Relevant synonyms None Misidentification None Meristic formula D, 11-19; A, 9-12; P, 16-18  photo : David Darom

SHORT DESCRIPTION Body inflatable. When not inflated, body elongate with tapering caudal peduncle. Dorsal and anal fins opposite each other; both fins pointed with short base. Caudal fin emarginated. Pectoral fin wide. No pelvic fin. Head large with blunt snout. Two teeth in each jaw with median suture. Gill slit in front of pectoral fin base. Two lateral lines. Small spinules on dorsal surface, almost reaching caudal fin base, and also on the ventral surface to the anus. color : back and upper flank silvery to grey covered with black dots. Bright silver stripe on the side; belly white. size : 20-60 cm (max. 85 cm). DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS Lagochephalus spadiceus: small spinules on the dorsal surface, not extending posteriorly beyond the pectoral fin margin. Lagocephalus suezensis: 10 dorsal rays; irregularly-shaped brown to grey dots of various sizes on its back. Torquigener flavimaculosus: round caudal fin. Sphoeroides pachygaster: smooth skin. Chilomycterus spilostylus: three rooted spines, fixed in erected position. BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Capable of inflating when threatened. Feeds on benthic invertebrates. Eggs and larvae planktonic. Very poisonous to eat. habitat : benthic above sandy substrate in the vicinity of the coral reef but has been recorded also at depths of 250 m in the Red Sea.

1st MEDITERRANEAN RECORD 2003, Gökova Bay, Turkey. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide: Indo-Pacific. Mediterranean: recorded first from a single specimen off Akyaka, in the Gökova Bay, Turkey (Southeastern Aegean Sea) (Akyol et al., 2005); Israel (Golani and Levy, 2005); Antalya, Turkey; Rhodes, Greece. Recently recorded in Egypt, Libya and in the Gulf of Gabes (Tunisia). Note: the occurrence of this species in the Mediterranean was recorded previously by Mouneimne, 1977 as a misidentification of L. suezensis. ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Common. speculated reasons for success : MODE OF INTRODUCTION Via the Suez Canal. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS None; however, dangerous to eat due to highly poisonous nature. Two cases of poisoning from Israel and Lebanon by people who consumed this fish were reported.

KEY REFERENCES Bazairi H., Sghaier Y.R., Benamer I., Langar H., Pergent G., Bourass E.M., Verlaque M. , Ben Soussi J. and Zenetos A., 2013. Alien marine species of Libya: first inventory and new records in El-Kouf National Park (Cyrenaica) and the neighbouring areas. Mediterranean Marine Science, 14(2): 451-462. Filiz H. and Er M., 2004. Akdeniz'in Yeni Misafiri. Deniz Magazin, 68: 52-54. Golani D., 1996. The marine ichthyofauna of the eastern Levant-history, inventory and characterization. Israel Journal of Zoology, 42: 15-55. Golani D. and Levy Y., 2005. New records and rare occurrences of fish species from the Mediterranean coast of Israel. Zoology in the Middle East, 36: 27-32. Jirbi M. and Bradai M.N., 2012. First record of the Lessepsian migrant species Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin, 1789) (Actinopterygii: Tetraodontidae) in central Mediterranean. BioInvasions Records, 1 (online). Mouneimne N., 1977. Liste des poissons de la côte du Liban (Méditerranée orientale). Cybium, 1: 37-66.   Randall J.E., 1995. Coastal Fishes of Oman. Honolulu: University of Hawai 'i Press. 439 p. FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

Last update of the species sheet: November 2013 ©ciesm 2002