Recent Occurrence of Shortfin Mako Shark, Isurus oxyrinchus Rafinesque, 1810 (Chondrichthyes: Lamnidae), from the North-Eastern Mediterranean Coast of Turkey

Deniz Ergüden,Hakan Kabasakal,Deniz Ayas

doi:10.46384/jmsf.839454

Abstract

A young individual of Isurus oxyrinchus was caught by a commercial longline off Dana Island (Mersin Bay, northeastern Mediterranean Sea) at a depth of 72 m on May 18th 2020. Morphometric measurements of the specimen were recorded and its photographs were taken. The examined specimen is now being preserved in the Museum of Systematics at Faculty of Fisheries of Mersin University, under the reference number MEUFC-20-11-132. This occurrence of a young female specimen reported in this study is adding a new location (Mersin Bay) from the Mediterranean's Turkish waters.

Highlights

The shortfin mako shark, Isurus oxyrinchus Rafinesque, 1810, is a member of the Lamnidae family
The shortfin mako shark has occasionally been recorded from all Turkish waters (Geldiay, 1969; Recent Occurrence of Shortfin Mako Shark, Isurus oxyrinchus Rafinesque, 1810 (Chondrichthyes: Lamnidae), from the North-Eastern Mediterranean Coast of Turkey
This species was reported from Edremit Bay, Northern Aegean Sea coast of Turkey (Tuncer & Kabasakal, 2016) and from Izmir Bay, Gokova Bay, and Fethiye Bay (Central and South Aegean Sea, Turkey) (Bengil, Akalın, Tüney Kızılkaya, & Bengil, 2019)

Summary

Introduction

The shortfin mako shark, Isurus oxyrinchus Rafinesque, 1810, is a member of the Lamnidae family. 70 years ago, existence of shortfin mako was documented from the Aegean Sea (off Marmaris) by Kabasakal & De Maddelena (2011) This species was reported from Urla Bay (İzmir), in the Aegean Sea (Akyol et al, 2010, 2011). A few juvenile specimens were recorded from Iskenderun Bay (Eastern Mediterranean) (Erguden, Gurlek, & Turan, 2013) and Saros Bay (Kabasakal & Kabasakal, 2013) This species was reported from Edremit Bay, Northern Aegean Sea coast of Turkey (Tuncer & Kabasakal, 2016) and from Izmir Bay, Gokova Bay, and Fethiye Bay (Central and South Aegean Sea, Turkey) (Bengil, Akalın, Tüney Kızılkaya, & Bengil, 2019). The present study aims to provide new data on the distribution of I. oxyrinchus in the northeastern Mediterranean Sea, based on a record of a specimen caught off Dana Island (Mersin Bay)

Material and Methods

Results

Discussion