New occurrence of the red lionfish Pterois volitans (Linnaeus, 1758) in the north eastern Mediterranean (Yeşilovacık Bay)

Abstract

This paper presents the new occurence of the the red lionfish (Pterois volitans Linnaeus 1758). The lessepsian red lionfish Pterois volitans (Linnaeus, 1758) (Actinoptery: Scorpaeniformes: Scorpaenidae), in the native Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean, living alone on the hillside and around the coral reefs and rocky bottom layers, usually at depths of 0-50 m, is an invasive species for the Mediterranean. A male specimen of the red lionfish was caught alive by a commercial trawl fishing boat in the North-Eastern Mediterranean (Yeşilovacık Bay) (36°07'32.5"N 33°36'31.6"E) on 26 March 2017. This is the third record of P. volitans from the Mediterranean Sea basin. The present short communication reported the first record of P. volitans from Yeşilovacık Bay.

Keywords

• red lionfish
• pterois volitans
• yeşilovacık bay
• red lionfish
• pterois volitans
• yeşilovacık bay