Mehmet Gökoğlu

First records of Nemichthys scolopaceus and Nemipterus randalli and second record of Apterichthus caecus from Antalya Bay, southern Turkey

The present paper reports the first record of two fish species and a second record of another species from Antalya Bay, Turkey. The record of Nemichthys scolopaceus is an eastward extension of its distribution and the record of the Red Sea migrant (lessepsian), Nemipterus randalli constitutes a substantial westward extension in its new region. Apterichthus caecus was recorded for the second time from the Mediterranean coast of Turkey.

First record of the Indo-Pacific Milkfish, Chanos chanos (Forskål, 1775), in the Turkish Mediterranean Sea

After the opening of the Suez Canal, many marine species penetrated into the Mediterranean Sea from the Red Sea and, as a result of this so-called Lessepsian migration, many species of Indo-Pacific origin can today be found in the Mediterranean. Many investigations have been carried out on this phenomenen (MAVRUK & AV AR 2009). Altogether a total of 160 alien fish species has been reported from the Mediterranean Basin as a result of this Lessepsian migration. There are 67 species introduced into the Mediterranean from the Atlantic Ocean via the Gibraltar, three of which originated from the Boreal Atlantic, 86 species migrated from the Red Sea via the Suez Canal, four of which originated from the Pacific Ocean. The number of alien fish species increased by 68.42 % in the years 2002-2010 (ORAL 2010). Chanidae are generally distributed in tropical seas. We can here report Chanos chanos (Forskål, 1775) for the first time from the Mediterranean Sea. It is the first Lessepsian immigrant of the family Chanidae, which previously has never been found in the Mediterranean. A specimen of Chanos chanos was caught by a bonito gillnet with 42 mm mesh size and 120 m length. The locality was 2.5 km off the coast of Gazipa a (36°13’N, 32°19’E) at a depth of 20 m on 5 September 2011. Identification was made from BAGARINAO (1999). It is 87 mm FL, 107 mm TL, and is deposited in the Fisheries Faculty of Akdeniz University, Turkey (B-0158) (Fig. 1). The body of the specimen is fusiform, elongated and moderately compressed. There is a single dorsal fin with 2 spines and 13 soft rays, and a short anal fin with 2 spines and 9 soft rays. Pectoral fins are low on the body with axillary scales. Pelvic fins are abdominal with axillary scales and 11 rays. Cycloid scales are small, with 83 on a lateral line. Transparent “adipose” tissue covers the eye. The mouth is small and terminal, without teeth. The body of the specimen is turquoise blue with brown margins, with just some parts of the body brownish. The head is brownish with turquoise-blue irregular bands. Some parts of the pectoral fins are turquoise-blue and between this colour there are some reddish bands.

Some marine gastropods first recorded from Antalya Bay, Turkey (the Mediterranean Sea)

Seventeen gastropod species, occurring in the western part of the Antalya Bay, and not previously indicated from the Mediterranean coasts of Turkey were presented, all of which are included in the Subclass Prosobranchia. Emarginula elongata Costa O.G., 1828; Puncturella noachina Linnaeus, 1771; Cocculina corrugata Jeffreys, 1883; Cocculina labronica Bogi, 1984; Tricolia miniata Monterosato, 1884; Nerita sanguinolenta Menke, 1829; Carinaria mediterranea Blainville, 1825; Pterotrachea coronata Forsskal, 1775; Houartiella alboranensis , Smriglio, Mariottini & Bonfitto, 1997; Mitromorpha (Mitrolumna) cachiai Mifsud, 2001; Mitromorpha (Mitrolumna) denizi Mifsud, 2001; Mitromorpha (Mitrolumna) mediterranea Mifsud, 2001; Vexillum granum Forbes, 1843; Mitra sp. ( Mitra ); Bela menkhorsti Van Aartsen, 1988; Gymnobela watsoni Dautzenberg, 1889; Lusitanops cingulatus Bouchet & Waren, 1980 were the recorded species.

