Lionfishes Pterois miles and Pterois volitans in the North-eastern Mediterranean Sea: Distribution, Habitation, Predation and Predators

Mahmut İğde,Necdet Uygur,Cemal Turan

doi:10.28978/nesciences.292355

Mahmut İğde, Necdet Uygur

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.28978/nesciences.292355

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Abstract

The lionfish Pterois miles was first recorded in the Iskenderun Bay on 2014 in Turkish Marine waters, and then its distribution was extended to Mersin and Antalya Bays in 2014 in the Mediterranean part of Turkey. The first observation of P. miles in the Aegean Sea was from Fethiye region in July 2015. The extension of P. miles in Turkish marine waters seems to be fast even though it’s slow moving feature. Second species of the lionfish, red lionfish Pterois volitans, was also recorded from Turkish Marine waters on May 2016 by a commercial purse seine at 30 m depth at İskenderun Bay and underwater observation was also recorded on October 2016 at Antakya Bay. Therefore, the number of Pterois species in the Mediterranean Sea has reached to two, P. miles and P. volitans. Based on underwater observations, P. miles and P. volitans are usually observed in rocky and cave habitats and prefer 10-40 meters for feeding that may cause the reduction of populations of vanikoro sweeper (Pempheris spp.), cardinal fish (Apogon spp.) and red coat (Sargocentron rubrum) species. P. miles and P. volitans also show cohabitation and gathering usually with 2-5 individuals. Grouper species such as dusky gruper Ephinephelus marginatus and goldblotch grouper Ephinephelus costae are the main predators of the lionfishes

Highlights

The invasion and establishment of alien species is a major threat to marine biodiversity, structure and function that have economic and human health implications (Charles & Dukes, 2007; Otero et al, 2013)
According to Schultz (1986), the main meristic characters to distinguish P. volitans from P. miles are that dorsal fin counts and anal fin counts are between 10-12 and 6-8 for P. volitans; and between 09-11 and 6 for P. miles, respectively
The below lateral line scale is very different for both species that are 17-21 for P. miles and 18-25 for P. volitans

Summary

Introduction

The invasion and establishment of alien species is a major threat to marine biodiversity, structure and function that have economic and human health implications (Charles & Dukes, 2007; Otero et al, 2013). A single specimen of P. miles was captured in the Iskenderun Bay (Kaleköy), North-eastern Mediterranean part of Turkey at a depth of 25 m on a rocky bottom on 13 April 2014 (Turan et al, 2014), (Figure 1).

Results

Conclusion