EDITORIAL, 131-142 EDITORIAL ANNALES - A JOURNAL SPECIALIZED IN SHARK RESEARCH Hakan KABASAKAL Ichthyological Research Society, Tantavi mahallesi, Mentejoglu caddesi, idil apartmani, No: 30, D: 4, Ümraniye TR-34764, 'Istanbul, Turkey e-mail: kabasakal.hakan@gmail.com The story of sharks in the world's oceans started nearly 400 million years ago. Since their first appearance, sharks have occupied a wide range of habitats as a result of their diverse morphological or behavioural adaptations to their environment. Sharks are one of the success stories of evolution, because of their life-history characteristics as k-selected species (large maximum body size, slow growth, late maturity and long lifespan). However, due to these same life-history characteristics, many shark species are now considered vulnerable, threatened or endangered. The Mediterranean region, where sharks display their diversity with 49 species, is known as an important habitat for cartilaginous fish and considered a unique breeding ground for several shark species, e.g. the great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias. Unfortunately, most of the major environmental impacts of fishing recorded around the world take place in the Mediterranean, one of the remarkable localities of shark occurrence. There is evidence that the sharks of the Mediterranean region are decreasing in number, diversity and range due to intensive fishing activities, and the loss of large predatory sharks is a very special concern. Any conversation about sharks can easily get stuck at the issue of the dangers of sharks. Only a few decades ago "merciless sharks are dangerous creatures of the ocean" was a deep-rooted prejudice; but things have changed and now the question is "are sharks dangerous or endangered?" Therefore, in-depth research on the life-history of sharks is inevitable and necessary for a better understanding of these magnificent and fragile predators, as well as for finding a reasonable answer to the question above. The study of sharks is surely one of the most outstanding jobs in modern world. At first sight, studying these proven predators can be seen as an unreasonable effort by many. They have sharp teeth and strong jaws! That's right. Many of them can grow bigger and stronger than us! That's right too. Frankly, many shark species have the capacity to harm humans. Still, in order to understand them and reveal the hidden stories of their biology and ecology, shark researchers around the world should get closer to these animals. Observation and data collection is a daily routine of any shark researcher. And when the survey is completed, the researcher should write and publish the story about the sharks they studied in the wilderness, in a natural history museum, under a microscope, or elsewhere. For the last 25 years, the Annales natural history series journal has been generously providing space to shark researchers for sharing their findings with the scientific community. With an increasing momentum since 1999, a total of 80 articles dealing with sharks, skates and rays have been published in the pages of this remarkable journal specialized in shark research, by many authors from the countries in and beyond the Mediterranean region. Let's take a closer look now at some facts and figures about this elasmobranch publication. From the west to the east of the Mediterranean, researchers from Spain, Morocco, France, Tunisia, Algeria, Italy, Croatia, Slovenia and Turkey - Christian Capape, Alessandro De Maddalena, Alen Soldo, Antonio Celona, Marco Zuffa, Tiziano Storai, Joan Barrull, Isabel Mate, Farid Hemida, Mohamed Nejmeddin Bradai, Olivier Guelorget, Jeanne Zouali, Jean Pierre Quignard, Nejia Mnasri, Olfa El Kamel, Moncef Boumaiza, and many others - have enriched the contents of the journal with their contributions on several aspects of elasmobranch research. Based on the information on study localities stated in the materials and methods sections, the geographical distribution of these contributions is as follows (Fig. 1): 36 out of 80 articles presented