özbek, 2017) in commercial fishing. Başusta and Özgür Özbek (2017) reported a capture of 30 devil fishes (sp. 7–36 in Table 1) in commercial purse-seining in the Bay of Antalya on 10 March 2017, while not speculating on the reasons for the mass capture. In a recent study investigating the distribution and community structure of surface water mesozooplankton in this area during summer, İşinibilir et al. (2022) identified 157 species/groups, with copepods, cladocerans, doliolids, meroplank- ton, and appendicularians representing the most important zooplankton groups. Since M. mobular is a filter-feeding epi- and benthopelagic ray (Ebert & Stehmann, 2013), the zooplankton-rich summer waters of the Bay of Antalya may serve as a feeding ground for the species. A similar assumption was made for another filter-feeding elasmobranch, the basking shark, Cetorhinus maximus (Gunnerus, 1765), which inhabits the neighbouring Bay of Mer- sin, where the annual average zooplankton biomass in coastal waters has been found to be about nine times higher than in open waters (Zenginer & Beşik- tepe, 2007; Kabasakal, 2013). In the Adriatic Sea, occurrences of M. mobular have also been related to the spatial distribution of schools of small pelagic teleosts, such as sardines and anchovies (Holcer et al., 2013). The Bay of Antalya incident of 10 March 2017 notwithstanding, the largest mass capture of M. mobular in the eastern Mediterranean Sea occurred in February 2013, off the shores of the Gaza Strip, when over 200 giant devil fish were landed by fishers (Abudaya et al., 2017). Although the capture off the Gaza Strip was erroneously reported as a ‘mass stranding’ event, it was, according to Abudaya et al. (2017), actually an instance of seasonal, local opportunistic target fishery that served as an important source of local consumption. Mancusi et al. (2020) also ascribed the highest occurrence of M. mobular off the Gaza Strip to two specific events in March 2006 and February 2013, when 279 and 299 specimens were landed, respectively. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 57 Hakan KABASAKAL et al.: RECENT OCCURRENCES OF RHINOPTERA MARGINATA AND MOBULA MOBULAR IN TURKISH AEGEAN AND MEDITERRANEAN WATERS, 51–60 Whether captured as solitary individuals or in masses, every individual of R. marginata and M. mobular captured increases the risk to their popula- tions in the entire Mediterranean Sea. According to Dulvy et al. (2021), overfishing alone affects 67.3% of the 1,199 chondrichthyan species worldwide, and cannot be ruled out for the Mediterranean Sea either (Carpentieri et al., 2021). In the Mediterra- nean-specific risk assessment, R. marginata has been classified as “data deficient” and M. mobular as “endangered” (Otero et al., 2019). Currently, only M. mobular is protected by law in Turkish wa- ters. To ensure better management of both batoids, their breeding and nursery grounds, as well as areas of seasonal aggregations should be identified and fishers should be encouraged to release incidentally captured individuals alive. From this perspective, the recently announced Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs) in GSAs 22 and 24 may be the beginning of a process that will protect critically endangered rare batoids from commercial fishing pressure (Jabado et al. 2023). ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Authors thank commercial fishers for generously sharing their experiences and field observations. Special thanks go to two anonymous reviewers for their comments, which improved the content and quality of the manuscript. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 58 Hakan KABASAKAL et al.: RECENT OCCURRENCES OF RHINOPTERA MARGINATA AND MOBULA MOBULAR IN TURKISH AEGEAN AND MEDITERRANEAN WATERS, 51–60 RECENTNO POJAVLJANJE VRST RHINOPTERA MARGINATA IN MOBULA MOBULAR V TURŠKIH EGEJSKIH IN SREDOZEMSKIH VODAH Hakan KABASAKAL İstanbul University, Institute of Science, Fisheries Technologies and Management Program, 34116 Fatih, İstanbul, Türkiye WWF Türkiye, Asmalı Mescit, İstiklal Cd. No:136, 34430 Beyoğlu, İstanbul, Türkiye e-mail: kabasakal.hakan@gmail.com Ayşe ORUÇ, Ebrucan KALECİK, Efe SEVİM, Nilüfer ARAÇ & Cansu İLKILINÇ WWF Türkiye, Asmalı Mescit, İstiklal Cd. No:136, 34430 Beyoğlu, İstanbul, Türkiye POVZETEK Monitoring komercialnega ulova in pregled spletnih medijev je razkril recentne ulove kravjenosega skata, Rhinoptera marginata (Geoffroy St. Hilaire, 1817), in sredozemske mante, Mobula mobular (Bonnaterre, 1788), v turških egejskih in sredozemskih vodah. Letni ulov, ki je bil pri vrsti R. marginata 0,56 osebkov/leto v obdobju 25 let, in pri vrsti M. mobular 0,74 osebkov/leto v obdobju 51 let, je potrdil, da sta v turških vodah obe vrsti skatov redki. Čeprav so potrebne nadaljnje raziskave, razpoložljivi podatki kažejo, da bi lahko zaliv Iskenderun predstavljal prehranjevalno okolje, jaslice, ali morda selitveni koridor za vrsto R. marginata. Podobno bi lahko bile v poletnem času z zooplanktonom bogate vode Antalijskega zaliva pomembno prehranjevalno okolje za vrsto M. mobular. Ključne besede: Myliobatiformes, redkost, ranljivost, skati ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 59 Hakan KABASAKAL et al.: RECENT OCCURRENCES OF RHINOPTERA MARGINATA AND MOBULA MOBULAR IN TURKISH AEGEAN AND MEDITERRANEAN WATERS, 51–60 REFERENCES Abudaya, M., A. Ulman, J. Salah, D. Fernan- do, C. Wor & G. Notarbartolo di Sciara (2017): Speak of the devil ray (Mobula mobular) fishery in Gaza. Rev. Fish. Biol. Fisheries, 28, 229-239. 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Rapp. Comm. int Mer Médit., 38, p. 643. 61 IHTIOFAVNA ITTIOFAUNA ICHTHYOFAUNA 62 ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 63 received: 2023-12-15 DOI 10.19233/ASHN.2024.08 ON THE OCCURRENCE OF THE GREATER PIPEFISH SYNGNATHUS ACUS LINNAEUS, 1758 IN THE SOUTH-EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN, TURKEY Deniz ERGUDEN Marine Science Department, Faculty of Marine Science and Technology, Iskenderun Technical University, 31200 Iskenderun, Hatay, Türkiye e-mail: deniz.erguden@iste.edu.tr; derguden@gmail.com SERVET AHMET DOGDU Vocational School of Higher Maritime, Underwater Technology, University of Iskenderun Technical, 31200 Iskenderun, Hatay, Türkiye Cemal TURAN Marine Science Department, Faculty of Marine Science and Technology, Iskenderun Technical University, 31200 Iskenderun, Hatay, Türkiye ABSTRACT On 28 October 2022, one specimen of the greater pipefish Syngnathus acus Linnaeus, 1758 was captured in Cevlik, Bay of Iskenderun (south-eastern Mediterranean Sea, Turkey) by a commercial trawler at a depth of 18 m. This paper reports the first occurrence of S. acus in the Bay of Iskenderun, confirming the presence of the species in the area, and represents one of the rare occurrences of S. acus on the eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey, in general. All measurements, counts, and color descriptions of the S. acus specimen agree with previous descriptions of the species. Key words: Sygnathidae, pipefish, conservation, Iskenderun Bay, Mediterranean Sea PRESENZA DEL PESCE AGO SYNGNATHUS ACUS LINNAEUS, 1758 NEL MEDITERRANEO SUD-ORIENTALE, TURCHIA SINTESI Il 28 ottobre 2022, un esemplare di pesce ago Syngnathus acus Linnaeus, 1758 è stato catturato a Cevlik, nella baia di Iskenderun (Mediterraneo sud-orientale, Turchia) da un peschereccio a strascico commerciale, a una profondità di 18 m. Il presente lavoro riporta la prima segnalazione di S. acus nella baia di Iskenderun, confermando la presenza della specie nell’area, e rappresenta una delle rare presenze di S. acus lungo la costa mediterranea orientale della Turchia. Tutte le misure, i conteggi e le descrizioni dei colori dell’esemplare di S. acus concordano con le precedenti descrizioni della specie. Parole chiave: Sygnathidae, pesce ago, conservazione, baia di Iskenderun, Mediterraneo ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 64 Deniz ERGUDEN et al.: ON THE OCCURRENCE OF THE GREATER PIPEFISH SYNGNATHUS ACUS LINNAEUS, 1758 IN THE SOUTH-EASTERN ..., 63–68 INTRODUCTION Pipefishes (Syngnathus) are a genus group in the diverse family of the Syngnathidae, consisting of 34 species with a worldwide geographical range (Dawson, 1986; Kuiter, 2001; Froese & Pauly, 2023). The greater pipefish Syngnathus acus Linnaeus, 1758 is one of the nine species of the Syngnathus genus found in the Mediterranean (Dawson, 1986; IUCN, 2023). It feeds on small invertebrates and fish larvae, including harpacticoid copepods, amphipods, cypris larvae, and decapod crustaceans (Taşkavak et al., 2010). The distribution range of Syngnathus acus includes the eastern Atlantic Ocean, as well as the Mediter- ranean, Aegean, and Black Seas (Eschmeyer, 2023; Froese & Pauly, 2023). It is considered a rare occur- rence in the Mediterranean waters of Turkey and has been categorized as near-threatened in the Turkish seas (Fricke et al., 2007). In Turkey, S. acus was first recorded in the Black Sea (Bennet, 1835), followed by the Sea of Marmara (Devedjian, 1915). Later, it was also reported from the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas by Slastenenko (1955–1956) and Erazi (1942). Although the Turkish checklists (Bilecenoglu et al., 2002) already mentioned S. acus in Turkish marine waters, the present is the first record of the species from the Bay of Iskenderun (south-eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey). MATERIAL AND METHODS A single specimen of S. acus was caught by a commercial trawler at a depth of 18 m in Cevlik, Bay of Iskenderun (36º07’ N, 35º54’ E) on 28 Octo- ber 2022 (Fig. 1). The specimen was brought to the laboratory, where it was identified, photographed, and measured. The length measurements were taken using a digital caliper and recorded to the nearest 0.01 mm, the total body mass was measured using an analytical balance and recorded to the nearest 0.1 g (Fig. 2). All morphometric measurements and counts Fig. 1: Map showing the capture site (•) of the greater pipefish Syngnathus acus Linnaeus, 1758 in the Bay of Iskenderun (south-eastern Mediterranean). Sl. 1: Zemljevid obravnavanega območja z označeno lokaliteto (•) ulova velikega morskega šila Syngnathus acus Linnaeus, 1758 v zalivu Iskenderun (jugovzhodno Sredozemsko morje). ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 65 Deniz ERGUDEN et al.: ON THE OCCURRENCE OF THE GREATER PIPEFISH SYNGNATHUS ACUS LINNAEUS, 1758 IN THE SOUTH-EASTERN ..., 63–68 as well as the morphological description and color agree with the descriptions provided by Dawson (1986). The specimen was deposited in the Museum of the Faculty of Marine Sciences and Technology, Iskenderun Technical University, with catalog num- ber MSM-PIS/2022-2 (Fig. 2). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The captured S. acus specimen measured 14.5 cm in total length. The body was slender and elongate, the snout cylindrical and longer than half of head length, and of equal or inferior diameter compared to the eye (Fig. 3). An elongated lump was found on top of the head behind the eye (Muus & Nielsen, 1999; Kottelat & Freyhof, 2007). Some morphometric measurements of the S. acus specimen (in centimeters) are provided in Table 1. S. acus differs from other Mediterranean species of its genus in the following combination of characters: distal margins of the body rings: 18–19; dorsal fin rays: 36–45; pectoral fin rays: 17–21. Color: body light greenish to dark brown, with variable dark dots and vertical, maroon and beige vertical stripes. The dorsal fins are dark spotted. S. acus is a demersal species, commonly inhabiting estuary areas (Dawson, 1986) with rocky and sandy substrates, but also associated with algal, seagrass Fig. 2: The specimen of greater pipefish Syngnathus acus from the Bay of Iskenderun (Cevlik), south-eastern Mediterranean, Turkey. Sl. 2: Primerek velikega morskega šila Syngnathus acus Linnaeus, 1758 v zalivu Iskenderun (Cevlik) (ju- govzhodno Sredozemsko morje). Fig. 3: General view of the head and snout of Syngnathus acus. Sl. 3: Posnetek glave in gobca vrste Syngnathus acus. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 66 Deniz ERGUDEN et al.: ON THE OCCURRENCE OF THE GREATER PIPEFISH SYNGNATHUS ACUS LINNAEUS, 1758 IN THE SOUTH-EASTERN ..., 63–68 meadows, and other vegetated habitats (Malavasi et al., 2004; Franco et al., 2006; Matić-Skoko et al., 2007). While its minimum and maximum depth range is 0–110 m, it commonly occurs at depths of 3–15 m (Froese & Pauly, 2023). The male specimen carries the eggs in a brood pouch under the tail  (Vincent et al., 1995). The recorded maximum total length for this pipefish species is 50 cm (Muus & Nielsen, 1999). Although S. acus has been known in the Turkish sea (Bilecenoglu et al., 2002; Bilecenoglu et al., 2014), no specimens have previously been reported from the southeastern Mediterranean waters of Turkey. This spe- cies has no commercial importance in fisheries, it is caught as incidental catch. Currently, in the Mediterranean, greater pipefishes are affected by habitat loss and degradation from coastal development and tourism activities, as well as by fishing gear such as trawls and dredges (IUCN, 2016; Vincent et al., 2011; Caldwell & Vincent, 2012). Despite the occurrence of this species in the Mediter- ranean, its population structure and potential threats have yet to be established in more detail. Since 2013, S. acus has been classified as a “least concern (LC)” species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) (Smith-Vaniz, 2015; IUCN, 2023). In the eastern Mediterranean Sea coast of Turkey, it can be considered exceptionally rare. Consequently, no specific conservation measures are in place for this species in the Mediterranean Sea and in the Turkish Mediterranean waters (IUCN, 2023). The data presented herein are therefore essential in terms of determining the species’ status. CONCLUSIONS S. acus is not targeted by fisheries in the region. The studied S. acus specimen was an incidentally captured bycatch from the Iskenderun coast. This paper is the first report on the occurrence of this species from the southeastern Mediterranean (Bay of Iskenderun). Further research should be conducted to determine the popu- lation size and threat status of the Syngnathid species in the region. Hence, the current study will be useful in the field of fisheries science and, at the same time, contribute to fisheries management. Tab. 1: Morphometric measurements and meristic counts recorded of the greater pipefish Syngnathus acus caught in the south-eastern Mediterranean, Turkey. Tab. 1: Morfometrične meritve in meristična štetja primerka velikega morskega šila Syngnathus acus, ujetega v zalivu Iskenderun, jugovzhodno Sredozemsko morje, Turčija. Morphometric measurements Value cm % Metric Total length, TL 14.5 - Body height, BH 0.40 2.75 %TL Body width, BW 0.27 1.86 %TL Oxipital height of the head, OHH 1.66 11.44 %TL Head length, HL 1.93 13.31 %TL Mouth height, MH 0.20 10.36 %HL Mouth width, MW 0.12 6.22 %HL Eye diameter, ED 0.28 14.50 %HL Dorsal fin length DFL 1.43 9.86 %TL Meristic Dorsal fin ray number, DfRN 33 Pectoral fin ray number, PfRN 12 Preanal ring number, Pr.RN 41 Postanal ring number, Po.RN 17 Caudal fin ray number, CfRN 9 ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 67 Deniz ERGUDEN et al.: ON THE OCCURRENCE OF THE GREATER PIPEFISH SYNGNATHUS ACUS LINNAEUS, 1758 IN THE SOUTH-EASTERN ..., 63–68 O POJAVLJANJU VELIKEGA MORSKEGA ŠILA SYNGNATHUS ACUS LINNAEUS, 1758 V JUGOVZHODNEM SREDOZEMSKEM MORJU, TURČIJA Deniz ERGUDEN Marine Science Department, Faculty of Marine Science and Technology, Iskenderun Technical University, 31200 Iskenderun, Hatay, Türkiye e-mail: deniz.erguden@iste.edu.tr; derguden@gmail.com SERVET AHMET DOGDU Vocational School of Higher Maritime, Underwater Technology, University of Iskenderun Technical, TR-31200 Iskenderun, Hatay, Türkiye Cemal TURAN Marine Science Department, Faculty of Marine Science and Technology, Iskenderun Technical University, 31200 Iskenderun, Hatay, Türkiye POVZETEK 28. oktobra 2022 so v Cevliku v zalivu Iskenderun (jugovzhodno Sredozemsko morje, Turčija) s komercialno vlečno mrežo na globini 18 m ujeli primerek velikega morskega šila Syngnathus acus Linnaeus, 1758. Avtorji poročajo o prvem zapisu o pojavljanju te vrste na obravnavanem območju in enega od redkih opazovanj S. acus na vzhodni sredozemski obali Turčije nasploh. Vse meritve, štetja in barvni vzorec sovpadajo s predhodnimi podatki o pojavljanju te vrste. Ključne besede: Sygnathidae, morsko šilo, ohranjanje narave, zaliv Iskenderun, Sredozemsko morje ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 68 Deniz ERGUDEN et al.: ON THE OCCURRENCE OF THE GREATER PIPEFISH SYNGNATHUS ACUS LINNAEUS, 1758 IN THE SOUTH-EASTERN ..., 63–68 REFERENCES Bennett, E.T. (1835): Characters of several previously undescribed fishes from Trebizond. Proc Zool Soc Lond., 3, 91-92. Bilecenoglu, M., E. Taskavak, S. Mater & M. Kaya (2002): Checklist of the marine fishes of Turkey. Zootaxa, 113, 1-194. Bilecenoglu, M., M. Kaya, B. Cihangir & E. Çiçek (2014): An updated checklist of the marine fishes of Turkey. Tr J. Zool, 38, 901-929. Caldwell, I.R. & A.C.J. 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ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 69 received: 2024-01-31 DOI 10.19233/ASHN.2024.09 FIRST RECORD OF ROCHE’S SNAKE BLENNY OPHIDION ROCHEI MÜLLER, 1845 (OSTEICHTHYES: OPHIDIIFORMES) IN THE NORTH-EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN Deniz ERGUDEN Marine Science Department, Faculty of Marine Science and Technology, Iskenderun Technical University, Iskenderun, Hatay, Türkiye e-mail: deniz.erguden@iste.edu.tr; derguden@gmail.com Servet AHMET DOGDU Vocational School of Higher Maritime, Underwater Technology, University of Iskenderun Technical, Iskenderun, Hatay, Türkiye Cemal TURAN Marine Science Department, Faculty of Marine Science and Technology, Iskenderun Technical University, Iskenderun, Hatay, Türkiye ABSTRACT A single specimen of Ophidion rochei Müller, 1845 was collected in November 2018 at a depth of 70 m in the northeastern Mediterranean, Turkey (Cevlik coast, Bay of Iskenderun). The total length of the captured O. rochei specimen was 21.6 cm, the body weight 23.5 g. O. rochei is endemic to the Mediterranean Sea, but this species is extremely rare in the eastern part of the Mediterranean. It has been classified as “data deficient (DD)” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This ichthyological note is important as it represents the first record of this species in the northeastern Mediterranean waters of Turkey and fills a gap for Ophidion fishes in the Turkish marine fish checklist for the Mediterranean region. Key words: Ophidiidae, first sighting, eastern Mediterranean, Iskenderun Bay, Turkey PRIMA SEGNALAZIONE DEL GALLETTO PINNEGIALLE OPHIDION ROCHEI MÜLLER, 1845 (OSTEICHTHYES: OPHIDIIFORMES) NEL MEDITERRANEO NORD-ORIENTALE SINTESI Un singolo esemplare di Ophidion rochei Müller, 1845 è stato catturato a novembre 2018 a 70 m di profondità nel Mediterraneo nord-orientale, in Turchia (costa di Cevlik, baia di Iskenderun). La lunghezza totale dell’esemplare di O. rochei era di 21,6 cm, e il peso corporeo di 23,5 g. La specie è endemica nel Mediterraneo, ma è estremamente rara nella parte orientale del bacino in questione. È stata classificata come “data deficient (DD)” dall’Unione Internazionale per la Conservazione della Natura (IUCN). Questa nota ittiologica è importante in quanto rappresenta il primo ritrovamento della specie nelle acque mediterranee nord-orientali della Turchia e colma una lacuna per le specie del genere Ophidion nella checklist dei pesci marini nella parte turca del Mediterraneo. Parole chiave: Ophidiidae, primo avvistamento, Mediterraneo orientale, Baia di Iskenderun, Turchia ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 70 Deniz ERGUDEN et al.: FIRST RECORD OF ROCHE’S SNAKE BLENNY OPHIDION ROCHEI MÜLLER, 1845 (OSTEICHTHYES: OPHIDIIFORMES) ..., 69–74 INTRODUCTION The family Ophidiidae consists of 50 genera and 272 species distributed across the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans (Fricke et al., 2023). In the Mediterranean Sea, four valid species belonging to three ophidiiform genera can be found (Abdul Malak, 2011; IUCN, 2023), all of which have a wide geographical range and also occur in the marine waters of Turkey. They are Benthocometes robustus (Goode & Bean, 1886), Ophidion barba- tum Linnaeus, 1758, Ophidion rochei Müller, 1845, and Parophidion vassali (Risso, 1810) (Bilecenoglu et al., 2014; IUCN, 2023). In the Mediterranean, O. rochei was reported from the Adriatic waters in 2002 (Dulčić et al., 2002). In 2013, two specimens were collected from the Lebanese coast (off Daoura) by Bariche & Fricke (2020), and recently, the species has also been recorded in Syrian waters by Othman et al. (2020). To date, two snake blenny species of the genus Ophidion have been reported for marine demersal habitats of Turkey (Aksiray, 1987; Fricke et al., 2007), namely the snake blenny O. barbatum, and the Roche’s snake blenny O. rochei (Whitehead et al., 1984–1986; Mater & Meriç, 1996). The Roche’s snake blenny O. rochei has been recorded in the Aegean, Marmara, and Black Seas by Whitehead et al. (1984–1986). Even so, O. rochei has not been included in the checklist of the marine fishes of Turkey from the Mediterranean marine waters (Bilecenoglu et al., 2014). Moreover, neither a specific location nor any detailed information about this fish in Turkish marine waters has been provided (Bilecenoglu et al., 2002; Bilecenoglu et al., 2014). This study is the first substantiated record of the Roche’s snake blenny O. rochei from the east- ern Mediterranean waters of Turkey, and the first sighting and confirmation of O. rochei in the Bay of Iskenderun, Turkey. Fig 1: Map showing the capture point (•) of the Ophidion rochei Müller, 1845 in the northeastern Mediterranean. Sl. 1: Zemljevid obravnavanega območja z označeno lokaliteto ulova (•) primerka Ophidion rochei Müller, 1845 v severovzhodnem Sredozemlju. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 71 Deniz ERGUDEN et al.: FIRST RECORD OF ROCHE’S SNAKE BLENNY OPHIDION ROCHEI MÜLLER, 1845 (OSTEICHTHYES: OPHIDIIFORMES) ..., 69–74 MATERIAL AND METHODS One specimen of Roche’s snake blenny O. rochei was recorded in a trawl survey on 12 December 2018, in the Bay of Iskenderun, Turkey, at a depth of 70 m (36°07’ N, 35°85’ E), (Figs. 1 and 2). The specimen was caught off Cevlik (Samandağ/Hatay), 4 km north-west of Samandağ, by a commercial trawl net with a 22 mm mesh size, over sandy and muddy bottoms. The morphometric measurements of the specimen were taken to the nearest 0.1 mm using a caliper. Some morphometric characteristics are given as percentag- es of total length (TL%) and head length (HL%). All measurements, counts, morphological descriptions, and colors agree with the descriptions provided by Casadevall et al. (1996) and Nielsen et al. (1999). The Roche’s snake blenny specimen is deposited in the Museum of the Faculty of Marine Sciences and Technology, Iskenderun Technical University, with the catalog number MSM-PIS/2018-6. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The captured specimen of Roche’s snake blenny O. rochei measured 21.6 cm in total length (TL) and weighed 20.3 g in total weight (Fig. 2). The body was long, eel-shaped, and lateralized. The head was naked and without scales, the mouth large, with the upper jaw longer than the lower. The dorsal and anal fins were elongated and fused with the caudal fin. Color: dorsal side brownish, ventral side whitish, with black margins on dorsal, anal, and caudal fins. The morphometric characteristics of the O. rochei specimen are provided in Table 1 and compared to other specimens previously reported from the Sea of Azov (Diripasko et al., 2020) and Syrian waters (Othman et al., 2020). The Roche’s snake blenny, O. rochei, is a demersal species and occurs mostly on sandy substrates (Niel- sen et al., 1999) at depths ranging from 10 to 150 m (Nielsen et al., 1999; IUCN, 2023). The species is found in the Mediterranean Sea (western and northern regions), the Marmara Sea (Whitehead et al., 1984- 1986; Fischer et al., 1987), the Black Sea (Svetovidov, 1964), as well as the Sea of Azov (Diripasko et al., 2020), and the Kerch Strait (Shaganov, 2013) (Nielsen, 2016; Knudsen et al., 2015). The Roche’s snake blenny spawn is commonly found benthically in the continental shelf areas of tropical and temperate waters. The species reaches a maximum length of 29.3 cm in both males and fe- males (Matallanas & Riba, 1980). O. rochei lays oval pelagic eggs that float in a gelatinous mass (Breder & Rosen, 1966). Casadevall et al. (1993) reported that individuals of O. rochei produce pelagic eggs between July and October. The number of eggs varies between 15 and 18 thousand. Juveniles are pelagic and feed on planktonic organisms. The studied O. rochei individual was captured in the 70 m depth range, which is consistent with the literature (Froese & Pauly, 2023). Our specimen measured 21.6 cm in TL, which is more than the in- dividual caught on the Syrian coast in 2019 (14.3 cm TL) reported by Othman et al. (2020), but still less than the longest recorded individual caught off the coast of Spain (29.3 cm TL), which was reported by Matalla- nas & Riva (1980), and less than the second longest specimen (27.7 cm TL), also from the Spanish coast, reported by Casadevall et al. (1996). Ophidion species are active fish, but since they are not strong swimmers, they do not undertake long migrations and only travel from deep water to the shore seasonally for reproduction. O. rochei is a nocturnal carnivore that usually hides on the sandy bottom during Fig. 2: The Ophidion rochei from the northeastern Mediterranean, Turkey. Sl. 2: Primerek vrste Ophidion rochei iz severovzhodnega Sredozemskega morja, Turčija. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 72 Deniz ERGUDEN et al.: FIRST RECORD OF ROCHE’S SNAKE BLENNY OPHIDION ROCHEI MÜLLER, 1845 (OSTEICHTHYES: OPHIDIIFORMES) ..., 69–74 the day and is active at night (Jardas, 1996). Adult spec- imens feed mainly on decapods and small teleost fish. The single adult presented in this study was probably accidentally caught by the trawl net while moving from deep to shallow waters to feed. Although O. rochei and O. barbatum are morpho- logically very close, they differ in the inclination of the head and the shape of the mouth (when closed, the upper and lower lip are perfectly aligned in O. rochei, while in O. barbatum the upper lip is pro- truding), in the beginning of the scales (at the edge of the operculum in O. barbatum, much further back in O. rochei), and in the number of gill rakers on the anterior first gill arch (3–4 in O. rochei, 5–6 in O. barbatum). In addition, in contrast to O. barbatum, O. rochei has no scales on the ventral part of the posterior two-thirds of the body, with the skin there completely bare. The Roche’s snake blenny is a non-commercial fish, not targeted by fisheries and only accidentally caught in nets as bycatch. Therefore, there are no conservation measures in place specific to this species. Although endemic to the Mediterranean, O. rochei is extremely rare in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Basin. Its presence on the eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey is probably due to environmental changes and the related alterations in feeding and breeding patterns. O. rochei has been classified as a “Data Deficient (DD)” species in the global and Mediterranean assessments by the Inter- national Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) since 2008 (Kara, 2011; Knudsen et al., 2015; IUCN, 2023). By providing new data on Ophidion species, this study represents an important contribution to the knowledge on the biodiversity of fish fauna. CONCLUSIONS This ichthyological note is very important as it represents the first substantiated record of O. rochei from the Mediterranean coasts of Turkey, specifically the northeastern coast. Until now, no specific location or detailed information was provided about this spe- cies in relation to the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. Therefore, this study fills the data gap for O. rochei in the Turkish marine fish checklist for the Mediterranean region. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors would like to thank the boat captain and staff for their help in providing the specimen. Tab. 1: Morphometric comparison of the Ophidion rochei specimens from the Sea of Azov and from the eastern Mediterranean Sea (percentages are provided in parentheses). Tab. 1: Morfometrična primerjava primerkov vrste Ophidion rochei iz Azovskega morja in vzhodnega Sredozemskega morja (deleži so podani v oklepajih). Characters Measurements (cm) This study (n=1) Diripasko et al. (2020) (n=1) Othman et al. (2020) (n=1) Total length 21.6 17.2 14.3 Maximum body depth 2.3 (10.6 %TL) 2.5 (14.7 %TL) 1.5 (10.5 %TL) Head length 4.2 (19.4 %TL) 3.4 (20.0 %TL) 2.5 (17.5 %TL) Snouth length 0.8 (19.0 %HL) 0.7 (21.2 %HL) 0.6 (24.0 %HL) Eye length 0.9 (21.4 %HL) - 0.6 (24.0 %HL) Eye horizontal length 1.1 (26.2 %HL) 0.8 (23.8 %HL) - Interorbital width 1.0 (23.8 %HL) 0.5 (14.2 %HL) - Length of upper jaw 1.8 (42.8 %HL) 1.8 (54.4 %HL) - Length of lower jaw 1.6 (38.1 %HL) 1.6 (42.7 %HL) - Weight (g) 23.5 22.6 11.94 ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 73 Deniz ERGUDEN et al.: FIRST RECORD OF ROCHE’S SNAKE BLENNY OPHIDION ROCHEI MÜLLER, 1845 (OSTEICHTHYES: OPHIDIIFORMES) ..., 69–74 PRVI ZAPIS O POJAVLJANJU HUJA VRSTE OPHIDION ROCHEI MÜLLER, 1845 (OSTEICHTHYES: OPHIDIIFORMES) V SEVEROVZHODNEM SREDOZEMSKEM MORJU Deniz ERGUDEN Marine Science Department, Faculty of Marine Science and Technology, Iskenderun Technical University, Iskenderun, Hatay, Türkiye e-mail: deniz.erguden@iste.edu.tr; derguden@gmail.com Servet AHMET DOGDU Vocational School of Higher Maritime, Underwater Technology, University of Iskenderun Technical, Iskenderun, Hatay, Türkiye Cemal TURAN Marine Science Department, Faculty of Marine Science and Technology, Iskenderun Technical University, Iskenderun, Hatay, Türkiye POVZETEK Novembra 2018 so na globini 70 m v severovzhodnem Sredozemskem morju (obala Cevlik, zaliv Iskenderun, Turčija) ujeli primerek vrste Ophidion rochei Müller, 1845. Primerek je meril 21,6 cm telesne dolžine in tehtal 23,5 g. Vrsta O. rochei je endemična v Sredozemskem morju, v njegovem vzhodnem delu je zelo redka. V Mednarodni Zvezi za varstvo narave so jo označili s kategorijo “pomanjkljivi podatki” (data deficient, DD). Ta ihtiološka novica je pomembna, saj predstavlja prvi zapis o pojavljanju te vrste v severovzhodnih sredozemskih vodah Turčije in odpravlja vrzel v seznamu morskih rib Turčije v Sredozemskem morju. Ključne besede: Ophidiidae, prvo opazovanje, vzhodno Sredozemsko morje, zaliv Iskenderun, Turčija ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 74 Deniz ERGUDEN et al.: FIRST RECORD OF ROCHE’S SNAKE BLENNY OPHIDION ROCHEI MÜLLER, 1845 (OSTEICHTHYES: OPHIDIIFORMES) ..., 69–74 REFERENCES Abdul Malak, D., S.R. Livingstone, D. Pollard, D.A. Polidoro, A. Cuttelod, M. Bariche, M. Bilecenoglu, K.E. Carpenter, B.R. Collette, P. Francour, M. Goren, M. Hichem Kara, E. Masuttí, C. Papaconstantinou & L. 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(1984-1986): Fishes of the North-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. UNES- CO, Paris, 1473 pp. