Relevant synonyms None Misidentification None Meristic formula D, XI + 8-9; A, III + 8 -9; P, 13-14; V, I + 5; LL, 23-24; GR, 12-16  photo : David Darom

SHORT DESCRIPTION Body moderately deep and compressed. Dorsal fin continuous, its rays longer than its spines. Caudal fin rounded. Anal rays progressively longer until penultimate, last ray shorter. First pelvic rays very long in males, much shorter in females. Head profile straight to slightly concave in large males. Mouth terminal with distinct lips. Anterior of jaw with two pairs of recurved canines teeth. The second pair curves outward. Preoperculum serrated, number of serrae increases with fish growth. Cycloid scales. color : body brown-red to greenish yellow with elongated dark brown-red spots along lateral line. Black spot on the upper part of the first 2-4 interspinous dorsal membrane. Conspicuous black blotch on the operculum with yellow ring near its edge. size : common 5-8 cm (max. 11 cm). DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS The shape and the color patterns of this species differ significantly from all other Mediterranean species. BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Feeds on small benthic invertebrates. Eggs and larvae planktonic. Clear sexual dimorphism, male larger more colorful with filamentous first pelvic ray reaching at least the middle of anal fin base. habitat : coastal waters, usually with seagrass to depth of 35 m.

1st MEDITERRANEAN RECORD Haifa Bay, Israel, 1992. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide : Red Sea to eastern Africa, to Delgoa Bay, Madagascar and Mauritius. Mediterranean : recorded first in Haifa Bay, Israel (Golani and Sonin, 1992) ; successively recorded in Rhodes (Corsini and Economidis, 1999) and northern Cyprus (Kaya et al., 2000). ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Relatively rare in the Levant; much more frequent near Rhodes Island. speculated reasons for success : MODE OF INTRODUCTION Via the Suez Canal. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS None. Most of the Mediterranean specimens were collected by trawl.

KEY REFERENCES Corsini M. and Economidis P.S., 1999. Distribution extension of two Lessepsian migrants found in the marine area of the Island of Rhodes (Aegean Sea, Greece). Cybium, 23: 195-199. Golani D. and Sonin O., 1992. New records of the Red Sea fishes, Pterois miles (Scorpaenidae) and Pteragogus pelycus (Labridae) from the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Japanese Journal of Ichthyology, 39: 167-169. Kaya M., Bilecenoglu M. and Golani D., 2000. New record of a Lessepsian migrant Pteragogus pelycus Randall, 1981 (Teleostei: Labridae) for northern Cyprus. Zoology in the Middle East, 20: 65-68. FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

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