the results of studies carried out in central Mediterranean, 31 in eastern Mediterranean, and 13 in the western parts of the basin. Articles covering the entire Mediterranean or its western and central parts together are listed under more than one geographical location. The complete list of contributing authors, with the full titles of their articles can be seen in Table 1. The diversity of the subjects is impressive. When speaking of the sharks and rays of the Mediterranean Sea, researcher Christian Capape is one of the first names that springs to mind. Since Dr. Capape's efforts on Mediterranean elasmobranchs go back many years, he has been one of the major contributors to Annales. Publications by Dr. Capape and European and Maghrebi colleagues are definitely a source of inspiration for who wants to be a shark researcher or needs detailed information on these enigmatic predators, and will be remembered as remarkable milestones of elasmobranch research in western and central Mediterranean. Alessandro De Maddalena, curator of the Italian White Shark Data Bank, has invested much time and energy in gathering available data on the Mediterranean great whites since the 1990s. Not only the white shark, but several other species have been the focus of his research for the last 20 years. Moreover, Dr. De Maddalena's contributions to Annales are not only limited to words; since he is a renowned illustrator of marine life, sharks in particular, his EDITORIAL, 131-142 iri liri N ?.fr\ joH - /cIS^ / " western J ioD Km 36 eastern f Fig. 1: Geographical coverage of elasmobranch articles published in the Annales natural history series between 1999 and 2016. The numbers on the map indicate the number of articles per zone of the Mediterranean region. The eastern region includes the Aegean, Marmara and Black Seas; the central region includes the Ionian and Adriatic Seas Sl. 1: Geografska pripadnost prispevkov o ribah hrustanč-nicah, ki so bili objavljeni v znanstveni reviji Annales med leti 1999 in 2016. Številke na zemljevidu označujejo število prispevkov na posamezni predel Sredozemskega morja. Vzhodni predel vključuje Egejsko, Marmarsko in Črno morje; osrednji predel pa Jonsko in Jadransko morje. illustrations have enriched the contents of many articles appearing in the journal, from scientific and artistic perspectives. The chronology of elasmobranch research in Turkish waters can be divided into two distinct eras: the first, which lasted until the late 1990s, was characterised by a paucity of elasmobranch-specific studies. Since sharks and rays were at the time considered as "pests" with no commercial value, the clear scientific neglect of shark-and ray-specific studies of Turkish waters resulted in a remarkable gap of knowledge about them. Following the foundation of the Ichthyological Research Society in early 2000, a non-governmental and non-profit organization dedicated to elasmobranch research, research efforts in the mentioned field increased considerably. The publication of nearly three dozen shark-specific articles in Annales by Hakan Kabasakal and his colleagues between 2002 and 2016, significantly improved our knowledge about sharks found in Turkish waters and in the broader area of eastern Mediterranean. An increased number of shark-related studies and publications associated with the mentioned area can be considered as the hallmark of the second era: the rise of elasmobranch research in Turkey. 14 H Carcharodon carcharias Hexanchus griseus Isurus oxyrinchus Galeus melastomus Alopias vulpinus Species Echinorhinus brucus Scyliorhinus canicula Sphyrna zygaena Alopias superciliosus Carcharhinus plumbeus Etmopterus spinax Heptranchias perlo Lamna nasus Oxynotus centrina Centrophorus granulosus Carcharhinus amboinensis Carcharhinus brachyurus Carcharhinus brevipinna Dalatias licha Galeocerdo cuvier Squatina squatina Fig. 2: Number of articles per sharks and elasmobranchs species. Different shark species with the same number of citations in the articles are listed under the same column. Sl. 2: Število znanstvenih prispevkov