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 75 received: 2023-12-04 DOI 10.19233/ASHN.2024.10 FLUCTUATING ASYMMETRY IN CHELON AURATUS FROM THE LIBYAN MEDITERRANEAN COAST AND THE AIN ZIANA LAGOON Osama A. ELSALINI University of Benghazi, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Libya Laith A. JAWAD School of Environmental and Animal Sciences, Unitec Institute of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand email: laith_jawad@hotmail.com ABSTRACT The present study represents the first research of morphological asymmetry in the eye lens diameter and three otolith features (otolith length, width, and weight) examined in the mullet species Chelon auratus collected from the Mediterranean coast and the Ain Ziana Lagoon, Libya. The asymmetry value for the eye lens diameter was the highest among the four morphological characters studied, and higher for the Ain Ziana Lagoon than for the Mediterranean coast of Libya. The study also showed that the asymmetry value increased with the fish’s total length. Plausible reasons for asymmetry in the four morphological traits examined are discussed in relation to the inconstancy in growth induced by ecological factors, including differences in water temperature, salinity, depth, and contaminants present in the marine waters of Libya and the Ain Ziana Lagoon. Key words: Chelon auratus, ecological factors, Mugilidae, pollution, otolith, morphology ASIMMETRIA FLUTTUANTE IN CHELON AURATUS LUNGO LA COSTA MEDITERRANEA LIBICA E NELLA LAGUNA DI AIN ZIANA SINTESI Il presente studio rappresenta la prima ricerca di asimmetria morfologica nel diametro della lente oculare e nei tre caratteri otolitici (lunghezza, larghezza e peso dell’otolito) esaminati nel cefalo dorato Chelon auratus, pescato lungo la costa mediterranea e nella laguna di Ain Ziana, in Libia. Il valore di asimmetria per il diametro della lente oculare è stato il più alto tra i quattro caratteri morfologici studiati, e più alto per la laguna di Ain Ziana rispetto alla costa mediterranea della Libia. Lo studio ha anche mostrato che il valore di asimmetria aumenta con la lunghezza totale degli esemplari. Le ragioni plausibili dell’asimmetria nei quattro caratteri morfologici esaminati sono discusse in relazione all’incostanza della crescita indotta da fattori ecologici, tra cui le differenze di temperatura dell’acqua, salinità, profondità e contaminanti presenti nelle acque marine della Libia e nella laguna di Ain Ziana. Parole chiave: Chelon auratus, fattori ecologici, Mugilidae, inquinamento, otoliti, morfologia ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 76 Osama A. ELSALINI & Laith A. JAWAD: FLUCTUATING ASYMMETRY IN CHELON AURATUS FROM THE LIBYAN MEDITERRANEAN COAST AND ..., 75–86 INTRODUCTION Otoliths are the bony structures located in the inner ear cavity of all teleost fish, which function as a balance organ in addition to supporting hearing. For years, otoliths have been used to gather evidence related to taxonomy, age, and fish size (Mendoza, 2006). In addition, otoliths have been studied exten- sively in various aspects of fish biology (hearing and balance in fish), larval fish ecology, species identi- fication, fish stock identification, and environmental reconstruction of fish habitats (Mendoza, 2006). Over recent periods, otolith morphological features, mainly shape, length, width, area, thickness, and weight, have been studied to assess genetic and environmental impacts and as biomarkers (Jawad et al., 2010, 2011, 2012a, 2012b, 2012c, 2016, 2020; Jawad, 2012, 2013; Abu El-Regal et al., 2016; Al-Bu- saidi et al., 2017; Mejri et al., 2018; 2020; Ben Labidi et al., 2020a, 2020b; Osman et al., 2020; Khedher et al., 2021; Mejri et al., 2022a, 2022b; Ben Mohamed et al., 2023; Bouriga et al., 2023; Adjibayo Houeto et al., 2024). These investigations have revealed that otolith shape is species specific (Sadighzadeh et al., 2014) and that variations in otolith shape, structure, and development may be affected by ontogenetic, genetic, and environmental factors (Ider et al., 2017; Fashandi et al., 2019), including sex, growth, ma- turity, and patterns of fishery exploitation (Begg & Brown, 2000), or by individual characteristics, such as genotype (Jawad et al., 2020) or physiological state (Campana & Neilson, 1985). Nonetheless, the potential reasons for the intra-individual variation, chiefly asymmetry in shape between the right and left otoliths, have been insufficiently studied (Mille et al., 2015). In a healthy environment, the otoliths on both sides of the head are morphologically sym- metrical (Panfili et al., 2002), even though there can be some interspecific variations in size and shape (Popper & Lu, 2000). Where a weight difference (i.e., mass asymmetry) between the masses of the left and right otoliths is observed (Ambuali et al., 2011; Jawad & Sadighzadeh, 2013; Al Balushi et al., 2017; Yedier et al., 2018), it may be an indication of previous developmental disturbances in fish caused by different types of impact, such as genetic or en- vironmental stress (Valentine et al., 1973; Grønkjaer & Sand, 2003). While these can be either substan- tial (Scherer et al., 2001) or minor (Takabayashi & Ohmura-Iwasaki, 2003), any asymmetrical increase or decrease in otolith mass can harmfully affect critical life functions in fish, particularly the sense of hearing, balance, and linear acceleration (Popper & Lue, 2000; Panfili et al., 2005). C. auratus is a marine species, but sometimes en- ters fresh and brackish water niches (Riede, 2004). It typically inhabits depth ranges of 10–20 m (Thomson, 1990). The maximum fork length C. auratus can reach is 610 mm, with the common fork length being 300 mm (Thomson, 1990). The largest recorded weight for this species is 2.5 kg (Fazli et al., 2008). The gold- en grey mullet is distributed in the eastern Atlantic region, spanning from Scotland to Cape Verde, and is also present in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Similarly, it is reported from coastal waters ranging from southern Norway to Morocco, and is rare off Mauritania (Thomson, 1986). This species is neritic and frequently forms schools, typically inhabiting lagoons and lower estuaries (Thomson, 1990). Young juveniles disperse to coastal lagoons and estuaries primarily during winter and spring (Kottelat & Freyhof, 2007). C. auratus feeds on small benthic organisms and detritus, occasionally consuming insects and plankton (Ben-Tuvia, 1986). Reproduction occurs at sea from July to November. The females are oviparous, producing pelagic, non-adhesive eggs (Breder & Ros- en, 1966). In the context of differences in otolith shape among conspecific individuals, numerous research- ers have suggested that these may be influenced by ecological factors, primarily water temperature, sa- linity, food availability, depth, and substrate features (Hüssy, 2008; Morat et al., 2012). Studies investi- gating the effects of environmental factors on otolith shape in Libyan waters are exceedingly rare. The first to study asymmetry in the external morphology of fish from Libyan waters was Jawad (2000, 2003), who suggested that environmental factors contribute to variations in fish body shape. Furthermore, there are only two studies examining asymmetry in the eye lens diameter of certain fish species collected from Libyan waters, but none addressing asymmetry in otolith features. Hence, it is imperative to employ scientific methods to assess the health of both the environment and its organisms. Accordingly, the cur- rent investigation was undertaken to determine, for the first time, the level of asymmetry in the golden grey mullet collected from the Mediterranean Sea coasts of Libya and the Ain Ziana Lagoon. This study examines otolith features, including length, width, and weight, as well as the eye lens diameter. The results are significant given the ongoing expansion of anthropogenic impacts on the environment, which may further affect the condition of the fish habitat. MATERIAL AND METHODS Study area The present study was performed on specimens collected from the Mediterranean coasts of Libya (32°14’56” N, 19°56’42” E) and from the Ain Ziana Lagoon (32°12’56” N, 20°09’16” E). Libya is situated in the southern Mediterranean, and its coastline, a ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 77 Osama A. ELSALINI & Laith A. JAWAD: FLUCTUATING ASYMMETRY IN CHELON AURATUS FROM THE LIBYAN MEDITERRANEAN COAST AND ..., 75–86 segment of the North African coast spanning approx- imately 2000 km, is characterised by diverse topog- raphy and a wide range of niches (Wikipedia, 2023). Libyan marine waters cover an area of 350,000 km2 (Wikipedia, 2023), which is bordered by the Levan- tine Sea to the east, the Strait of Sicily to the west, and the Ionian Sea, including the island of Crete, to the north (Wikipedia, 2023). Lagoon habitats are a common feature of the southern Mediterranean coast regions. Aside from other topographies, the Libyan coast is home to four important coastal lagoon environments: Farwa in the west, and Ain Zayanah, the Khalige Al-Bomba Lagoon, and the Ain Al- Ghazalah Cove in the east (UNESCO, 1986), with Ain Zayanah being the largest (Guerre, 1980). Ain Zayanah is a brackish water lagoon located about 15 km east of Benghazi city, spanning an area of 50 ha. It is 5 km long and several hundred meters wide, with an average depth of 2 m; it is linked to the sea by a canal created by the overflow of water from underground springs (Amer & El-Toumi, 2018). These springs discharge brackish water with a salinity of 10‰ into the lagoon at a rate of 4.5 m3/sec (Guerre, 1980; UNESCO, 1986; Azafzaf et al., 2006), reducing the lagoon’s water salt content to 16–28‰. The lagoon water has a temperature ranging from 14°C to 28°C and a pH of 7.8 (Guerre, 1980; Reyn- olds et al., 1995). Fish specimens collected from the two investigated localities were classified into three length groups: 200–300 mm, 301–400 mm, and 401–500 mm. Sample collection A total of 275 adult specimens of C. auratus were collected, consisting of 119 from Libyan Mediterra- nean waters (60 females, 59 males) and 156 from the Ain Ziana Lagoon (83 females, 73 males). The total length (TL) of the specimens ranged from 203 to 496 mm in females and 203 to 465 mm in males from the Libyan Mediterranean coast, and from 208 to 496 mm in females and 208 to 499 mm in males from the Ain Ziana Lagoon. All specimens were caught aboard coastal boats using gillnets ranging 5–13 m in length, during the period from 18 April 2019 to 7 January 2020. The sex of the individuals was determined by microscopic examination of the gonads. Otolith extraction The right and left otoliths were removed from all fish samples collected from the two locations, rinsed with distilled water, stored in Eppendorf tubes, and kept in dry storage for 24 hours to eliminate Fig. 1: SEM image of an otolith of C. auratus, 159 mm TL (total length), showing otolith length and width. Sl. 1: SEM posnetek otolita vrste C. auratus (159 mm totalne dolžine), ki kaže dolžino in širino otolita. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 78 Osama A. ELSALINI & Laith A. JAWAD: FLUCTUATING ASYMMETRY IN CHELON AURATUS FROM THE LIBYAN MEDITERRANEAN COAST AND ..., 75–86 moisture. The fish’s total length was measured using an electronic board, and total weight (TW) was re- corded using a Sartorius TE 313S analytical balance with an accuracy of 0.0001 g. The maximum otolith length (OL) and width (OW) (both measured to an accuracy of 0.1 mm) were determined using image analysis software (Digimizer 5.7.2) (Fig. 1). Statistical analyses The t-test was used to confirm the differences in length, width, and weight between the left and right otoliths for each specimen. The variation in otolith weight between males and females was also validated using the t-test. Following Valentine et al. (1973), asymmetry in otolith length, width, weight, and eye diame- ter was calculated using the squared coefficient of asymmetry variation (CV2a) for the two otolith dimensions: CV2a = (Sr-1 X100/Xr+1 ) 2 where Sr-1 is the standard deviation of signed changes and Xr+1 is the mean of the feature, which is calculated by adding the absolute scores for both sides and dividing them by sample size. The study of asymmetry in this commercially valuable species is important for understanding its impact on the settlement of fish larvae in the fishing grounds. Although bilateral asymmetry values and measurement errors are typically small and nor- mally distributed around a mean of zero (Merilä & Bjöklund, 1995), individual variations in mea- surement-taking can still influence the analysis (Palmer, 1994). Therefore, in the present study, all measurements were performed by a single person to minimise potential errors (Lee & Lysak, 1990; StatSoft, Inc., 1991) and were repeated twice. Coefficients of asymmetry were compared across the total length classes using ANOVA test. Addi- tionally, Tukey’s HSD post hoc test was employed to assess significant differences in pairwise com- parisons of length classes (StatSoft, Inc., 1991). RESULTS The asymmetry values for otolith length (OL), width (OW), and weight (OWe) in the C. auratus collected from the Mediterranean Sea and the Ain Ziana Lagoon, Libya, are presented in Table 1. Among all the features examined, the eye diameter exhibited the highest asymmetry value (91.74), with otolith length showing the highest asymmetry value among otolith features alone (88.82) (Tab. 1). The study revealed an increase in asymmetry levels for the three otolith characteristics (length, width, and weight), as well as for the eye diameter, correlating with increasing fish size (Tab. 2). The highest percentage of asymmetry among the characteristics examined in C. auratus from both locations was observed in the eye diameter of female specimens (86%) (Tab. 1). The percentage of individuals with asymmetry increased with the fish size (Tab. 2). The divergence coefficients of the different length groups in the C. auratus collected from the Mediterranean Sea and the Ain Ziana Lagoon, Libya, were found to be not significant (P > 0.5). DISCUSSION The present investigation aimed to assess bilat- eral asymmetry in three otolith features and one body morphometric character of C. auratus. Any irregularity in the four morphological features of this mullet species may decrease the capability of young individuals to orient themselves in their habitats and cause them to disperse to other niches (Gagliano et al., 2008). Asymmetry in the eye diameter has previously also been detected and reported in Coptodon zillii (Jawad, 2000), which might suggest that this morphological feature may be more susceptible to environmental changes compared to the other three features examined in this study. Consequent- ly, notable variance in eye lens diameter values can be taken as an indicator of environmental stress in the Ain Ziana Lagoon habitat. In contrast, the lowest bilateral asymmetry in both populations investigated was found in otolith weight, which suggests that this feature is less susceptible to environmental factors such as contamination or adverse environmental events (Jawad, 2003). As previously noted by Helling et al. (2003), bilateral asymmetry in fish otoliths may result in irregular swimming movements and interference with accu- rate sound reception, ultimately affecting the fish’s ability to navigate its habitat (Lychakov & Rebane, 2005). Similar findings to those obtained in the present study have been reported by several authors investi- gating various fish species across different geographi- cal regions. For instance, Mejri et al. (2020) examined asymmetry in otolith shape, length, width, and area in Pagellus erythrinus from the Gulf of Tunis. They observed intra- and inter-population asymmetry in these features and proposed an explanation within the context of developmental instability induced by ge- netic and environmental stress. In study of specimens of Lutjanus bengalensis collected off Muscat in the Arabian Sea, Jawad (2012) reported higher levels of asymmetry in otolith width compared to length. They observed a tendency of asymmetry in both width and length to increase with fish size and attributed this phenomenon to the presence of numerous pollutants ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 79 Osama A. ELSALINI & Laith A. JAWAD: FLUCTUATING ASYMMETRY IN CHELON AURATUS FROM THE LIBYAN MEDITERRANEAN COAST AND ..., 75–86 in the area. Similar findings were reported by Jawad (2012) and Jawad et al. (2012a) for Sardinella sindensis and Sillago sihama from the Persian Gulf near Bandar Abbas, and by Jawad et al. (2020) in studies of Saroth- erodon melanotheron and Coptodon guineensis from Lake Ahémé and the Porto-Novo Lagoon, in Bénin. Here, however, the trend of asymmetry increasing with fish length was observed only in otolith width. Conversely, Al-Busaidi et al. (2017) reported that both the length and width measurements of otoliths in Lut- janus ehrenbergii from the Arabian Sea off Muscat city were well correlated with fish length, and they also found symmetry between the left and right otoliths. Kontaş et al. (2018), on the other hand, studied fluc- tuating asymmetry of otolith area, length, perimeter, and width in four groups of Merlangius merlangus collected from the Middle Black Sea, finding the high- est degree of asymmetry in otolith area and lowest in otolith length. They noted no significant association between the asymmetry values of the four otolith fea- tures and total fish length, suggesting that asymmetry in these characteristics might be a result of pressure from various contaminants in the Black Sea. Chakour & Elouizgani (2018) observed substantial asymmetry in otolith length, perimeter, and width in three groups of Solea lascaris from three main harbours along the central Atlantic coast of Morocco and concluded that the variations in these features are likely associated with environmental characteristics and adaptations of each fish group to their habitats. Finally, Abu El-Regal Tab. 1: Squared coefficient of asymmetry (CV2a) values and character means (Xr-l) of C. auratus sampled from the Mediterranean Sea coast and the Ain Ziana Lagoon, Libya. Tab. 1: Vrednosti kvadratnega koeficienta asimetrije (CV2a) in značilnih povprečij (Xr-l) pri primerkih vrste C. auratus, vzorčenih na sredozemski obali Libije in v laguni Ain Ziana. Character CV2a + S.D. N Character means (mm) ± S.D. % of individuals with asymmetry Mediterranean coast of Libya Otolith length Females 88.82 ± 0.524 60 7.35 ± 0.242 68 Males 86.74 ± 0.165 59 7.96 ± 0.219 67 Otolith width Females 84.55 ± 0.219 60 5.22 ± 0.218 79 Males 84.95 ± 0.218 59 6.35 ± 0.223 78 Otolith weight Females 67.54 ± 0.146 60 0.0449 ± 0.176 83 Males 66.78 ± 0.149 59 0.0689 ± 0.177 81 Eye diameter Females 91.82 ± 0.211 60 13.1 ± 0.173 86 Males 91.74 ± 0.218 59 8.06 ± 0.169 85 Ain Ziana Lagoon Otolith length Females 89.92 ± 0.553 83 7.84 ± 0.265 74 Males 89.64 ± 0.145 73 7.36 ± 0.239 73 Otolith width Females 85.35 ± 0.220 83 4.1 ± 0.234 55 Males 85.75 ± 0.215 73 4.09 ± 0.262 54 Otolith weight Females 67.99 ± 0.148 83 0.0333 ± 0.266 44 Males 68.01 ± 0.136 73 0.0333 ± 0.195 43 Eye diameter Females 92.42 ± 0.218 83 12.45 ± 0.182 86 Males 92.53 ± 0.217 73 7.33 ± 0.143 85 ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 80 Osama A. ELSALINI & Laith A. JAWAD: FLUCTUATING ASYMMETRY IN CHELON AURATUS FROM THE LIBYAN MEDITERRANEAN COAST AND ..., 75–86 Tab. 2: Squared coefficient of asymmetry (CV2a) and mean values of otolith length and width (in mm), and weight (in g) by size classes of C. auratus from the Mediterranean Sea coast and the Ain Ziana Lagoon, Libya. Tab. 2: Vrednosti kvadratnega koeficienta asimetrije (CV2a) in srednje vrednosti dolžine in širine otolita (v mm), ter mase (v g) velikostnih razredov pri primerkih vrste C. auratus, vzorčenih na sredozemski obali Libije in v laguni Ain Ziana. Character CV2a + S.D. N Character means (mm) ± S.D. % of individuals with asymmetry Mediterranean coast of Libya Otolith length Females 200 – 300 88.82 ± 0.524 15 7.31 ± 0.242 76 301 – 400 88.92 ± 0.514 25 7.32 ± 0.231 78 401 - 500 91.24 ± 0.514 19 7.36 ± 0.167 81 Males 200 – 300 86.94 ± 0.135 14 7.92 ± 0.223 75 301 – 400 87.89 ± 0.223 26 7.94 ± 0.215 77 401 - 500 87.99 ± 0.322 20 7.96 ± 0.218 80 Otolith width Females 200 – 300 83.85 ± 0.317 15 5.12 ± 0.209 65 301 – 400 84.87 ± 0.219 25 5.14 ± 0.211 67 401 - 500 85.67 ± 0.334 19 5.17 ± 0.220 73 Males 200 – 300 83.95 ± 0.328 14 6.32 ± 0.218 64 301 – 400 84.23 ± 0.255 26 6.33 ± 0.217 65 401 - 500 84.76 ± 0.277 20 6.34 ± 0.232 71 Otolith weight Females 200 – 300 68.34 ± 0.126 15 0.0442 ± 0.165 83 301 – 400 68.89 ± 0.154 25 0.0444 ± 0.172 89 401 - 500 69.05 ± 0.239 19 0.0447 ± 0.185 93 Males 200 – 300 68.78 ± 0.139 14 0.0676 ± 0.166 80 301 – 400 68.88 ± 0.219 26 0.0678 ± 0.154 86 401 - 500 69.08 ± 0.122 20 0.0681 ± 0.164 90 Eye diameter Females 200 – 300 91.99 ± 0.127 15 13.23 ± 0.153 45 301 – 400 92.52 ± 0.178 25 13.87 ± 0.169 57 401 - 500 92.82 ± 0.244 19 13.99 ± 0.188 79 Males 200 – 300 91.89 ± 0.222 14 8.36 ± 0.178 42 301 – 400 91.95 ± 0.229 26 8.84 ± 0.193 55 401 - 500 92.17 ± 0.222 20 8.89 ± 0.173 73 Ain Ziana Lagoon Otolith length Females 200 – 300 91.32 ± 0.523 23 7.89 ± 0.252 86 301 – 400 91.82 ± 0.433 42 7.91 ± 0.250 89 401 - 500 92.72 ± 0.233 18 7.93 ± 0.276 92 Males 200 – 300 89.99 ± 0.123 15 7.39 ± 0.253 84 301 – 400 90.19 ± 0.224 44 7.41 ± 0.282 86 401 - 500 90.79 ± 0.256 14 7.49 ± 0.276 90 Otolith width Females 200 – 300 85.95 ± 0.232 23 4.13 ± 0.228 43 301 – 400 86.25 ± 0.240 42 4.29 ± 0.217 54 401 - 500 86.95 ± 0.251 18 4.31 ± 0.223 73 Males 200 – 300 85.95 ± 0.219 15 4.12 ± 0.234 41 301 – 400 86.25 ± 0.223 44 4.19 ± 0.274 50 401 - 500 86.75 ± 0.286 14 4.21 ± 0.282 70 Otolith weight Females 200 – 300 68.49 ± 0.163 23 0.0335 ± 0.248 82 301 – 400 68.79 ± 0.123 42 0.0339 ± 0.265 89 401 - 500 68.99 ± 0.176 18 0.0343 ± 0.232 94 Males 200 – 300 68.78 ± 0.226 15 0.0336 ± 0.187 80 301 – 400 68.88 ± 0.281 44 0.0339 ± 0.193 87 401 - 500 68.99 ± 0.271 14 0.0341 ± 0.184 92 Eye diameter Females 200 – 300 92.72 ± 0.139 23 12.54 ± 0.154 45 301 – 400 92.83 ± 0.182 42 12.59 ± 0.184 58 401 - 500 92.97 ± 0.191 18 12.68 ± 0.224 72 Males 200 – 300 92.73 ± 0.220 15 7.38 ± 0.164 42 301 – 400 92.84 ± 0.234 44 7.78 ± 0.194 53 401 - 500 92.95 ± 0.229 14 7.98 ± 0.171 69 ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 81 Osama A. ELSALINI & Laith A. JAWAD: FLUCTUATING ASYMMETRY IN CHELON AURATUS FROM THE LIBYAN MEDITERRANEAN COAST AND ..., 75–86 et al. (2016) discovered asymmetry in the length and width of otoliths in Chlorurus sordidus and Hippos- carus harid from Hurghada on the Red Sea coast of Egypt, observing the asymmetry increased with the fish’s length (age) and attributing the changes to the presence of contaminants in the region. Previous studies of asymmetry in fishes collected from the Mediterranean Sea coasts of Libya and the Ain Ziana Lagoon (Jawad, 2000, 2001) revealed sig- nificant pollution levels. The Libyan coasts along the Mediterranean Sea have a long history of pollution from various sources (Hamouda & Wilson, 1989; So- liman et al., 2015; Obeidat, 2016; Bago et al., 2018; Bonsignore et al., 2018; Omar, 2022). Additionally, the topography of the Ain Ziana Lagoon allows for water exchange between the Libyan coastal waters and the lagoon itself, facilitating the transport of pol- lutants into the lagoon. Previous studies have reported water temperatures along the Libyan coast of the Mediterranean Sea and in the Ain Ziana Lagoon to range from 16 to 17°C, with salinity standing at 38.5‰ (Shaltout & Omstedt, 2014; Al-Asadi, 2015). Fablet et al. (2009) speculated that temperature might be the primary environmental factor affecting otolith growth. This is because fish are highly sensitive to temperature fluctuations, with some reacting to changes as small as 0.03°C (Trojette et al., 2015). Salinity can also directly influence ma- rine habitats, potentially altering the chemical com- position and shape of otoliths in fish (Rebaya et al., 2017). Martin & Wuenschel (2006) suggested that dif- ferences in the chemical composition of otoliths may be associated with variations in individual responses to the combined effects of salinity, temperature, and concentrations of common elements such as Cl, Mg, K, Na, and Ca. Consequently, it is conceivable that the differences in otolith shape observed in the pres- ent study can be explained by fluctuations in environ- mental factors such as water temperature and salinity (Cañás et al., 2012). Other contributing factors may include life-history features associated with otolith shape (Mérigot et al., 2007), as well as biological and behavioural traits, such as swimming activity (Lord et al., 2012). Comparing our findings with those of Reis et al. (2023) on asymmetry in otoliths of four mullet species, including C. auratus, from the Aegean Sea, Turkey, we observe similar levels of asymmetry in otolith length and width, with Reis et al. (2023) reporting values of 89.82 and 87.65 for these cate- gories, respectively. This similarity may reflect com- mon environmental factors affecting otolith features in both the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean coast of Libya. Additionally, the absence of topographical barriers between the two seas could facilitate the dispersion of pollutants. Some researchers have suggested that genetic factors may be responsible for asymmetry observed on both sides of the otoliths (Panfili et al., 2005). However, the present study cannot address this issue due to the lack of genetic information available for the C. auratus mullet species that was examined. This study contributes additional data on otolith morphology and morphometry, as well as on body morphometrics, specifically the eye lens diameter, which serve as effective indicators for discriminating and detecting fluctuating asymmetry between the right and left sides in the mullet species selected for this study. The observed asymmetry in these morphomet- ric features can be associated with ecological factors such as water temperature, salinity, and pollutants. CONCLUSIONS In the present study, three otolith features and one morphological character were investigated in the C. auratus mullet species. The fish specimens were col- lected from two locations in Libya, the Mediterranean Sea coast and the Ain Ziana Lagoon. The four studied characters showed different levels of asymmetry, with the highest observed in the eye diameter. The asym- metry values in fish specimens collected from the Ain Ziana Lagoon were higher than in those from the Mediterranean Sea coast. Moreover, asymmetry seems to be linked to fish length, with larger fish length groups exhibiting higher degrees of asymmetry in both localities. The differing levels of asymmetry observed in relation to the four characteristics examined in C. auratus appear to be attributable to the variation in growth processes during fish development. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors would like to thank the Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of Benghazi, Libya for allowing the research on its premises. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 82 Osama A. ELSALINI & Laith A. JAWAD: FLUCTUATING ASYMMETRY IN CHELON AURATUS FROM THE LIBYAN MEDITERRANEAN COAST AND ..., 75–86 NIHAJOČA ASIMETRIJA PRI ZLATEM CIPLJU IZ LIBIJSKE SREDOZEMSKE OBALE IN LAGUNE AIN ZIANA Osama A. ELSALINI University of Benghazi, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Libya Laith A. JAWAD School of Environmental and Animal Sciences, Unitec Institute of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand email: laith_jawad@hotmail.com POVZETEK Avtorja predstavljata prvo raziskavo morfološke asimetrije v premeru očesne leče in treh lastnostih otolita (dolžina, širina in masa otolita) pri zlatih cipljih (Chelon auratus), zbranih na sredozemski obali in laguni Ain Ziana v Libiji. Vrednost asimetrije v premeru očesne leče je bila med najvišjimi med štirimi morfološkimi znaki in višja za laguno Ain Ziana kot za sredozemsko obalo Libije. Poleg tega se je asimetrija povečevala s totalno dolžino ribe. Avtorja razpravljata o možnih razlogih za asimetrijo v štirih raziskanih morfoloških lastnostih, ki jo povezujeta z nekonstantno rastjo, ki jo povzročajo ekološki dejavniki kot so razlike v temperature vode, slanosti, globini in prisotnimi onesnaževali v morskih vodah Libije in lagune Ain Ziana. Ključne besede: Chelon auratus, ekološki dejavniki, Mugilidae, onesnaževanje, otolit, morfologija ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 83 Osama A. ELSALINI & Laith A. JAWAD: FLUCTUATING ASYMMETRY IN CHELON AURATUS FROM THE LIBYAN MEDITERRANEAN COAST AND ..., 75–86 REFERENCES Abu El-Regal, M., L. Jawad, Mehanna, S. & Y. 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ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 87 received: 2024-01-08 DOI 10.19233/ASHN.2024.11 SALARIA BASILISCA (ACTINOPTERYGII: BLENNIIDAE) IN MEDITERRANEAN WATERS: NEW BIOLOGICAL AND ECOLOGICAL DATA EMERGING FROM THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN CITIZEN SCIENTISTS AND RESEARCHERS Francesco TIRALONGO Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy; francesco.tiralongo@unict.it Ente Fauna Marina Mediterranea – Scientific Organization for Research and Conservation of Marine Biodiversity, Avola, Italy CNR-IRBIM - National Research Council, Institute of Biological Resources and Marine Biotechnologies, Ancona, Italy e-mail: francesco.tiralongo@unict.it Enrico RICCHITELLI Ente Fauna Marina Mediterranea – Scientific Organization for Research and Conservation of Marine Biodiversity, Avola, Italy; e-mail: e-mail: proximacentauri80@tiscali.it ABSTRACT Salaria basilisca is a blenny (Blenniidae) endemic to the Mediterranean Sea. Our current understanding of its biology and ecology is limited, and only a few scattered data are available regarding its abundance and distribu- tion. This paper introduces the first targeted study aiming to expand our knowledge of S. basilisca with new data obtained through the discovery of a stable population of the species in Sicily. Several couples guarding nests were observed in August 2022 in Marsala (southwestern Sicily). The species inhabits shallow seabed areas covered with seagrass, with its spatial distribution varying between daylight and nighttime hours. Finally, the paper underlines the importance of collaboration between citizen scientists and researchers in natural sciences, as some of these new data were collected through citizen science. Key words: combtooth blennies, Mediterranean Sea, cryptobenthic fish, citizen science, rare species SALARIA BASILISCA (ACTINOPTERYGII: BLENNIIDAE) IN ACQUE MEDITERRANEE: NUOVI DATI BIOLOGICI ED ECOLOGICI EMERSI DALLA COLLABORAZIONE TRA SCIENZIATI CITTADINI E RICERCATORI SINTESI Salaria basilisca è una bavosa (Blenniidae) endemica del Mediterraneo. Le nostre attuali conoscenze sulla sua biologia ed ecologia sono limitate e sono disponibili solo pochi dati sparsi sulla sua abbondanza e distribuzione. Questo lavoro rappresenta il primo studio mirato ad ampliare le conoscenze su S. basilisca con nuovi dati ottenuti grazie alla scoperta di una popolazione stabile della specie in Sicilia. Nell’agosto del 2022 sono state osservate diverse coppie che custodivano nidi a Marsala (Sicilia sud-occidentale). La specie abita fondali poco profondi e ricoperti da fanerogame, con la sua distribuzione spaziale che varia tra le ore diurne e notturne. Il lavoro infine sottolinea l’importanza della collaborazione tra scienziati cittadini e ricercatori di scienze naturali, poiché alcuni di questi dati sono stati raccolti grazie al contributo della citizen science. Parole chiave: blennidi, Mar Mediterraneo, pesci criptobentonici, citizen science, specie rare ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 88 Francesco TIRALONGO & Enrico RICCHITELLI: SALARIA BASILISCA (ACTINOPTERYGII: BLENNIIDAE) IN MEDITERRANEAN WATERS: NEW BIOLOGICAL ..., 87–92 INTRODUCTION The Blenniidae family consists of small-sized coastal fishes with worldwide distribution, mainly inhabiting shallow marine waters and reaching their highest diversity in tropical and subtropical areas (Nelson, 1994). Currently, more than 400 species of fish belonging to this family are recognised as valid (Eschmeyer et al., 2023). Most of them are cryptobenthic, living inside small holes, crevices, and encrusting organisms on hard substrates (Miller, 1996; Or- lando-Bonaca & Lipej, 2007; Duci et al., 2009; Tiralongo et al., 2016a). In Italian waters, a total of 21 species of combtooth blennies (Blenniidae) are currently known (Ti- ralongo, 2015; Azzurro et al., 2018). Of these, one species, Ophioblennius atlanticus (Valenciennes, 1836), commonly known as the redlip blenny, is a non-indigenous fish of Atlantic origin. It was first recorded in the Mediterranean Sea in 2014 in Malta (Falzon, 2015), and subsequently in Lampedusa (Strait of Sicily) and Catania (Ionian Sea) in Italian waters (Azzurro et al., 2018; Ragkousis et al., 2020). Another species, Salaria fluviatilis (Asso, 1801), commonly known as the freshwater blenny, has a circum-Mediterra- nean distribution and is known to inhabit fresh waters only, such as rivers and lakes (Tiralongo, 2015). The remaining 19 species inhabit marine coastal waters, with some of them tolerating brackish waters (Tiralongo, 2015; Tiralongo et al., 2016a ). Among Mediterranean combtooth blennies (Blen- niidae), Hypleurochilus bananensis (Poll, 1959) and Salaria basilisca (Valenciennes, 1836) are the rarest species to be found in Italian waters and in the Mediterranean Sea in general (Tiralongo, 2015; Tiralongo et al., 2016b; Tiralongo, 2020). While H. bananensis is present in low abundance within confined areas, S. basilisca can be locally abundant, yet scattered in distribution. Recent records of H. banan- ensis come from very small coastal areas (lagoons) of the central Tyrrhenian and northern Ionian seas (Tiralongo et al., 2016b; Tiralongo, 2024), while the most recent reports of S. basilisca have been made from southern Sardinia, in the waters of both western and eastern sides of the Island (Tiralongo, 2015; Tiralongo et al., 2020). This report documents the first occurrence of S. basilisca in Sicily, providing ecological and biological notes on an established population and discussing the presence and distribution of S. basilisca in Italian waters and the broader Mediterranean Sea. It also underlines the importance of collaboration between citizen scientists and researchers in the field of natural sciences, as some of these new data were collected through citizen science. MATERIAL AND METHODS On 17 July 2022, a specimen of S. basilisca was found alive by a marine enthusiast in the shade on the quay of the Marsala nautical club (southwestern Sicily; 37.806844 N, 12.433331 E). The specimen was photographed and released into the nearby area (37.809599 N, 12.435930 E), where it swam to the bottom, which was covered by a Posidonia oceanica meadow. Photos were posted in the specialised Facebook group “Fauna Marina Mediterranea”, which is administered by one of the authors (FT), with a request for confirmation of the species’ identity. The group, which currently hosts more than 27,000 users and several experts from various taxonomic groups, collects data on rare and non-indigenous species and promotes knowledge of the Mediterranean marine fauna through species identification and facilitating debates among people and experts (Tiralongo et al., 2020). Subsequently, the area indicated by the marine enthusi- ast was explored by snorkeling on 12 and 13 August 2022, in order to investigate the possible existence of a population of S. basilisca and collect/document relevant data on its biology and ecology. A total of 16 hours of visual surveys were conducted, both in daytime and at night, in an area extending from 37.808187 N, 12.433749 E to 37.812640 N, 12.438709 E, and including the coastal lagoon called Stagnone of Marsala, a natural reserve (Fig. 1). An additional record of this species was provided through photographic documentation from Caprera island (northeastern Sardinia). The specimen was photographed by an amateur in July 2018 at a depth of 2 m in a P. oceanica meadow. The species was identified following the description provided by Tiralongo (2015): “Body elongated and later- ally well compressed. Head profile steep and arched. […]. Ocular cirri absent. […]. A series of double vertical dark bars irregularly spaced on sides, extending to about halfway up to the dorsal fin. These bands are darker in the dorsal area, while tend to disappear in the rear and ventral part of the body. […]. These bands are generally dark green in color, with the frequent presence of more or less extensive brick-red bands”. This allowed us to distinguish S. basilisca from a similar marine species of the same genus, namely Salaria pavo (Risso, 1810). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The specimen collected in Marsala had an estimated total length of 18 cm. It had probably been discarded by an amateur fisher (Fig. 2a). During underwater observations, a total of about 30 specimens of S. basilisca, including several couples guarding eggs in nests, were recorded in the depth range of 1–3 m (Figs. 2b,c). During the day, the species was observed in the border area between Cymodocea nodosa and P. oceanica meadows. At night, all specimens hid among P. oceanica leaves, and no parental cares were provided to the eggs. At dawn, all specimens returned to the border area between C. nodosa and P. oceanica and the couples resumed the care of the eggs. Throughout the day, the males fought off sparids (Diplodus spp.) and labrids (Coris julis) that attempted to eat the eggs, and fanned their tails to oxygenate the egg mass and remove sand from it. The females helped the males to oxygenate and clean the eggs as well as protect them from predators, but they would often move away, disappearing in the P. oceanica meadow. We also recorded the presence of ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 89 Francesco TIRALONGO & Enrico RICCHITELLI: SALARIA BASILISCA (ACTINOPTERYGII: BLENNIIDAE) IN MEDITERRANEAN WATERS: NEW BIOLOGICAL ..., 87–92 small sneaker males mimicking the female morphology and behaviour. In the area, we observed a massive presence of sea squirts (Ascidiacea) and, during nighttime, eels (Anguilla anguilla). The occurrence of couples of S. basilisca taking care of nests with demersal eggs in August suggests that the reproduction period covers at least the early summer period. The specimen recorded in Sardinia (Caprera) was found alone among P. oceanica leaves (photo received by the authors but not included herein due to low quality). Further investigations would be necessary to verify the presence of a stable population of the species in that area. Salaria basilisca is a species endemic to the Mediterra- nean Sea. There is limited knowledge about its distribution, and specific data on its biology and ecology are scarce, if not absent. The species appears to be relatively abundant only in a few areas of Italy (southern Sardinia and south- western Sicily), Tunisia (Gulf of Gabes), and Turkey (Gulf of Izmir), where it forms stable populations (Dulčić et al., 2008; Barhoumi et al., 2009; Tiralongo, 2020). On the other hand, there are dated records of S. basilisca from areas where the species is considered very rare: Gulf of Genoa, the Adriatic, Ionian, Tyrrhenian, and Aegean seas (Dulčić et al., 2008 and references therein). However, targeted investigation could lead to the discovery of new stable populations in other Mediterranean areas as well. Indeed, blennies, thanks to their cryptic behaviour and small size, can easily go unno- ticed during general fish surveys (Tiralongo et al., 2021). Salaria basilisca has resulted to be associated with the presence of seagrasses and often with coastal lagoons or ad- jacent areas. In the area of Marsala, the species concentrated in the border area between meadows of P. oceanica and C. nodosa during daytime, but preferred the shelter offered by the leaves of P. oceanica at night. This behaviour could sug- gest that predation risk for the eggs is especially high during the day, while at night the eggs can be left unattended. Parental males likely benefit from resting during the night to recover the energy spent during the day in protecting the eggs. Another benefit gained by parental males during the night hours could be the opportunity to feed. In any case, the parental care provided by the males is essential for the development and survival of the eggs. In fact, in addition to cleaning and oxygenating the eggs, similar to what occurs in the congeneric S. pavo, it is very likely that males use their anal glands to release substances with antimicrobial activity onto the eggs (Pizzolon et al., 2010). Like for S. pavo, we also recorded the presence of small sneaker males mimick- ing female morphology and behaviour to approach the nests with the aim of parasitic fertilisation (Ruchon et al., 1995; Gonçalves et al., 2005). Furthermore, inside a nest, we observed the presence of a second “female” together with the parental couple. This specimen was larger in size than the parental female and was chased away by the parental male. However, there is still doubt whether it was a larger non-parental female or a female mimicry male. Fig. 1: Documented records of established Salaria basilisca populations in the Mediterranean Sea. The green poly- gon (number 5 in black) indicates the new record, the red ones (numbers 1–4 in white) indicate past records; 1 and 2 Sardinia (Tiralongo, 2015; Tiralongo et al., 2020); 3 Tunisia (Dulčić et al., 2008 and references therein; Barhoumi et al., 2009); 4 Turkey (Dulčić et al., 2008 and references therein); 5 new record (Sicily). Sl. 1: Dokumentirani zapisi o pojavljanju ustaljenih populacij vrste Salaria basilisca v Sredozemskem morju. Zeleni poligon (številka 5 v črnem) prikazuje novi zapis o pojavljanju, rdeči poligoni (številke 1–4 v belem) pa prikazujejo stare zapise o pojavljanju; 1 in 2 Sardinija (Tiralongo, 2015; Tiralongo in sod., 2020); 3 Tunizija (Dulčić in sod., 2008 in v delu navedene reference; Barhoumi in sod., 2009); 4 Turčija (Dulčić in sod., 2008 in v delu navedene reference); 5 novi zapis o pojavljanju (Sicilija). ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 90 Francesco TIRALONGO & Enrico RICCHITELLI: SALARIA BASILISCA (ACTINOPTERYGII: BLENNIIDAE) IN MEDITERRANEAN WATERS: NEW BIOLOGICAL ..., 87–92 In conclusion, this paper provides the first thoroughly documented record of the “enigmatic” blenny species S. basilisca from Sicilian waters and the first report of a stable population of this species in the area. It also presents an additional record from a new location in Sardinia (Caprera Island), which is currently the Italian region where the stud- ied species is most abundantly and widely distributed. Last but not least, the paper documents for the first time certain behavioural traits of the species in its habitat, providing new data on the biology and ecology of this little-known and un- derstudied species. Further research focused on areas with stable populations of S. basilisca, such as Marsala, is of great relevance for improving our understanding of the biological and ecological aspects of this fish. Furthermore, considering the close association between the species and seagrasses, the decline of meadows of P. oceanica (and other seagrass species) could result in the local extinction of the species. This is exemplified by areas where a significant regression of P. oceanica has been recorded (Blanco-Murillo et al., 2022). Hence, there is an urgent need to protect high-diversity habitats such as P. oceanica meadows in order to prevent biodiversity loss. Finally, as highlighted by this research, the collabora- tion between citizen scientists and researchers is vital in studying the biology and ecology of species. This synergy significantly broadens the range of investigations, engag- ing a wider network of observers and contributing to the collection of more comprehensive and detailed data on the behaviour, distribution, and ecology of the species under study (Tiralongo et al., 2019; Azzurro & Tiralongo, 2020). Such an inclusive approach not only enhances scientific knowledge but also promotes public awareness and active participation in biodiversity conservation. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We are grateful to Danilo Graffeo for providing us pho- tos and data about the first specimen observed at Marsala. Fig. 2: Specimen of S. basilisca found in Marsala on 17 July 2022 (A); male of S. basilisca defending the nest, observed in Marsala on 13 August 2023 (B); eggs of S. basilisca (C). Sl. 2: Primerek vrste S. basilisca najden v Marsali 17. julija 2022 (A); samec zebraste babice brani gnezdo, opazovano v Marsali 13. avgusta 2023 (B); jajca vrste S. basilisca (C). ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 91 Francesco TIRALONGO & Enrico RICCHITELLI: SALARIA BASILISCA (ACTINOPTERYGII: BLENNIIDAE) IN MEDITERRANEAN WATERS: NEW BIOLOGICAL ..., 87–92 SALARIA BASILISCA (ACTINOPTERYGII: BLENNIIDAE) V SREDOZEMSKIH VODAH: NOVI BIOLOŠKI IN EKOLOŠKI PODATKI NA PODLAGI SODELOVANJA MED LJUBITELJSKIMI RAZISKOVALCI IN RAZISKOVALCI Francesco TIRALONGO Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy; francesco.tiralongo@unict.it Ente Fauna Marina Mediterranea – Scientific Organization for Research and Conservation of Marine Biodiversity, Avola, Italy CNR-IRBIM - National Research Council, Institute of Biological Resources and Marine Biotechnologies, Ancona, Italy e-mail: francesco.tiralongo@unict.it Enrico RICCHITELLI Ente Fauna Marina Mediterranea – Scientific Organization for Research and Conservation of Marine Biodiversity, Avola, Italy; e-mail: proximacentauri80@tiscali.it POVZETEK Zebrasta babica (Salaria basilisca) je endemična babica (družina Blenniidae) v Sredozemskem morju. Naše poznavanje o biologiji in ekologiji te vrste je omejeno, saj obstaja le nekaj razpršenih podatkov o njeni številčnosti in razširjenosti. Avtorja predstavljata prvo tarčno raziskavo z namenom dopolniti poznavanje o vrsti S. basilisca z novimi podatki, pridobljenimi z raziskavo stabilne populacije te vrste, odkrite na Siciliji. Več parov, ki so varovali gnezda, so opazovali avgusta 2022 pri Marsali (jugozahodna Sicilija). Vrsta naseljuje plitve predele morskega dna, pokritega z morsko travo, njena prostorska razširjenost pa se razlikuje med dnevnimi in nočnimi urami. Prispevek obenem poudarja pomen sodelovanja med ljubiteljskimi naravoslovci in naravoslov- nimi strokovnjaki, saj so bili nekateri od podatkov zbrani s pomočjo ljubiteljske znanosti. Ključne besede: prave babice, Sredozemsko morje, kriptobentoške ribe, ljubiteljska znanost, redke vrste ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 92 Francesco TIRALONGO & Enrico RICCHITELLI: SALARIA BASILISCA (ACTINOPTERYGII: BLENNIIDAE) IN MEDITERRANEAN WATERS: NEW BIOLOGICAL ..., 87–92 REFERENCES Azzurro, E., K. Zannaki, F. Andaloro, F. Giardina & F. Tiralongo (2018): First record of Ophioblennius atlanti- cus (Valenciennes, 1836) in Italian waters, with consid- erations on effective NIS monitoring in Mediterranean Protected Areas. BioInvasions Records, 7, 437-440. Azzurro, E. & F. Tiralongo (2020): First record of the mottled spinefoot Siganus fuscescens (Houttuyn, 1782) in Mediterranean waters: a Facebook based detection. Mediterranean Marine Science, 21, 448-451. Barhoumi, S., I. Messaoudi, T. Deli, K. Said & A. 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Natural History Sciences, 11, 81-84. 93 BIOTSKA GLOBALIZACIJA GLOBALIZZAZIONE BIOTICA BIOTIC GLOBALIZATION 94 ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 95 received: 2023-12-27 DOI 10.19233/ASHN.2024.12 ADDITIONAL RECORD OF PTEROIS MILES (SCORPAENIDAE) IN CROATIAN WATERS (EASTERN ADRIATIC SEA) Jakov DULČIĆ, Robert GRGIČEVIĆ & Branko DRAGIČEVIĆ Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Šetalište Ivana Meštrovića 63, 21000 Split, Croatia e-mail: brankod@izor.hr ABSTRACT One specimen of Pterois miles was caught by a spearfisherman on 15 August 2023, at a depth of 17–18 m, near Račišće (Island of Korčula, southern Adriatic). This is the first record for this species based on a caught and deposited specimen, and the second documented occurrence for Croatian waters. It confirms the hypothesis that the species is capable of reaching and expanding in the Adriatic Sea. Key words: Scorpaenidae, Pterois miles, alien species, Croatia, Adriatic Sea ULTERIORE SEGNALAZIONE DI PTEROIS MILES (SCORPAENIDAE) NELLE ACQUE CROATE (MARE ADRIATICO ORIENTALE) SINTESI Un esemplare di Pterois miles è stato catturato da un pescatore subacqueo il 15 agosto 2023, a una profondità di 17-18 m, vicino a Račišće (Isola di Korčula, Adriatico meridionale). Si tratta della prima segnalazione di questa specie basata su un esemplare catturato e depositato e della seconda presenza documentata nelle acque croate. Ciò conferma l’ipotesi che la specie sia in grado di raggiungere ed espandersi nel mare Adriatico. Parole chiave: Scorpaenidae, Pterois miles, specie aliena, Croazia, Adriatico ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 96 Jakov DULČIĆ et al.: ADDITIONAL RECORD OF PTEROIS MILES (SCORPAENIDAE) IN CROATIAN WATERS (EASTERN ADRIATIC SEA), 95–100 INTRODUCTION The devil firefish, Pterois miles (Bennett, 1828), is considered as one of the most invasive species in the Mediterranean Sea (Galanidi et al., 2018). Originally from the Red Sea, the species was first recorded in the eastern Mediterranean in 1991 (Golani & Sonin, 1992). After a lag of approximate- ly twenty years, the devil firefish invasion started and has since continued in the Levantine and the Aegean Seas (Kondylatos et al., 2023), showing a progressive expansion westward into the central and western Mediterranean, and northward into the Adriatic Sea (see Dragičević et al., 2021, Ulman et al., 2022). The last confirmed sightings placed the species in the Adriatic (Montenegro) and the Alboran Seas (Fortič et al., 2023), as well as in the Calabrian Ionian Sea (Langeneck et al., 2023). This paper reports on an additional record of P. miles (Scorpaenidae) in Croatian waters (eastern Adriatic coast). MATERIAL AND METHODS A single specimen of Pterois miles was caught by a spearfisherman (Fig. 1) on 15 August 2023 at a depth of 17–18 m, near Račišće (Island of Korčula, southern Adriatic) (approx. 42.978813o N, 17.019692o E). The specimen was deeply frozen upon collection from the fisherman and sent to the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (Split, Croatia) for analysis. During laboratory analysis, meristic counts of the specimen were recorded and the species was identified according to morphological characters provided by Golani & Sonin (1992). Fig. 1: The specimen of Pterois miles caught in August 2023 by a spearfisherman in the Adriatic Sea, Croatia. (Photo: Luka Srzić). Sl. 1: Primerek vrste Pterois miles, ki ga je ujel podvodni ribič avgusta 2023 v Jadran- skem morju, Hrvaška (Foto: Luka Srzić). ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 97 Jakov DULČIĆ et al.: ADDITIONAL RECORD OF PTEROIS MILES (SCORPAENIDAE) IN CROATIAN WATERS (EASTERN ADRIATIC SEA), 95–100 Prior to the dissection, the fresh specimen was measured to the nearest 0.1 millimetre using a digital caliper and weighed to the nearest 0.01 gram. The ovaries and the digestive tract were analysed macro- scopically. Due to a severe head wound, it was not possible to extract otoliths from the fish. The specimen was preserved in 95% ethanol and deposited in the Ichthyological Collection of the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries in Split under the catalogue number IOR – 1 – PMILES. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The specimen of Pterois miles (Figs. 1, 2) was a female measuring 28.1 cm total length and weigh- ing 317 g. Meristic counts were as follows: dorsal fin rays: XIII +11; pelvic fin rays: I + 6; anal fin rays: III +7; pectoral fin rays: XIV. The counts and general characters of the sample were in total agreement with previous descriptions of the species by Golani & Sonin (1992). The dissected specimen exhibited large and developed ovaries weighing 2.93 g, which allowed us to conclude it was mature and able to reproduce. The stomach contained partly digested remains of four unidentified fish species ranging approximate- ly from 2.3 cm to 4.4 cm in standard length (Fig. 3). The finding described in this note represents the first record based on a caught specimen of P. miles and the second documented for Croatian waters (see Dragičević et al., 2021). The first sightings of the devil firefish in the Adri- atic Sea were along the coasts of Puglia (Italy) and Albania, in July 2019 and August 2020, respectively (Di Martino and Stancanelli, 2021). Additional but unconfirmed sightings of this species have been reported from the southern part of Croatia during 2023. For example, a photo of one specimen sup- posedly caught near the Pelješac Peninsula was sent to us by a citizen, but we were unable to confirm the record. This new record now confirms the hypothesis that this species is capable of reaching and expanding in the Adriatic Sea, as Karachle et al. (2017) had predicted when they included P. miles among the species expect- ed to spread in the ESENIAS (East and South European Fig. 2: The specimen of Pterois miles caught near Račišće (Island of Korčula, Adriatic Sea, Croatia). Sl. 2: Primerek vrste Pterois miles, ujet blizu Račišća (otok Korčula, Jadransko morje, Hrvaška). ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 98 Jakov DULČIĆ et al.: ADDITIONAL RECORD OF PTEROIS MILES (SCORPAENIDAE) IN CROATIAN WATERS (EASTERN ADRIATIC SEA), 95–100 Network for Invasive Alien Species, www.esenias. org/) countries along the coasts of the basin, such as Albania and Montenegro. Keeping track of records of alien species such as P. miles by involving fishermen and the general public and motivating them to report such occurrences, is of essential importance, as it helps to foresee and recognize the purposes and significance of eradication and plan population control measures. Currently, there is no evidence that a self-sustaining population exists in this area, and the presence of this species can also be a result of propagule transport from areas with established populations. Migrations of adults are less probable, given that adults are known to exhibit site fidelity (Bos et al., 2018). The present report highlights the importance of citizen science in the early detection and monitoring of invasive species (Kletou et al., 2016; Özbek et al., 2017; Tiralongo et al., 2024). In fact, the collaborative efforts of local fishermen and marine enthusiasts have already contributed to a timely detection of both previous and herein described records of Pterois miles fish in Croatia. Further research is necessary to explore the potential ecological repercussions of this and other alien species on native ecosystems, including their interaction with fisheries, in order to envisage effective management strategies. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors are thankful to Mr. Luka Srzić for providing a specimen of Pterois miles and to Mr. Pero Ugarković for informing us about the catch. Fig. 3: Four fish of unidentified species found in the stom- ach of the Pterois miles specimen from Croatian waters. Sl. 3: Štiri primerki nedoločenih rib v želodcu navadne plamenke iz hrvaških voda. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 99 Jakov DULČIĆ et al.: ADDITIONAL RECORD OF PTEROIS MILES (SCORPAENIDAE) IN CROATIAN WATERS (EASTERN ADRIATIC SEA), 95–100 DODATNI ZAPIS O POJAVLJANJU NAVADNE PLAMENKE PTEROIS MILES (SCORPAENIDAE) V HRVAŠKIH VODAH (VZHODNO JADRANSKO MORJE) Jakov DULČIĆ, Robert GRGIČEVIĆ & Branko DRAGIČEVIĆ Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Šetalište Ivana Meštrovića 63, 21000 Split, Croatia e-mail: brankod@izor.hr POVZETEK Petnajstega avgusta 2023 je podvodni ribič na globini med 17 in 18 m blizu Račišća (otok Korčula, južni Jadran) ujel primerek navadne plamenke (Pterois miles). To je prvi zapis o pojavljanju vrste na podlagi ujetega in shranjenega primerka in drugi dokumentiran zapis o pojavljanju za hrvaške vode. To potrjuje hipotezo, da se lahko vrsta pojavlja in razširja v Jadranskem morju. Ključne besede: Scorpaenidae, Pterois miles, tujerodna vrsta, Hrvaška, Jadransko morje ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 100 Jakov DULČIĆ et al.: ADDITIONAL RECORD OF PTEROIS MILES (SCORPAENIDAE) IN CROATIAN WATERS (EASTERN ADRIATIC SEA), 95–100 REFERENCES Azzurro, E. & M. Bariche (2017): Local knowledge and awareness on the incipient lionfish invasion in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Mar. Freshwater. Res., 68 (10), 1950-1954. Bos, A. R., J. R. Grubich & A. M. Sanad (2018): Growth, site fidelity, and grouper interactions of the Red Sea lionfish Pterois miles (Scorpaenidae) in its native habitat. Mar. Biol., 165, 10. Di Martino, V. & B. Stancanelli (2021): The alien lionfish, Pterois miles (Bennett, 1828), enters the Adri- atic Sea, Central Mediterranean Sea. J. Black Sea/Medit. Environ., 27 (1), 104-108. Dragičević, B., P. Ugarković, M. Krželj, D. Zurub & J. Dulčić (2021): New record of Pterois cf. miles (Actinopterygii: Scorpaeniformes: Scorpaenidae) from the eastern middle Adriatic Sea (Croatian waters): Northward expansion. Acta Ichthyol. Piscat., 51(4), 379-383. Fortič, A., R. Al-Sheikh Rasheed, Z. Almajid, A. Badreddine, J. C. Báez, A. Belmonte-Gallegos, N. Bettoso, D. Borme, F. Camisa, D. Caracciolo, M. E. Çinar, F. Crocetta, I. Ćetković, A. Doğan, M. Galiya, Álvaro García de los Ríos y los Huertos, D. Grech, J. Guallart, G. Gündeger, A. Kahrić, P. K. Karachle, D. Kulijer, A. Lombarte, O. Marković, E. Martínez Jiménez, E. Sukran Okudan, M. Orlando-Bonaca, S. Sartoretto, A. Spinelli, I. Tuney Kizilkaya & R. Virgili (2023): New records of introduced species in the Mediterranean Sea (April 2023). Mediterr. Mar. Sci., 24(1), 182-202. Galanidi, M., A. Zenetos & S. Bacher (2018): As- sessing the Socio-Economic Impacts of Priority Marine Invasive Fishes in the Mediterranean with the Newly Proposed SEICAT Methodology. Mediterr. Mar. Sci., 19(1), 107-123. Golani, D. & O. Sonin (1992): New records of the Red Sea fishes, Pterois miles (Scorpaenidae) and Pteragogus pelycus (Labridae) from the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Jap. J. Ichthyol., 39(2), 167-169 Karachle, P.K., M. Corsini-Foka, F. Crocetta, J. Dulčić, N. Dzhembekova, M. Galanidi, P. Ivanova, N. Shenkar, M. Skolka, E. Stefanova, K. Stefanova, V. Surugiu, I. Uysal, M. Verlaque & A. Zenetos (2017): Setting-up a billboard of invasive species in the ESENIAS marine area: current situation and future expectancies. Acta Adriat., 58(3), 429-458. Kletou, D., J.M. Hall-Spencer & P. Kleitou (2016): A lionfish (Pterois miles) invasion has begun in the Medi- terranean Sea. Mar. Biodivers. Rec., 9, 46. Kondylatos, G., K. Perdikaris, I. Kaoukis, I. Patatou- kos, M. Corsini-Foka, A. Conides & D. Klaoudatos (2023): Small-scale fishery catch composition in Rhodes (Eastern Mediterranean Sea). Mediterr. Mar. Sci., 24(3), 586-600. Langeneck, J., R. Bakiu, N. Chalari, G. Chatzigeor- giou, F. Crocetta, S.A. Doğdu, S. Durmishaj, B. Galil, J.A. García-Charton, A. Gülsahin, R. Hoffman, A. Leone, M. Lezzi, A. Logrieco, E. Mancini, E. Minareci, S. Petović, P. Ricci, V. Orenes-Salazar, E. Sperone, A. Spinelli, N. Stern, A. Tagar, V. Tanduo, E. Taşkın, F. Ti- ralongo, E. Trainito, C. Turan, S. Yapıcı, I. Zafeiridis, & A. Zenetos (2023): New records of introduced species in the Mediterranean Sea (November 2023). Mediterr. Mar. Sci., 24(3), 610-632. Özbek, E.Ö., S. Mavruk, I. Saygu & B. Öztürk (2017): Lionfish distribution in the eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey. J Black Sea/Medit. Environ., 23(1), 1- 16. Tiralongo, F. (2024): Unraveling the Story of the Black Scorpionfish (Scorpaena porcus Linnaeus, 1758): Exploring Local Ecological Knowledge and the Exploit- ative History of a Marine Species. Fishes, 9, 31. Ulman, A., F.Z. Ali, H.E. Harris, M. Adel, S.A.A.A. Mabruk, M. Bariche, A.C. Candelmo, J.K. Chapman, B.A. Çiçek, K.R. Clements, A.Q. Fogg, S. Frank, S.R. Gittings, S.J. Green, J.M. Hall-Spencer, J. Hart, S. Huber, P.E. Karp, F.C. Kyne, D. Kletou, L. Magno, S.B.S. Rothman, J.N. Solomon, N. Stern & T. Yildiz (2022): Lessons from the Western Atlantic lionfish invasion to inform management in the Mediterranean. Front. Mar. Sci., 9, 865162. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 101 received: 2024-03-21 DOI 10.19233/ASHN.2024.13 ON THE OCCURRENCE OF THE INDO-PACIFIC NAKEDBAND GAPER CHAMPSODON NUDIVITTIS (CHAMPSODONTIDAE) IN THE SEA OF MARMARA, TURKEY Okan AKYOL & Zafer TOSUNOĞLU Ege University Faculty of Fisheries, Urla, Izmir, Türkiye e-mail: okan.akyol@ege.edu.tr ABSTRACT On 17 February 2024, twelve specimens of Champsodon nudivittis were caught by a commercial beam-trawler targeting shrimp in the coastal waters of Karabiga, in the province of Çanakkale, at a depth between 45 and 65 m. This paper presents updated records of C. nudivittis in the Mediterranean Sea, including the recent occurrence in the Sea of Marmara, Turkey. Key words: extension range, Lessepsian migration, nakedband gaper, Mediterranean PRESENZA DI CHAMPSODON NUDIVITTIS (CHAMPSODONTIDAE) NEL MAR DI MARMARA, TURCHIA SINTESI Il 17 febbraio 2024, dodici esemplari di Champsodon nudivittis sono stati catturati da un peschereccio com- merciale a strascico per la pesca dei gamberi nelle acque costiere di Karabiga, nella provincia di Çanakkale, a una profondità compresa tra i 45 e i 65 m. Il presente lavoro presenta le segnalazioni aggiornate di C. nudivittis nel Mediterraneo, compresa la recente presenza nel Mar di Marmara, in Turchia. Parole chiave: estensione dell’areale, migrazione lessepsiana, Champsodon nudivittis, Mediterraneo ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 102 Okan AKYOL & Zafer TOSUNOĞLU: ON THE OCCURRENCE OF THE INDO-PACIFIC NAKEDBAND GAPER CHAMPSODON NUDIVITTIS ..., 101–106 INTRODUCTION The Champsodontidae family contains only one genus, Champsodon, and thirteen species (Froese and Pauly, 2024). Champsodon nudivittis (Ogilby, 1895) is native to the entire Indo-Pacific at depths down to 355 m (Nemeth, 1994) and found in the Indo-West Pacific, in Madagascar, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Australia (Froese & Pauly, 2024). In the eastern Mediterranean, C. nudivittis was first recorded in 2008 in the Bay of Iskenderun, Turkey (Çiçek & Bilecenoğlu, 2009), with reports of two more species from this area, C. vorax Günther, 1867 in Lebanon (Bariche, 2010), and C. capensis Regan, 1908, also in the Bay of Iskenderun (Dalyan et al. 2012), following soon thereafter. However, Stern et al. (2019) has argued that only C. nudivittis has migrated into the eastern Mediterranean as an alien invasive species according to integrative taxonomic fea- tures. Champsodon nudivittis has rapidly spread throughout the eastern Mediterranean. From the Bay of Iskenderun, it moved westward into the Ae- gean Sea, reaching the northern Aegean Sea in 2014 (Torcu-Koç et al., 2015) and the Sea of Marmara in 2020 (Orfanidis et al., 2021). Thus, C. nudivittis appears to be a swift invader in the Mediterranean, gradually extending its range from both sides of the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. This paper presents updated records of C. nudivittis in the Mediterranean Sea, including new occurrences in the Sea of Marmara, Turkey. MATERIAL AND METHODS On 17 February 2024, twelve specimens of C. nudivitt is (Fig. 1) were captured by a commercial beam-trawler targeting shrimp in the coastal waters of Karabiga, in the Turkish province of Çanakkale, in the Sea of Marmara (at 40°28’N, 27°17’E), at a depth between 45 and 65 m (Fig. 2). The specimens were fixed in a 5% formaldehyde solution and deposited in the fish collection of the Faculty of Fisheries, Ege University (ESFM-PIS/2024-001). The speci- mens were measured to the nearest mill imeter. For species identif ication, we followed Nemeth (1994), Çiçek & Bilecenoğlu (2009), Akyol & Ünal (2015), and Froese & Pauly (2024). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Morphometric and meristic characteristics are provided in Tab. 1. The specimens displayed the following features: body elongated, laterally slightly compressed; mouth oblique, with maxilla extending to below posterior eye margin (Fig. 1A); located between parallel bony ridges on upper part of head a row of five pairs of sensory papillae, not arranged in semicircle, lacrimal bone with two spines projecting anteroventrally, a characteristic Fig. 1: Champsodon nudivi t t i s (128 mm TL) caught in the Sea of Marmara: (A) general view, (B) ventral view with scale pattern on breast (arrow), (C) al l f ishes sampled. Horizontal scale bar: 20 mm. Sl. 1: Primerek vrste Champsodon nudivittis (128 mm TL), ujet v Marmarskem morju: (A) celovit pogled, (B) spodnja stran z vzorcem lusk na oprsju (puščica), (C) vse ujete ribe. Vodoravno merilo: 20 mm. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 103 Okan AKYOL & Zafer TOSUNOĞLU: ON THE OCCURRENCE OF THE INDO-PACIFIC NAKEDBAND GAPER CHAMPSODON NUDIVITTIS ..., 101–106 posteroventral spine on the preopercle; scales small, spiny, and non-overlapping; on the belly, scales present in a small patch on the breast (Fig. 1B), but otherwise absent from chin (where distinct small melanophores could be observed instead), from areas between pectoral and pelvic fins, and as far as the anus. While Çiçek & Bilecenoğlu (2009) assume that the introduction of C. nudivittis into the Mediter- ranean Sea occurred via ballast waters from ships, a native Red Sea population of C. nudivittis has been confirmed by Goren et al. (2011). Moreover, Goren et al. (2011) concluded that the occurrence of C. nudivittis in Israel and Turkey indicates the presence of a reproducing population in the Med- iterranean. So far, this species has spread both westward and northward; noting the westernmost expansion of the species from the Suez Canal to the Gulf of Saronikos, Greece, over a distance of 2355 km, Kousteni & Christidis (2019) observed that C. nudivittis should be considered a species with strong dispersal potential, capable of spread- ing beyond the biogeographical boundaries of the Levantine basin. Recent data suggest that C. nudivittis is likely to expand westward in the Mediterranean (Kousteni & Christidis, 2019). Known species records docu- mented from various depths (ranging from 30 to Fig. 2. Records of Champsodon nudivittis reported in the Mediterranean Sea. Location numbers (1-16) match those in Table 2. Sl. 2: Zapisi o pojavljanju vrste Champsodon nudivittis v Sredozemskem morju. Številke lokalitet (1-16) se ujemajo s tistimi v Tabeli 2. Tab. 1: Morphometric and meristic counts of Champ- sodon nudivittis specimens (n=12) in the Sea of Marmara. Tab. 1: Morfometrična in meristična štetja na primerkih vrste Champsodon nudivittis (n=12) v Marmarskem morju. Morphometrics Min.-max. (mean ± S.D.) Total length (TL, mm) 89-141 (114.6 ± 17.4) Standard length (SL, mm) 81-120 (98.5 ± 13.3) Head length (HL, mm) 20-33 (26.3 ± 4.2) Eye diameter (mm) 5-7 (5.9 ± 0.8) Snout length (mm) 6-11 (7.5 ± 1.5) Body depth (mm) 15-25 (19.3 ± 3.7) Predorsal length (mm) 25-41 (32.7 ± 5.7) Preanal length (mm) 40-69 (53.0 ± 10.3) Prepectoral length (mm) 20-34 (26.8 ± 4.4) Interorbital width (mm) 4-7 (5.1 ± 1.2) Meristic counts Spines of first dorsal fin 5 Soft rays of second dorsal fin 19-20 (19.6 ± 0.5) Soft rays of anal fin 17-18 (17.8 ± 0.5) Soft rays of pectoral fin 13-14 (13.5 ± 0.5) Soft rays of ventral fin 5 ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 104 Okan AKYOL & Zafer TOSUNOĞLU: ON THE OCCURRENCE OF THE INDO-PACIFIC NAKEDBAND GAPER CHAMPSODON NUDIVITTIS ..., 101–106 190 m) and from twelve intermittent localities in the eastern Mediterranean in the period between 2008 and 2024, indicate a well-established popu- lation in this area (Tab. 2, Fig. 2). Finally, the new species records in the Sea of Marmara indicate its tolerance to less saline waters (mean 22 psu, Artüz, 2007). ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors thank Mr. Akın Aşık from Şarköy Fishery Cooperatives for providing the Champ- sodon nudivittis specimens. Tab. 2: Records of Champsodon nudivittis in the Mediterranean Sea with particular reference to the fishing gear (BT: Beam-trawl; PS: Purse-seine; SP: Shrimp pot; T: Trawl; TN: Trammel net). Tab. 2: Zapisi o pojavljanju vrste Champsodon nudivittis v Sredozemskem morju na podlagi ribolovnega orodja (BT: vlečna mreža z gredjo; PS: zaporna plavarica; SP: vrše za kozice; T: vlečna mreža; TN: trislojna mreža). Sampling locations (numbers correspond with those on the map) Depth (m) Fishing Gear* Date N Size (mm) References 1. Iskenderun Bay 50 T 18 Jan. 2008 1 114 TL Çiçek & Bilecenoğlu (2009) 2. Ekincik Bay, Fethiye 55-72 T 12 Nov. 2010 5 47-133 TL Filiz et al. (2014) 3. Gulf of Antalya 140-150 T 23-28 Dec.2010 6 95-130 TL Gökoğlu et al. (2011) 4. Finike Bay 180 T 17 Jan. 2011 4 129-140 TL Ergüden & Turan (2011) 5. Fethiye Bay, SE Aegean 120-190 T 10-13 Mar. 2011 94 47-133 TL Filiz et al. (2014) 6. Off Ashod, Israel 100 ? 31 May 2011 1 89 SL Goren et al. (2011) 7. W Rhodes, Aegean, Greece 150 SP 12 May 2012 2 83-88 TL Kalogirou & Corsini-Foka (2012) 8. Iskenderun Bay 120 T 2011-2012 296 60-144 TL Yaglıoglu et al. (2014) 9. Gökova Bay, SE Aegean 40 TN 22 Mar. 2014 1 130 TL Akyol & Ünal (2015) 10. Edremit Bay, NE Aegean 60 T Mar.-Apr. 2014 3 103-123 TL Torcu-Koç et al. (2015) 11. Off Jableh, Syria ? T 22 May 2015 1 132 TL Ali et al. (2017) 12. Gulf of Saronikos, Greece 86-92 T 13 Oct.2017 1 116 TL Kousteni & Christidis (2019) 13. Gökçeada, N Aegean 100-120 T 12 Nov.2019 1 122 TL Dalyan et al. (2021) 14. Gökçeada, N Aegean 100-120 T 5 Jan. 2020 1 117 TL Dalyan et al. (2021) 15. Çanakkale, Marmara Sea 30 PS 22 Nov.2020 1 121 TL Orfanidis et al. (2021) 16. Çanakkale, Marmara Sea 45-65 BT 17 Feb.2024 12 89-141 TL Present study ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 105 Okan AKYOL & Zafer TOSUNOĞLU: ON THE OCCURRENCE OF THE INDO-PACIFIC NAKEDBAND GAPER CHAMPSODON NUDIVITTIS ..., 101–106 O POJAVLJANJU ZOBATE KROKODILKE CHAMPSODON NUDIVITTIS (CHAMPSODONTIDAE) V MARMARSKEM MORJU, TURČIJA Okan AKYOL & Zafer TOSUNOĞLU Ege University Faculty of Fisheries, Urla, Izmir, Türkiye e-mail: okan.akyol@ege.edu.tr POVZETEK Sedemnajstega februarja 2024 je komercialno plovilo za lov kozic na globini med 45 in 65 metrov v obalnih vodah Karabige (provinca Çanakkale) v vlečno mrežo ujelo 12 primerkov vrste Champsodon nudivittis. Avtorja poročata o dosedanjih najdbah zobate krokodilke v Sredozemskem morju, upoštevaje tudi recentno najdbo iz Marmarskega morja (Turčija). 