Record of the bluespotted cornetfish Fistularia commersonii Rüppell, 1838 in the Ligurian Sea (NW Mediterranean)

Fulvio Garibaldi

doi:10.3391/ai.2008.3.4.20

Abstract

The record of one adult female of the bluespotted cornetfish Fistularia commersonii Ruppell, 1838, caught using trawl nets in coastal waters near Sanremo, Western Ligurian Sea, in October 2007 is reported. This record confirms the rapid spread of the species and suggests a possible fast expansion toward French and Spanish waters by means of the Western Mediterranean Northern Current. Previous records in Italian waters apparently indicate a pioneer phase of colonization by adult fish and a stabilized phase, with adult and young fish, four years later.

Highlights

Among 90 non native fish species so far recorded in the Mediterranean (Golani et al 2002), Fistularia commersonii Rüppell, 1838 has been given the name of “Lessepsian sprinter” (Karachle et al 2004) because of the rapidity of its invasion
At the end of 2002 some specimens were caught in the Strait of Sicily, both in Tunisian (Ben Souissi et al 2004) and Italian waters, around Lampedusa Island (Fiorentino et al 2004; Azzurro et al 2004)
In 2003 it began to spread in the Tyrrhenian Sea (Pipitone et al 2004); the several records obtained there during the last four years seem to indicate an incoming colonization of this basin (Micarelli et al 2006; Pais et al 2007; Psomadakis et al 2008)

Summary

Introduction

Among 90 non native fish species so far recorded in the Mediterranean (Golani et al 2002), Fistularia commersonii Rüppell, 1838 has been given the name of “Lessepsian sprinter” (Karachle et al 2004) because of the rapidity of its invasion. In 2003 it began to spread in the Tyrrhenian Sea (Pipitone et al 2004); the several records obtained there during the last four years seem to indicate an incoming colonization of this basin (Micarelli et al 2006; Pais et al 2007; Psomadakis et al 2008).

Results

Conclusion