The first record of the lessepsian migrant Pteragogus trispilus Randall 2013 (Osteichthyes: Labridae) off the Libyan coast, east Mediterranean Sea

Abstract

The Red and Mediterranean seas are connected by the Suez Canal. Since its opening, the Canal has been regarded as a hotbed for invading alien species. During the lessepsian migration, species find their way into the Mediterranean waters and the opposite rarely happens. A single specimen of the Lessepsian migrant labrid fish was obtained at a depth of 20 m during a fishing field trip in Al-Bardi region near the Libyan-Egyptian border. The fish sample was transported to the laboratory (Marine Resources Department, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, Tobruk University, Tobruk, Libya) and subjected to morphometric and meristic measurements to facilitate its identification. The scientific identification has verified that the caught fish is Pteragogus trispilus belonging to family Labridae. This is the first record of Pteragogus trispilus in the east Mediterranean Sea off the Libyan coast.

Keywords

• First record
• Pteragogus trispilus
• Bardi region
• Libyan coast
• Mediterranean Sea