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ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 107 received: 2024-03-04 DOI 10.19233/ASHN.2024.14 RANGE EXPANSION OF PRIACANTHUS HAMRUR (FABRICIUS, 1775) IN THE NORTHEASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (MERSIN BAY, TURKEY) Deniz AYAS Faculty of Fisheries, Mersin University, Mersin, Türkiye Sibel ALAGOZ ERGUDEN Vocational School of Imamoglu, University of Cukurova, Imamoglu, Adana, Türkiye Deniz ERGUDEN Marine Science Department, Faculty of Marine Science and Technology, Iskenderun Technical University, Iskenderun, Hatay, Türkiye e-mail: deniz.erguden@iste.edu.tr; derguden@gmail.com ABSTRACT A single male specimen of Priacanthus hamrur (Fabricius, 1775) was caught by hook and line at a depth of 35 m in Mersin Bay (Taşucu, Turkey) in February 2024. This is the second record from Turkish waters and the first from Mersin Bay (northeastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey). The finding of a male specimen may suggest successful adaptation and potential establishment of a population in the near future. Also, available records may indicate that the species has migrated westward in the Mediterranean waters of Turkey. Key words: Moontail bullseye, Pricanthidae, Occurence, Taşucu coast, Eastern Mediterranean ESPANSIONE DELL’AREALE DI PRIACANTHUS HAMRUR (FABRICIUS, 1775) NEL MEDITERRANEO NORD-ORIENTALE (BAIA DI MERSIN, TURCHIA) SINTESI Un singolo esemplare maschio di Priacanthus hamrur (Fabricius, 1775) è stato catturato con amo e lenza a 35 m di profondità nella baia di Mersin (Taşucu, Turchia) nel febbraio 2024. Si tratta della seconda segnalazione dalle acque turche e della prima dalla baia di Mersin (costa mediterranea nord-orientale della Turchia). Il ritrovamento di un esemplare maschio può suggerire il successo dell’adattamento e il potenziale insediamento di una popolazione nel prossimo futuro. Inoltre, i dati disponibili possono indicare che la specie è migrata verso ovest nelle acque mediterranee della Turchia. Parole chiave: occhio di bue lunare, Pricanthidae, occorrenza, costa di Taşucu, Mediterraneo orientale ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 108 Deniz AYAS et al.: RANGE EXPANSION OF PRIACANTHUS HAMRUR (FABRICIUS, 1775) IN THE NORTHEASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (MERSIN BAY, TURKEY), 107–112 INTRODUCTION So far, four species of the genus Priacanthus have been reported so far in the Mediterranean Sea: the Atlantic bigeye, Priacanthus arenatus Cuvier, 1829, the moontail bulleye, P. hamrur (Fabricius, 1775), the elongated bulleye, P. prolixus Starnes, 1988, and the arrow bulleye, P. sagittarius Starnes, 1988. Another priacanthid, the paeony bulleye, P. blotchi Bleeker, 1853, is known from the Red Sea (Golani et al., 2011), but there have been no confirmed reports of its pres- ence in Mediterranean waters. P. hamrur is widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea and southern Africa in the west to French Polynesia in the east, reaching northward and southward to southern Japan and Australia, re- spectively, and even including Easter Island (Fricke, 1999). The species is commonly found on outer reef slopes and deep lagoon pinnacles at depths ranging from 8 to 80 m at least (Kuiter & Tonozuka, 2001), but may also be seen under ledges or hovering near coral heads during the day (Allen & Erdmann, 2012). The first record of the arrow bulleye P. hamrur in the Mediterranean was reported from the Tunisian coast (off Mahdia) by Abdelmoleh (1981). Although this record remains questionable, the species is included in the checklists for the Mediterranean compiled by Bradai et al. (2004) and Golani and Bogorodsky (2010). Some 37 years later, it was reported for the second time in Mediterranean waters, and for the first time from the Bay of Iskenderun, Turkey, by Ergüden et al. (2018). This paper reports a second record of P. hamrur from Turkish Mediterranean waters and represents the third consecutive record of this species in the Mediterranean basin. The record suggests a westward migration of the species in the waters of Turkey. This finding importantly contributes to a better under- standing of the species’ distribution in the region. MATERIAL AND METHODS A male specimen of P. hamrur Starnes, 1988 was caught with a fishing rod at a depth of 35 m on February Fig. 1: Map showing the capture sites of P. hamrur in the Mediterranean Sea. → Previous record: Konacık (Iskenderun Bay), Turkey; • Present record: Taşucu (Mersin Bay), Turkey. Sl. 1: Zemljevid obravnavanega območja z označenima lokalitetama ulova primerkov vrste P. hamrur v Sredozemskem morju. → Predhodni zapis o pojavljanju: Konacık (zaliv Iskenderun), Turčija; • Pričujoči zapis o pojavljanju: Taşucu (zaliv Mersin), Turčija. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 109 Deniz AYAS et al.: RANGE EXPANSION OF PRIACANTHUS HAMRUR (FABRICIUS, 1775) IN THE NORTHEASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (MERSIN BAY, TURKEY), 107–112 11, 2024, off the Taşucu coast (near Dana Island, Turkey), at 36º12’29’’ N, 33º45’36.9’’ E (Fig. 1). The captured specimen was taken to the laboratory, where morpho- metric measurements were made using a digital caliper with an accuracy of 0.01 mm. The specimen’s gonads were examined under a stereomicroscope and found to be immature. The identification of P. hamrur aligns with that provided by Starnes (1988). The measurements and counts, morphological description, and coloration correspond to the descriptions by Starnes (1988), Philip (1994), and Ergüden et al. (2018). The specimen was deposited at the Mersin University Marine Life Museum under catalog number MEUFC-24-11-146 (Fig. 2). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The recorded specimen of P. hamrur measured 190 mm total length (TL) and 155 mm standard length (SL), and weighed 120.45 g. It displayed the following mor- phological characteristics: dorsal fin rays: X +14, anal fin rays: III +15, pectoral fin rays; 16, total gill rakers in the first gill arch: 26 (13 on the lower and 13 on the upper limb of the first arch); body laterally compressed, depth at the sixth dorsal fin spine 2.62 times the stan- dard length; soft part of dorsal fin higher than spiny part and angled posteriorly; pectoral fins shorter than pelvic vertebrae; pelvic fins long and extending poste- riorly to spiny portion of anal fin; caudal fin distinctly emarginate. Head length 32.69% of standard length (SL); body depth 39.58% of standard length; eyes large, with eye diameter 45.40% of head length; interorbital width 30.92% of head length; distance from upper lip to orbit 41.99% of head length; distance from upper lip to origin of dorsal fin 35.03% of standard length. The meristic and morphometric characteristics of the specimen are presented in Table 1 and compared with previous Mediterranean records. Coloration of the specimen: body entirely red or pinkish with about 6 red bars and large spots on upper side; dorsal and anal fins red to light pink; membranes of caudal and pelvic fins blackish distally. P. hamrur is a nocturnal species that naturally occurs at depths ranging between 8 and 250 m (Kuiter & Tonozuka, 2001), but most commonly between 30 and 50 m (Starnes, 2001; Sivakami et al., 2001). Starnes (1988) reported a depth range from the sur- face down to 440 m. The species frequently feeds on small fish, crustaceans, and other small invertebrates (Fisher et al., 1990). Although P. hamrur and P. prolixus share simi- larities, P. hamrur exhibits a more elongated body structure, with the body depth at the sixth dorsal fin spine approximately 2.6 to 2.8 times the standard length (Starnes, 1988). P. hamrur also differs from other priacanthid species in the number of gill rakers, having 24–26 compared to 28–31 in P. arenatus, 29–31 in P. prolixus, and 19–22 in P. sagittarius (Starnes, 1988). P. sagittarius typically lives solitarily but can occa- sionally form small schools in oceanic locations (Kuiter & Tonozuka, 2001). Male specimens can reach a maximum standard length of up to 450 mm (Heemstra, 1986). Ergüden et al. (2018) reported a standard length Fig. 2: The specimen of moontail bullseye P. hamrur was captured (190 mm, TL) from Mersin Bay, Turkey. Top left corner: photograph taken immediately upon capture. Sl. 2: Primerek lunastorepega veleokega ostriža P. hamrur (190 mm telesne dolžine), ujetega v zalivu Mersin, Turčija. Zgornji levi rob: fotografija posneta takoj po ulovu. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 110 Deniz AYAS et al.: RANGE EXPANSION OF PRIACANTHUS HAMRUR (FABRICIUS, 1775) IN THE NORTHEASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (MERSIN BAY, TURKEY), 107–112 of 285 mm for P. hamrur in Iskenderun Bay (southeast- ern Mediterranean, Turkey), whereas in our study, the specimen from the northeastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey measured 155 mm standard length. Although a common length of 400 mm has been reported for this species, the specimens observed in the Mediterranean Sea seem to exhibit smaller lengths. Previous records of P. hamrur from the Mediterranean are listed in Table 2 along with the results of our study. P. hamrur is widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific and Red Sea and is locally abundant in certain areas of its natural range (Starnes, 2001). It is also a very common commercial species in the southwestern Indian Ocean (Mablouké et al., 2013). The occurrence of P. hamrur in the Mediterranean is most likely the result of the species’ migration from the Red Sea via the Suez Canal (Ergüden et al., 2018), with climate change and the tropicalization of the Mediterranean accelerating the arrival of alien fish species to Turkish Mediterranean waters (Turan et al., 2016). While a single specimen does not necessarily indicate the pres- ence of an established population in Mersin Bay, the past and present records of two specimens (Gürlek et al., 2017; Ergüden et al., 2018) may suggest a westward migration of the species in the Mediterranean waters of Turkey. This study reports the first record of P. hamrur occurring in Mersin Bay (northeastern Mediterranean Sea), Turkey, and the second confirmed record from the Mediterranean waters of Turkey. CONCLUSIONS This new record indicates that the P. hamrur species did not enter the Mediterranean by chance. The presence of a male specimen in the waters of Turkey may indicate successful adaptation and potential small aggregations in the near future. This ichthyological note is important as it suggests a westward expansion of the species in Turkish Mediterranean waters. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This study was supported by the Research Fund of Mersin University in Turkey with Project Number: 2021- 1-TP2-4301. Tab. 1: Morphometric measurements of the P. hamrur specimen collected from the northeastern Mediterra- nean, Turkey, and comparison with a previous record from the Mediterranean. Tab. 1: Morfometrične meritve primerka vrste P. hamrur iz severovzhodnega Sredozemskega morja, Turčija, in primerjava s predhodnim zapisom o pojavljanju vrste v Sredozemskem morju. Tab. 2: Records of P. hamrur from the Mediterranean Sea for the period 1980–2024. Tab. 2: Zapisi o pojavljanju vrste P. hamrur v Sre- dozemskem morju v obdobju 1980–2024. References Record Date Number of Samples Location Sampling Gear Depth (m) Length, SL (mm) Abdelmoleh (1981) 1981 1 Tunisian coast, Mahdia, Tunisia - - - Ergüden et al. (2018) December 2017 1 Konacık, Iskenderun Bay, Türkiye Longline 30 285 This study February 2024 1 Tasucu, Mersin Bay, Türkiye Fishing rod 35 155 Measurements (mm) This study Ergüden et al. (2018) Total length 190 367 Standard length 155 285 Head length 50.68 64.77 Head depth 46.35 60.03 Maximum body depth 61.36 109.30 Eye diameter 23.01 26.23 Inter-orbital width 15.67 19.48 Distance between orbit and upper lip 21.28 36.09 Distance between upper lip and dorsal fin 54.30 77.62 Pre-orbital length 12.86 14.73 Post-orbital length 33.88 43.56 Pre-dorsal fin length 43.49 69.56 Post-dorsal fin length 13.75 26.2 Pre-pelvic fin length 52.42 78.85 Pre-pectoral fin length 50.41 67.97 Pre-anal fin length 9.36 15.0 Caudal peduncle length 20.09 26.72 Anal fin length 57.32 117.21 Pelvic fin length 60.77 85.84 Pectoral fin length 33.68 43.13 Meristic characters Total number of gill rakers on 1st gill arch 26 26 Scales in lateral line series 78 80 Vertical scale row 47 48 Number of dorsal fin ray spines X + 14 X + 13 Number of anal spines III + 15 III + 15 Number of pelvic spines I + 5 I + 5 Number of pectoral rays 16 16 Number of caudal fin rays 19 20 Weight (g) 120.45 760.59 ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 111 Deniz AYAS et al.: RANGE EXPANSION OF PRIACANTHUS HAMRUR (FABRICIUS, 1775) IN THE NORTHEASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (MERSIN BAY, TURKEY), 107–112 ŠIRJENJE AREALA LUNASTOREPEGA VELEOKEGA OSTRIŽA PRIACANTHUS HAMRUR (FABRICIUS, 1775) V SEVEROVZHODNEM SREDOZEMSKEM MORJU (ZALIV MERSIN, TURČIJA) Deniz AYAS Faculty of Fisheries, Mersin University, Mersin, Türkiye Sibel ALAGOZ ERGUDEN Vocational School of Imamoglu, University of Cukurova, Imamoglu, Adana, Türkiye Deniz ERGUDEN Marine Science Department, Faculty of Marine Science and Technology, Iskenderun Technical University, Iskenderun, Hatay, Türkiye e-mail: deniz.erguden@iste.edu.tr; derguden@gmail.com POVZETEK Primerek samca lunastorepega veleokega ostriža Priacanthus hamrur (Fabricius, 1775) so februarja 2024 ujeli na trnek na globini 35 m v zalivu Mersin (Taşucu, Turčija). Gre za drugi zapis o pojavljanju te vrste iz turških voda in prvi iz zaliva Mersin (severovzhodna sredozemska obala Turčije). Najdba samca te vrste kaže na uspešno prilagajanje in možno vzpostavitev populacije v bližnji prihodnosti. Poleg tega razpoložljivi zapisi o pojavljanju kažejo, da se vrsta seli proti zahodu sredozemskih turških voda. Ključne besede: lunastorepi veleoki ostriž, Pricanthidae, pojavljanje, obala Taşucu, vzhodno Sredozemsko morje ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 112 Deniz AYAS et al.: RANGE EXPANSION OF PRIACANTHUS HAMRUR (FABRICIUS, 1775) IN THE NORTHEASTERN MEDITERRANEAN (MERSIN BAY, TURKEY), 107–112 REFERENCES Abdelmoleh, A. (1981): Capture d’un priacanthe: Priacanthus hamrur (Forskal, 1775), poissons Indo Pacifique, dan Ie eaux Tunisiennes. Bull. Institut. Nat. Sci. Tech. Oceanogr. Pêche Salammbô, 8, 111-114. Allen, G.R. & M. V. Erdmann (2012): Reef fishes of the East Indies. Tropical reef research, perth, Aus- tralia, 1292 pp. Bouhlel, M. 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Heemstra (eds.): Smiths’ sea fishes. Spring- er-Verlag, Berlin, pp. 544-546. Kuiter, R.H. & T. Tonozuka (2001): Pictorial guide to Indonesian reef fishes. Part 1. Eels- Snappers, Muraeni- dae - Lutjanidae. Zoonetics, Australia, 1-302. Mablouké, C., J. Kolasinski, M. Potier, A. Cuvillier, G. Potina, L. Bigota, P. Frouin & S. Jaquemet (2013): Feeding habits and food partitioning between three commercial fish associated with artificial reefs in a tropical coastal environment. Afr. J. Mar. Sci., 35(3), 323-334. Philip, K.P. (1994): Studies on the biology and fishery of the fishes of the family Priacanthidae (Pisces: Perci- formes) of Indian waters. PhD Thesis, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin, India. Sivakami, S., S.G. Raje, M. Feroz Khan, J.K. Shobha, E. Vivekanandan & U. Raj Kumar (2001): Fishery and bi- ology of Priacanthus hamrur (Forsskal) along the Indian coast. Indian J. Fish., 48(3), 277-289. Starnes, W.C. 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ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 113 received: 2024-02-14 DOI 10.19233/ASHN.2024.15 CONFIRMED OCCURRENCE OF JAYDIA SMITHI (APOGONIDAE) AND SERIOLA FASCIATA (CARANGIDAE) ON THE SYRIAN COAST (EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN SEA) Malek ALI Marine Sciences Laboratory, Production Animal Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Tishreen University, Lattakia, Syria Aola FANDI Environmental Prevention Department, Higher Institute for Environmental Research, Tishreen University, Lattakia, Syria Amina ALNESSER Basic Sciences Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Tishreen University, Lattakia, Syria Christian CAPAPÉ Laboratoire d’Ichtyologie, Université de Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier cedex 5, France e-mail: e-mail: capape@orange. fr ABSTRACT The present paper reports additional records of two exotic species collected from Syrian marine waters. The first capture concerns a specimen of Smith’s cardinalfish Jaydia smithi Kotthaus, 1970, the second a specimen of lesser amberjack Seriola fasciata (Bloch, 1793). The two specimens confirm the presence of both species in the area, suggesting that viable populations have successfully established. S. fasciata displays significant commercial value and a management plan should be implemented within Syrian fisheries to protect the species and prevent its decline in the area. Key words: Osteichthyes, Teleostei, exotic species, Syrian marine waters PRESENZA CONFERMATA DI JAYDIA SMITHI (APOGONIDAE) E SERIOLA FASCIATA (CARANGIDAE) LUNGO LA COSTA SIRIANA (MEDITERRANEO ORIENTALE) SINTESI Il presente lavoro riporta ulteriori ritrovamenti di due specie esotiche nelle acque marine siriane. La prima cattura riguarda un esemplare di Jaydia smithi Kotthaus, 1970, la seconda un esemplare di ricciola fasciata Seriola fasciata (Bloch, 1793). I due esemplari confermano la presenza di entrambe le specie nell’area, suggerendo che le popolazioni vitali si sono stabilite con successo. S. fasciata ha un valore commerciale significativo e dovrebbe venir attuato un piano di gestione nell’ambito della pesca siriana per proteggere la specie e prevenirne il declino nell’area. Parole chiave: Osteichthyes, teleostei, specie esotiche, acque marine siriane ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 114 Malek ALI et al.: CONFIRMED OCCURRENCE OF JAYDIA SMITHI (APOGONIDAE) AND SERIOLA FASCIATA (CARANGIDAE) ON THE SYRIAN COAST ..., 113–118 INTRODUCTION For several decades, the Syrian coast has been facing a steady and continuous invasion of exotic species, with fishes being the most abundant among them (Saad & Khrema, 2023). Such a phenomenon is the result of the warming of the Mediterranean Sea due to climate change (Ben Raïs Lasram & Mouillot, 2009), which enhances the intrusion of species previously unknown in this sea, either incoming from the Red Sea following the aperture of the Suez Canal or from the eastern tropical Atlantic through the Strait of Gibral- tar. The introduction of exotic species is also a consequence of anthropogenic activities such as shipping, mariculture, and aquarium releases (Saad & Khrema, 2023). The establishment of exotic species in Syrian ma- rine waters (Ali, 2018; Saad & Khrema, 2023) is partly due to the region’s geographic location in the eastern Mediterranean Sea and its proximity to the Red Sea, but also, as Gruvel noted (1931), because Syrian marine waters clearly display favorable environmen- tal parameters for the development and production of local fisheries. This opinion has been furtherly confirmed by Foulquié and Dupuy de la Grandrive (2003), and more recently by Ali (2018). Additionally, there are other favourable environmental parameters contributing to the development and production of local fisheries, which play an important role in the country’s economy. Regular investigations conducted along the Syr- ian coast with the assistance of experienced fishermen, knowledgeable about fishing grounds, have resulted in the collection of additional records of two rare exotic species: Smith’s cardinalfish Jaydia smithi Kotthaus, 1970 and the lesser amberjack Seriola fasciata (Bloch, 1793). This paper describes these two species, along with pro- viding some comments on their distribution in the area and throughout the Mediterranean Sea. Fig. 1: Map of the Syrian coast indicating the capture sites of Jaydia smithi. 1. Off Lattakia (Al-Shawy et al., 2017). 2. Off Jableh (this study). 4. Off Banias (Ibrahim et al., 2020); and of Seriola fasciata 3. Off Lattakia (Jawad et al., 2015), 4. Off Banias (this study). Sl. 1: Zemljevid sirske obale z označenimi lokalitetami ulova vrste Jaydia smithi. 1. Lattakia (Al-Shawy in sod., 2017). 2. Jableh (ta raziskava). 4. (Ibrahim in sod., 2020); in vrste Seriola fasciata 3. Lattakia (Jawad in sod., 2015), 4. Banias (ta raziskava). Fig. 2. Specimen of Jaydia smithi (ref. 2329 MSL) collected off Jableh on the Syrian coast, scale bar = 20 mm. Sl. 2: Primerek vrste Jaydia smithi (ref. 2329 MSL), ujet v bližini lokalitete Jableh na sirski obali, merilo = 20 mm. Fig. 3. Specimen of Seriola fasciata (ref. 2330 MSL) collected off Banias on the Syrian coast, scale bar = 20 mm. Sl. 3: Primerek vrste Seriola fasciata (ref. 2330 MSL), ujet v bližini lokalitete Banias na sirski obali, merilo = 20 mm. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 115 Malek ALI et al.: CONFIRMED OCCURRENCE OF JAYDIA SMITHI (APOGONIDAE) AND SERIOLA FASCIATA (CARANGIDAE) ON THE SYRIAN COAST ..., 113–118 Tab. 1: Morphometric measurements in mm and as per- centages of total length (%TL), meristic counts, and total body weight in grams recorded for the specimen of Jaydia smithi (ref. 2329 MSL) captured off the Syrian coast. Tab. 1: Morfometrične meritve, izražene v mm in kot delež celotne dolžine (%TL), meristična štetja in celokupna telesna masa (v gramih) primerka vrste Jaydia smithi (ref. 2329 MSL), ujetega v vodah blizu sirske obale. Reference 2329 MSL Morphometric measurements mm %TL Total length 122 100.0 Standard length 100 82.0 Body depth 35 28.7 Head length 23 18.9 Eye diameter 8 6.6 Snout length 5 4.1 Upper jaw length 11 9.0 Lower jaw length 13 10.7 First dorsal fin length 18 14.8 Second dorsal fin length 18 14.8 Pectoral fin length 20 16.4 Pelvic fin length 22 18.0 Anal fin length 26 21.3 Caudal fin length 25 20.5 Pre-dorsal length 40 32.8 Pre-pectoral length 38 31.1 Pre-pelvic length 30 24.6 Pre-anal length 68 55.7 Meristic counts Fist Dorsal fin VII Second dorsal fin I+ 9 Pectoral fin 14 Pelvic fin I + 5 Anal fin II+ 8 Caudal fin 17 Total body weight (g) 35 Tab. 2: Morphometric measurements in mm and as per- centages of total length (%TL), meristic counts, and total body weight in grams recorded for the specimen of Seriola fasciata (ref. 2330 MSL) captured off the Syrian coast. Tab. 2: Morfometrične meritve, izražene v mm in kot delež celotne dolžine (%TL), meristična štetja in celokupna telesna masa (v gramih) primerka vrste Seriola fasciata (ref. 2330 MSL), ujetega v vodah blizu sirske obale. Reference 2330 MSL Morphometric measurements mm %TL Total length 150 100.0 Standard length 121 80.7 Body depth 63 42.0 Head length 43 28.7 Eye diameter 5 3.3 Snout length 7 4.7 Upper jaw length 23 15.3 Lower jaw length 23 15.3 Dorsal fin length 82 54.7 Pectoral fin length 29 19.3 Pelvic fin length 37 24.7 Anal fin length 44 29.3 Caudal fin length 34 22.7 Pre-dorsal length 48 32.0 Pre-pectoral length 45 30.0 Pre-pelvic length 53 35.3 Pre-anal length 86 57.3 Meristic Counts First dorsal fin VIII Second dorsal fin I+30 Pectoral fin 15 Pelvic fin 5 Anal fin II +I+30 Caudal fin 19 Gillrakers 20 (5+15) Scale above/below lateral line 20/30 Total body weight 60 ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 116 Malek ALI et al.: CONFIRMED OCCURRENCE OF JAYDIA SMITHI (APOGONIDAE) AND SERIOLA FASCIATA (CARANGIDAE) ON THE SYRIAN COAST ..., 113–118 MATERIAL AND METHODS On 8 August 2022, a specimen of Jaydia smithi was caught using a demersal fixed gill net, at a depth of 10 m over a rocky bottom, 2 km off Jableh city, at 35°22'02” N, 35°53'45” E (Fig. 1). On 2 December 2023, a specimen of Seriola fasciata was captured using a purse seine net, at a depth of about 20 m on a sandy bottom, 7 km offshore from the city of Banias, at 35°10'41.48” N, 35°51'45.30” E (Fig. 1). Morphometric measurements for the two specimens were recorded to the nearest millimeter and are detailed, including percentages of total length, meristic counts, and total body weight, in Table 1 for J. smithi and Table 2 for S. fasciata. Subsequently, the two individuals were preserved in 10% buffered formaldehyde and deposited in the Ichthyological Collection of the Marine Sciences Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Tishreen University, under catalogue numbers 2329 MSL for the J. smithi and 2330 MSL for the S. fasciata specimens. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Smith’s cardinal fish Jaydia smithi Kotthaus, 1970 The specimen of Jaydia smithi (Fig. 2) measured 122 mm in total length (TL), 100 mm in standard length (SL), and weighed 35 g in total body weight. It was identified via the combination of the following main morphological characters and meristic counts (see Tab. 1): body ovate to elongate, slightly compressed, exceed- ing 100 mm TL; eye large; mouth terminal and oblique; two separated dorsal fins, the third and fourth spines in the first dorsal fin the longest; second dorsal fin much higher; anal fin origin behind origin of second dorsal fin; caudal fin rounded; color of body yellowish-brown; first dorsal fin with dark spot on top; a series of dark dots on the second dorsal fin forming a horizontal line; edges of second dorsal fin and caudal fin black; pectoral and pelvic fins light grey. The morphology, morphometric measurements, mer- istic counts, and color are fully consistent with previous descriptions of J. smithi (Golani et al., 2008; Goren et al., 2009; Gökoglu et al., 2010; Al-Shawy et al., 2017; Golani et al., 2021). This finding is an additional record of J. smithi from Syrian marine waters, where Al-Shawy et al. (2017) and Ibrahim (2020) previously collected five specimens. It also confirms the establishment of the species in the area and the Levant Basin. According to Golani et al. (2021), the distribution of J. smithi appears to be restricted to the eastern basin. Despite the fact that the species is a Lessepsian migrant (sensu Por, 1971), its morphology indicates that it is not a good swimmer and probably not prone to long migrations. Additionally, J. smithi does not have local economic value and is cur- rently discarded at sea after capture. This likely explains why it has escaped the attention of researchers. Lesser amberjack Seriola fasciata (Bloch, 1793) The specimen of Seriola fasciata (Fig. 3) measured 155 mm in total length (TL), 121 mm in standard length (SL), and weighed 60 g in total body weight. It was identified via the combination of the following main morphological characters and meristic counts (see Tab. 2): body elon- gated, oblong, and compressed; head slightly convex; posterior end of upper jaw relatively slender; soft anal fin base distinctly shorter than dorsal fin base; caudal peduncle grooves present and moderately developed, lateral line without scutes; color of body yellowish with eight dark body bars, and a single smaller one at the end of caudal peduncle. The morphology, morphometric measurements, meristic counts, and color are in total agreement with previous descriptions of S. fasciata (Smith-Vaniz, 1986; Massutí & Stefanescu, 1993; Deidun. et al., 2011; Jawad et al., 2015; Golani et al., 2021). S. fasciata is known in the western Atlantic from Bermuda and Massachusetts to Brazil, and in the eastern Atlantic from the waters sur- rounding the Azores, Madeira, Canary, Cabo Verde, and St. Helena islands (Golani et al., 2021). In the Mediterranean, the species was first recorded in the Balearic Islands (Massutí & Stefanescu, 1993), gradu- ally expanding its distribution throughout the western basin, especially the Italian seas and the Strait of Sicily (Andaloro et al., 2005), including the Maltese Islands (Deidun et al., 2011). S. fasciata migrated eastwards and has been recorded from Libya (Elbaraasi et al., 2019), Egypt (El Sayed et al., 2017), the Greek island of Rhodes (Corsini et al., 2006), and the coast of Turkey (Bilecenoglu et al., 2014). Finally, it reached the Levant Basin (Bariche & Fricke, 2020; Golani et al., 2021) and a first record occurred off the coast of Syria (Jawad et al., 2015). The present specimen is the second record of S. fasciata for Syrian marine waters and the fourth for the Levant Ba- sin, where a viable population is successfully established. S. fasciata is one of the rare species of Atlantic origin that has been able to expand its distribution so rapidly throughout the Mediterranean. The first record of S. fasciata occurred in 1989 (Massutí & Stefanescu, 1993) and within a few years, the species gained commercial value in the Strait of Sicily (Andaloro et al., 2005) and rapidly spread to the eastern basin, reaching the easternmost sectors. Contrary to J. smithi, S. fasciata possesses the morphology of a good swimmer capable of long migrations and could be considered a Herculean sprinter, analogous to the blue- spotted cornetfish Fistularia commersonii (Rüppel, 1835), described as a Lessepsian sprinter by Karachle et al. (2004). It is evident that S. fasciata is finding adequate resources to thrive and reproduce in its new environment, where it is also locally used for human consumption. Therefore, in full agreement with Jawad et al. (2015), a management plan should be implemented in Syrian fisheries to protect S. fasciata and prevent the decline of this recently established species in the area. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 117 Malek ALI et al.: CONFIRMED OCCURRENCE OF JAYDIA SMITHI (APOGONIDAE) AND SERIOLA FASCIATA (CARANGIDAE) ON THE SYRIAN COAST ..., 113–118 POTRJENO POJAVLJANJE SMITHOVEGA MORSKEGA KRALJIČKA JAYDIA SMITHI (APOGONIDAE) IN MALEGA GOFA SERIOLA FASCIATA (CARANGIDAE) NA SIRSKI OBALI (VZHODNO SREDOZEMSKO MORJE) Malek ALI Marine Sciences Laboratory, Production Animal Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Tishreen University, Lattakia, Syria Aola FANDI Environmental Prevention Department, Higher Institute for Environmental Research, Tishreen University, Lattakia, Syria Amina ALNESSER Basic Sciences Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Tishreen University, Lattakia, Syria Christian CAPAPÉ Laboratoire d’Ichtyologie, Université de Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier cedex 5, France e-mail: e-mail: capape@orange. fr POVZETEK Avtorji poročajo o dodatnih zapisih o pojavljanju dveh eksotičnih vrst, ujetih v sirskih morskih vodah. Prvi ulov se nanaša na primerek Smithovega morskega kraljička, Jaydia smithi Kotthaus, 1970, drugi pa na primerek malega gofa, Seriola fasciata (Bloch, 1793). Primerka potrjujeta pojavljanje obeh vrst na obravnavanem območju, kar odpira možnost, da sta se vzpostavili viabilni populaciji obeh vrst. S. fasciata je pomembna lovna vrsta, ki ima veliko komercialno vrednost, zato je potrebno v sirskem ribištvu izvajati načrt upravljanja, da se vrsto zaščiti in prepreči njeno upadanje na obravnavanem območju. Ključne besede: Osteichthyes, Teleostei, eksotične vrste, sirske morske vode ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 118 Malek ALI et al.: CONFIRMED OCCURRENCE OF JAYDIA SMITHI (APOGONIDAE) AND SERIOLA FASCIATA (CARANGIDAE) ON THE SYRIAN COAST ..., 113–118 REFERENCES Ali, M. (2018): An updated Checklist of marine fishes from Syria with an emphasis on alien species. Medit. Mar. Sci., 19, 388-393. Al-Shawy, F.A., M.F. 