Mediterranean Marine Science

Vol. 11, 2010

Northernmost occurrence of Hemiramphus far (Actinopterygii: Hemiramphidae) in the Aegean Sea

AKCA N. Adnan Menderes University, Faculty of Arts & Sciences, Department of Biology, Aydin BILECENOGLU M. Adnan Menderes University, Faculty of Arts & Sciences, Department of Biology, 09010 Aydin https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.99

To cite this article:

AKCA, N., & BILECENOGLU, M. (2010). Northernmost occurrence of Hemiramphus far (Actinopterygii: Hemiramphidae) in the Aegean Sea. Mediterranean Marine Science, 11(1), 173-176. doi:https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.99

http://epublishing.ekt.gr | e-Publisher: EKT | Downloaded at 01/10/2021 04:59:00 | Mediterranean Marine Science Short Communication Indexed in WoS (Web of Science, ISI Thomson) The journal is available on line at http://www.medit-mar-sc.net

Northernmost occurrence of Hemiramphus far (Actinopterygii: Hemiramphidae) in the Aegean Sea

N. AK A and M. BILECENOGLU

Adnan Menderes University, Faculty of Arts & Sciences, Department of Biology, Aydin, Turkey

Corresponding author: [email protected]

Received: 25 January 2010; Accepted: 9 March 2010; Published on line: 26 March 2010

Abstract

A new record of Hemiramphus far from the northern Aegean Sea is presented, based on a single specimen collected off Eski Foça shores, Turkey. Further individuals were observed (but not collected) in the same area, indicating an established population.

Keywords: Hemiramphus far; Alien fish; Aegean Sea.

Introduction to the north of Rhodes island until now (PAPACONSTANTINOU, 1990). In this Blackbarred halfbeak, Hemiramphus paper, we report the first observation of far (Forsska l, 1775), among the first Lessep- Blackbarred halfbeak, based on material sian migrant fishes in the Mediterranean collected from the Northern Aegean Sea. Sea, was initially observed in Palestine in On 10 November 2009, a single speci- 1927 and followed by further records from men of H. far (14,6 cm in standard length, Egypt, Syria, Cyprus, southern Anatolia Fig. 1) was caught at Aslanburnu (Eski Foça, and the Dodecanese islands (DEMETRO- northern Aegean Sea) (Fig. 2) by a com- POULOUS & NEOCLEOUS, 1969; mercial purse seiner at a depth of 60-70 m. GOLANI et al., 2002). The species has re- The specimen was fixed in formalin (4%) cently reached eastern Libyan coasts, where and kept in the zoology collection of Ad- it has established an abundant and com- nan Menderes University (catalogue num- mercially exploited population (SHAKMAN ber 2009-001). A total of seven additional & KINZELBACH, 2007), as already re- specimens were fished from the same lo- ported in other areas of its distribution cality during December 2009, but they were (CARPENTIERI et al., 2008). Despite its not preserved. Standard length and head relatively early introduction into the Mediter- length were measured from tip of upper ranean, H. far has not penetrated much jaw, following COLLETTE (1999). De-

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http://epublishing.ekt.gr | e-Publisher: EKT | Downloaded at 01/10/2021 04:59:00 | Fig. 1: Hemiramphus far (Forsska l, 1775) specimen (14.6 cm in SL), captured off Eski Foça (North- ern Aegean Sea).

