Additional Record of Sphoeroides pachygaster (Tetraodontidae) in the Aegean Sea (Fethiye, Turkey)

Abstract

Sphoeroides pachygaster has been well-known in the Mediterranean since the first recorded from Balearic Islands in 1979, and then, it has rapidly reached to eastern Levantine. It is widely distributed throughout the Mediterranean, especially in Italian waters, including Strait of Sicily. However, it is still rare in the Turkish seas. A single specimen of the blunthead puffer, Sphoeroides pachygaster was caught by a commercial trammel netter off Göcek, Fethiye Bay at a depth of 125 m on 05 July 2020. This short note contributes to the ichthyofaunal richness of the Turkish Aegean Sea with an additional record of S. pachygaster.

Keywords

• blınthead puffer
• measurement
• additional record
• mediterranean