Range expansion of an invasive pufferfish, Lagocephalus sceleratus (Actinopterygii: Tetraodontiformes: Tetraodontidae), to the south-western Mediterranean

Abstract

Three specimens of silver-cheeked toadfish, Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin, 1789), were caught on eastern coasts of Algeria during the winter of 2013–2014. This is the first record of this invasive species from Algeria, providing further evidence of its occurrence along north-African coasts and confirming its entry into the Western basin of the Mediterranean. The human-health implications of this toxic fish in this region are discussed.

Keywords

• fish
• Lessepsian migrant
• silver-cheeked toadfish