The Southern Brown Shrimp, Farfantepenaeus subtilis (Pérez Farfante, 1967) (Decapoda: Penaeidae), a new migrant in the Mediterranean Sea

Penaeid shrimps are important resources for worldwide fisheries and aquaculture (Sunden & Davis, 1991). They inhabit shallow and inshore tropical and subtropical waters, and support important fisheries in near-equatorial regions around the world (Dall, Hill, Rothlisberg, & Sharple, 1990). Some studies have documented their biology and their relevance for fisheries in the Mediterranean Sea (e.g. Bishara, 1976; Ishak, Alsayed, & Abdel Razek, 1980; Abdel Razek, 1985; Bayhan, 1984; Kumlu, Başusta, Avşar, & Eroldoğan, 1999; Deval, Kaya, Güven, Gökoğlu, & Froglia, 2010) In the Southwest Atlantic, Farfantepenaeus species are among the most important commercially exploited species, and include Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis (Latreille, 1817), Farfantepenaeus paulensis (Pérez Farfante, 1967), F. subtilis Pérez Farfante, 1967) and Penaeus schmitti (Burkenroad, 1936). The Southern Brown Shrimp, F. subtilis is one of the main fisheries products on the north Brazilian coast, where its capture is practised in one of the most important marine shrimp areas of the world (Gusmao, Lazoski, & Sole-Cava, 2005). We have recorded F. subtilis for the first time in the Mediterranean waters of Turkey. On 12 September 2012, a single specimen of F. subtilis was caught by the bottom trawler F/W Hevesim-1 (having 44 mm mesh size) at 36° 47’N, 31°04’E and 36°47’N, 30° 40’E at a depth of 40-50 m in the Gulf of Antalya, Turkey (Figure 1). The specimen was brought to the Ichthyology Laboratory of Akdeniz University, Fisheries Faculty, and deposited in the fish museum under the ID code: 138. Identification of the specimen was performed according to Pérez Farfante (1988) and Tavares (2002). In the same trawl operation, Penaeus semisulcatus (de Haan, 1844), Melicertus kerathurus (Forskål, 1775), Penaeus japonicus (Spence Bate, 1888), Farfantepenaeus aztecus (Ives, 1891), Metapenaeus monoceros (Fabricius, 1798), Melicertus hathor (Burkenroad, 1959), and Trachypenaeus curvirostris (Stimpson, 1860) were caught. Description: Body length: 18.9 cm, carapace length: 6.85 cm, weight: 55 g. Carapace smooth. Rostrum slender, armed with 8 teeth on dorsal margin, and 2 teeth on ventral. Adrostral sulcus and carina short, ending well in front of hind margin of carapace. Median sulcus shallow and narrow. Thelycum with lateral plates. Colour: brown, dark lateral spot at junction of third and fourth abdominal segments absent. The structure of carapace, telson, rostrum, thelycum and the colour pattern of F. subtilis completely agree with descriptions of Atlantic specimens (Figure 1).

Epinephelus coioides (Actinopterygii:Perciformes:Serranidae)-a new Lessepsian migrant in the Mediterranean coast of Turkey

A single specimen of orange-spotted grouper, Epinephelus coioides (Hamilton, 1822), was collected by a fi sh trap at depth of 7 m, on 2 November 2014, in the port of Antalya, Turkey. The fi sh was examined and its metric and meristic features are provided and the specimen is illustrated. The presently reported new fi nding constitutes the fourth Mediterranean record of E. coioides.

The marine leech Stibarobdella moorei (Oka, 1910) (Hirudinea, Piscicolidae) parasitic on the thornback ray Raja clavata Linnaeus, 1758 and angelshark Squatina squatina (Linnaeus, 1758) in Antalya Bay, Mediterranean Sea of Turkey

SummaryThe marine leech, Stibarobdella moorei was collected from dorsal parts of the thornback ray (Raja clavata) and angelshark (Squatina squatina) (Elasmobranchii) captured by commercial trawl vessels as non-target species from depth of 50 meters of Antalya Bay which is located in the eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey on April and July, 2013. The leeches caused two typical lesions on epidermal tissues of both hosts: the major lesion by oral sucker and a minor one by caudal sucker. The leeches were identified as Stibarobdella moorei which has not been reported from elasmobranches in the Turkey’s Mediterranean shores. This study represents new host and geographical records.