glede na posamezne vrsto morskih psov. Različne vrste morskih psov z enakim številom prispevkov so navedene pod stolpiči. EDITORIAL, 131-142 Fifty-six out of 80 articles dealt with the occurrence, distribution or status of sharks, rays and skates in the Mediterranean and adjacent seas, greatly improving our understanding of the current status and distribution ranges of Mediterranean elasmobranchs, and of the first records of new arrivals to the area. Biological aspects of elasmobranchs (e.g. reproduction, feeding and stomach contents) and morphology were another two topics featured in the publications (23 out of 80 articles). Some interesting, but rarely published topics were shark attacks, post-release behaviour, photographic analysis of largest specimens, and analysis of newspaper reports (1 article per topic). Again, articles covering more than one topic are listed under each separate topic, based on the keywords defined in the article. With regard to the numerical distribution of articles per species (Fig. 2), the great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias, is the "top star," with 13 out of 80 articles dealing with several aspects of this master predator of the silent world. It is followed by the basking shark, Cetorhinus maximus (8 articles), sixgill shark, Hexanchus griseus, and shortfin mako shark, Isurus oxyrinchus (6 articles per species). Skates and rays appeared in 14 out of 80 articles. The journal also published some very interesting articles on several other endangered shark species of the Mediterranean. Among these were papers dealing with the status of the angel shark, Squatina squatina, in the Sea of Marmara, with the Marmaric occurrence and new maximum depth record (1214 m) of the bramble shark, Echinorhinus brucus, a rare deep sea shark supposed to be extinct in the eastern Mediterranean until this publication, and with the first record of the pigeye shark, Carcharhinus amboinensis, and the second record of the tiger shark, Galeocerdo cuvier, in the Mediterranean Sea. Drastic reductions in the stocks of traditional commercially important sea fishes mean that elas- mobranchs are currently seen as new opportunities for fisheries development. As already mentioned, elasmobranchs are the success story of the evolution because of their life-history characteristics. However, sharks, skates and rays are nowadays swimming along the edge of the knife, and most species are struggling to survive. Dangerous monsters of old are now considered endangered. A closer examination of the elasmobranch publications in Annales reveals that 4 of the mentioned species are presently considered "critically endangered," 3 are "endangered," 6 are "nearly threatened," 1 is "threatened," and 5 species are considered "vulnerable." Eight of the species dealt with are now considered "data deficient" and six are of "least concern," and it can be expected that any changes in the conservation status of these species may only be for the worse if the current targeted and untargeted fishing pressure on them continues. Throughout the long-lasting publication effort of Annales, contributing authors have passionately called attention to the alarming status of elasmobranchs. With the hard efforts of contributing authors, Annales, a journal specialized in research of sharks and their relatives, has reached a privileged milestone in its long-lasting editorial journey. Last but not least, I have to mention the names of the editors, Lovrenc Lipej, editor in chief, and Martina Orlando-Bonaca, and extend my sincere thanks on behalf of the contributing authors for their editorial assistance, which has not diminished over the years. And finally, the supportive efforts of Patricija Mozetič, former editor of the journal, will always be remembered with appreciation. As time passes by, new generations of researchers will hopefully continue the endeavours of studying elasmobranchs and add new publications into the pages of Annales, which will always welcome them. Tab. 1: The complete list of contributing authors with the full titles of