Fig. 2: Map showing the capture locality of Hemiramphus far (Forsska l, 1775), indicated by full tri- angle. scription of the examined specimen is as counts are in agreement with COLLETTE follows: Dorsal finrays 13, anal finrays 11, & PARIN (1986) and COLLETTE (1999). ventral finrays 6, pectoral finrays 12, anal The Levantine basin is the core dis- finrays 11, lateral line scales 48, predorsal tribution and settlement area for alien fish- scales 36. No spines in fins. Body laterally es and there are still a few occurrence records compressed and elongate; lower jaw pro- from the Northern Aegean Sea, which is longed, upper jaw short. Head length 22.6 %, characterized by relatively colder and less lower jaw length 32.2%, maximum body saline waters. Only nine alien fish are cur- depth 13.7%, body depth at level of anus rently known above the 38Æ parallel of the 11.0%, all as percentage of SL. Eye diam- Aegean Sea, the majority comprising eu- eter 24.2%, interorbital distance 27.3%, ryhaline and eurythermic fishes (BILE- upper jaw 15.2%, postorbital length 42.4%, CENOGLU, 2010). The blackbarred half- all as percentage of head length. Pectoral beak is no exception, since it is known to fins short, 5.9 times in SL. Lower lobe of enter river estuaries with salinities and sur- caudal fin much longer than upper. Preor- face water temperatures as low as 22.7 ò bital ridge absent. Four vertical bars pres- and 17.9ÆC, respectively (JAMES & ent on sides of body. Measurements and HARRISON, 2009). Personal communi-

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http://epublishing.ekt.gr | e-Publisher: EKT | Downloaded at 01/10/2021 04:59:00 | cation with local fishermen indicates that Bauchot, J.-C. Hureau, J. Nielsen & E. the occurrence of H.far in the Northern Tortonese (Eds), vol. 2, Paris, UNESCO. Aegean Sea is very recent, and the obser- COLLETTE, B.B., 1999. Hemiramphidae. vation of eight individuals within three p.2180-2196. In: FAO species identifica- months reveals an established population tion guide for fishery purposes, The living in the area. marine resources of the Western Central Pacific, Volume 4, Bony fishes part 2 Acknowledgements (Mugilidae to Carangidae), Rome, FAO. DEMETROPOULOS, A. & NEOCLEOUS, We thank skippers Ibrahim Kara (F/V D., 1969. The fishes and crustaceans of Kaptan Bora) and Mustafa Yaylaz for pro- Cyprus. Fisheries Bulletin, Ministry of viding the specimen, evki Avc and Ay- Agriculture and Natural Resources, Fish- han Tonguç for their help in field obser- eries Department, 1: 1-21. vations. GOLANI, D., ORSI-RELINI, L., MASSUTI, E. & QUIGNARD, J.-P., 2002. CIESM Atlas of Exotic species in the Mediter- References ranean Volume 1: Fishes. F. Briand (Ed), Monaco. CIESM Publishers, 256 pp. BILECENOGLU, M., 2010. Alien marine JAMES, N.C. & HARRISON, T.D., 2009. fishes of Turkey – an updated review. A preliminary survey of the estuaries on p.189-217. In: Fish invasions of the Mediter- the south coast of South Africa, Cape ranean – change and renewal, D. Golani St Blaize, Mossel Bay - Robberg Penin- & B. Appelbaum-Golani (Eds), Sofia, sula, Plettenberg Bay, with particular Pensoft Publishers. reference to the fish fauna. Transactions CARPENTIERI, P., LELLI, S., COLLOCA, of the Royal Society of South Africa, 63 F., MOHANNA, C., BARTOLINA, V., (2): 111-127. MOUBAYED, S. & ARDIZZONE, PAPACONSTANTINOU, C., 1990. The G.D., 2008. Incidence of lessepsian mi- spreading of Lessepsian fish migrants grants on landings of the artisanal fish- into the Aegean Sea. Scientia Marina, ery of South Lebanon. Journal of the 54 (4): 313-316. Marine Biological Association - Biodi- SHAKMAN, E.A. & KINZELBACH, R., versity Records, 6146: 1-6. 2007. Distribution and characterization COLLETTE, B.B. & PARIN, N.V., 1986. of Lessepsian migrant fishes along the Hemiramphidae. p. 620-622. In: Fish- coast of Libya. Acta Ichthyologica et Pis- es of the North-eastern Atlantic and the catoria, 37 (1): 7-15. Mediterranean, P.J.P. Whitehead, M.-L.

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