The African Striped Grunt, Parapristipoma octolineatum (Valenciennes, 1833), in the Mediterranean Sea: The Third Record with Biological and Ecological Notes, and Identification Key for Haemulidae Recorded in the Mediterranean

Abstract

The Mediterranean Sea biodiversity is undergoing a rapid reshaping due to different factors, many of which are directly related to human activities (e.g., pollution, habitat destruction, overfishing and introduction of non-indigenous species). In this context, climate changes, and in particular water warming, are the main factors that favor the arrival and subsequent spread of thermophilic species, regardless of their area of origin (e.g., Red Sea, Atlantic Ocean). In this research, we report the third and eastern-most well-documented record of the thermophilic species Parapristipoma octolineatum (Valenciennes, 1833) in the Mediterranean Sea, providing new morphological, genetic, ecological and biological data on this rare species in the basin. The integrative taxonomical approach was robust and unambiguously identified the species as P. octolineatum. The specimen was a large-sized female in maturation. The first high-quality photographic illustrations of otoliths were provided. Recent direct observations of fishermen in the area suggested a species abundance increase. However, data from the Mediterranean Sea remain scarce and further efforts are needed to better understand the abundance and distribution of this species. Modified keys for a rapid color pattern-based determination of all Haemulidae species recorded in the Mediterranean Sea to date are also provided. Finally, the potential further expansion under the future prediction of climate changes of this Atlantic origin fish in the Mediterranean Sea is discussed.