their articles on sharks and other elasmobranch species, published in the scientific journal Annales. Tab. 1: Popoln seznam vseh znanstvenih prispevkov o morskih psih in drugih ribah hrustančnicah z navedenimi naslovi in avtorji, ki so bili objavljeni v znanstveni reviji Annales. No Title Date Authors Country Origin of Authors Marine Area 1 New record and some morphological data of the basking shark, Cetorhinus maximus (Gunnerus, 1765), in the eastern Adriatic 1999 Alen Soldo Melita Peharda Vlado Onofri Nikša Glavič Pero Tutman Croatia Adriatic (Central Mediterranean) Sea 2 Records of the sandbar shark Carcharhinus plumbeus (Nardo, 1827) in the Gulf of Trieste (Northern Adriatic) 2000 Lovrenc Lipej Tihomir Makovec Alen Soldo Valter Žiža Slovenia Croatia Adriatic (Central Mediterranean) Sea EDITORIAL, 131-142 3 First record of a tiger shark Caleocerdo cuvier (Peron & le Seur, 1822) in the Italian waters 2000 Antonio Celona Italy Central Mediterranean Sea 4 Il disegno della superficie ventrale delle pinne pettorali dei selachi come carettere diagnostico per il riconoscimento delle specie 2000 Alessandro De Maddalena Italy Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic 5 Occurrence of the basking shark, Cetorhinus maximus (Gunnerus, 1765), in the waters off Piran (Gulf of Trieste, Northern Adriatic) 2000 Lovrenc Lipej Tihomir Makovec Martina Orlando Valter Žiža Slovenia Adriatic (Central Mediterranean) Sea 6 Historical and contemporary presence of the great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758), in the northern and central Adriatic Sea 2000 Alessandro De Maddalena Italy Adriatic (Central Mediterranean) Sea 7 An analysis of the photographic evidences of the largest great white sharks Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758), captured in the Mediterranean Sea with considerations about the maximum size of the species 2001 Alessandro De Maddalena Marco Zuffa Lovrenc Lipej Antonio Celona Italy Slovenia Mediterranean Sea 8 Morphometrics of neonate velvet belly, Etmopterus spinax (Linnaeus, 1758) 2001 Alessandro De Maddalena Luigi Piscitelli Italy Central Mediterranean Sea 9 First confirmed record of angular rough shark Oxynotus centrina (Linnaeus, 1758) predation on shark egg case of small-spotted catshark Scyliorhinus canicula (Linnaeus, 1758) in Mediterranean waters 2001 Joan Barrull Isabel Mate Spain Western Mediterranean Sea 10 In relation to the captures of a great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758), and a shortfin mako, Isurus oxyrinchus Rafinesque, 1809, in the Messina Strait 2001 Alessandro De Maddalena Italy Central Mediterranean Sea 11 On the capture of a young porpeagle, Lamna nasus (Bonnaterre, 1788), in the western Adriatic Sea 2001 Mario Marconi Alessandro De Maddalena Italy Central Mediterranean Sea 12 Preliminary observations on abnormal abundance of Cetorhinus maximus (Gunnerus, 1765) in middle and northern Adriatic Sea 2001 Marco Zuffa Alen Soldo Tiziano Storai Italy Croatia Adriatic (Central Mediterranean) Sea EDITORIAL, 131-142 13 Presence of the great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758) in the Catalonian Sea (NW Mediterranean): Review and discussion of records, and notes about its ecology 2001 Joan Barrull Isabel Mate Spain Western Mediterranean Sea 14 Due catture di squalo bianco, Carcharodon carcharias (Linneo, 1758) avvenute nelle acque di Marzamemi (Sicilia) negli anni 1937 e 1964 2002 Antonio Celona Italy Central Mediterranean Sea 15 Elasmobranch species of the seas of Turkey 2002 Hakan Kabasakal Turkey Eastern Mediterranean, Aegean, Marmara and Black seas 16 Morphometrics of young kitefin sharks, Dalatias licha (Bonnaterre, 1788), from northeastern Aegean Sea, with notes on its biology 2002 Hakan Kabasakal Elif Kabasakal Turkey Northern Aegean Sea 17 Presence of atypical characteristics in a specimen of small-spotted catshark Scyliorhinus canicula (Linnaeus, 1758) caught in the Mediterranean 2002 Joan Barrull Isabel Mate Manuel Bueno Spain Western Mediterranean Sea 18 Stomach contents of the longnose spurdog, Squalus