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ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 119 received: 2024-02-15 DOI 10.19233/ASHN.2024.16 RANGE EXPANSION OF SYNODUS RANDALLI CRESSEY, 1981 IN THE NORTHEASTERN MEDITERRANEAN Deniz ERGUDEN Marine Science Department, Faculty of Marine Science and Technology, Iskenderun Technical University, Iskenderun, Hatay, Türkiye e-mail: derguden@gmail.com; deniz.erguden@iste.edu.tr Deniz AYAS Fishing and Seafood Processing Technology Department, Faculty of Fisheries, Mersin University, Mersin, Türkiye Sibel ALAGOZ ERGUDEN Vocational School of Imamoglu, University of Cukurova, Imamoglu, Adana, Türkiye ABSTRACT This paper reports the expansion of the distribution range of Randall’s lizardfish Synodus randalli in the northeastern Mediterranean Sea. On 20 January 2024, a single specimen of S. randalli was caught by a commercial trawl net in Mersin Bay. The occurrence of this species on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey is probably due to its migration from the Red Sea via the Suez Canal. It appears that this species has spread rapidly in a short period of time and may establish itself in the eastern Mediterranean in the near future. This ichthyological note is important as it represents the second consecutive record of the species from the Turkish waters of the northeastern Mediterranean. Furthermore, the present record indicates a westward migration of S. randalli in the Mediterranean. This study also contributes important information on the maximum standard length of the species to the FishBase database. Key words: Synodontidae, Randall’s Lizardfish, Spread, Mersin Bay, Turkey ESPANSIONE DELL’AREALE DI SYNODUS RANDALLI CRESSEY, 1981 NEL MEDITERRANEO NORD-ORIENTALE SINTESI Il presente lavoro riporta l’espansione dell’areale di distribuzione di Synodus randalli nel Mediterraneo nord-orientale. Il 20 gennaio 2024, un singolo esemplare di S. randalli è stato catturato da una rete da traino commerciale nella baia di Mersin. La presenza di questa specie lungo la costa mediterranea della Turchia è probabilmente dovuta alla sua migrazione dal Mar Rosso attraverso il Canale di Suez. Sembra che questa specie si sia diffusa rapidamente in un breve periodo di tempo e che possa stabilirsi nel Mediterraneo orientale nel prossimo futuro. Questa nota ittiologica è importante perché rappresenta il secondo ritrovamento consecutivo della specie dalle acque turche del Mediterraneo nord-orientale. La presente segnalazione inoltre indica una migrazione verso ovest di S. randalli nel Mediterraneo. Questo studio contribuisce anche a fornire importanti informazioni sulla lunghezza massima standard della specie per il database di FishBase. Parole chiave: Synodontidae, Synodus randalli, diffusione, baia di Mersin, Turchia ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 120 Deniz ERGUDEN et al.: RANGE EXPANSION OF SYNODUS RANDALLI CRESSEY, 1981 IN THE NORTHEASTERN MEDITERRANEAN, 119–124 INTRODUCTION The genus Synodus Scopoli, 1777 consists of 47 species distributed across tropical and subtropical re- gions of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans (Froese & Pauly, 2024; Fricke et al., 2024). This genus belongs to the family Synodontidae and is commonly referred to as “Lizardfish”. Lizardfish usually live in shallow waters at depths of 0–140 m in various habitats, such as coral and marine reefs, sandy and sand-rock bottoms (Randall et al., 1990). Lizardfish are strictly carnivorous and mainly feed on other fish (Froese & Pauly, 2024). In the Red Sea, the genus Synodus is represented by five species (Golani & Fricke, 2018). Synodus randalli Cressey, 1981 was previously reported from the Red Sea by Baranes & Golani (1993) as Synodus doaki (Randall, 2009). Although this species was previously only known in the Red Sea, it was first reported from the Mediterranean Sea in 2023 by Langeneck et al. (2023). To date, three lizardfish species have been known from the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, one of these, Synodus saurus (Linnaeus, 1758), is of Atlantic origin (IUCN, 2024), while the other two species, Saurida lessepsianus Russell, Golani & Tikochinski 2015 and S. randalli Cressey, 1981, are of Indo-Pacific origin. All three species are non-native species that migrat- ed to the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal (Russell et al., 2015). This study reports a further range expansion of S. randalli from the northern coast of the Levant Basin, Mersin Bay, with the present record indicating a west- ward migration along the Mediterranean coast of Tur- key. The presence of Randall’s lizardfish in the north- eastern Mediterranean likely indicates the potential of this species to spread throughout the Mediterranean basin and highlights its ability to adapt and colonize new environments. MATERIAL AND METHODS On 20 January 2024, a single specimen of S. randalli was caught with a trawl net at a depth of 105 m off Yeşilovacık Bay, Mersin Bay (at 36°02’39” N, 33°36’47” E) (Fig. 1). The fresh specimen was photo- graphed and transported to the laboratory for identifi- cation. The characteristics of the present specimen (Fig. 2) correspond to the description provided by Cressey (1981). Some morphological measurements were made and recorded (Table 1). The specimen was fixed Fig. 1: Map showing the capture site (black circle) of the Synodus randalli specimen. Sl. 1: Zemljevid obravnavanega območja z lokaliteto (črni krogec) ulova primerka vrste Synodus randalli. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 121 Deniz ERGUDEN et al.: RANGE EXPANSION OF SYNODUS RANDALLI CRESSEY, 1981 IN THE NORTHEASTERN MEDITERRANEAN, 119–124 in 4% buffered formalin and deposited in the Mersin University Marine Life Museum with catalog number MEUFC-24-11-145. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The captured Mediterranean specimen of S. randalli measured 140 mm in total length (TL), 119 mm in standard length, and weighed 18.40 g in total weight. It exhibited the following morphological features: body fusiform, head somewhat depressed, caudal side a little compressed; scales large and cycloid, covering cheeks, operculum and postoral portion of cheeks; a long triangular flap on the ante- rior nares and no conspicuous black pigmented area on the operculum; snout sharply pointed, broader than long; pectoral fin reaching beyond the line from base of pelvic fin to origin of dorsal fin; outer pelvic ray unbranched and short, fifth branched ray (sixth ray) longest (Cressey, 1981). The meristic and morphometric characteristics of the specimen are given in Table 1 and compared with previous Red Sea (Cressey, 1981) and Mediterranean records (Langeneck et al., 2023). Color (fresh spec- imen): a series of reddish brown saddle-like bands found in the body. Dorsal fin with 3 to 4 similarly colored bars, a conspicuous spot exhibited on the adipose fin. Randall’s lizardfish S. randalli is distributed in the western Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, in South Africa, Madagascar, Tanzania, and Sudan (Cressey, 1981; Randall, 2009; Fricke et al., 2018; Bogorodsky & Randall, 2019). S. randalli is a demersal species inhabiting rel- atively deep waters. Cressey (1981) and Randall (2009) reported a depth range of 6–146 metres for S. randalli. However, according to the IUCN (2024), the depth distribution of adults is likely deeper, ranging from about 50 to 150 m. Similarly, the single Mediterranean specimen reported in this study was observed at a depth of 80 m. This depth range aligns with the literature (Cressey, 1981; Langeneck et al., 2023). Cressey (1981) and Randall (2009) reported a maximum standard length (SL) of 11.3  cm for this species. However, in this study and one previous study (Langeneck et al., 2023), the standard length of this species in the Mediterranean Sea appears to be longer than previously recorded. These new findings are significant and should be considered updates to databases like FishBase. Therefore, the present study contributes new information that is valuable to sci- entists studying this species. Langeneck et al. (2023) suggest that the species could have been transported to the Mediterranean with ballast waters, but this new finding strengthens the hypothesis that it likely entered the Mediterra- nean waters through the Suez Canal. In addition, trawlers have reported more frequent sightings of this species in trawl nets in the region lately (personal communication). The presence of S. randalli on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey is likely due to the species’ migration from the Red Sea through the Suez Canal. To date, numerous fish species have entered the Mediter- ranean Sea via the Suez Canal (Cinar et al., 2021; Golani et al., 2020). It appears that S. randalli is rapidly spreading towards the southern Aegean coast of Turkey and will likely colonize the eastern Mediterranean in a short time. As the number of specimens increases, it is also likely that S. randalli will accelerate its abil- ity to adapt and further colonize the Mediterranean basin in the near future. This ichthyological note is significant as it represents the second record of the species in the northeastern Mediterranean waters of Turkey, indicating a westward spread of this species in Turkish Mediterranean waters. Fig. 2: Synodus randalli Cressey, 1981 in Mersin Bay (northeastern Mediterranean, Turkey). Sl. 2: Synodus randalli Cressey, 1981 iz zaliva Mersin (severovzhodno Sredozemsko morje, Turčija). ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 122 Deniz ERGUDEN et al.: RANGE EXPANSION OF SYNODUS RANDALLI CRESSEY, 1981 IN THE NORTHEASTERN MEDITERRANEAN, 119–124 CONCLUSIONS Although the presence of a second specimen off the Levantine coast suggests that the most likely mi- gration route is the Suez Canal and that the species’ distribution will expand in the Mediterranean, it remains unclear whether the species can establish a population in the Levant Basin. Therefore, more data and monitoring studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This study was supported by the Research Fund of Mersin University in Turkey with Project Number: 2021-1-TP-2-4301. Tab. 1: Morphometric measurements of the Synodus randalli specimen collected in the northeastern Mediter- ranean Sea, Turkey, and comparison with previous records from the Mediterranean and Red Seas. Tab. 1: Morfometrične meritve primerka vrste Synodus randalli, ujetega v severovzhodnem Sredozemskem morju, Turčija, in primerjava s podatki iz predhodnih zapisov o pojavljanju v Sredozemskem in Rdečem morju. Measurements (mm) This study Langeneck et al. (2023) Cressey (1981) Number of Specimen 1 1 1 Total length 140 187 - Fork length 129 173 - Standard length 119 161 113 Head length 31.10 45.56 31.97 Snouth length 7.22 11.21 8.13 Upper jaw length 19.37 28.81 20.22 Lower jaw length 19.06 - - Diameter of bony orbit 5.77 11.02 7.68 Least width of bony interorbital 3.55 7.39 3.95 Pre-dorsal fin origin 48.01 66.91 49.72 Pre-adipose origin 94.45 133.79 93.90 Pre-anal fin origin 94.22 133.62 92.88 Pre-pelvic fin origin 41.64 55.80 43.61 Pre-pectoral fin origin 31.88 41.80 40.11 Eye diameter 4.59 6.22 - Interorbital distance 7.34 - - Counts Dorsal fin rays 13 13 13 Anal fin rays 8 8 8 Pectoral fin rays 12 12 12 Pelvic fin rays 8 8 8 Caudal fin rays 16 - - Lateral line scales 56 58 55 Weight 18.40 51.89 - ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 123 Deniz ERGUDEN et al.: RANGE EXPANSION OF SYNODUS RANDALLI CRESSEY, 1981 IN THE NORTHEASTERN MEDITERRANEAN, 119–124 ŠIRJENJE AREALA RANDALLJEVEGA MORSKEGA KUŠČARJA SYNODUS RANDALLI CRESSEY, 1981 V SEVEROVZHODNO SREDOZEMSKO MORJE Deniz ERGUDEN Marine Science Department, Faculty of Marine Science and Technology, Iskenderun Technical University, Iskenderun, Hatay, Türkiye e-mail: derguden@gmail.com; deniz.erguden@iste.edu.tr Deniz AYAS Fishing and Seafood Processing Technology Department, Faculty of Fisheries, Mersin University, Mersin, Türkiye Sibel ALAGOZ ERGUDEN Vocational School of Imamoglu, University of Cukurova, Imamoglu, Adana, Türkiye POVZETEK Avtorji poročajo o širjenju območja razširjenosti Randalljevega morskega kuščarja Synodus randalli v severovzhodno Sredozemsko morje. Dvajsetega januarja 2024 so v povlečno mrežo ulovili primerek vrste S. randalli v zalivu Mersin. Pojavljanje te vrste ob turški sredozemski obali je najverjetneje povezano z imigracijo iz Rdečega morja skozi Sueški prekop. Kaže, da se vrsta v kratkem časovnem obdobju hitro razširja in se bo morda v vzhodnem Sredozemskem morju v bližnji prihodnosti uveljavila. Ta ihtiološka novica je pomembna, saj predstavlja drugi zaporedni zapis o pojavljanju te vrste v turških vodah severovzhodnega Sredozemskega morja. Pričujoči zapis tudi kaže, da se vrsta S. randalli širi proti zahodnemu delu Sredozemskega morja. Poleg tega prispeva pomembne podatke o največji standardni dolžini telesa v podatkovno bazo FishBase. Ključne besede: Synodontidae, Randalljev morski kuščar, razširjanje, zaliv Mersin, Turčija ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 124 Deniz ERGUDEN et al.: RANGE EXPANSION OF SYNODUS RANDALLI CRESSEY, 1981 IN THE NORTHEASTERN MEDITERRANEAN, 119–124 REFERENCES Baranes, A. & D. Golani (1993): An annotated list of the deep-sea fishes collected in the northern Red Sea, Gulf of Aqaba. Isr. J. Zool., 39, 299-336. Bogorodsky, S.V. & J.E. Randall (2019): Endemic fishes of the Red Sea. In: N. M. A. Rasul & I. C. F Stewart (eds.): Oceanographic and biological aspects of the Red Sea. Springer Oceanography, Switzerland, pp. 239-265. Cinar, M.E., M. Bilecenoğlu, M.B. Yokeş, B. Ozturk, E. Taşkin, K. Bakir, A. Doğan & Ş. Açik (2021): Current status (as of end of 2020) of marine alien species in Turkey. PLoS ONE, 16(5), e0251086. Cressey, R.F. (1981): Revision of Indo-West Pacific lizardfishes of the genus Synodus (Pisces: Synodonti- dae). Smithsonian Contrib. Zool., 342, 1-53. Fricke, R., J. Mahafina, F. Behivoke, H. Jaonal- ison, M. Leopold & D. Ponton (2018): Annotated checklist of the fishes of Madagascar, southwestern Indian Ocean, with 158 new records. Fish Taxa, 3(1), 1-432. Fricke, R., W.N. Eschmeyer & R. Van der Laan (2024): Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes: Genera, Spe- cies, References. http://researcharchive.calacademy. org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatmain.asp. Electronic version. (Last accession: 05 February 2024). Froese, R. & D. Pauly (eds.) (2024): Fishbase. World Wide Web Electronic Publication. Version (01/2024). www.fishbase.org. Last accession: 05 February 2024). Golani, D. & S.V. Bogorodsky (2010): The fishes of the Red Sea – reappraisal and updated checklist. Zootaxa 2463, Magmolia Press, Auckland, New Zealand, 135 pp. Golani, D. & R. Fricke (2018): Checklist of the Red Sea fishes with delineation of the Gulf of Suez, Gulf of Aqaba, endemism and Lessepsian migrants. Zootaxa, 4509, 1-215. Golani, D., R. Fricke & B. Appelbaum-Golani, (2020): Zoogeographic patterns of Red Sea fishes – are they correlated to success in colonization of the Medi- terranean via the Suez Canal?, Mar. Biol. Res., 16(10), 774-780. IUCN (2024): The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2024-1. www.iucnredlist.org. (Last accession: 03 February 2024). Langeneck, J., R. Bakiu, N. Chalari, G. Chatzigeor- giou, F. Crocetta, S.A. Doğdu, S. Durmishaj, S.B. Galil, J.A. García-Charton, A. Gülşahin, R. Hoffman, A. Leone, M. Lezzi, A. Logrieco, E. Mancini, E. Minareci, S. Petović, P. Ricci, V. Orenes-Salazar, E. Sperone, A. Spinelli, N. Stern, A. Tagar, V. Tanduo, E. Taşkın, F. Ti- ralongo, E. Trainito, C. Turan, S. Yapıcı, I. Zafeiridis & A. Zenetos (2023): New records of introduced species in the Mediterranean Sea (November 2023). Medit. Mar. Sci., 24(3), 610-632. Randall, J.E., G.R. Allen & R.C. Steene (1990): Fish- es of the Great barrier reef and Coral Sea. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, Hawaii, 506 pp. Randall, J.E. (2009): Five new Indo-Pacific lizard- fishes of the genus Synodus (Aulopiformes: Synodonti- dae). Zool. Stud., 48(3), 402-417. Russell, B.C., D. Golani & Y. Tikochinski (2015): Saurida lessepsianus a new species of lizardfish (Pisces: Synodontidae) from the Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea, with a key to Saurida species in the Red Sea, Zootaxa, 3956(4), 559-568. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 125 received: 2024-04-11 DOI 10.19233/ASHN.2024.17 OCCURRENCE OF CHEILINUS LUNULATUS (LABRIDAE), TRIACANTHUS CF. BIACULEATUS (TRIACANTHIDAE) AND OTHER FOUR NON-INDIGENOUS FISH SPECIES NEW TO THE GAZA STRIP WATERS, PALESTINE Abdel Fattah N. ABD RABOU Department of Biology and Marine Sciences, Islamic University of Gaza, P.O. Box 108, Palestine e-mail: arabou@iugaza.edu.ps Jehad Y. SALAH Department of Fisheries, General Directorate of Fisheries Gaza (DoF), Al Rasheed St. 191/1000, Gaza, Palestine e-mail: jehadsal@hotmail.com Mohammed A. ABUTAIR Department of Marine Environment, General Directorate of Fisheries Gaza (DoF), Al manar St. 3/49, Abasan alkabira, Khanyunis, Palestine e-mail: aboutair@hotmail.com Sara A.A. AL MABRUK Department of General Nursing Technology, Higher institute of Science and Technology, Cyrene, Libya e-mail: sarra@istc.edu.ly Marine Biology in Libya Society, El Bayda, Libya. e-mail: libyamarinebiology@gmail.com Bruno ZAVA Wilderness studi ambientali, via Cruillas 27, 90146 Palermo, Italy e-mail: wildernessbz@hotmail.com Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Comiso, Via degli Studi 9, 97013 Comiso (RG), Italy Maria CORSINI-FOKA Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research. Hydrobiological Station of Rhodes, Cos Street, 85100 Rhodes, Greece e-mail: mcorsini@hcmr.gr ABSTRACT Six non-indigenous fish species, all of Indo-Pacific origin, are here reported from the waters of Gaza Strip, Palestine, on the basis of photos and data collected from 2016 to 2023 on dedicated platforms through local citizen scientists and fishers contribute. Two species, Cheilinus lunulatus and Triacanthus cf. biaculeatus, are recorded for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea, and other four, Ambassis sp., Equulites cf. elongatus, Parupeneus forsskali and Heniochus intermedius are recorded for the first time in the Palestinian waters of Gaza. Although data and material were limited, the results reinforce the useful support of citizen science in monitoring introduction and/or expansion of non-indigenous species in a basin strongly affected by biological invasion, such as the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Key words: Levantine Sea, Palestine, Gaza Strip, non-indigenous fish, Lessepsian migration, citizen scientists PRESENZA DI CHEILINUS LUNULATUS (LABRIDAE), TRIACANTHUS CF. BIACULEATUS (TRIACANTHIDAE) E DI ALTRE QUATTRO SPECIE DI PESCI NON INDIGENI NUOVE PER LE ACQUE DELLA STRISCIA DI GAZA, PALESTINA SINTESI Sei specie di pesci non indigeni, tutte di origine Indo-Pacifica, sono qui segnalate per le acque della Striscia di Gaza, Palestina, sulla base di foto e dati raccolti dal 2016 al 2023 su piattaforme dedicate, grazie al contributo di scienziati cittadini e pescatori. Due specie, Cheilinus lunulatus e Triacanthus cf. biaculeatus, sono segnalate per la prima volta nel Mediterraneo, e altre quattro, Ambassis sp., Equulites cf. elongatus, Parupeneus forsskali e Heniochus intermedius vengono segnalate per la prima volta nelle acque palestinesi di Gaza. Sebbene i dati e il materiale siano limitati, i risultati rafforzano l’utile supporto della scienza dei cittadini (citizen science) nel monitorare l’introduzione e/o l’espansione di specie non indigene in un bacino fortemente colpito dall’invasione biologica, come il mare Mediterraneo orientale. Parole chiave: Mar di Levante, Palestina, Striscia di Gaza, pesci non indigeni, migrazione lessepsiana, citizen science ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 126 Abdel Fattah N. ABD RABOU et al.: OCCURRENCE OF CHEILINUS LUNULATUS (LABRIDAE), TRIACANTHUS CF. BIACULEATUS (TRIACANTHIDAE) ..., 125–134 INTRODUCTION The Mediterranean Sea biodiversity is undergoing profound and fast changes driven by various threats, among which climate changes and biological inva- sions of organisms mainly introduced via the Suez Canal from the Red Sea and the Indo-Pacific Ocean, in particular in the eastern side of the basin (Galanidi et al., 2023; Galil, 2023). Citizen science input is particularly useful for monitoring marine biodiversity, including non-in- digenous species (NIS) introductions and spreading (Pocock et al., 2024). This is of particular importance in poorly studied areas of the eastern Mediterranean, such as the Palestinian waters of the Gaza Strip, where regular field scientific research and published material is extremely limited. The Gaza Strip is locat- ed at the southeast corner of the Mediterranean Sea, about 170 km east to the mouth of the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean, a significant geographical position for the detection of new non-indigenous species entered via the Canal from the Indo-Pacific and the Red Sea ecosystems (Lessepsian migrant spe- cies, see Golani & Fricke, 2018), as well as for the monitoring of their spreading (Bariche et al., 2019; Abd Rabou et al., 2023). In the present study, efforts were made in order to validate ichthyological material of particular interest from the Gaza Strip waters obtained mainly through the input of Palestinian citizen scientists and fishers via social media platforms. The first finding in the eastern Mediterranean waters (Palestinian waters) of the non-indigenous Cheilinus lunulatus (Forsskål, 1775) and Triacanthus cf. biaculeatus (Bloch, 1786) is here described. The occurrence of other three non-in- digenous fish species already known in the wider area, namely Equulites cf. popei (Whitley, 1932), Parupeneus forsskali (Fourmanoir & Guézé, 1976) and Heniochus intermedius Steindachner, 1893, is furthermore documented in the present study for the first time in Palestinian waters, where also a glassfish Ambassis Cuvier, 1828 sp. is here newly recorded. The presence of the above NIS fishes new to the Gaza Sea increases knowledge on the diversity of fish communities in this restricted zone of the Levantine Sea highly affected by the occurrence of species of Indo-Pacific/Red Sea origin. MATERIAL AND METHODS Photos of six fishes unknown to fishers operating in the Gaza Strip waters, Palestine, were submitted between 2016 and 2023 to the social media citizen science platform for Libyan waters called ‘Marine Biology in Libya’ (https://www. facebook.com/ MarineBiologyinlibya) or transmitted directly to the authors by fishers. All fishes were caught in the marine waters of the Gaza Strip. None of the specimens was preserved. In some occasions, the authors were unable to trace back the name of observer/fisher who submitted photos to the above platform, or to obtain information on the exact location of capture in the Gaza Sea and/or the fishing method used, as well as further data as depth of capture and bottom type. Efforts for identification of the fishes to species level through the available photographic material were applied by the authors, but in some cases they faced substantial impediments in achieving results with certainty for the following reasons: a) photos transmitted through the mentioned above social media were of low quality, b) fishes were positioned hastily, careless to show the fin rays or oth- er body characteristics and c) any object of known size was placed nearby the fish in order to approximate their size and some proportions of the body. All the above obstacles and the lack of samples unfortunately prevented an accurate description of morphological and meristic characters of the specimens. RESULTS The following six fish were recognized as new species or genus for the Palestinian waters. AMBASSIDAE Ambassis Cuvier, 1828 sp. Two similar fish specimens were caught by fishing rod in the Gaza Port (31°31’27.2”N, 34°25’46.4”E) at 0-6 m of depth. The first specimen, with an ap- proximate total length of 50 mm, was captured on 1 January 2021 (Fig. 1A1) and the second, with an approximate total length of 40 mm, on 10 August 2022 (Fig. 1A2). The quality of the available photos was extremely low. The body was translucent dorsally, darker in Fig. A1, brighter in Fig. A2; a horizontal silver band along mid-body (Fig. 1A2); a visible dark membrane around second dorsal-fin spine (Fig. A1); black lineation along base of dorsal and anal fins apparently extending to caudal peduncle in both specimens; caudal fin dark (Fig. A1) or pale with dark edges (Fig. A2). The specimens were assigned to the genus Ambassis, being impossible to distinguish from Fig. 1A1, A2 some fundamental features, such as the presence or absence of cheek scales, the continuous or interrupted lateral line and the smooth or serrate interopercle that allow to separate species (Allen, 1999; Anderson & Heemstra, 2003; Stern et al., 2022; Froese & Pauly, 2024). Remarks. Twenty species belong to the Ambassis genus (Nelson et al., 2016; Froese & Pauly, 2024); seven species of Ambassis occur in brackish to marine waters of the Western Indian Ocean, of which two species, A. dussumieri Cuvier, 1828 and A. urotaenia Bleeker 1852, are present in the Red Sea (Anderson & ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 127 Abdel Fattah N. ABD RABOU et al.: OCCURRENCE OF CHEILINUS LUNULATUS (LABRIDAE), TRIACANTHUS CF. BIACULEATUS (TRIACANTHIDAE) ..., 125–134 Fig. 1: Non-indigenous fishes from the Gaza Strip waters, Palestine. A1-A2: Ambassis sp. (Photo A1: Abdullah Jaber; Photo A2: Mahmoud Ahmed Jafeer); B1-B2: Equulites cf. popei (Photos B1, B2: Jehad Y. Salah); C: Parupeneus forsskali; D: Heniochus intermedius (Photo: Jehad Y. Salah); E1: Cheilinus lunulatus among a spear fishing catch and E2: detail of the red spots on its head (Photos E1, E2: Mohammad Al Nahhal); F: Triacanthus cf. biaculeatus. Sl. 1: Tujerodne vrste rib iz voda ob Gazi (Palestina). A1-A2: Ambassis sp. (Foto A1: Abdullah Jaber; Foto A2: Mahmoud Ahmed Jafeer); B1-B2: Equulites cf. popei (Fotografiji B1, B2: Jehad Y. Salah); C: Parupeneus forsskali; D: Heniochus intermedius (Foto: Jehad Y. Salah); E1: Cheilinus lunulatus med ulovljenimi ribami s podvodno puško in E2: detajl rdečih peg na njeni glavi (Fotografiji E1, E2: Mohammad Al Nahhal); F: Triacanthus cf. biaculeatus. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 128 Abdel Fattah N. ABD RABOU et al.: OCCURRENCE OF CHEILINUS LUNULATUS (LABRIDAE), TRIACANTHUS CF. BIACULEATUS (TRIACANTHIDAE) ..., 125–134 Heemstra, 2003; Golani & Fricke, 2018). Very recent- ly, in October 2021, the tropical schooling Malabar glassy perchlet A. dussumieri was recorded for the first time in the Mediterranean from an artificial bay of a power plant in Tel Aviv, Israel, by Stern et al. (2022), who discussed the potential invasiveness of the spe- cies in the basin. LEIOGNATHIDAE Equulites cf. popei (Whitley, 1932) Two specimens of approximately 80 mm in total length were caught with trammel net in the waters off Gaza Strip, at about 20-30 m of depth, one on 10 November 2016 and one on 10 July 2023, re- spectively (Fig. 1B1, B2). Body elongate, slender and moderately compressed; snout sharp and pointed; protractile mouth. Colour: body silvery, upper sides characterized by dark linear patches along lateral line and other irregular patches. The specimens belonged evidently to the Equulites elongatus group and they were assigned to Equulites cf. popei follow- ing Golani et al. (2011), Sakinan et al. (2017) and Suzuki & Kimura (2017, 2024). Remarks. The Pope’s ponyfish E. popei is distributed in the Indo-West Pacific, including the Red Sea up to the Gulf of Suez (Golani & Fricke, 2018). In the Mediterranean Sea, E. popei has been recorded for the first time as E. elongatus, in 2011 off the Israel coasts (Golani et al., 2011). Later the species has spread in the waters of the Levantine Sea, in the regions of Mersin, Antalya and Iskenderun, Turkey (Yokeş, 2015; Irmak et al., 2015; Mavruk et al., 2019; Ergüden et al., 2019), Lebanon (Gerovasileiou et al., 2017) and Syria (Ibrahim et al. 2020). The species is considered a Lessepsian migrant as the former colonizer Equulites klunzingeri (Steindachner, 1898) (Golani, 2021). In 2016, another Leiognathidae new to the Mediterranean Sea, Leiog- nathus berbis Valenciennes, 1835, was reported from the Syrian waters (Alshawy et al., 2016), but later it was considered a misidentification and excluded from the list of the non-indigenous species of the basin (Zenetos et al., 2022). Recently, in 2021, the ponyfish Equulites leuciscus (Günther, 1860) was recorded for the first time in the Levantine Sea waters, at Antalya, Turkey (Kebapcioglu & Cinbilgel, 2022). Noteworthy is that E. leuciscus is listed among the marine bony fishes of the Gaza waters, Palestine, in the study con- ducted between 2017 and 2018 by Abu Amra (2018), however this record has not been validated. MULLIDAE Parupeneus forsskali (Fourmanoir & Guézé, 1976) On 14 May 2022 a specimen of about 180 mm of total length (Fig. 1C) was caught off the Gaza Port with trammel net at 8-10 m of depth. The specimen was identified as P. forsskali for the characteristic black stripe running from the snout through eye and along lateral line to below the end of second dorsal fin and also for the black spot on each side of the caudal peduncle. Remarks. The natural range of P. forsskali is the northwestern Indian Ocean, including the Red Sea up to the Gulf of Suez (Golani & Fricke, 2018). The Red Sea goatfish has been observed in the Mediterra- nean waters since 2000 and later in 2004, in Mersin, Turkey (Çinar et al., 2006). Recorded successively from Lebanon (Bariche et al., 2013), Israel (Sonin et al., 2013), Syria (Ali et al., 2016), Greece and Cyprus (Vagenas et al., 2024a), P. forsskali is now established, and sometimes abundant, in many eastern Mediterra- nean regions (Vagenas et al., 2024b). The species is considered a Lessepsian migrant (Golani, 2021). It is possible that the photo of a damaged mullid reported as Upeneus niebuhri Guézé, 1976 by Abu Amra (2018) corresponds to a P. forsskali specimen. CHAETODONTIDAE Heniochus intermedius Steindachner, 1893 On 14 February 2023, a specimen of about 100 mm of total length, was caught with gillnet on a mixed bot- tom of sand and rocks in the waters off the Gaza Strip at about 10 m of depth (Fig. 1D). Body disc-shaped and compressed; head small and concave in its dorsal profile; snout elongated; caudal fin truncate. Colour: body yellow-whitish; two broad black bands, one cov- ering the eye, the operculum and extending ventrally and to the base of the dorsal fin, the other extending diagonally in the posterior part of the body; anterior and posterior part of dorsal fin, the pectoral and caudal fins yellow; posterior and anterior part of anal and the pelvic fins black. In this case, the characteristic body shape and the colour pattern of the specimen allowed identifying it with certainty as H. intermedius (Khalaf & Disi, 1997; Debelius, 2011; Bariche, 2012). Remarks. The natural range of H. intermedius is the northwestern Indian Ocean and the Red Sea; thus it is considered a Lessepsian migrant into the Mediterranean (Khalaf & Disi, 1997; Golani & Fricke, 2018). The Red Sea bannerfish H. intermedius was recorded for the first time in the basin in 2002, off Mersin, Turkey (Gökoğlu et al. 2003), and later in Lebanon (Bariche, 2012), Israel (Tsadok et al. 2015), Malta (Evans et al., 2015), Cyprus (Bariche et al., 2020), Egypt (Al Mabruk et al. 2021) and Syria (Ibrahim et al., 2022; Saad et al., 2022). LABRIDAE Cheilinus lunulatus (Forsskål, 1775) A labrid specimen of about 300 mm in total length was captured on 16 May 2022 at east of the Gaza Port with speargun at 16-22 m of depth (Fig. 1E1, E2). Body blackish with a broad green bar across in abdominal region; each scale of body with a vertical pale line; head green, shading to blackish posteriorly, with small orange-red spots and opercular flap black with ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 129 Abdel Fattah N. ABD RABOU et al.: OCCURRENCE OF CHEILINUS LUNULATUS (LABRIDAE), TRIACANTHUS CF. BIACULEATUS (TRIACANTHIDAE) ..., 125–134 a whitish mark; dorsal fin blackish, pectoral fin bright yellow, shading to hyaline distally. The specimen was assigned to C. lunulatus following the description of the terminal male phase colour of the species given by Gomon & Randall (1984). Remarks. The Broomtail wrasse C. lunulatus occurs in the northwestern Indian Ocean and the Red Sea (Golani & Fricke, 2018). The occurrence of this species in the Mediterranean waters is here reported for the first time and monitoring of its eventual spreading in the eastern part of the basin is recommended. TRIACANTHIDAE Triacanthus cf. biaculeatus (Bloch, 1786) On 22 April 2021, a specimen of approximately 180 mm of total length was fished with simple line, on sandy bottom in shallow waters off the Gaza Strip (Fig. 1F). The following meristic and morphological charac- teristics are visible in Fig. 1F: 5 dorsal fin spines, the second shorter than the length of the first, and 17 anal fin rays. Body deep and compressed; mouth small, terminal; outline of head between the first dorsal-fin spine and eyes almost straight, slightly concave from eye to mouth; gill opening a relatively short vertical slit in front of pectoral fin base; caudal fin forked with in- ternal margins of lobes slightly rounded. Approximate proportions obtained from Fig. 1F: head length 23.7, distance from eye to upper end of gill opening 7.8, eye diameter 5.1, preorbital length 14.2, postorbital 5.1, body depth 37.5, all as % of standard length. Colour: lightly silver creamy; a yellow longitudinal strip at midside of body, behind the pectoral fin; dark posterior of eye and under the eye; black membrane between the first and third spines of dorsal fin a, the remaining paler; first dorsal fin spine white toward the tip; region around the base of first dorsal fin dark; caudal fin yel- lowish with bluish edges and inner margins; second dorsal, pectoral and anal fins pale. Seven species in four genera are recognized in the Family Triacanthidae all over the world (Nelson et al., 2016), of which the genus Triacanthus includes two species, Triacanthus  biaculeatus  (Bloch,  1786) and Triacanthus  nieuhofii  Bleeker,  1852 (Matsuura, 2015; Froese & Pauly, 2024). These two species differ mainly for the coloration of spinous dorsal fin and the out- line of the head. In T. biaculeatus the spiny dorsal-fin membrane is dark between first and third spines, and usually equally dark between third and fifth, while the outline of head from base of first dorsal-fin spine to above eye is slightly convex or almost straight; in T. nieuhofii  the spiny dorsal-fin membrane is very dark between first and second spines, slightly to much less darker between second and third spines, and pale between third and fifth spines, while the outline of head between base of first dorsal-fin spine and eyes somewhat convex in front of spine and then straight or slightly concave over eye (Hutchins, 1984; Matsuura, 2001; Psomadakis et al., 2015; Ghazi et al., 2018; Goutham-Bharathi et al., 2024). The body shape and the general aspect as well as the body proportions of the Triacanthus from Gaza approached the descriptions of T. biaculeatus (Matsuura, 2001; Karna et al., 2018; Goutham-Bharathi et al., 2024), but, since the colour of spinous dorsal fin and the outline of head are not clearly discernible in Fig. 1F, the specimen is prudently assigned to T. cf. biaculeatus. Remarks. The Short-nosed tripodfish T. biaculeatus is widespread in the Indo-West Pacific area from the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea, Bay of Ben- gal, and Japan, China, South China Sea including Gulf of Thailand, Indonesia, northern Australia; the Silver tripodfish T. nieuhofii is reported from the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Andaman Sea, Indonesia, South China Sea to northern Australia (Matsuura, 2015; Mohanty et al., 2018; Eagderi et al., 2019; Froese & Pauly, 2024). The above two Triacanthus spp. have not been recorded among the ichthyofauna of the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea (Sanzo 1930; Khalaf & Disi, 1997; Golani & Fricke, 2018), up to 2023, when the occurrence of T. bi- aculeatus has been documented for the first time in the southeastern waters of the Red Sea (Goutham-Bharathi et al., 2024). Both Triacanthus  spp. are small benthic fish, found on sandy or muddy flat bottoms in coastal waters to 60 m, T. biaculeatus also in estuarine waters and in mangrove systems at juvenile stages; they feed on benthic invertebrates (Krishnamurthy & Prince Jeyaseelan, 1981; Hutchins, 1984; Matsuura, 2001). Both triacanthid species are sold fresh in markets. The Short-nosed tripodfish T. biaculeatus is listed among the commercially important marine ornamental fishes from Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean waters (Jayasankar 1998; Hosseinzadeh Sahafi, 2000; Mahapatra & Lakra, 2015). It is the first time that a species of Triacanthidae is reported from the Mediterranean Sea. DISCUSSION As already mentioned, the lack of samples of the fishes from the waters off the Gaza Strip reported in the present study as well as the scarcity and the low quality of the available photographic material rendered in some cases arduous achieving species identification through a description of morphologi- cal and meristic characters, as for the glassfish Am- bassis sp. In the case of the ponyfish a high similarity with E. popei was observed and it was consequently assigned to E. cf. popei, while the resemblance of the tripodfish to T. biaculeatus conduced to assign to T. cf. biaculeatus the specimen from Gaza. In the three remaining cases, those regarding the goatfish, the bannerfish and the wrasse, photos allowed their identification to species level respectively as P. forss- kali, H. intermedius and C. lunulatus. