Abstract
Vanderhorstia mertensi Klausewitz, 1974, is a recently acknowledged alien fish in theMediterranean Sea, hitherto observed only from Fethiye Bay, Turkey. To explore its distribution, trawl bycatch from eastern Antalya and Iskenderun was examined and an underwater survey was performed off Kas (western Antalya). An established population was found off Güvercin Island, Kas, and six specimens were identified from trawl bycatch collected off Antalya and Iskenderun. The trawl-collected specimens were badly damaged and identification was made possible by the analysis of their 16S rDNA sequences. Our findings suggest that the species was only recently introduced and its population size has increased rapidly. Symbiotic relationship with alpheids (Apheidae, Crustacea) may have enhanced this prawn-goby’s establishment and dispersal along the Mediterranean coast of Turkey.
Highlights
Gobiidae is the most species-rich family of marine this study, an underwater survey for V. mertensi was perfishes
The family is represented by more than 60 species formed along the coast of Kas–Kekova Special in the Mediterranean Sea, four of which are aliens that Environmental Protection Area and have entered through the Suez Canal, i.e., Coryogalops bottom trawl bycatch from eastern Antalya and ochetica (Norman, 1927), Oxyurichthys papuensis Iskenderun were examined to determine the spread of the (Valenciennes, 1837), Favonigobius melanobranchus species along the Mediterranean coasts of Turkey (Fig. 1). (Fowler, 1934), and Silhouettea aegyptia (Chabanaud, 1933) Sample collection
The number reported from Fethiye Bay (Turkey) (Bilecenoglu et al 2008). of observed specimens was counted, several individuals Whereas the earlier aliens were first recorded in the were photographed in their habitat, and one specimen was Mediterranean in either Egypt or Israel, close to the open- collected by hand net (Fig. 2). ing of the Suez Canal, V. mertensi was first reported off Trawl samples from previous expeditions conducted Turkey
Summary
Gobiidae is the most species-rich family of marine this study, an underwater survey for V. mertensi was perfishes. The family is represented by more than 60 species formed along the coast of Kas–Kekova Special in the Mediterranean Sea, four of which are aliens that Environmental Protection Area (western Antalya) and have entered through the Suez Canal, i.e., Coryogalops bottom trawl bycatch from eastern Antalya and ochetica (Norman, 1927), Oxyurichthys papuensis Iskenderun were examined to determine the spread of the (Valenciennes, 1837), Favonigobius melanobranchus species along the Mediterranean coasts of Turkey (Fig. 1). A dense population of the alien Mertens’ prawn- Suitable habitats for V. mertensi populations were sought goby, Vanderhorstia mertensi Klausewitz, 1974, has been by SCUBA diving between 8–15 m depths.
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