blainvillei (Risso, 1826) from the north-eastern Aegean Sea 2002 Hakan Kabasakal Turkey Northern Aegean Sea 19 Capture of a female basking shark Cetorhinus maximus (Gunnerus, 1765), from southern Turkey 2002 Hakan Kabasakal Turkey Eastern Mediterranean 20 Historical and contemporary records of sharks from the Sea of Marmara, Turkey 2003 Hakan Kabasakal Turkey Sea of Marmara 21 Records of basking sharks, Cetorhinus maximus (Gunnerus, 1765) (Chondrichthyes: Cetorhinidae) off the Maghrebin shore (southern Mediterranean): 2003 Christian Capape Farid Hemida Jalil Bensaci Bechir Saidi Mohamed Nejmeddin Bradai France Algeria Tunisia Western Mediterranean Sea 22 Effects of reproductive factors on interrelationships between three deep water sharks from northern Tunisia (central Mediterranean) 2003 Christian Capape Olivier Guelorget Christian Reynaud Adam Marques Jean Luc Bochereau Jeanne Zouali France Tunisia Central Mediterranean Sea 23 Status of sharks in the Mediterranean 2003 Alen Soldo Croatia Mediterranean Sea EDITORIAL, 131-142 24 Historical records of the great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lamniformes: Lamnidae), from the Sea of Marmara 2003 Hakan Kabasakal Turkey Sea of Marmara 25 Sharks captured off Pescara (Italy, western Adriatic Sea) 2003 Gianluca Cugini Alessandro De Maddalena Italy Adriatic (Central Mediterranean) Sea 26 A gravid female bramble shark, Echinorhinus brucus (Bonnaterre, 1788), caught off Elba Island (Italy, northern Tyrrhenian Sea) 2003 Alessandro De Maddalena Marco Zuffa Italy Thyrrenian (Central Mediterranean) Sea 27 Records of the bluntnose sixgill shark, Hexanchus griseus (Bonnaterre, 1788) (Chondrichthyes: Hexanchidae) in the Mediterranean Sea: A historical survey 2003 Christian Capape Olivier Guelorget Joan Barrull Isabel Mate Farid Hemida Rabea Seridji Jalil Bensaci Mohamed Nejmeddin Bradai France Spain Algeria Tunisia Mediterranean Sea 28 On a great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758), trapped in a tuna cage off Libya, Mediterranean Sea 2004 Txema Galaz Alessandro De Maddalena Spain Italy Central Mediterranean Sea 29 Cetorhinus maximus (Gunnerus, 1765) (Lamniformes, Cetorhinidae) in the Gulf of Antalya in 1987: A summary of the previous records of the species from Turkish coastal waters in the Mediterranean 2004 Hakan Kabasakal Turkey Eastern Mediterranean 30 Sharks captured by commercial fishing vessels off the coast of Turkey in the northern Aegean Sea 2004 Hakan Kabasakal Elif Kabasakal Turkey Northern Aegean Sea 31 Observations on biometrical parameters in elasmobranch species from Maghrebin waters: A survey 2004 Christian Capape Jean Pierre Quignard Olivier Guelorget Mohamed Nejmeddin Bradai Abderrahman Bouain Jamila Ben Souissi Jeanne Zaouali Farid Hemida France Algeria Tunisia Central and Western Mediterranean 32 Two large shortfin makos, Isurus oxyrinchus, Rafinesque, 1809, caught off Sicily, western Ionian Sea 2004 Antonio Celona Luigi Piscitelli Alessandro De Maddalena Italy Central Mediterranean Sea EDITORIAL, 131-142 33 The elasmobranch species from the Bahiret el Biban (southern Tunisia, central Mediterranean): A survey 2004 Christian Capape Olivier Guelorget Jean Pierre Quignard Amor el Abed Jamila Ben Souissi Jeanne Zaouali France Tunisia Central Mediterranean Sea 34 Catture ed awistamenti di mobula, Mobula mobular (Bonnaterre, 1788) nelle acque dello Stretto di Messina 2004 Antonio Celona Italy Central Mediterranean Sea 35 On the recent occurrence of elasmobranch species in Tunis southern lagoon (northern Tunisia, central Mediterranean) 2004 Hamadi Mejri Jamila Ben Souissi Jeanne Zaouali Amor el Abed Yvan Vergne Olivier Guelorget Christian Capape France Tunisia Central Mediterranean Sea 36 On the occurrence of the pelagic stingray, Dasyatis violacea (Bonaparte, 1832), in the Gulf of Trieste (northern Adriatic) 2004 Borut Mavrič Radoš Jenko Tihomir Makovec Lovrenc Lipej Slovenia Agriatic (Central Mediterranean) Sea 37 Sexual dimorphism in small-spotted catshark, Scyliorhinus canicula (L., 1758), from the Edremit Bay (Turkey) 2004 