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 130 Abdel Fattah N. ABD RABOU et al.: OCCURRENCE OF CHEILINUS LUNULATUS (LABRIDAE), TRIACANTHUS CF. BIACULEATUS (TRIACANTHIDAE) ..., 125–134 All the above six fishes are non-indigenous of In- do-West Pacific origin, with two of them, C. lunulatus and T. cf. biaculeatus, recorded here for the first time in the Mediterranean waters. Nevertheless, the eventual success of these two latter species as new entries into the basin needs validation through further records, be- ing their findings based on single, casual observations. The native range of the higher percentage of Lessepsian migrant fishes is the Indo-West Pacific Ocean and the Red Sea (Golani et al., 2020), a range that corresponds also to that of the Broomtail wrasse C. lunulatus. Consequently, its arrival from the Red Sea in the eastern Mediterranean, if confirmed, could be ex- plained via the Lessepsian migration process through the Suez Canal corridor. On the other hand, for the two triacanthid species known, T. biaculeatus and T. nieuhofii, only T. biaculeatus has been recently detect- ed in the southeastern Red Sea (Goutham-Bharathi et al., 2024). Other findings in the Mediterranean Sea will give the opportunity first of all to identify with accuracy the species under question and eventually postulate a pathway of introduction. As mentioned above, juveniles of T. biaculeatus occur also in estu- arine waters. If the occurrence of T. biaculeatus will be ascertained, the Delta of Nile and the lagoons of Egypt, located not far, at west to the Gaza Strip waters, could provide suitable habitats for the juveniles of this species, as observed for other Indo-West Pacific/Red Sea non-indigenous fishes introduced to the Mediter- ranean (Kara & Quignard, 2018). The NIS P. forsskali, E. cf. popei and H. intermedius from the Red Sea entered via the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean Sea. After their adaptation to the new Mediterranean environment and the establishment of a reproducing population, these Lessepsian migrant fishes have colonized the eastern waters of the basin, as mentioned in the respective Remarks given above. Although their presence was expected in the Gaza Sea, the documentation of their occurrence in this specific area under study fills a gap of knowledge regarding their successful establishment and spreading in the wider Levantine region. Given that the first glassfish from Gaza, here reported as Ambassis sp., have been captured and photographed in winter 2021 and summer 2022 in the Gaza Port, there is a high probability that they are A. dussumieri, a species detected in October 2021 for the first time in a similar artificial habitat in the nearby Mediterranean waters of Israel (Stern et al., 2022). Its finding, if confirmed as A. dussumieri, could therefore support the existence of a large and established popu- lation of this schooling species in the eastern Levant, as forecasted by Stern et al. (2022). Up to date, the NIS bony fishes of Indo-Pacific/ Red Sea origin reported from the waters off the Gaza Strip, all considered Lessepsian migrants, approach a number of 40 species, approximately 30 % of the ma- rine bony fishes reported in the fishery activities of the region (Liebmann, 1934; Haas & Steinitz, 1947; Abu Amra, 2018; Bariche et al., 2019; Abd Rabou et al., 2023). Taking into account that validation of at least five NIS fishes listed in Abu Amra (2018) is required, the number of Lessepsian migrant fishes detected in the restricted marine region under study is anyway high, being 39 % of the at least 106 Lessepsian fish species known in the whole eastern sector of the Mediterra- nean (Golani et al., 2020, 2021). Various Lessepsian fishes in fact give a large contribution to the marine fishery production along the 42 Km coastal waters of the Gaza Strip (Hussein et al., 2022). The addition of the six NIS fishes reported here corroborates the importance of the Gaza Sea for doc- umenting both the arrival of new Indo-Pacific/Red Sea NIS into the Mediterranean as well as the distribution expansion of already known NIS. The present study underlines furthermore the useful- ness of citizen scientists’ observations for the improve- ment of biodiversity knowledge of the basin and the utility of social media and new technologies in the fast achievement of new information, especially in poorly known Mediterranean regions such as the waters off the Gaza Strip (Bariche et al., 2019; Abd Rabou et al., 2023) and the North African countries (Corsini-Foka & Zava, 2022). On the other hand, the data reported in the present study testify the limitedness of this type of diffusion, when new technologies are not appropriately used. In fact, the excessive importance given to the rap- id dispersion of information, through social media and platforms, often predominates at the expense of the quality of the material supplied, material that in many cases appears insufficient to support a scientifically substantiate new knowledge. Therefore, this rapidly transmitted information is subjected to the risk to be likewise rapidly lost, due to the absence or scarcely accurate methodology in documenting the findings by citizen scientists and sensitized fishers, as discussed in Deidun et al. (2022). ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors warmly thank Mr Abdullah Jaber, Mr Mahmoud Ahmed Jafeer, Mr Mohammad Al Nahhal, Mr Zakaria Baker for sharing photos and information on the fishes studied in the present work. They are also grateful to anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments on the first version of the manuscript. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 131 Abdel Fattah N. ABD RABOU et al.: OCCURRENCE OF CHEILINUS LUNULATUS (LABRIDAE), TRIACANTHUS CF. BIACULEATUS (TRIACANTHIDAE) ..., 125–134 PRVO POJAVLJANJE VRST CHEILINUS LUNULATUS (LABRIDAE), TRIACANTHUS CF. BIACULEATUS (TRIACANTHIDAE) IN ŠE ŠTIRIH TUJERODNIH VRST V VODAH OB GAZI, PALESTINA Abdel Fattah N. ABD RABOU Department of Biology and Marine Sciences, Islamic University of Gaza, P.O. Box 108, Palestine e-mail: arabou@iugaza.edu.ps Jehad Y. SALAH Department of Fisheries, General Directorate of Fisheries Gaza (DoF), Al Rasheed St. 191/1000, Gaza, Palestine e-mail: jehadsal@hotmail.com Mohammed A. ABUTAIR Department of Marine Environment, General Directorate of Fisheries Gaza (DoF), Al manar St. 3/49, Abasan alkabira, Khanyunis, Palestine e-mail: aboutair@hotmail.com Sara A.A. AL MABRUK Department of General Nursing Technology, Higher institute of Science and Technology, Cyrene, Libya e-mail: sarra@istc.edu.ly Marine Biology in Libya Society, El Bayda, Libya. e-mail: libyamarinebiology@gmail.com Bruno ZAVA Wilderness studi ambientali, via Cruillas 27, 90146 Palermo, Italy e-mail: wildernessbz@hotmail.com Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Comiso, Via degli Studi 9, 97013 Comiso (RG), Italy Maria CORSINI-FOKA Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research. Hydrobiological Station of Rhodes, Cos Street, 85100 Rhodes, Greece e-mail: mcorsini@hcmr.gr POVZETEK Avtorji poročajo o šestih tujerodnih vrstah indopacifiškega izvora, ki so jih potrdili v vodah ob Gazi (Palestina) na podlagi fotografij in podatkov na namenskih platformah iz obdobja 2016-2023, pridobljenih na podlagi ljubiteljske znanosti (entuziasti in ribiči). Dve vrsti, Cheilinus lunulatus in Triacanthus cf. biaculeatus, sta bili v Sredozemskem morju najdeni prvič, štiri vrste Ambassis sp., Equulites cf. elongatus, Parupeneus forsskali in Heniochus intermedius pa prvič v palestinskih vodah ob Gazi. Čeprav so podatki in material omejeni, dobljeni rezultati krepijo uporabno podporo ljubiteljske znanosti pri spremljanju vnosa in/ali širjenja tujerodnih vrst v bazenu vzhodnega Sredozemskega morja, ki se sooča z velikim vplivom bioinvazije. Ključne besede: Levantsko morje, Palestina, Gaza, tujerodne vrste, lesepska selitev, ljubiteljska znanost ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 132 Abdel Fattah N. ABD RABOU et al.: OCCURRENCE OF CHEILINUS LUNULATUS (LABRIDAE), TRIACANTHUS CF. BIACULEATUS (TRIACANTHIDAE) ..., 125–134 REFERENCES Abd Rabou, A.F.N, K.E. Elkahlout, K.J. Elnabris, H.M. Shurrab, A.M. Almalfouh, A.F. Baroud, I.R. Alattili, R.M. Alamassi, M.A. Abd Rabou, O.A. Abd Rabou, J.Y. Salah, S.M. Awadalah, W.M. 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BP 1035 Sfax 3018, Tunisia e-mail: derbali10@gmail.com; abdelkarim.derbali@instm.rnrt.tn ABSTRACT The natural populations of Ruditapes decussatus in Tunisia are heavily harvested. The clam harvesting sector is of paramount importance for the local fishing industry. This study was performed to estimate stocks and provide a management plan for natural populations along the Sfax coasts, as the area prepares to resume operations after a 3-year hiatus from exploitation. The results have revealed significant density fluctuation of this bivalve in the study area, which was roughly divided into six sites. The stock density ranged from 0 to 8 ind m-2, and biomass values varied from 0 to 54 g m-2. The total biomass amounted to 115.4 tons, with abundance levels exceeding 22.45 mil- lion individuals across an area of 3,867 hectares. The sampled individuals ranged in size from 2 to 59 mm. It was observed that the spread of the species was strongly affected by several abiotic parameters. In order to sustainably exploit this resource, guidelines are necessary to prevent overfishing and restore the stock to sustainable levels. Key words: Ruditapes decussatus, stock assessment, cartography, population structure, Sfax coasts, Tunisia STATO DELLO SFRUTTAMENTO DELLA VONGOLA VERACE RUDITAPES DECUSSATUS NELLA ZONA LITORALE DI SFAX, TUNISIA SINTESI Le popolazioni naturali di Ruditapes decussatus in Tunisia vengono pesantemente sfruttate. Il settore della rac- colta delle vongole è di fondamentale importanza per l’industria della pesca locale. Questo studio è stato condotto per stimare gli stock e fornire un piano di gestione per le popolazioni naturali lungo le coste di Sfax, mentre l’area si prepara a riprendere le attività dopo una pausa di 3 anni dallo sfruttamento. I risultati hanno rivelato una significativa fluttuazione della densità di questo bivalve nell’area di studio, suddivisa approssimativamente in sei siti. La densità dello stock variava da 0 a 8 ind m-2 e i valori di biomassa variavano da 0 a 54 g m-2. La biomassa totale ammontava a 115,4 tonnellate, con livelli di abbondanza superiori a 22,45 milioni di individui su un’area di 3.867 ettari. Gli individui campionati avevano dimensioni comprese tra 2 e 59 mm. È stato osservato che la diffusione della specie è fortemente influenzata da diversi parametri abiotici. Per sfruttare in modo sostenibile questa risorsa, sono necessarie linee guida per prevenire la raccolta eccessiva e riportare lo stock a livelli sostenibili. Parole chiave: Ruditapes decussatus, valutazione dello stock, cartografia, struttura della popolazione, coste di Sfax, Tunisia ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 138 Nour BEN MOHAMED & Abdelkarim DERBALI: STATUS OF THE EXPLOITED CLAM RUDITAPES DECUSSATUS IN THE LITTORAL ZONE OF SFAX, TUNISIA, 137–144 INTRODUCTION The grooved carpet clam Ruditapes decussatus (Linnaeus, 1758) is a commercially valuable bivalve mollusk. In Tunisia, only the native populations of this clam have been targeted for shellfish exploita- tion, representing an important economic resource that is mostly exported to Europe. They are exclu- sively collected in the southern part of the country. Fishery plays a major socio-economic role in Tunisia. It is fundamental to supporting rural and vulnerable communities, particularly clam collectors, in their struggle for survival. R. decussatus has been exten- sively exploited for two decades, but since 2017, a gradual depletion of the resource has been observed, inducing the cessation of fishing activities in 2021. The main reasons for stock depletion included over- exploitation, inappropriate fishing methods, pollu- tion, deterioration of water quality, climate change, and inadequate management of fishing practices (Gharbi et al., 2023). Unfortunately, the most pro- ductive coastal areas are characterized by significant industrial activity. To prevent further stock decline and sustain this sector, Tunisian authorities have established a relatively comprehensive institutional and regulatory framework compliant with interna- tional standards, as well as overseeing and regularly monitoring the harvest season, and launching several development projects. Accordingly, they resolved that future exploitation should be carefully planned, starting with a proper study on R. decussatus in the present study area. But while extensive work has been done on ecotoxicology, reproductive biology, and pollution along the Sfax coasts (Hamza-Chaffai et al., 2003; Smaoui-Damak et al., 2003; Banni et al., 2009; Derbali et al., 2018; Dammak Walha et al., 2021), and although the knowledge of stock assessment is considered essential for a dynamic management and conservation of marine bivalve populations, there has been only one study on the occurrence of the R. decussatus clam (Derbali et al., 2017). The overall goal of the present study is therefore to update information and provide new data on the current status of R. decussatus along the Sfax coasts focusing on the population structure, geographical distribution, and stock size in relation to the effects of specific abiotic factors. MATERIAL AND METHODS Study area The Sfax region, located in the Gulf of Gabes (southern Tunisia), spans 135 km in length (Fig. 1). The seabed is gradually sloping, reaching a depth of 60 m at a distance of 110 km from the coast (Ben Othman, 1973). The predominant substrates in the shellfish production area are muddy sands, with some areas covered by the seagrasses Cymodocea nodosa (Ucria) Ascherson and Nanozostera noltei (Hornemann) Tomlinson & Posluszny. The local climate is dry due to hot winds (sirocco). The sampling area exhibits the highest tidal ranges in the Mediterranean Sea. The tide is semidiurnal, with the spring tide reaching a high of +1.60 m and a low of +0.30 m (Zaghden et al., 2014). The intertidal zone is an important source of natural resources harvested both by professional and recreational fishers. During spring tides, the expansive intertidal sand and mudflat zone is exploited for clam harvesting, primarily targeting R. decussatus. Field sampling and processing Field sampling was carried out over a two-year period (2022–2023) along the Sfax coasts (southern Tunisia). The sampling area was roughly divided into six sites based on clam occurrence (Fig. 1). Transects were systematically conducted during low tides. Samples were collected every 50 m along the transect lines extending from the extreme high tide to the extreme low tide. Along each transect, 4–10 replicates were taken in quadrats (0.25 m²) using a shovel. The samples were preserved in a 7% formal- dehyde solution and then transferred to the labora- tory for processing. During the sampling activities, seawater temperature and salinity were measured near the bottom immediately after sampling, using a multi-parameter kit (Multi 340 i/ SET). To enhance the study on clam distribution, specific interactions between abiotic and biotic factors affecting the spatial distribution of the R. decussatus population Fig. 1: Map of the study area indicating the locations of sampling transects. Sl. 1: Zemljevid obravnavanega območja z označenimi lokalitetami vzorčevalnih transektov. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 139 Nour BEN MOHAMED & Abdelkarim DERBALI: STATUS OF THE EXPLOITED CLAM RUDITAPES DECUSSATUS IN THE LITTORAL ZONE OF SFAX, TUNISIA, 137–144 were investigated by analyzing granulometric char- acteristics recorded during the sampling activities. Sediment samples were collected from each site to a depth of 5 cm. Samples weighing 300 g each were pooled for each site, treated with an H2O2 solution, and then dried at 40 °C. The dried samples were sieved using AFNOR mesh-type sieves ranging from 2 mm to 63 μm. The Shepard (1954) grain size clas- sification was followed. Data analysis In the laboratory, shell length (SL, mm; maximum anteroposterior distance considered as reference length), shell height (SH, mm; maximum distance from hinge to ventral margin), and shell width (SW, mm; maximum distance between the closed shell valves) were measured using a digital caliper to the nearest 0.01 mm. Additionally, the specimens were weighed on a top-loading digital balance (with a precision of 0.001 g) to determine total fresh weight (TW). The obtained dataset was registered, and maps were drawn using ArcGIS 10.8 software. Furthermore, the data were pooled at sampling sites to calculate mean densities (ind. m-2) and mean bio- mass (g. m-2) per site, and assessed across sampling sites using the following equation (Gulland, 1969): Bi = Ni × Ai/ai × 1/Xi, where Bi represents the total biomass of clams, Ni is the mean abundance of all quadrat samples in each site, Ai is the site area surface, ai is the quadrat swept area, and Xi is the proportion retained. For statistical analysis, data were tested for homo- geneity of variance and normality using Levene’s and Kolmorogov–Smirnov tests, respectively. The Kruskal– Wallis median test was used to compare densities, while similarities between sites in terms of abundance and biomass were investigated using cluster analysis (group average method). In addition, the harmonic Spearman correlation coefficient was applied to identify any sig- nificant correlations between density and biomass of clams at each site. The results are presented as means ± standard error (SE), and the significance level used for the tests was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS Environmental parameters The sediment parameters at all sites predominant- ly indicated silty-sandy substrates, except for site 5 (Tab. 1). Most of the sampled sites were covered with the seagrassess C. nodosa and N. noltei (> 50%). During the sampling period, the highest temperature values were recorded in July (31 °C), the lowest in February (14.9 °C). Salinity ranged between 37 in winter and 47 in summer. Occurrence and distribution Ruditapes decussatus was found in all sampling zones (sites 1 to 6) at depths between 0 and 1 m. A total of 184 transects were made from the extreme high water tide point to the extreme low water tide point. In total, 796 replicates were collected during sampling, covering a total area of 3,867 ha. In general, there were significant fluctuations in the distribution of clams across the sites, with densities ranging from 0 to 8 ind. m−2 and biomass from 0 to 54 g m−2 (Figs. 2–3). Densities did not exhibit normal dis- tribution (Kolmorogov–Smirnov test, p < 0.05) and were not homogeneous (Levene’s test, p < 0.05). Furthermore, pairwise comparisons indicated that abundance and biomass levels obtained for sites (1–6) were significantly different (Kruskal–Wallis median test, p < 0.05). Stock assessment The total stock of the species under study was esti- mated at 115.4 ± 32.5 t (total fresh weight), with abun- dance levels exceeding 22.45 ± 8.4 million individuals. The mean biomasses and densities estimated from all sites were 2.98 ± 0.6 g m−2 and 0.58 ± 0.1 ind. m−2, respectively. Significant variations in mean stock levels were re- corded across all sites (Fig. 4). At site 5, the results were significantly higher than those from the remaining sites (p < 0.05). On the other hand, no significant variations were found between values from sites 1 and 2 and those from sites 3 and 4 (p > 0.05). Regarding abundance, biomasses levels showed significant variations among the surveyed sites, with values at sites 3, 4, and 5 be- ing higher than those from sites 1, 2, and 6 (p < 0.05). Similar differences were observed between site 6 and sites 1 and 2. Cluster analysis (group average) applied to assess similarities between the sites identified a core Tab. 1: Sediment type recorded in the littoral zone of Sfax (Tunisia). Tab. 1: Tip sedimenta na obalnem območju Sfaxa (Tunizija). Sites %Gravel %Sand % Silt/clay Site 1 1.42 97.21 1.37 Site 2 0 98.50 1.50 Site 3 0.25 94.67 5.08 Site 4 0 95.57 4.43 Site 5 0.30 90.31 9.39 Site 6 0.45 99.26 0.29 ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 140 Nour BEN MOHAMED & Abdelkarim DERBALI: STATUS OF THE EXPLOITED CLAM RUDITAPES DECUSSATUS IN THE LITTORAL ZONE OF SFAX, TUNISIA, 137–144 group that spanned all sites (Fig. 5). The analysis of sim- ilarity tests revealed significant difference between the aforementioned group and site 5 (global R greater than 0.9; p < 0.05). This discrepancy was primarily attributed to R. decussatus stocks being most abundant at site 5 compared to the remaining sites. Population size structure The size structure analysis combines data from all sites hosting the clam R. decussatus. The distribution of clams was analyzed with respect to their sizes, which varied markedly between the sites. The clam population exhibited a non-uniform distribution: while larger spec- imens displayed a relatively heterogeneous distribution throughout the study area, smaller ones were more geographically restricted to sites 1 and 6. In general, the specimens’ sizes ranged from 2 to 59 mm SL. The major- ity of the population fell into size classes ranging from 2 to 35 mm, representing 83% of all samples. Larger sizes (> 35 mm) only accounted for 17% of the population. In addition, two peaks were observed in size distribution: one at 9 mm and another at 29 mm, possibly indicating the presence of at least two cohorts (Fig. 6). DISCUSSION The current study establishes a wide informative baseline of the status of the grooved carpet clam Ruditapes decussatus along the Sfax coasts, providing essential groundwork for sustainable stock manage- ment as the area prepares to resume operation after more than 3 years of discontinuation. The species was found at depths ranging from 0 to 1 m. Based on our biomass estimates, this area supports a stock of 115.4 ± 32.5 tons of total fresh weight, with density levels exceeding 22 ± 8.4 million individuals. The available information on R. decussatus stock levels is deficient. Data about clam stocks are limited to preliminary studies conducted only in the southern part of the Sfax region, where the total biomass was estimated at about 891 tons, with relative abundance levels ex- ceeding 261 million individuals (Derbali et al., 2016). The main factors to have contributed to stock deple- tion include an increase of fishing activities, climate change, and characteristics of soft bottoms (Gharbi et al., 2023). In fact, R. decussatus population stocks Fig. 2: Ruditapes decussatus: spatial distribution of densi- ties in the littoral zone of Sfax (Tunisia). Sl. 2: Ruditapes decussatus: prostorska porazdelitev gostot v obrežnem območju Sfaxa (Tunizija). Fig. 3: Ruditapes decussatus: spatial distribution of bio- mass in the littoral zone of Sfax (Tunisia). Sl. 3: Ruditapes decussatus: prostorska porazdelitev bio- mase v obrežnem območju Sfaxa (Tunizija). Fig. 4: Ruditapes decussatus stock levels in the colonized sites and their standard errors (± SE) in the littoral zone of Sfax (Tunisia). Sl. 4: Ocena staleža vrste Ruditapes decussatus v naseljenih lokalitetah in standardna napaka (± SE) v obrežnem območju Sfaxa (Tunizija). ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 141 Nour BEN MOHAMED & Abdelkarim DERBALI: STATUS OF THE EXPLOITED CLAM RUDITAPES DECUSSATUS IN THE LITTORAL ZONE OF SFAX, TUNISIA, 137–144 varied within and between sampling sites, as well as compared to other geographic areas characterized by diverse seabed characteristics, vegetation cover, and physicochemical factors. The population seems to have been influenced by strong interaction at different levels (e.g., between physicochemical factors and soft bottom features characterizing the study area). All sampling sites are located in rural zones that are facing several complex challenges, including socio-economic problems (low income from artisanal fishing or fish farming activities, high illiteracy rates), ecological concerns (stock depletion and closure of the clam-fishing season), climate change impacts, and a lack of measures to improve the residents’ living conditions. The present investigation revealed variable distribution of R. decussatus populations within and among sites despite similar hydrodynamic conditions across the study area. The key factors in structuring bivalve populations include soft bottom and climate change (Derbali & Jarboui, 2021; Derbali et al., 2021). The distribution of clams appears to be inversely correlated with the muddy-sand fraction. There is some evidence suggesting that a high degree of gravel in the seabed may deter clam settling, which, in turn, suggests that muddy-sand seabed may encour- age higher densities. However, further studies involv- ing sampling sediments and clams in each quadrat, for instance, are needed to support this hypothesis. The dramatic decline in stocks could also be at- tributed to overexploitation in most shellfish production areas. Several incentive mechanisms have been imple- mented to promote sustainable fisheries management, including limiting fishing efforts, strengthening the legislative and institutional framework, and establish- ing biological rest periods. The authorities have been supporting this sector by establishing a relatively com- prehensive institutional framework, by overseeing and regularly monitoring the harvest season, strengthening control and awareness raising measures, and launching several development projects. Despite all these efforts, clam production has witnessed a severe decline over the past five years, dropping by 95% from 1,825 tons in the 2016 season to just 84 tons in the 2020 season (DGPA, 2020). R. decussatus appears to have been strongly affect- ed by abiotic factors. During the present study, hy- drodynamic conditions were found consistent within the sampling area, suggesting that relative population growth is influenced by other environmental param- eters such as sediment type, organic matter content, the clams’ burrowing behavior, and their subsequent strategies to counter dislocation and avoid predation. In fact, some interesting connections were detected between environmental conditions and bivalve be- havior. The clam population seems to peak in areas sheltered by seagrasses C. nodosa and N. noltei where these cover more than 50% of the site (i.e., about 1,935 ha in total). The clam distribution was found to be significantly correlated with the abundance of the two seagrasses. This positive correlation could rest on: i) detrital organic source offered by these seagrasses, and/or ii) the fact that the presence of seagrasses reduces bottom scour and allows accumulation of organic matter. Vilela (1950) reported that among the dominant organic sources in the diet of R. decussatus is the organic matter from C. nodosa. Sarà (2007) Fig. 5: Ruditapes decussatus: similarity dendrograms for the colonized zones (average group) in the littoral zone of Sfax (Tunisia). Sl. 5: Ruditapes decussatus: podobnostni dendrogrami v naseljenih lokalitetah (povprečne skupine) v obrežnem območju Sfaxa (Tunizija). Fig. 6: Ruditapes decussatus: length–frequency distribution along the Sfax coastline (Tunisia). Sl. 6: Ruditapes decussatus: frekvenčna porazdelitev dolžine vzdolž obalne črte Sfaxa (Tunizija). ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 142 Nour BEN MOHAMED & Abdelkarim DERBALI: STATUS OF THE EXPLOITED CLAM RUDITAPES DECUSSATUS IN THE LITTORAL ZONE OF SFAX, TUNISIA, 137–144 reached the same conclusion for cockles in Italy. Additional mechanisms structuring clam populations include soft bottoms, with R. decussatus showing a particularly strong association with silty-sandy sub- strates (site 5). The grooved carpet clam R. decussatus is exten- sively fished in the study area. The high exploitation rate (E = 0.51) indicates serious overexploitation of the stock. Derbali et al. (2024) reported that the fishing mortality (F) of R. decussatus (F = 1.02 yr−1) exceeded the natural mortality (M = 0.90 yr−1) in this area. Beck et al. (2015) suggested that harvesting ac- tivity targeting R. decussatus during high tide creates strong disturbances and has a negative effect on clam populations. The depletion of R. decussatus stocks can be attributed to direct and indirect mortality (e.g., destruction of tubes, exposure to predators, and loss of specimens due to unstable sediments and water currents) (Munari et al., 2006; Carvalho et al., 2013). According to Aranguren et al. (2014) mortality rates in R. decussatus, especially in natural beds, may result from a complex synergy of biotic and abiotic factors. Similarly, Robinson and Richardson (1998) clarified that individuals of Ensis magnus  (Schumacher, 1817) that were returned to the seabed were slow to re-bury, becoming highly vulnerable to predation by crabs. Water temperatures and salinities recorded during the sampling period were much higher than those re- corded in 2015 (Derbali et al., 2016). Several authors have suggested that increased temperature and salini- ty can have a significant impact on fauna composition and reduce the standing crop (Fishar, 2000; El-Shab- rawy, 2001). They have also noted that temperature spikes during summer are associated with adverse effects on marine organisms. It can be inferred that these unfavorable conditions also contribute to the mortality of R. decussatus individuals. Furthermore, this mortality rate appears to be correlated with the increase in size of adult individuals. It is likely that clams, as they grow larger, have difficulties in bury- ing themselves in substrates, thereby increasing the chances of mortality. Moreover, our results indicate that the shellfish production area is subject to phyto- plankton blooms (diatoms, dinoflagellates, etc.). For years, dinoflagellate blooms have occurred during summer, causing mass mortalities among bivalve species. Among these, R. decussatus is particularly negatively impacted by the blooms. The clam disap- pears from the large central area likely due to anoxia, re-colonizing it in autumn as the temperatures cool down. In our survey, we found that larger individuals almost disappeared in summer. The population struc- ture of this species is also seriously affected by the extensive and continuous removal of seagrasses, as these serve as the main area for larval settlement. To ensure the sustainable commercial exploita- tion of R. decussatus, it is imperative to implement guidelines that prevent recruitment overfishing. These guidelines should include imposing closed seasons during months of peak spawning activity, monitoring fishing efforts to determine adequate clam fishing technologies, adopting rules to avoid disturbing grass bed, and enforcing limits on clam sizes, as well as regulating catch levels. Implementation of these guidelines could restore the stock to sustainable levels. Further studies are necessary to determine the precise technological requirements for establishing profitable exploitation and long-term farming of this resource. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors thank all the people who contributed to R. decussatus sampling. We are grateful to the reviewers for helpful comments on the manuscript. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 143 Nour BEN MOHAMED & Abdelkarim DERBALI: STATUS OF THE EXPLOITED CLAM RUDITAPES DECUSSATUS IN THE LITTORAL ZONE OF SFAX, TUNISIA, 137–144 STANJE KOMERCIALNO IZKORIŠČENE BRAZDASTE VONGOLE RUDITAPES DECUSSATUS V LITORALNEM OBMOČJU SFAX, TUNIZIJA Nour BEN MOHAMED & Abdelkarim DERBALI Institut National des Sciences et Technologies de la Mer (INSTM). BP 1035 Sfax 3018, Tunisia e-mail: derbali10@gmail.com; abdelkarim.derbali@instm.rnrt.tn POVZETEK Naravne populacije brazdaste vongole (Ruditapes decussatus) so v Tuniziji hudo zdesetkane. Sektor nabiranja školjk je izjemno pomemben za lokalno ribištvo. Namen raziskave je bil oceniti stalež teh školjk in pripraviti načrt upravljanja naravnih populacij vzdolž obale Sfaxa, ko se na območju pripravljajo, da bi po triletnem premoru izkoriščanja spet začeli z delovanjem. Rezultati so obelodanili znatna nihanja v gostoti školjk na obravnavanem območju, ki je bilo v grobem razdeljeno na šest lokalitet. Gostota školjk se je gibala med 0 in 8 osebkov m-2, biomasa pa med 0 in 54 g m-2. Celokupna biomasa je bila 115,4 ton, število školjk pa je na površini 3867 hektarjev presegalo 22,45 milijonov primerkov. Vzorčeni primerki so merili med 2 in 59 mm. Ugotovili so, da je na širjenje vrste vplivalo več abiotskih dejavnikov. Da bi trajnostno izkoriščali ta vir, je potrebno vzpostaviti smernice za preprečevanje prelova in obnovitev staleža na trajnostno raven. 