DYNAMICS OF FISH INVASIONS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN: UPDATE OF THE CIESM FISH ATLAS
D. Golani
1
*, L. Orsi-Relini
2
, E. Massuti
3
and J-P. Quignard
4
1
Department of Evolution, Systematics and Ecology, The Hebrew University Jerusalem, Israel - * dgolani@cc.huji.ac.il
2
Laboratori di Biologia Marina ed Ecologia Animal, Genova, Italy
3
IEO-Centre Oceanografic de les Balears, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
4
Laboratoire d’Ichthyologie méditerranéenne, Université Montpellier II, France
Abstract
This paper constitutes an update of exotic fish species that have been recorded in the Mediterranean since the publication of the CIESM
Atlas of ExoticSpeciesin the Mediterranean – Fishesin April 2002. Five new fish species have been recorded and eight fish species have
extended their distribution in the Mediterranean.
Keywords: CIESM, Fish, Exotic, Mediterranean, Update
Rapp. Comm. int. Mer Médit., 37,2004
367
The CIESM Atlas ofExotic Species in the Mediterranean – Fishes
(1), was published in April 2002 and included 90 species recognized
as exotic to the Mediterranean. It summarized all the scientific
literature to that date. In the two years since its publication, the
dynamics of the process of invasions has been demonstrated by the
addition of five new fish species to the Mediterranean. Furthermore,
eight fish species have extended their Mediterranean distribution.
New Invaders
• Striped eel catfish, Plotosus lineatus (Thunberg, 1787) (Family:
Plotosidae) – This venomous catfish has been found in large numbers
on sandy substrate at depths of 10-35 m along the coast of Israel (2).
Several incidents of injury from this species have been reported in its
new habitat.
• Seahorse Hippocampus fuscus Rüppell, 1838 (Family:
Syngnathidae) – This western Indian Ocean and Red Sea species was
first recorded in the Mediterranean from the coast of Israel (3). It was
found in rocky habitats at depths up to 10 m. This species has already
spread to southern Turkey (M. Gokoglu, personal comm.).
• Almaco jack, Seriola rivoliana Cuvier, 1833 (Family:
Carangidae) – This eastern Atlantic species was recorded from the
African continental shelf near Lampedusa Island (4).
• Bluebarred parrotfish, Scarus ghobbanForsskĺl, 1775 (Family:
Scaridae) – A single specimen was recorded from rocky substrate at
Shiqmona near Haifa Bay, Israel(5).
• The ?atfish Solea (Microchrius) boscanionChabanaud, 1926
(Family: Soleidae) – Five specimens were recorded at the Iberian
coast of Spain on soft substrate between 45-65 m depth (6).
Range Extensions
• Enchelcore anatine (Lowe, 1839) – A single specimen was
recorded from Turkey (7). Previously this eastern Atlantic migrant
was known in the Mediterranean only in Israel and Greek waters.
• Fistularia commersoniiRüppell, 1835 – This species experience
a population explosion along the coast of Israel and subsequently
spread westward. It has been recorded at Antalya, Turkey, the island
of Rhodes (8) and Cretan waters (Scazzocchio, pers. comm.); it has
recently reached the shores of Southern Italy (Azzurro, pers. comm.).
• Leiognathus klunzingeri(Steindachner, 1898) – This species was
recorded recently in the southern Adriatic (9).
• Sphyraena chrysotaeniaKlunzinger, 1884 – the record of this
species from the southern Adriatic(10) was published prior to the
publication of the CIESM Fish Atlas and should be included.
• Sphyraena ?avicauda Rüppell, 1838 – Two specimens of this
species have been reported from Antalya Bay, Turkey(11); it was
hitherto known only from a single specimen off the coast of Israel.
• Siganus luridus Rüppell, 1828 – This species was sighted and
photographed from Cretan waters in 2002 (P. Wirtz, pers. comm.).
• Acanthurus monroviae Steindachner, 1876 – Several specimens of
this west African species were sighted and photographed off the
Mediterranean coast of Algeria in late 2001 and August 2002.
Previously it was known in the Mediterranean only from a single
specimen in Israel and another specimen in southern Spain (F. Hemida
pers. comm.).
• Torquigener ?avimaculosus Hardy and Randall, 1983 – A
specimen of this species was photographed in 2002 in Fethiye, Turkey
(M. Bilecenoglu, pers. comm..). Hitherto it was known only from
Haifa Bay, Israel.
Increase in abundance
• Spratelloides delicatulus(Bennett, 1831) – Formerly known only
by two specimens off the Mediterranean coast of Israel, its population
has increased greatly in the last two years; many specimens were
collected using beach seine along the sandy shore of Israel (12).
Nomenclature changes
The species formerly known in the Mediterranean as Apogon
nigripinnis Cuvier, 1828, should be referred to as Apogon pharaonis
Bellotti, 1874. A. nigripinnisis restricted to the eastern Indian and
western Pacific Oceans (13).
References
1-Golani D., Orsi-Relini L., Massuti E. and Quingard J.-P, 2002. CIESM
Atlas of Exotic Species in the Mediterranean. Vol. 1. Fishes. (F. Briand,
ed.). CIESM Pub. Monaco. 254 p.
2-Golani D., 2002. The Indo-Pacific striped eel catfish, Plotosus lineatus
(Thunberg, 1787), (Osteichtyes: Siluriformes) a new record from the
Mediterranean. Scientia Marina, 66: 321-323.
3-Golani D. and Fine M., 2002. On the occurrence of Hippocampus
fuscus in the eastern Mediterranean. J. Fish Biol., 60: 764-766.
4-Castriota L., Grecot S., Marinot G. and Andaloro F., 2002. First record
of Seriola rivoliana Cuvier, 1833 in the Mediterranean. J. Fish Biol., 60:
486-488.
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Assoc., U.K,. 82: 525-526.
12-Golani D., 2002. Lessepsian fish migration – characterization and
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