Zeliha Aka Erdogan Hatice Torcu Dilek Türker ^akin Vedrana Nerlovič Jakov Dulčič Turkey Croatia Northern Aegean Sea 38 Occurrence of hammerhead sharks (Chondrichthyes: Sphyrnidae) in waters off Sicily (central Mediterranean): Historical and Recent Data 2005 Antonio Celona Alessandro De Maddalena Italy Central Mediterranean Sea 39 On the occurrence of the porpeagle, Lamna nasus (Bonnaterre, 1788) (Chondrichthyes: Lamnidae), off Italian coasts (northern and central Mediterranean Sea): A historical survey 2005 Tiziano Storai Antonio Celona Marco Zuffa Alessandro De Maddalena Italy Central Mediterranean Sea 40 Photographic evidence of the occurrence of bramble shark, Echinorhinus brucus (Bonnaterre, 1788) (Squaliformes: Echinorhinidae) from the Sea of Marmara 2005 Hakan Kabasakal M. Idil Öz S. Ünsal Karhan Ziya ^aylarbaji Umut Tural Turkey Sea of Marmara 41 Pontic occurrence of the bluntnose sixgill shark, Hexanchus griseus (Bonnaterre, 1788) (Chondrichthyes: Hexanchidae) 2005 Hakan Kabasakal Turkey Black Sea 42 First record of the pigeye shark, Carcharhinus amboinensis (Müller & Henle, 1839) 2005 Alessandro De Maddalena Gianfranco Della Rovere Italy Central Mediterranean Sea EDITORIAL, 131-142 43 Shark chumming in the eastern Adriatic 2005 Alen Soldo Richard Peirce Croatia United Kingdom Adriatic (Central Mediterranean) Sea 44 The Gulf of Gabes (central Mediterranean): Nursery area for the sandbar shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus (Nardo, 1827) (Chondrichthyes: Carcharhinidae) 2005 Mohamed Nejmeddin Bradai Bechir Saidi Abderrahman Bouain Olivier Guelorget Christian Capape Tunisia France Central Mediterranean Sea 45 Distribution and biology of the bluntnose sixgill shark, Hexanchus griseus (Bonnaterre, 1788) (Chondrichthyes: Hexanchidae), from Turkish waters 2006 Hakan Kabasakal Turkey Eastern Mediterranean, Aegean, Marmara and Black seas 46 Quignard skates and rays (Chondrichthyes) from waters off the Languedocian coast (southern France, northern Mediterranean): a historical survey and present status 2006 Christian Capape Olivier Guelorget Yvan Vergne Adam Marques Jean Pierre Quignard France Western Mediterranean Sea 47 Biological observations on the black torpedo, Torpedo nobiliana Bonaparte, 1835 (Chondrichthyes: Torpedinidae), from two Mediterranean areas 2006 Christian Capape Olivier Guelorget Yvan Vergne Jean Pierre Quignard Mohamed Mourad Ben Amor Mohamed Nejmeddin Bradai France Tunisia Central and Western Mediterranean 48 Evidence of predatory attack on a bottle nose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus by a great white shark Carcharodon carcharias in the Mediterranean Sea 2006 Antonio Celona Alessandro De Maddalena Giorgia Comparetto Italy Central Mediterranean 49 On a rare skate, the speckled ray, Raja polystigma Regan, 1923 (Chondrichthyes: Rajidae) captured off the coast of Languedoc (southern France, northern Mediterranean) 2006 Christian Capape Olivier Guelorget Yvan Vergne Jean Pierre Quignard France Western Mediterranean Sea 50 Incidental captures of thresher sharks (Lamniformes: Alopiidae) from Turkish coastal waters 2007 Hakan Kabasakal Turkey Eastern Mediterranean, Aegean, Marmara and Black seas 51 Sizes of eight oviparous elasmobranch species hatched in two Mediterranean areas: A survey and recent data 2007 Christian Capape Mohamed Ben Salem Mohamed Mourad Ben Amor France Tunisia Central and Western Mediterranean 52 Diet of the marbled electric ray, Torpedo marmorata (Chondrichthyes: Torpedinidae) off the Languedocian coast (southern France, northern Mediterranean) 2007 Christian Capape Severine Crouzet Celine Clement Yvan Vergne Olivier Guelorget France Western Mediterranean EDITORIAL, 131-142 53 First record of Carcharhinus brachyurus (Gunther, 1870) (Chondrichthyes: Carcharhinidae) from Sardinian waters (central Mediterranean) 2007 Tiziano Storai Luca Zinzula Benedetto Cristo Brett Human Italy Sultanate of Oman Central Mediterranean Sea 54 Two recent records of the great white sharks, Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758) (Chondrichthyes: Lamnidae), caught in Turkish waters 2008 Hakan Kabasakal Turkey Aegean and Marmara seas 55 New biological data on the eagle ray, Myliobatis aquila (Chondrichthyes: Myliobatidae), off the Languedocian coast (southern France, northern Mediterranean) 2008 Christian Capape Yvan Vergne Jean Pierre Quignard Christian Reynaud France Western Mediterranean Sea 56 Note on a sharpnose sevengill shark, Heptranchias perlo (Bonnaterre, 1788) (Chondrichthyes: Hexanchidae), stranded in Saroz Bay (NE Aegean Sea, Turkey) 2008 Hakan Kabasakal Polat Ince Turkey Northern Aegean Sea 57 On the capture of a large basking shark, Cetorhinus maximus (Chondrichthyes: Cetorhinidae) in the Bay of Edremit (northeastern Aegean Sea) 2009 Hakan Kabasakal Turkey Northern Aegean Sea 58 Two juvenile great white sharks, Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758) (Chondrichthyes: Lamnidae), caught in the northern Aegean Sea 2009 Hakan Kabasakal Aylin Yarmaz Sait Özgür Gedikoglu Turkey Northern Aegean Sea 59 New biological data on thornback ray, Raja clavata (Chondrichthyes: Rajidae), off the Languedocian coast (southern France, northern Mediterranean) 2009 Christian Capape Yvan Vergne Christian Reynaud France Western Mediterranean Sea 60 Post-release behavior and anthropogenic injuries of the bluntnose sixgill shark, Hexanchus griseus (Bonnaterre, 1788) (Chondrichthyes: Hexanchidae) in Turkish waters 2010 Hakan Kabasakal Turkey Eastern Mediterranean, Aegean and Marmara seas 61 A review of newspaper and internet portrayals of the sixgill shark, Hexanchus griseus (Bonnaterre, 1788) (Chondrichthyes: Hexanchidae), caught in Turkish waters between 1974-2009 2010 Hakan Kabasakal Turkey Eastern Mediterranean, Aegean, Marmara and Black seas EDITORIAL, 131-142 62 Additional records of the bull ray, Pteromylaeus bovinus (Chondrichthyes: Myliobatidae), in the Lagoon of Bizerte (northern Tunisia, central Mediterranean) 2010 Olfa El Kamel Nejia Mnasri Moncef Boumaiza Mohamed Mourad Ben Amor Christian Reynaud Christian Capape Tunisia France Central Mediterranean Sea 63 Morphological abnormalities in two batoid species (Chondrichthyes) from northern Tunisian waters (central Mediterranean) 2010 Nejia Mnasri Olfa El Kamel Moncef Boumaiza Mohamed Mourad Ben Amor Christian Reynaud Christian Capape Tunisia France Central Mediterranean Sea 64 Atypical coloration in small-spotted catshark, Scyliorhinus canicula (Chondrichthyes: Scyliorhinidae) caught off northern Tunisian coast (central Mediterranean) 2010 Nejia Mnasri Olfa El Kamel Moncef Boumaiza Tunisia Central Mediterranean Sea 65 A huge shortfin mako shark, Isurus oxyrinchus Rafinesque, 1810 (Chondrichthyes: Lamnidae) from the waters of Marmaris, Turkey 2011 Hakan Kabasakal Alessandro De Maddalena Turkey Italy Southern Aegean Sea 66 Great white tales 2011 Hakan Kabasakal Özgür Kabasakal Turkey Aegean and Marmara seas 67 Additional records of the bigeye thresher shark, Alopias superciliosus (Lowe, 1839) (Chondrichthyes: Lamniformes: Alopiidae) from Turkish waters 2011 Hakan Kabasakal Cem Dalyan Adem Yurtsever Turkey Eastern Mediterranean, Aegean and Marmara seas 68 Abnormalities in common torpedos, Torpedo torpedo (Chondrichthyes: Torpedinidae) from the Lagoon of Bizerte (northern Tunisia, central Mediterranean) 2011 Olfa El Kamel-Moutalibi Nejia Mnasri Moncef Boumaiza Christian Reynaud Christian Capape Tunisia France Central Mediterranean Sea 69 First record of a shortfin mako shark, Isurus oxyrinchus Rafinesque, 1810 (Chondrichthyes: Lamnidae) from the Bay of Saroz (NE Aegean Sea) 2013 Hakan Kabasakal Özgür Kabasakal Turkey Northern Aegean Sea 70 Bluntnose sixgill shark, Hexanchus griseus (Chondrichthyes: Hexanchidae), caught by commercial fishing vessels in the seas of Turkey between 1967 and 2013 2013 Hakan Kabasakal Turkey Eastern Mediterranean, Aegean, Marmara and Black seas EDITORIAL, 131-142 71 Rare but present: Status of basking shark, Cetorhinus maximus (Gunnerus, 1765) in eastern Mediterranean 2013 Hakan Kabasakal Turkey Eastern Mediterranean and Aegean seas 72 Status of angelshark, Squatina squatina (Elasmobranchii: Squatiniformes: Squatinidae) in the Sea of Marmara 2014 Hakan Kabasakal Özgür Kabasakal Turkey Sea of Marmara 73 Not disappeared, just rare! Status of the bramble shark, Echinorhinus brucus (Elasmobranchii: Echinorhinidae) in the seas of Turkey 2014 Hakan Kabasakal Murat Bilecenoglu Turkey Aegean and Marmara seas 74 Additional records of a rare elasmobranch species, sharpnose sevengill shark Heptranchias perlo (Hexanchidae) off the northern Tunisian coast (central Mediterranean) 2014 Olfa El Kamel-Moutalibi Nejia Mnasrisioudi Sihem Rafrafi-Nouira Moncef Boumaiza Tunisia Central Mediterranean Sea 75 Recent record of the great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758), from central Aegean Sea off Turkey's coast 2015 Hakan Kabasakal Özgür Kabasakal Turkey Aegean Sea 76 Occurrence of the angular rough shark, Oxynotus centrina (Chondrichthyes: Oxynotidae) in the eastern Mediterranean 2015 Hakan Kabasakal Turkey Eastern Mediterranean, Aegean and Marmara seas 77 Photographic record of the spinner shark, Carcharhinus brevipinna (Müller & Henle, 1839), in Gökova Bay (south Aegean Sea, Turkey) 2015 Halit Filiz Hakan Kabasakal Turkey Southern Aegean Sea 78 Shark attacks against humans and boats in Turkey's waters in the twentieth century 2015 Hakan Kabasakal Sait Özgür Gedikoglu Turkey Eastern Mediterranean, Aegean and Marmara seas 79 Additional records of spinetail devilray Mobula japonica (Chondrichthyes: Mobulidae) from the Tunisian coast (central Mediterranean) 2015 Sihem Rafrafi-Nouira Olfa El Kamel-Moutalibi Mohamed Mourad Ben Amor Christian Capape Tunisia France Central Mediterranean 80 Capture of a juvenile shortfin mako shark, Isurus oxyrinchus Rafinesque, 1810 (Chondrichthyes: Lamnidae) in the Bay of Edremit, northern Aegean Sea (Turkey) 2016 Sezginer Tunger Hakan Kabasakal Turkey Northern Aegean Sea EDITORIAL, 131-142 POVZETEK UVODNIKA ANNALES - SPECIALIZIRANA ZNANSTVENA REVIJA ZA RAZISKAVE O MORSKIH PSIH Hakan KABASAKAL Ichthyological Research Society, Tantavi mahallesi, Mentejoglu caddesi, idil apartmani, No: 30, D: 4, Ümraniye TR-34764, 'Istanbul, Turkey e-mail: kabasakal.hakan@gmail.com Sredozemsko morje, v katerem živi 49 vrst morskih psov, je pomembno življenjsko okolje za ribe hrustančnice, obenem, pa tudi edinstveno razmnoževalno okolje za mnoge vrste, med drugim tudi za belega morskega volka fCarcharodon carchariasj. V zadnjih petindvajsetih letih je znanstveni časopis Annales series historia naturalis veliko prostora odmerjal raziskavam,ki so jih opravili raziskovalci morskih psov, in na tak način obveščal strokovno javnost. Od leta 1999 pa do danes je bilo v tej izjemni znanstveni reviji objavljenih 80 znanstvenih prispevkov, ki so jih prispevali raziskovalci iz različnih sredozemskih držav in tudi mnogi, ki prihajajo iz držav izven Sredozemlja. Od 80 prispevkov jih je 36 poročalo o raziskavah iz osrednjega Sredozemlja, 31 iz vzhodnega in 13 iz zahodnega Sredozemlja. Od raziskovalcev, ki so prispevali največ del, je potrebno v prvi vrsti omeniti Christiana Capapeja, Alessandra de Maddalena in Hakana Kabasakala. Največkrat so avtorji poročali o belem morskem volku (13 prispevkov od 80), morskem psu orjaku (Cetorhinus maximus) (8 prispevkov), morskem psu šesteroškrgarju (Hexanchus griseus) in maku (Isurus oxyrhincus) (oba s po 6 prispevki). Posebej zanimivi so znanstveni prispevki o zelo redkih in ogroženih vrstah. Med njimi je omembe vreden prispevek o redkem bodičastem morskem psu (Echinorhinus brucus), domnevno izumrli vrsti, ki ga je posnelo daljinsko vodeno plovilo (ROV) v Marmarskem morju na globini 1214 m. Prav tako so zanimivi prispevki, ki obravnavajo pojavljanje zelo redkih vrst, kot so sklat (Squatina squatina) ali pa zapisi o pojavljanju novih vrst v Sredozemskem morju kot sta npr. morski tiger (Galeocerdo cuvieri) in javanski morski pes (Carcharhinus amboinensis). Znanstveno revijo Annales lahko na podlagi kakovostnih in rednih prispevkov ob priliki pomembnega jubileja upravičeno definiramo kot specializirano znanstveno revijo za morske pse in njihove sorodnike.