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ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 145 received: 2024-04-05 DOI 10.19233/ASHN.2024.19 A PRELIMINARY CHECKLIST OF MARINE HETEROBRANCHS (MOLLUSCA: GASTROPODA: HETEROBRANCHIA) OF SYRIA Izdihar Ali AMMAR Department of Marine Biology, High Institute of Marine Research, Tishreen University, Latakia, Syria e-mail: izdihar.ali.ammar@tishreen.edu.sy; izdiammar@gmail.com ABSTRACT The surge in research of marine biodiversity in Syria, particularly with a focus on non-native species, along with the involvement of amateur free-diving enthusiasts, has facilitated the documentation of additional species, including Heterobranchia (Mollusca: Gastropoda). Between 2016 and 2023, several Heterobranchia species were observed by SCUBA divers along the Syrian coast at depths ranging from 2 to 12 meters. Additional specimens were manually collected on rocky shores from 2020 to 2023. In total, 16 species of Heterobranchia were identified in Syrian marine waters. Among them, 6 are non-indigenous, 2 are cryptogenic, and some are invasive. The study also highlights the presence of rare species, such as Fiona pinnata and Berthella stellata albocrossata, recorded in Syria for the first time. The prevalence of the cryptogenic species Aplysia dactylomela and the invasive Elysia grandifolia is notable across most locations. Key words: Nudibranchia, mollusca, new record, rare species, Eastern Mediterranean LISTA PRELIMINARE DEGLI ETEROBRANCHI MARINI (MOLLUSCA: GASTROPODA: HETEROBRANCHIA) DELLA SIRIA SINTESI L’aumento della ricerca sulla biodiversità marina in Siria, con un’attenzione particolare alle specie non autoctone, insieme al coinvolgimento di appassionati di immersione libera amatoriale, ha facilitato la do- cumentazione di ulteriori specie, tra cui gli Heterobranchia (Mollusca: Gastropoda). Tra il 2016 e il 2023, diverse specie di Heterobranchia sono state osservate da subacquei lungo la costa siriana a profondità comprese tra 2 e 12 metri. Altri esemplari sono stati raccolti manualmente sulle coste rocciose dal 2020 al 2023. In totale, sono state identificate 16 specie di Heterobranchia nelle acque marine siriane. Tra queste, 6 sono non indigene, 2 sono criptogenetiche e alcune sono invasive. Lo studio evidenzia anche la presenza di specie rare, come Fiona pinnata e Berthella stellata albocrossata, segnalate per la prima volta in Siria. La prevalenza della specie criptogenetica Aplysia dactylomela e dell’invasiva Elysia grandifolia è notevole nella maggior parte delle località. Parole chiave: Nudibranchia, molluschi, nuove segnalazioni, specie rare, Mediterraneo orientale ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 146 Izdihar Ali AMMAR: A PRELIMINARY CHECKLIST OF MARINE HETEROBRANCHS (MOLLUSCA: GASTROPODA: HETEROBRANCHIA) OF SYRIA, 145–156 INTRODUCTION The Syrian coastline, stretching 183 km along the central eastern Mediterranean Sea, is a rich tapestry of environmental habitats, each distinct and delicate. Its seabed features a diverse mosaic of rocky, sandy, gravel, mixed, and coralligenous substrates. These traits create an ideal environment for the prolifera- tion, reproduction, and settlement of a wide array of organisms from varied biogeographic origins. Due to its geographical position and proximity to the Suez Canal, the Syrian coast serves as a gateway for mi- grants from tropical and subtropical regions, including the Atlantic Ocean, the Red Sea, and the Indo-Pacific Ocean. Consequently, there has been a notable in- crease in the number of species in recent decades, as highlighted in studies by Ammar (2019; 2023a). Another crucial aspect is the presence of major ports like Latakia, Tartus, and Baniyas on the Syrian coast. Especially the international hubs of Latakia and Tar- tus, but also Baniyas for oil transportation, could play a crucial role in facilitating the introduction of alien species and potentially altering the ecosystem in the future (Ammar, 2023a). The Mollusca phylum stands out as the most prominent among invertebrates inhabiting the Syrian sea, with a recorded tally of 404 species up to June 2023 (Ammar, 2024; Arabia, 2011; Ammar, 1995), including 250 gastropod species. Among these, heterobranchs emerge as the least diverse and rather underrepresented group in Syria. However, recent documentation has shed some more light on the sea slugs and sea snails in Syrian waters, some of which were mentioned in earlier works (Katsanevakis et al., 2014; Ammar, 2019), and revealed that their existence had been observed by divers and marine enthusiasts years before formal records were produced. The subclass Heterobranchia, the focal point of this study, comprises a diverse array of gastropods thriving in marine, brackish, freshwater, and terrestrial habitats. This subclass encompasses six infraclasses, with Opisthobranchia being the most significant. Opisthobranchia sea snails and sea slugs are further categorized into nine orders: lower Heterobranchia, Acteonimorpha, Ringipleura, Umbraculida, Ceph- alaspidea, Runcinida, Aplysiida, Pteropoda, and Sacoglossa (WoRMS, 2024). Presently, there are 8471 marine species within this subclass, inhabiting both intertidal and sublittoral zones, and exhibiting diverse ecological behaviors such as burrowing in soft substrates, grazing on seagrass, and foraging on rocky shores (Wigham, 2022). Heterobranchia play a vital environmental role as indicators of water warming, climate change, pollu- tion, and habitat loss (Mehrotra et al., 2020). Moreo- ver, they contribute significantly to the biochemical cycle of nutrients, particularly silicates (Cruz et al., 2013; López-Acosta et al., 2023). Additionally, these mollusks harbor bioactive compounds with medicinal properties, serving as potential sources for analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and anticancer drugs (Winters et al., 2018; Eisenbarth et al., 2018). The growth in research of marine biodiversity in Syria, coupled with the involvement of amateur free- diving enthusiasts looking for alien species and documenting them in social media, has facilitated the recording of newly-observed marine life species, in- cluding the captivating and colorful group of mollusks. The impact of climate change and rising water temperatures in the Eastern Mediterranean, attributed to global warming and heatwaves during the period 2016–2021 (Garrabou et al., 2022), is evidenced by the increase in the number of non-native, tropical sea slug species and their expanding distribution along the southern Syrian coast and beyond. This phenomenon, which is not unique to Syria but extends to other regions of the Eastern Mediterranean, such as Turkey, the Levantine Basin, and the Aegean Sea, has been particularly affecting the Nudibranchia group (Grech et al., 2023). Researchers have underscored the role of climate change and global warming in the prolifera- tion of these species (Rothman et al., 2017; Mioni & Furfaro, 2022). In the broader context of the Mediterra- nean Sea, approximately 550 species of sea slugs have been recorded, with 270 belonging to Nudibranchia (Trainito & Doneddu, 2014; Furfaro et al., 2020). In the Adriatic Sea, the total number of Opisthobranchia spe- cies reaches 233 (Zenetos et al., 2016), with as many as 160 species of Heterobranchia recorded in the Salento Peninsula in Italy alone (Furfaro et al., 2020). Although these numbers may appear modest compared to those of other global seas and oceans, the presence of alien species is notable. The Atlas of Mollusks produced by CIESM records 21 alien Opisthobranchia species (Zenetos et al., 2003), with additional alien species documented in subsequent research across various Mediterranean countries, including Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Lebanon, and the central Mediterranean region (Crocetta et al., 2013, 2015a,b; Kleitou et al., 2019; Manousis, 2021; Manousis et al., 2020; Riccardi et al., 2022; Lombardo & Marletta, 2023a,b). In comparison, until 2016, a total of seven species, along with one potentially alien species and three cryptogenic species, had been documented from the Adriatic Sea (Zenetos et al., 2016). There has been an observable rise in the number of Nudibranchia in Turkey, the Levantine Basin, and the Aegean Sea which researchers attribute to the effects of climate change and global warming (Rothman et al., 2017; Mioni & Furfaro, 2022; Grech et al., 2023; Garrabou et al., 2022). Overall, the presence of sea slugs in the Mediter- ranean remains uncommon (Schubert & Smith, 2020), however, new and rare species continue to be discov- ered in Syria and other Mediterranean countries, often ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 147 Izdihar Ali AMMAR: A PRELIMINARY CHECKLIST OF MARINE HETEROBRANCHS (MOLLUSCA: GASTROPODA: HETEROBRANCHIA) OF SYRIA, 145–156 through the efforts of amateur divers (Kleitou et al., 2019; Ammar, 2023c). The primary objective of this study is to compile a preliminary inventory of marine Heterobranchia species in Syria, concurrently docu- menting new findings for the region. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study encompassed various areas along the Syrian coast, specifically Tartus and Latakia (Fig. 1). Most of the sites, ranging in depth from 0 to 12 meters, featured rocky bottoms with patches of sand. Notably, two sites on the northern coast stood out for their coralligenous seabed: the Ibn Hani reserve and Al-Samra. Benthic organisms inhabiting these areas face numerous challenges and pressures. In addition to the encroachment of alien species, they must con- tend with the impacts of climate change, warming waters, pollution, and extensive fishing. Over the period from 2020 to 2023, the region experienced a marked increase in water temperatures, with surface seawater temperatures fluctuating between 16.9 °C in winter and 31.4 °C in summer. Similarly, salinity levels varied from 36.4‰ in winter to 39.8‰ in sum- mer. Syrian waters also have low primary production, with chlorophyll (a) concentrations ranging from 0.0 to 6.7 mg/m3 (Ammar & Arraj, 2023; Darwish & Alakash, 2022). Individuals of Heterobranchia species were observed in shallow waters at the Ibn Hani site (northern Latakia) and the Al-Samraa site from 2016 to 2023, primarily during free diving at depths rang- ing from 2 to 12 meters. Additionally, specimens were manually collected from the rocky shores of other locations north of Tartus and Jableh between 2020 and 2023, at depths ranging from 0 to 3 meters. Many of these specimens were photographed at the sites by two amateur photographers, Nouh Abbas and Mahmoud Halhal. Due to technical challenges, genetic analysis could not be conducted. Therefore, species iden- tification of the samples was based on field photo- graphs and observation of external morphological Fig. 1: Study areas in the Syrian coast. Sl. 1: Zemljevid obravnavanega območja ob sirski obali. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 148 Izdihar Ali AMMAR: A PRELIMINARY CHECKLIST OF MARINE HETEROBRANCHS (MOLLUSCA: GASTROPODA: HETEROBRANCHIA) OF SYRIA, 145–156 characteristics and coloration, following taxonomic references provided by Zenetos et al. (2003), Yonow (2008), Riedl (2011), Trainito & Doneddu (2014), as well as assistance from other experts and sources. The nomenclature adhered to the guidelines of the WoRMS Editorial Board (2024). A few specimens were preserved in formalin for further examination. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The present study confirms the existence of sixteen species of Heterobranchia (Mollusca: Gastropoda) in various locations along the Syrian coast. These species are distributed among four orders and eight families. Notably, six of these species are classified as non- indigenous (NIS), two as cryptogenic, some as invasive, and a few as rare. Most of the specimens were observed and photographed between 2016 and 2023. Table 1 presents a list of species with their respec- tive taxonomic statuses following Riedl (2011), as well as locations, coordinates, and dates of occurrence and recording. In the Mediterranean region in general, the Het- erobranchia class has historically been regarded as the least diverse and underrepresented. Until 2013, the heterobranchs recorded in Syria were limited to native, Mediterranean species. However, new discoveries have since emerged, such as the cryptogenic Aplysia dactylo- mela Rang, 1828, and Thecacera pennigera (Montagu, 1813), calling for a shift in our understanding of their presence (Katsanevakis et al., 2014; Ammar, 2019). Further exploration of biodiversity, including previ- ously unstudied areas, has led to the identification of four additional non-native species: Elysia grandifolia (Ke- laart, 1858), E. ornata (Swainson, 1840), Goniobranchus obsoletus (Rüppell & Leuckart, 1830), and Hypselodoris infucata (Rüppell & Leuckart, 1830). These species were observed in a beach pool in Jableh and at the Al-Massab site north of Tartus, southern Syria, where a citizen in- terested in marine life documented their presence and posted photographs on Facebook. It is worth noting that Al-Massab is a small marina primarily used for docking boats and ships involved in oil transport. In the southern sector of Tartus, Elysia grandifolia has become increasingly common since 2020, with notable sightings in 2022 and 2023. Additionally, Fiona pinnata was spotted occasionally on driftwood near the Al-Massab basin. In the more frequently studied northern sector of the Syrian coast, 12 species were documented between 2016 and 2023. Free diving and underwater photogra- phy conducted by local amateur explorers aided in the observations. The order Aplysiida (Fig. 2) is represented by two local species, Aplysia punctata and Aplysia fasciata, along with the cryptogenic species Aplysia dactylomela. A. fasciata has been known in Syria since 1993 and re- mains widespread, while the occurrence of A. punctata was noted only once in Al-Massab in 2021. A. dactylo- mela was first documented in 2013 and continues to be observed in the northern sector, particularly near the Ibn Hani marine protected area. One Sacoglossa species from the family Plakob- ranchidae, Elysia grandifolia (Kelaart, 1858), was initially sighted in 2016 near the Ibn Hani marine protected area (MPA), a hotspot for nocturnal free diving activities (Fig. 3A). Subsequently, its presence became more frequent, with a significant surge in number during 2023 in vari- ous regions of northern and southern Syria. Interestingly, the specimens photographed and collected exhibited some morphological variations, particularly regarding the presence of a white line along the mantle’s edge. This difference has caused previous misclassifications, where specimens were erroneously identified as either Fig. 2/Sl. 2: (A) Aplysia dactylomela, (B) Aplysia punctata, (C) Aplysia fasciata. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 149 Izdihar Ali AMMAR: A PRELIMINARY CHECKLIST OF MARINE HETEROBRANCHS (MOLLUSCA: GASTROPODA: HETEROBRANCHIA) OF SYRIA, 145–156 Tab. 1: Checklist list of native and non-native sea slugs (Gastropoda, Heterobranchia) from the Syrian coast. Tab. 1: Seznam domorodnih in tujerodnih vrst polžev zaškrgarjev (Gastropoda, Heterobranchia) ob sirski obali. Order Family Species Locality North East Year(s) Depth (m) Substrate Reference Aplysiida Aplysiidae Aplysia dactylomela  Rang, 1828 Latakia (Ibn Hani) 35.5922 35.7422 2013–2023 littoral rocky Katsanevakis et al. (2014) Latakia (Ibn Hani) 35.5930 35.7412 2016 2 rocky Ammar et al.(2023) Al-Bassit 35.85077 35.84209 2021 3–4 rock and sand unpublished data Al-Samraa 35.927828 35.915995 2023 2 rocky This study Aplysia fasciata Poiret, 1789 Latakia (Ibn Hani) 35.5922 35.7422 1993–2023 littoral rocky Ammar (1995) Al-Massab (north of Tartus) 34.9684 35.8750 2021 littoral rocky Ammar (2023a) Al-Bassit 35.852528 35.821737 2021 2 rocky unpublished data Aplysia punctata (Cuvier, 1803) Al-Massab (north of Tartus) 34.9684 35.8750 2021 littoral rocky Ammar (2023a) Sacoglossa Plakobranchidae Elysia grandiflora (Kelaart, 1858) Jableh (Al- Rmayleh) 35.378485 35.920809 2019, 2020 & 2021 1-2 pond on rocky shore Ammar et al. (2022) Tartus (Al Fawwar) 34.850385 35.89326 2020 shoreline rocky Ammar et al. (2022) Latakia (Ibn Hani MPA) 35.592743 35.741689 2017 4 rocky Ammar et al. (2023) 35.592939 35.750071 2023 4 rocky This study Pleurobranchida Pleurobranchidae Berthella stellata albocrossata Heller & T. E. Thompson, 1983 Latakia (Ibn Hani) 35.593043 35.741230 2022 7 rocky Ammar (2023c) Latakia (Ibn Hani) 35.596254 35.75708 2022 12 artificial reef unpublished data Berthella sp. Al-Bassit 35. 852528 35.821737 2023 shallow water rocky unpublished data Pleurobranchus testudinarius Cantraine, 1835 Ibn Hani 35.592939 35.750071 2019 2 rocky beds Ammar (2023b) Al-Samraa 35.927828 35.915995 2019 2 rocky beds Ammar (2023b) Nudibranchia Aeolidiidae Spurilla neapolitana (Delle Chiaje, 1823) Tartus 34.968416 35.875922 2019–2020 0.5 rocky Ammar (2023a) Fionidae Fiona pinnata (Eschscholtz, 1831) Tartus (Al-Massab) 34.968416 35.875922 2021 0 floating piece of wood this study Polyceridae Plocamopherus ocellatus Rüppell and Leuckart, 1828 Latakia (Ibn Hani) 35.591589 35.743336 2022 5–6 rocky Ammar (2023c) Thecacera pennigera (Montagu, 1813) Latakia 35.3559 35. 4444 2013 100 muddy Ammar (2019) Chromodorididae Goniobranchus annulatus (Eliot, 1904) Tartus 34.87395 35.880702 2018 10 rocky Ammar (2019) Latakia (HIMR) 35.5927 35.74191 2016 2 rocky Ammar et al. (2023) Latakia (Ras-Alkhedr) 35.5451 35.7571 2022 5 rocky this study Goniobranchus obsoletus (Rüppell & Leuckart, 1830) Jableh 35.378494, 35.917967 September 2019 1–2 pond on rocky shore Ammar et al. (2022) Tartus (Al-Masab) 34.9684 35.8750 April 2021. rocky shoreline small marina Ammar (2023a) Latakia (HIMR) 35.5927 35.74191 2016 2 rocky Ammar et al. (2023) Hypselodoris infucata (Rüppell & Leuckart, 1830) Jableh 35.378494, 35.917967 2020 & 2021 1–2 pond on rocky shore Ammar et al. (2022) Tartus (Al-Massab) 34.968416 35.875922 October 2021 rocky shore small marina Ammar, (2023a) Latakia (HIMR – Ibn Hani) 35.5927 35.74191 2016 4 rocky Ammar et al. (2023) Felimare picta (Philippi, 1836) Al-Samraa (Shatt al- Armen) 35.927828 35.915995 2019 5 rocky beds Ammar (2023c) Dendrodorididae Dendrodoris grandiflora (Rapp, 1827) Latakia (Ibn Hani) 35.592939 35.750071 2022 approx. 2 rocky beds Ammar (2023a) ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 150 Izdihar Ali AMMAR: A PRELIMINARY CHECKLIST OF MARINE HETEROBRANCHS (MOLLUSCA: GASTROPODA: HETEROBRANCHIA) OF SYRIA, 145–156 E. grandifolia (Kelaart, 1858) or E. ornata (Swainson, 1840) (Ammar et al., 2022). Due to current limitations in genetic classifica- tion within Syrian scientific institutions, experts from abroad were consulted. Their analyses of similar samples from the Lebanese coast confirmed that all individuals, despite their morphological variations, belong to a single species, Elysia grandi- folia (personal communication). This suggests that E. ornata is currently absent from Syria. E. grandifolia has emerged as the dominant species in the shal- low coastal areas of Syria, with its breeding season occurring in December. The number of observed individuals has been increasing over recent years, reaching approximately 20 individuals per square meter, particularly in sites such as Al Fawwar and the Ibn Hani reserve. Additionally, three, possibly four, rare Mediter- ranean species from the Pleurobranchida order were observed and photographed in the northern sector of the Syrian coast (Tab. 1). Berthella stellata (Risso, 1826), previously misidentified as Doris verrucosa Linnaeus, 1758 in a study by Ammar (2023c), belongs to the family of Pleurobranchidae. One individual of B. stellata was found under a rock in Ibn Hani (Fig. 3B), and another specimen was later collected from an arti- ficial reef nearby (Fig. 3C). The observed specimens featured a pair of short rhinophores on the head; their yellowish-gray bodies appeared covered with numerous papillae (Fig. 3 B+C). Establishing a specific and clear classification for the two specimens found in two close but dif- ferent environments of northern Latakia (natural and artificial) was challenging. Genetic and mor- phological analyses have revealed B. stellata to be a complex species comprising eight different subspecies (Ghanimi et al., 2020). The two Syrian specimens resembled what is known as the sub- species Berthella stellata albocrossata Heller & T. E. Thompson, 1983, however, their classification remains uncertain (WoRMS, 2024), due to an ongo- ing debate regarding the identification of subspe- cies based on genetic and morphological analyses (Ghanimi et al., 2020). A very small individual of the Berthella genus was discovered attached to stones on a shallow rocky shore near the port of Al-Bassit (35.852528, 35.821737) on September 22, 2023 (Fig. 3D). The sample looked very similar to Berthella perforata (Philippi, 1844) (Ghanimi et al., 2020). B. perforata, known as an Atlantic-Mediter- ranean species, has been documented along the Turkish coasts of the Mediterranean Sea (Öztürk et al., 2014), in the Sea of Marmara, and in Greece within the Greek Exclusive Economic Zone (Man- ousis, 2021). Its habitat extends across the South and North Atlantic Oceans, from South Africa as far as Ireland, where it is referred to as B. plumula (WoRMS, 2024). Pleurobranchus testidinarius Cantraine, 1835 (Fig. 3E), belonging to the order Pleurobranchida and the family Pleurobranchidae, is a Mediterranean species documented in various Mediterranean countries, in- cluding Turkey, Greece, Italy, France, and Spain, and in the North Atlantic Ocean. Regionally, records of P. testidinarius have been reported in Turkey and the Levantine Basin since 1971 (Gökoğlu et al., 2018; Ergüden et al., 2020). In Syria, this rare species was observed for the first time in 2019. Two specimens, each displaying different coloration—yellow and dark red—, were photographed during free diving at a depth of 2 meters over the rocky bottom of Ibn Hani [35.592939, 35.750071] to the north of Latakia, and at Al-Samra [35.927828, 35.915995]. The first official report of P. testidinarius in Syria was made in 2023 (Ammar, 2023b). The order Nudibranchia is represented by nine species belonging to five families (Table 1). In summer 2019, two individuals from the family Aeolidiidae were collected for the first time in Al- Massab, where they were discovered under rocks at a depth of approximately 0.5 meters. They were small, not exceeding 4 cm in length (Fig. 4A). In 2020, another individual was collected from the same site. The morphological characteristics of all three individuals suggest they could be classified as either Spurilla neapolitana (Delle Chiaje, 1823) or, possibly, as part of the genus Aeolidiella Bergh, 1867. However, precise classification is pending genetic analysis, particularly given the challenges in accurately classifying species within this family based solely on morphology (Carmona et al., 2013). The present constitutes an additional record of this species in the eastern Mediterranean following pre- vious ones from Turkey and Greece (Öztürk et al., 2014; Manousis, 2021). Fiona pinnata (Eschscholtz, 1831) from the family Fionidae was documented for the first time in Syria during this study. Several individuals were found north of Tartus in 2021, attached to an old piece of driftwood alongside a group of goose barnacles (Lepas) and ascidians (Fig. 4B). While F. pinnata is known to have a global distribution, this marks its first documented occurrence in the Levantine Basin and Syria. Plocamopherus ocellatus Rüppell and Leuck- art, 1828 (Fig. 4C+D), and Thecacera pennigera (Montagu, 1813) (Fig. 4E) are members of the fam- ily Polyceridae. P. ocellatus, a Lessepsian migrant originating from the western Indian Ocean, was dis- covered as a single small individual at the Ibn Hani site in 2022. T. pennigera, a cryptogenic species, was collected in deeper waters off Latakia in 2013 and noted as a rare occurrence in the Syrian sea. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 151 Izdihar Ali AMMAR: A PRELIMINARY CHECKLIST OF MARINE HETEROBRANCHS (MOLLUSCA: GASTROPODA: HETEROBRANCHIA) OF SYRIA, 145–156 Fig. 3/Sl.3: (A) Elysia grandifolia, (B, C) Berthella stellata albocrossata, (D) Berthella sp., (E) Pleurobranchus testidinarius. The Chromodorididae family is represented in Syria by four species, three of which – Goniobran- chus annulatus (Eliot, 1904), G. obsoletus (Rüppell & Leuckart, 1830), and Hypselodoris infucata (Rüppell & Leuckart, 1830) – are non-native. These species have been observed frequently, expanding their distribution range across all studied sites. G. annulatus and G. obsoletus were first documented in the rocky shore of Latakia (HIMR) in 2016 at a depth of 2–5 meters, with subsequent sightings in the Alsokhneh beach pool north of Jableh in June 2019 and Al-Massab in April 2021 (Fig. 4F, 4G, 4H). Currently, G. obsoletus is widespread in all the mentioned sites. H. infucata, endemic to the Red Sea, occurs in the Mediterranean as a non-indigenous and, in some regions, even invasive species. It was first recorded in 2016 near the Ibn Hani MPA by amateur divers (Fig. 4I), with subsequent sightings in Al-Massab in 2020 and 2021, and in Al Bassit in 2022. Although the species still occurs only in small numbers along the shallow coastal areas of Tartus and Jableh, its invasive potential warrants attention (Ammar et al., 2022). The Mediterranean slug Felimare picta (Philippi, 1836), the only native species of this family found in Syria, was observed once, during a free dive in the far north sector, at Shatt al-Armen, in June 2019 at a depth of 5 meters. The specimen, measuring a notable 18 cm in size, featured continuous paral- lel yellow lines running along its dark dorsum and extending all the way to the rhinophoral sheaths, complete yellow circles around the edge of the rhinophoral sheath, and several yellow rings on the edges (Fig. 4J). A single individual of Dendrodoris grandiflora (Rapp, 1827) of the family Dendrodorididae, which is typically distributed in the Mediterranean and northeastern Atlantic, was sighted at the Ibn Hani site in September 2022 at a depth of approximately 2 meters. This specimen was 30–40 millimeters long, pale gray with dark brown spots on the dorsum and small brown spots and dark striations on the mantle margin (Fig. 4K). In previous publications (Ammar, 2023c), the species was misclassified as Tayuva lilacina (Gould, 1852). The nocturnality of these species, combined with the challenges of free diving, limited the avail- ability of photographs and specimens necessary for accurate classification, underscoring the rarity and difficulty associated with studying these organisms. No specific scale is provided for photographs, as the size of the object in the image may vary depend- ing on its proximity or distance, as well as zoom level. The current study represents the first docu- mented record of Fiona pinnata (Eschscholtz, 1831) and Berthella perforata (Philippi, 1844) in Syria, ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 152 Izdihar Ali AMMAR: A PRELIMINARY CHECKLIST OF MARINE HETEROBRANCHS (MOLLUSCA: GASTROPODA: HETEROBRANCHIA) OF SYRIA, 145–156 and rectifies previous identifications of Dendrodo- ris grandiflora (Rapp, 1827) and Berthella stellata albocrossata Heller & T. E. Thompson, 1983. Among the species listed, six are non-indigenous species (NIS) originating from the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea: Goniobranchus annulatus, Goniobranchus obsoletus, Elysia grandifolia, Hypselodoris infucata, Plocamopherus ocellatus, and Dendrodoris grandiflora. Two species, Aplysia dactylomela and Thecacera pen- nigera, are classified as cryptogenic, Berthella stellata albocrossata is yet to be confirmed as a distinct species, while Spurilla neapolitana and Berthella perforata are identified as native Atlantic-Mediterranean species. The study has revealed an expanding presence of alien heterobranchs in Syria and a tendency for them to dominate in new environments. Their expansion there- fore calls for continued monitoring and management efforts to mitigate the impacts of these invasive species on native ecosystems. The rise in seawater temperature in the eastern Mediterranean due to global warming has been linked to an increase in the number of alien species of sea slugs, particularly those of tropical origin, in the region. Studies by Rothman et al. (2017) and Mioni & Furfaro (2022) have highlighted the impact of climate change on the colonization of these species in the Mediterranean Sea. Prior to 2013, the Mediterranean was home to 30 species of alien Nudibranchia, equaling 6% of the total number of sea slugs in the region (Crocetta et al., 2013). The discovery of rare species in the Mediterranean has been made easier through various methods, includ- ing observations and photography by divers passionate about marine life, as well as contributions from field experts. Online platforms such as the Mediterranean Fig. 4: Underwater photographs of nudibranchs from the Syrian coast: (A) Spurilla neapolitana, (B) Fiona pinnata, (C & D) Plocamopherus ocellatus, (E) Thecacera pennigera, (F & G) Goniobranchus obsoletus, (H) Goniobranchus annulatus, (I) Hypselodoris infucata, (J) Felimare picta, (K) Dendrodoris grandiflora. Sl. 4: Podvodne fotografije gološkrgarjev iz sirske obale: (A) Spurilla neapolitana, (B) Fiona pinnata, (C & D) Plo- camopherus ocellatus, (E) Thecacera pennigera, (F & G) Goniobranchus obsoletus, (H) Goniobranchus annulatus, (I) Hypselodoris infucata, (J) Felimare picta, (K) Dendrodoris grandiflora. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 153 Izdihar Ali AMMAR: A PRELIMINARY CHECKLIST OF MARINE HETEROBRANCHS (MOLLUSCA: GASTROPODA: HETEROBRANCHIA) OF SYRIA, 145–156 Slug Site and Sea Slug Forum have proven to be valuable resources for sharing information and images of these rare species (Follett & Strezov, 2015; Yonow, 2015). The observed increase in the occurrence and distri- bution of non-native sea slugs along the Syrian coast, in both southern and northern regions, underscores the impact of climate change on marine biodiversity. This trend is supported by the heightened interest and field efforts aimed at documenting and understanding the presence of these species in the region. CONCLUSIONS The relatively low number of recorded het- erobranchs in Syria up to 2023 can be attributed to several factors, including limited targeted research efforts and reliance on observations by amateur divers. Furthermore, certain species may have been overlooked or not specifically targeted in previous studies, giving the impression that marine gastropods along the Syrian coast are underrepresented. The emergence and dominance of alien sea slug species, particularly in coralligenous habitats such as the Ibn Hani marine protected area (MPA), bring attention to the possible effects of climate change and global warming on marine biodiversity in Syria and the Eastern Mediterranean. The increasing presence of Atlantic tropical species suggests rapid colonization and adaptation to the Levantine Sea that may alter the local ecosystem dynamics. The participation of citizen scientists in document- ing the presence of rare Mediterranean species is crucial for supplementing local biodiversity records. Their contributions enhance our understanding of marine ecosystems and serve as valuable additions to scientific research efforts. As climate change con- tinues to affect marine environments, collaboration between scientists and citizen scientists in monitoring and conserving coastal biodiversity becomes ever more important. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank Dr. Argyro Zenetos from the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research and Dr. Egidio Trainito from the Genoa Marine Center for their invalu- able support and insightful comments throughout the research process. I would also like to extend special appreciation to Nouh Abbas and Mahmoud Halhal for their contributions in capturing high-quality field photographs, which have enhanced the documenta- tion of marine biodiversity in the Syrian coast. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 154 Izdihar Ali AMMAR: A PRELIMINARY CHECKLIST OF MARINE HETEROBRANCHS (MOLLUSCA: GASTROPODA: HETEROBRANCHIA) OF SYRIA, 145–156 PRELIMINARNI SEZNAM MORSKIH POLŽEV ZAŠKRGARJEV (MOLLUSCA: GASTROPODA: HETEROBRANCHIA) SIRIJE Izdihar Ali AMMAR Department of Marine Biology, High Institute of Marine Research, Tishreen University, Latakia, Syria e-mail: izdihar.ali.ammar@tishreen.edu.sy; izdiammar@gmail.com POVZETEK Porast raziskav morske biodiverzitete v Siriji s posebnim poudarkom na tujerodne vrste in vključevanje amaterskih ljubiteljskih potapljačev sta omogočila tudi zbiranje podatkov o drugih vrstah, med drugim tudi o polžih zaškrgarjih (Mollusca: Gastropoda). Med letoma 2016 in 2023 so potapljači opazili številne vrste polžev zaškrgarjev v globinskem pasu med 2 in 12 m ob sirski obali. Dodatne primerke so ročno nabrali na skalnati obali med letoma 2020 in 2023. Skupno je bilo v sirskih morskih vodah ugotovljeno 16 vrst polžev zaškrgarjev. 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Marine Ecology, 37, 10.1111/maec.12306. 