Notes on amphipods Caprella andreae Mayer, 1890 and Podocerus chelonophilus (Chevreux & Guerne, 1888) collected from the loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta, off the Mediterranean and the Aegean coasts of Turkey

Abstract

The present study reports the occurrence of 2 amphipod species, Caprella andreae Mayer, 1890 and Podocerus chelonophilus Chevreux & Guerne, 1888, that appeared on the carapace of the loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758) in the eastern Mediterranean Sea (Levantine Sea). The amphipod specimens were found on a male Caretta caretta captured during experimental bottom studies conducted off Samandağ, Hatay (the Turkish Mediterranean coast) on 7 April 2007. In addition, Caprella andreae Mayer 1890 was collected from the nets of fish cages off the Seferihisar (Aegean Sea) coast (38^{°}11^{'}32^{"}N, 26^{°}38^{'}07^{"}E). C. andreae is a first report for the amphipod fauna in Turkish seas.