157 FLORA FLORA FLORA 158 ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 159 received: 2024-04-05 DOI 10.19233/ASHN.2024.20 FIVE-YEAR MONITORING OF THE ECOLOGICAL STATUS OF THE CYMODOCEA NODOSA MEADOW NEAR THE PORT OF KOPER Martina ORLANDO-BONACA Marine Biology Station Piran, National Institute of Biology, SI-6330 Piran, Fornace 41, Slovenia E-mail: martina.orlando@nib.si Diego BONACA & Romina BONACA Ulica Vena Pilona 5, SI -6000 Koper, Slovenia Erik LIPEJ Ulica XXX divizije 10, SI- 6320 Portorož, Slovenia Domen TRKOV Marine Biology Station Piran, National Institute of Biology, SI-6330 Piran, Fornace 41, Slovenia ABSTRACT Seagrass meadows are among the most productive ecosystems in marine environments worldwide and are often considered to symbolise near-pristine conditions on sedimentary bottoms, but their condition is associ- ated to various types of anthropogenic stressors. In the Mediterranean Sea, Cymodocea nodosa is considered an effective indicator of environmental change, due to its universal distribution, its sensitivity to various natural and anthropogenic pressures, and the measurability of the species’ responses to these impacts. The aim of this study is to present the improvement of the ecological status of the C. nodosa meadow near the port of Koper over a period of five years and to compare these results with the reference site in the northern Adriatic Sea. Key words: Cymodocea nodosa, MediSkew index, Port of Koper, status assessment, northern Adriatic Sea MONITORAGGIO QUINQUENNALE DELLO STATO ECOLOGICO DELLA PRATERIA DI CYMODOCEA NODOSA PRESSO IL PORTO DI CAPODISTRIA SINTESI Le praterie di fanerogame marine sono tra gli ecosistemi più produttivi negli ambienti marini di tutto il mondo e sono spesso considerate il simbolo di condizioni quasi incontaminate sui fondali sedimentari, ma il loro stato è associato a vari tipi di stress antropico. Nel Mediterraneo, Cymodocea nodosa è considerata un efficace indicatore del cambiamento ambientale, grazie alle sue: distribuzione universale, sensibilità a varie pressioni naturali e antropiche e misurabilità delle risposte a questi impatti. Lo scopo di questo studio è presentare il miglioramento dello stato ecologico della prateria di C. nodosa vicino al porto di Capodistria in un periodo di cinque anni e confrontare questi risultati con il sito di riferimento nell’Adriatico settentrionale. Parole chiave: Cymodocea nodosa, indice MediSkew, Porto di Capodistria, valutazione dello stato, Adriatico settentrionale ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 160 Martina ORLANDO-BONACA et al.: FIVE-YEAR MONITORING OF THE ECOLOGICAL STATUS OF THE CYMODOCEA NODOSA MEADOW NEAR THE PORT ..., 159–168 INTRODUCTION Seagrass meadows are among the most produc- tive ecosystems in marine environments worldwide (Brodersen et al., 2018) and are often considered em- blematic of near-pristine conditions on sedimentary bottoms (Sfriso et al., 2021). Seagrass meadows cover large areas of the seabed, and despite their relatively low floral diversity, they support a rich marine fauna (e.g. fish and invertebrates) and provide a range of ecosystem services, including habitat provision, biodiversity conservation, food security, sediment stabilization, protection from coastal erosion, carbon sequestration and potentially mitigation of climate change impacts (Cullen-Unsworth & Unsworth, 2013; Espino et al., 2015; Unsworth et al., 2018; Rodil et al., 2022; Traganos et al., 2022). They are listed as priority habitats in several legislations, including the European Habitats Directive (HD, 92/43/EEC). Seagrass meadows are among the best-studied coastal vegetated habitats due to their worldwide oc- currence and relative accessibility in shallow waters. They are more or less the marine counterpart of tropi- cal rainforests, and their condition is linked to various types of anthropogenic stressors. These pressures include shipping routes, vessel traffic, port activities, nutrient loading, siltation, mechanical disturbance (e.g. seabed dredging), pollution, aquaculture, in- troduction of new competitors (like non-indigenous organisms), commercial and recreational activities, runoff from urban and agricultural areas, and increas- ing climate change and ocean acidification (Marbà et al., 2014; Orlando-Bonaca et al., 2015, 2019; Repolho et al., 2017; Sfriso et al., 2023). These stress- ors cause physical damage to the seabed (Marbà et al., 2014), limit the light available for photosynthesis and impair nutrient resources (Hemminga & Duarte, 2000). Since the mid-17th century, the global cover of seagrasses has decreased by about 29% (51,000 km2) and the annual loss of seagrass habitats adds about 300 Tg of carbon per year to the global active carbon pool (Capistrant-Fossa & Dunton, 2024). In the Mediterranean Sea, Cymodocea nodosa (Ucria) Ascherson is considered an effective indicator of environmental change, due to its universal distri- bution, sensitivity to various natural and anthropo- genic pressures, and the measurability of the species’ responses to these impacts (Orfanidis et al., 2007, 2010; Orlando-Bonaca et al., 2015; Papathanasiou et al., 2016; Nadzari et al., 2022). Although C. nodosa exhibits great phenotypic plasticity and can adapt to various natural and anthropogenic stressors through physiological and morphological adaptations, a strong decline has been reported in coastal areas in recent decades due to direct and indirect effects of multiple stressors (Fabbri et al., 2015; Najdek et al., 2020; Stockbridge et al., 2020). There is still a lack of long-term data series to sup- port the conservation status of C. nodosa meadows in the northern Adriatic Sea, while the species is still only protected in spatially restricted Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). The ecological status of C. nodosa meadows in the Gulf of Trieste was assessed using the MediSkew index (Orlando-Bonaca et al., 2015; 2016), which was developed in accordance with the requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD, 2000/60/EC) and the Marine Strategy Frame- work Directive (MSFD, 2008/56/EC). The ecological status of the C. nodosa meadow growing near the Port of Koper was first assessed in 2018 (Orlando-Bonaca et al., 2019), and then monitored annually from 2020 to 2023, as shipping routes and port activities are considered one of the main pressures on the status of C. nodosa meadows (Orlando-Bonaca et al., 2015). The aim of this study is to investigate the changes in the ecological status of the C. nodosa meadow near the port of Koper during five years of monitoring com- pared to the reference area for C. nodosa in the Gulf of Trieste. MATERIAL AND METHODS Study area, fieldwork and laboratory work The Port of Koper is the only Slovenian port, connecting the markets of Central and South-Eastern Europe with the Mediterranean and the Far East. Today, the marine part of the cargo port consists of three basins, associated jetties, and specialised load- ing terminals. The main impacts on seabed habitats in the vicinity of the port are caused by high water turbidity due to manoeuvres of large ships (Žagar et al., 2014), dredging and other activities (Luka Koper, 2015, 2020a), which lead to a high sedimentation/ resuspension rate. The investigated C. nodosa meadow near the Port of Koper can be considered as part of the biocoeno- sis of superficial muddy sands in sheltered waters (Orlando-Bonaca et al., 2015, 2022). The meadow was sampled in July 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. Two sites (LuKp1 and LuKp2) were selected (Fig. 1) along the same isobath (3 m). Site LuKp1 (45°34.350’N; 13°44.183’E) is about 500 m away from the water area of the Port of Koper, while site LuKp2 (45°34.551’N; 13°43.861’E) is about 1000 m away from the Port. Within each site, two areas (LuKp1_1, LuKp1_2, and LuKp2_1, LuKp2_2) were selected, approximately 100 m apart. In each area, five metal frames (25 cm x 25 cm) were randomly placed on the bottom by SCUBA divers. These five squares were considered replicates of a sample. All shoots of C. nodosa found in each frame were carefully uprooted. The samples were lbelled and individually packed in plastic bags. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 161 Martina ORLANDO-BONACA et al.: FIVE-YEAR MONITORING OF THE ECOLOGICAL STATUS OF THE CYMODOCEA NODOSA MEADOW NEAR THE PORT ..., 159–168 In July 2018 and July 2023, samples of C. nodosa were also collected in the Strunjan Nature Reserve (sam- pling site Cy2, areas Cy2_1 and Cy2_2). According to the low value of the Pressure Index for Seagrass Meadows (PISM), the area Cy2_1 was selected as the reference area for C. nodosa in the Gulf of Trieste (Orlando-Bonaca et al., 2015). The samples of C. nodosa were stored in a freezer at -20°C in the laboratory of the Marine Biology Station Piran. The day before the analysis, they were slowly defrosted in a refrigerator. The seagrass shoots were then stored in plastic wash basins with seawater. Twenty shoots from each quadrat were randomly selected (Or- fanidis et al., 2007). For each leaf (usually 5-6 leaves per shoot), the following parameters were measured to the nearest mm: length of the leaf sheath, length of the photosynthetic part and its width. The age of the leaf was designated as adult state (when the leaf sheath was well-developed), intermediate state (when the leaf sheath was weakly developed at the leaf base), and juvenile state (when the leaf sheath was absent). The above measurements were performed on at least 60 undamaged, photosynthetically active leaves (adult and/ or intermediate) from each frame. One sample consisted of five replicates of 60 leaves (300 leaves in total). Data analysis Summary statistics were examined for each C. no- dosa sampling area near the Port of Koper. To quantify changes in the photosynthetic part of the leaf length distribution, the MediSkew index was calculated (for details, see Orlando-Bonaca et al., 2015). The bounda- ries among the status classes for the MediSkew index were set equidistantly (Tab. 1). Five status classes are sufficient for the assessment of the Ecological Status (ES) Fig. 1: Map of sampling sites for Cymodocea nodosa in Slovenian marine waters: near the Port of Koper (LuKp1 and LuKp2) and in the Moon Bay (St. Cross Bay, Cy2), within the Strunjan Nature Reserve. The redline indicate the water area of the Port of Koper. Sl. 1: Zemljevid vzorčnih lokalitet kolenčaste cimodoceje v slovenskem morju: ob Luki Koper (LuKp1 in LuKp2) in v Mesečevem zalivu (Zalivu Sv. Križa, Cy2), v Naravnem rezervatu Strunjan. Rdeča črta označuje akvatorij Luke Koper. ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 162 Martina ORLANDO-BONACA et al.: FIVE-YEAR MONITORING OF THE ECOLOGICAL STATUS OF THE CYMODOCEA NODOSA MEADOW NEAR THE PORT ..., 159–168 under the WFD. In addition, the classes High and Good indicate Good Environmental Status (EnS) according to the MSFD, while the classes Moderate, Poor and Bad are considered as Not Good EnS. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The parameters of C. nodosa per sampling area are listed in Table 2. The data show that the mean and median leaf lengths at all four sampling areas near the Port of Koper were lower in 2023 than in 2022 and in all previous years for which data are available. At sampling areas LuKp1_1 and LuKp1_2, the maximum leaf length values in 2023 were also lower than in the previous year, while at sampling areas LuKp2_1 and LuKp2_2 they were similar to 2022. The maximum leaf length, mean and median val- ues at the reference area Cy2_1 were lower in 2023 than in 2018 (Tab. 2), confirming a High ecological status of C. nodosa. In both years, the leaves of C. nodosa in the areas within the reference site in the Moon Bay (Cy2) were significantly shorter than in the areas near the Port of Koper in all 5 sampling years, as were the median values (Tab. 2). However, there has been a clear trend towards decreasing leaf lengths near the Port of Koper since 2018 (Tab. 2). All samples of C. nodosa near the Port of Koper had fewer damaged leaves in 2023 than in 2020 and 2021 (pers. obs.). In particular, at LuKp1_1 C. nodosa had so many broken leaves, without apical parts, in 2020 that it was not possible to measure 300 leaves per sampling area (Tab. 3), as stated in the methodology. The ES (according to WFD) and EnS (according to MSFD) of the sampling areas and sites were as- sessed according to the boundaries in Table 1. The MediSkew index values for each sampled area near the Port of Koper and for areas Cy2_1 and Cy2_2 at the reference site Cy2 are presented in Table 3. The sampling site LuKp1, which is closest to the Port of Koper, improved the ES from Bad in 2018 to Poor in 2020, then Moderate in 2021 and 2022 to Good in 2023. At the sampling site LuKp2, which is furthest from the Port Basin III, the ES value improved from Poor in 2018 to Good in 2023, with a decrease to Moderate in 2022 (Tab. 3). These data also indicate that the negative impact on the C. nodosa meadow decreases with increasing distance from the Port, and that this impact can be observed and monitored within a radius of one kilometer from the port area. It should also be noted that the sampling sites are located away from the Port in the direction of the sea current, which flows counterclockwise in the northern Adriatic (Ogorelec et al., 1991). The ES of the entire meadow of C. nodosa near the Port of Koper was evaluated as Bad in 2018, while it achieved a Good ES in 2021 and 2023 (Tab. 3). The results obtained from 2018 to 2023 show a significant improvement in the ES of the C. nodosa meadow. The Good ES in 2021 and 2023 could be related to the reduction of local anthropogenic pressures, such as construction works within the harbour area, dredging and maritime traffic, which play a key role in the regression of seagrass mead- ows (Orfanidis et al., 2020; Salinas et al., 2020; Stockbridge et al., 2020). Such pressures lead to increased sediment resuspension, resulting in higher turbidity and consequently less light for the light-limited seagrasses (Touchette & Burkholder, 2000). Marine plants react to low light conditions by increasing the distribution of their biomass on their leaves. By enlarging the leaves, they can cap- ture more light and convert it into photosynthetic production (Greve & Binzer, 2004). Since the con- struction works for the new RO-RO berth in Basin III were completed in March 2020 (Luka Koper, 2020a) and other construction works interfering with the seabed were not carried out later (Luka Koper, 2023), most of the sediment resuspension is probably due to ship traffic, which mainly occurs when entering and leaving the Port by manoeuvring Tab. 1: Boundaries among the status classes for the MediSkew index. Five classes should be used for the assessment of ES according to the WFD. For the as- sessment of EnS under the MSFD, the classes High and Good indicate a Good EnS, while the classes Moder- ate, Poor and Bad are considered Not Good EnS (see Orlando-Bonaca et al., 2015). Tab. 1: Meje med posameznimi razredi stanja za Me- diSkew indeks. Za opredelitev ekološkega stanja po Ev- ropski vodni direktivi (OVS) smo uporabili 5 razredov. Za opredelitev okoljskega stanja po Okvirni direktivi o morski strategiji (ODMS), razreda Zelo dobro in Dobro označujeta Dobro okoljsko stanje, medtem ko raz- redi Zmerno, Slabo in Zelo slabo opredeljujejo Slabo okoljsko stanje (po Orlando-Bonaca in sod., 2015). Status classes Absolute values of MediSKew High 0 ≤ MediSKew < 0.2 Good 0.2 ≤ MediSKew < 0.4 Moderate 0.4 ≤ MediSKew < 0.6 Poor 0.6 ≤ MediSKew < 0.8 Bad 0.8 ≤ MediSKew ≤ 1 ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 163 Martina ORLANDO-BONACA et al.: FIVE-YEAR MONITORING OF THE ECOLOGICAL STATUS OF THE CYMODOCEA NODOSA MEADOW NEAR THE PORT ..., 159–168 Tab. 2: Statistical parameters (minimum, maximum, mean, median) and absolute value of the skewness (|G|) of the ln-transformed lengths of the photosynthetically active parts of the leaves of Cymodocea nodosa from the sampling areas near the Port of Koper (LuKp1 and LuKp2) in 2018, 2020−2023, and in the Moon Bay (St. Cross Bay, Cy2, Strunjan Nature Reserve) in 2018 and 2023. The reference median value in 2023 was 10.95 cm. Tab. 2: Statistični parametri (minimum, maksimum, povprečje, mediana) in absolutna vrednost koeficienta asimetrije (|G|) ln-transformiranih dolžin fotosintetsko aktivnega dela listov kolenčaste cimodoceje na točkah vzorčenja blizu Luke Koper (LuKp1 in LuKp2) v 2018, 2020−2023 ter v Mesečevem zalivu (Zalivu Sv. Križa, Cy2, Naravni rezervat Strunjan) v 2018 in 2023. Referenčna mediana v 2023 je bila 10,95 cm. Area Date Min length (cm) Max length (cm) Mean (cm) Median (cm) |G| Cy2_1 12.7.2018 5.4 30.5 14.5 13.95 0.261 Cy2_2 12.7.2018 8.1 22.7 13.5 13.20 0.022 LuKp1_1 17.7.2018 5.9 66.2 37.8 41.25 1.423 LuKp1_2 17.7.2018 6.0 57.1 34.7 37.05 1.162 LuKp2_1 17.7.2018 3.7 58.8 30.7 30.45 1.533 LuKp2_2 17.7.2018 6.9 52.2 27.3 28.25 1.130 LuKp1_1 14.7.2020 5.4 62.5 32.0 31.90 1.044 LuKp1_2 14.7.2020 7.4 57.7 29.9 29.25 0.706 LuKp2_1 14.7.2020 5.1 61.3 29.2 28.90 0.979 LuKp2_2 14.7.2020 7.3 55.9 31.4 31.25 0.955 LuKp1_1 1.7.2021 8.7 55.8 27.3 25.90 0.355 LuKp1_2 1.7.2021 7.3 57.1 28.1 27.20 0.442 LuKp2_1 1.7.2021 11.5 47.7 24.7 22.95 0.142 LuKp2_2 1.7.2021 5.7 46.2 24.2 23.15 0.659 LuKp1_1 11.7.2022 9.1 57.1 30.7 30.45 0.762 LuKp1_2 11.7.2022 9.8 42.3 27.1 27.40 0.675 LuKp2_1 11.7.2022 9.0 42.4 26.7 26.80 0.738 LuKp2_2 11.7.2022 6.4 45.1 26.0 24.95 0.461 Cy2_1 12.7.2023 5.1 20.4 11.0 10.95 0.347 Cy2_2 12.7.2023 3.5 19.5 11.7 11.80 0.497 LuKp1_1 5.7.2023 6.6 39.8 21.1 20.60 0.397 LuKp1_2 5.7.2023 6.7 38.3 21.9 21.60 0.731 LuKp2_1 5.7.2023 5.2 45.7 21.1 20.15 0.382 LuKp2_2 5.7.2023 8.5 46.4 22.2 21.35 0.391 ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 164 Martina ORLANDO-BONACA et al.: FIVE-YEAR MONITORING OF THE ECOLOGICAL STATUS OF THE CYMODOCEA NODOSA MEADOW NEAR THE PORT ..., 159–168 with tugboats (pers. obs.). The data in Table 4 (Luka Koper, 2020b, 2023, 2024) show that the number of ships in the Port of Koper decreased from 1,899 ships in 2018 to 1,433 in 2020 (24.5%) due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The number of ships in the Port then increased until 2022 and then fell slightly in 2023. This means that the number of ships de- creased by 13.5% in 2023 compared to 2018. These data hypothesize that the reduction in the number of ships arriving at the Port could have a positive impact on improving the condition of the nearby C. nodosa meadow. In addition, climate change has been a growing concern in recent years, as sea level rise and ris- ing seawater temperatures may further contribute to the decline of seagrass beds (Duarte et al., 2018; Tab. 3: MediSkew index values for the sampling areas of Cymodocea nodosa in the Port of Koper and assessment of the Ecological Status (according to WFD) and Environmental Status (according to MSFD). Tab. 3: Vrednosti indeksa MediSkew na točkah vzorčenja s kolenčasto cimodocejo in opredelitev ekološkega stanja (glede na OVS) in okoljskega stanja (glede na ODMS) za travnik ob Luki Koper. Year Area Area's MediSkew Site's MediSkew Meadow’s MediSkew Ecolog. Status Environ. Status N of leaves N of adult leaves 2018 Cy2_1 0.065 0.04 High Good / Achieved 300 112 Cy2_2 0.024 300 123 LuKp1_1 1.00 0.935 0.825 Bad Not good / Not achieved 300 225 LuKp1_2 0.87 300 204 LuKp2_1 0.79 0.715 300 247 LuKp2_2 0.64 300 218 2020 LuKp1_1 0.71 0.635 0.640 Poor Not good / Not achieved 251 181 LuKp1_2 0.56 300 223 LuKp2_1 0.62 0.645 300 246 LuKp2_2 0.67 300 222 2021 LuKp1_1 0.39 0.415 0.37 Good Good / Achieved 300 238 LuKp1_2 0.44 300 207 LuKp2_1 0.26 0.325 300 231 LuKp2_2 0.39 300 212 2022 LuKp1_1 0.60 0.550 0.50 Moderate Not good / Not achieved 300 279 LuKp1_2 0.50 300 286 LuKp2_1 0.51 0.450 300 276 LuKp2_2 0.39 300 269 2023 Cy2_1 0.087 0,12 High Good / Achieved 300 177 Cy2_2 0.146 300 186 LuKp1_1 0.34 0.395 0.37 Good Good / Achieved 300 232 LuKp1_2 0.45 300 223 LuKp2_1 0.33 0.342 300 263 LuKp2_2 0.36 300 272 ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 165 Martina ORLANDO-BONACA et al.: FIVE-YEAR MONITORING OF THE ECOLOGICAL STATUS OF THE CYMODOCEA NODOSA MEADOW NEAR THE PORT ..., 159–168 Fortes et al., 2018; Tsioli et al., 2022; Llabrés et al., 2023). The Mediterranean Sea is warming three times faster than the oceans (Savva et al., 2018) because it is a more enclosed sea. Moreover, the northern Adriatic was hit by a severe heatwave in 2023. The temperature of the surface layers of the sea in the Gulf of Trieste exceeded 30 °C in summer, which has only been measured twice in the past. In addition, the seawater temperature on the seabed exceeded 24 °C, 1 °C higher than at any time in the last 20 years (data from the oceanographic buoy VIDA, https://www.nib.si/mbp/en/oceanographic-data-and- measurements). This places a great pressure on the organisms living on the seabed, which are unable to move. According to Savva et al. (2018), C. nodosa meadows have a higher tolerance to heat waves than Posidonia oceanica meadows, which is probably due to the tropical origin of the genus Cymodocea. Ocean acidification (Repolho et al., 2017) and infections by protists of the genus Labyrinthula (Olsen & Duarte, 2015) are also already having a lasting impact on seagrass meadows in other parts of the Mediterranean. Considering all the aforemen- tioned pressures on such ecosystems, the results of a recent study focusing on the dynamics of seagrass meadows along the Slovenian coastline (Ivajnšič et al., 2022) are of great importance. The tempo- ral perspective showed a stable cover of seagrass meadows in the study area (282.4 ha in 2014 and 283.5 ha in 2020). However, the spatial perspec- tive showed a different development of the current extent of seagrass meadows. In some areas, C. no- dosa meadows has almost completely disappeared (marine area of the Strunjan Landscape Park), while in other areas along the Slovenian coast it has been re-established (Ivajnšič et al., 2022). The results of the present study indicate a posi- tive trend in the ES of the C. nodosa meadow near Koper. Since the Port authority has planned a long- term monitoring programme in the harbour area and its surroundings, we recommend that in addition to the assessment of the ES with the MediSkew index, the distribution of the meadow (in terms of cover) and the detection of possible signs of disease on the leaves of C. nodosa should also be evaluated. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors are grateful to the Port of Koper for financially supporting this study. We would also like to thank Lovrenc Lipej, Milijan Šiško, Tihomir Makovec, Borut Mavrič, Leon Lojze Zamuda, Aljoša Gračner, Matej Marinac and Tristan Bartole for their help with the field and laboratory work. Special thanks are due to Milijan Šiško for the preparation of Figure 1. Tab. 4: The number of ships arriving in the Port of Koper for the period 2018 to 2023 (data from Luka Koper, 2020b, 2023, 2024). Tab. 4: Število ladij, ki so vplule v Luko Koper v obdobju od 2018 do 2023. Year Number of ships 2018 1.899 2019 1.664 2020 1.433 2021 1.551 2022 1.659 2023 1.642 ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 166 Martina ORLANDO-BONACA et al.: FIVE-YEAR MONITORING OF THE ECOLOGICAL STATUS OF THE CYMODOCEA NODOSA MEADOW NEAR THE PORT ..., 159–168 PETLETNO SPREMLJANJE EKOLOŠKEGA STANJA TRAVNIKA KOLENČASTE CIMODOCEJE (CYMODOCEA NODOSA) V BLIŽINI KOPRSKEGA PRISTANIŠČA Martina ORLANDO-BONACA Morska biološka postaja Piran, Nacionalni inštitut za biologijo, SI-6330 Piran, Fornače 41, Slovenija E-mail: martina.orlando@nib.si Diego BONACA & Romina BONACA Ulica Vena Pilona 5, SI -6000 Koper, Slovenija Erik LIPEJ Ulica XXX divizije 10, SI- 6320 Portorož, Slovenija Domen TRKOV Morska biološka postaja Piran, Nacionalni inštitut za biologijo, SI-6330 Piran, Fornače 41, Slovenija POVZETEK Morski travniki so med najbolj produktivnimi ekosistemi v morskih okoljih po vsem svetu in pogosto veljajo za simbol skoraj čistih razmer na sedimentnem dnu, vendar je njihovo stanje povezano z različnimi antropoge- nimi pritiski. V Sredozemskem morju velja kolenčasta cimodoceja (Cymodocea nodosa) za učinkovit kazalnik okoljskih sprememb zaradi svoje univerzalne razširjenosti, občutljivosti na različne naravne in antropogene pritiske ter merljivosti odzivov vrste na te vplive. Namen te študije je predstaviti izboljšanje ekološkega stanja travnika kolenčaste cimodoceje v bližini koprskega pristanišča v obdobju petih let in te rezultate primerjati z referenčnim območjem v severnem Jadranu. Ključne besede: Cymodocea nodosa, MediSkew indeks, Luka Koper, ocena stanja, severni Jadran ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 167 Martina ORLANDO-BONACA et al.: FIVE-YEAR MONITORING OF THE ECOLOGICAL STATUS OF THE CYMODOCEA NODOSA MEADOW NEAR THE PORT ..., 159–168 REFERENCES Brodersen, M.M., M. Pantazi, A. Kokkali, P. Panayo- tidis, V. Gerakaris, I. Maina, S. Kavadas, H. Kaberi & V. 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Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP), Portugal, pp. 86-87. 169 IN MEMORIAM 170 ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 171 IN MEMORIAM THOMAS CHARLTON MALONE (7. september 1943 – 24. februar 2024) Pretresla nas je novica, da je po padcu na domu nepričakovano umrl Thomas Charlton Malone (“Tom“), zaslužni profesor na Univerzi Maryland v ZDA (University of Maryland, Center for Environ- mental Sciences – UMCES). Dodiplomski študij zoologije je opravil na Colorado College, kjer je diplomiral leta 1965, na Havajih (University of Hawaii) pa je leta 1967 magistriral iz oceanografije. Rad se je potapljal, v srednji šoli je blestel v vaterpolu, vendar ga je ljubezen do oceanov pripeljala do kariere ocea- nografa. Doktorski študij je opravljal na morski postaji stanfordske univerze (Hopkins Marine Sta- tion, Monterey, Kalifornija) in se udeležil številnih raziskovalnih križarjenj v vzhodnem delu Tihega oceana. Leta 1971 je doktoriral iz biologije na Univerzi Stanford. Po doktoratu je nekaj časa raziskoval in pre- daval na City College, New York, nato je kariero nadaljeval na Univerzi Columbia (Lamont Do- herty Geological Observatory and Department of Energy and Environment, Brookhaven National Laboratory). Leta 1982 se je zaposlil v labora- toriju Horn Point Univerze v Marylandu, kjer je kmalu napredoval v rednega profesorja. Izvoljen je bil za predsednika fakultetnega senata Centra za okoljske študije (UMCES) in bil njegov direk- tor do leta 2001. Kasneje je deloval kot direktor Urada za stalno in integrirano opazovanje oceanov (Interagency Ocean.US Office for Sustained and Integrated Ocean Observations). Predsedoval je mnogim znanstvenim odborom, med drugimi je bil predsednik odbora Združenih narodov za obalne opazovalne sisteme (UN Coastal Ocean Observati- ons Panel) in predsednik združenja za limnologijo in oceanografijo ASLO (Association for the Scien- ces of Limnology and Oceanography). Po upokojitvi leta 2010 je Tom nadaljeval z objavljanjem znanstvenih člankov, urejanjem knjig in delom v različnih znanstvenih odborih. Imel je veliko vabljenih predavanj o različnih temah po vsem svetu, od škodljivega cvetenja alg do govora o podnebnih spremembah ter potrebah po znanju in opazovalnih sistemih za morja na 3. svetovni podnebni konferenci v Ženevi. Tomovi znanstveni interesi so bili široki: od dinamike ekosistemov, ekologije fitoplanktona, obalne evtrofikacije, podnebnih sprememb, siste- mov za opazovanje do politike oceanov. Njegove raziskave so bile osredotočene na fitoplankton, fotosintetske organizme, ki sestavljajo osnovo mor- ske prehranjevalne mreže, veliko se je ukvarjal s prekomerno obogatitvijo obalnih morij s hranili in njenimi posledicami ter z morskimi opazovalnimi sistemi. Z njim sem se spoznala leta 1992, ko je prvič obiskal Slovenijo kot član ameriške delegacije, ki je na njegovo pobudo obiskala tudi Morsko bio- loško postajo. Na njegov predlog smo z ameriško finančno podporo leta 1995 organizirali kon- ferenco ‘Trends in Land-Use, Water Quality and Fisheries: A Comparison of the Northern Adriatic Sea and the Chesapeake Bay', katere rezultat je bila tudi objava knjige Ecosystems at the Land- -Sea Margin leta 1999. Njegovim prizadevanjem gre pripisati tudi organizacijo nekaj naslednjih delavnic, na katerih smo se srečevali ameriški in ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 172 severnojadranski raziskovalci (Trst, oktobra 1998, Rovinj, oktobra 1999, in Gradež, novembra 2001). Ta srečanja so postavila temelje za mnoga večletna vsebinska sodelovanja na področjih raziskav slu- zi, želatinastega planktona, mikrobne ekologije, fizikalne oceanografije in razvoja opazovalnih sistemov. Ko se je bližala dvajsetletnica objave knjige Ecosystems at the Land-Sea Margin, pa je vzniknila zamisel, da bi ponovno pregledali re- zultate raziskav v tem obdobju in objavili knjigo, ki bi predstavila razmere v severnem Jadranu in zalivu Chesapeake dvajset let kasneje. In ponovno je bil Tom motor vseh dejavnosti, te so končno pripeljale do priprave knjige Coastal Ecosystems in Transition. A Comparative Analysis of the Northern Adriatic and Chesapeake Bay, ki je leta 2021 izšla pri ugledni založbi Wiley. Tom je bil eden vodilnih svetovnih znanstve- nikov na področju raziskav morja, z njim je naš inštitut (NIB-MBP) sodeloval že od zgodnjih devet- desetih let in ponosna sem na skupno delo, objave, zlasti pa na dve knjigi, ki sta izšli pri odličnih tujih založbah. Vedno sem občudovala njegovo navdušenje in raziskovalno delo, bil je eden ti- stih znanstvenikov, zaradi katerih je znanost res pomembna. Težko je opisati razsežnosti njegove osebnosti, bil je sanjač in hkrati vernik znanosti, ki mu za doseganje zastavljenih raziskovalnih ciljev ni bilo težko žrtvovati neštetih ur dela. Zagotovo si bomo zapomnili tudi njegovo neomajno pozitivno naravnanost, tudi v težkih časih. Bil je med redkimi, ki so znali odlično upora- bljati znanstveno diplomacijo, kar se je pokazalo zlasti v zadnjem obdobju njegovega delovanja. Gotovo je njegova pomembna zapuščina ustvar- janje mreže ljudi iz različnih držav in okolij, ki je presegala raziskovalne projekte in kratkoročno znanstveno sodelovanje. Vedno se bom spominjala tudi njegovih prijateljskih nasvetov in pozitivnega odnosa do ljudi. In prepričana sem, da ga ne bo zelo pogrešala le njegova družina, temveč tudi mnogi raziskovalci, ki smo se na znanstvenorazi- skovalni poti srečali z njim. Alenka Malej nekdanja vodja Morske biološke postaje Piran (NIB) 173 ANNALES · Ser. hist. nat. · 34 · 2024 · 1 KAZALO K SLIKAM NA OVITKU SLIKA NA NASLOVNICI: Plamenka (Pterois miles) se je pred leti pojavila tudi v Jadranskem morju. Ta tujerodna tropska vrsta, ki velja za eno izmed najbolj invazivnih rib, izvira iz Rdečega morja in se je v Sredozemskem morju prvič pojavila leta 1991. Na fotografiji je njej sorodna vrsta Pterois volitans, ki je prav tako invazivna (Foto: B. Mavrič) Sl. 1: Polži zaškrgarji so pomembni bioindikatorji odzivov, povezanih s segrevanjem vodnih mas, podnebnimi spremem- bami, onesnaževanjem in izgubo habitatov. Poleg tega so dragocen vir bioaktivnih spojin, uporabnih v medicini. Na sliki vrsta Diaphorodoris papillata. (Foto: B. Mavrič) Sl. 2: Zebrasta babica (Salaria basilisca) je ena od večjih in pisanih vrst sredozemskih babic. O tej vrsti z značilnim barv- nim vzorcem je razmeroma malo znanega, za Jadransko morje pa ni povsem jasno, ali v njem živi. (Foto: F. Tiralongo) Sl. 3: Zlati cipelj (Chelon auratus) je morska riba, ki pogosto obiskuje sladkovodna in brakična življenjska okolja. Pojavlja se v jatah, ki zaidejo tudi v lagune in estuarije. (Foto: L. Lipej) Sl. 4: Povezovanje in sodelovanje z rekreativnimi potapljači in podvodnimi fotografi v raziskovanju morja je v zadnjih desetletjih izjemno prispevalo k boljšemu poznavanju polžev zaškrgarjev v Sredozemlju. Na sliki polž vrste Cratena pe- regrina, ki se prehranjuje na kolonijskih trdoživnjakih. (Foto: T. Makovec) Sl. 5: Veliko morsko šilo (Syngnathus acus) je sorodnik morskih konjičkov. Običajno ga najdemo v plitvinah skalnatega dna, pojavlja pa se tudi v morskih travnikih in estuarijih. Za njegovo vrsto je značilno, da samec nosi jajca v zarodni vreči pod repom. (Foto: L. Lipej) Sl. 6: Nekateri strokovnjaki menijo, da so morski travniki po pomenu enakovredni tropskim deževnim gozdovom in da je zato treba njihovemu ohranjanju posvetiti posebno pozornost. V zadnjem desetletju se s krčenjem morskih travnikov soočamo tudi že v slovenskem delu Jadranskega morja. Na sliki morski travnik pozejdonke (Posidonia oceanica). (Foto: T. Makovec) INDEX TO PICTURES ON THE COVER FRONT COVER: A few years ago, the lionfish (Pterois miles) also appeared in the Adriatic Sea. This non-indigenous tropical fish, considered one of the most invasive fish species and originating from the Red Sea, made its first appe- arance in the Mediterranean in 1991. The species shown here is its closely related cousin Pterois volitans, which is also invasive. (Photo: B. Mavrič) Fig. 1: Heterobranch gastropods are important bioindicators for assessing ecosystem responses to water mass war- ming, climate change, pollution, and habitat loss. They also serve as a valuable source of bioactive compounds used in medicine. Here depicted is Diaphorodoris papillata. (Photo: B. Mavrič) Fig. 2: The basilisk blenny (Salaria basilisca) is one of the larger and more colourful Mediterranean blennies. Not much is known about this species, which is distinguished by a unique colour pattern, and it is still unclear whether it inhabits the Adriatic Sea. (Photo: F. Tiralongo) Fig. 3: The golden grey mullet (Chelon auratus) is a marine fish species that also frequents freshwaters and brackish environments. It forms schools that enter lagoons and estuaries as well. (Photo: L. Lipej) Fig. 4: The participation and cooperation of recreational divers in marine research over the past few decades has significantly enhanced our knowledge of heterobranch fauna in the Mediterranean Sea. The image shows a nudi- branch grazing on colonial hydroids. (Photo: T. Makovec) Fig. 5: The greater pipefish (Syngnathus acus) is closely related to sea-horses and is typically found in shallow rocky bottoms, although it can also occur in seagrass meadows and estuaries. The male of this pipefish carries the eggs in a brood pouch located under its tail. (Photo: L. Lipej) Fig. 6: Some experts argue that seagrass meadows are equivalent in significance to tropical rainforests and, as such, deser- ve special attention for conservation. Over the past decade, we have witnessed the shrinking of seagrass meadows in the Slovenian part of the Adriatic Sea as well. The image depicts a seagrass meadow of Posidonia oceanica. (Photo: T. Makovec)