Westernmost record of the diamondback puffer,Lagocephalus guentheri (Tetraodontiformes: Tetraodontidae) in the Mediterranean Sea: First record from Greek waters

On 5th November 2017, a puffer fish specimen was caught in the Aegean Sea. Morphological and molecular analysis identified it as Lagocephalus guentheri. This first record from Greek waters represents the westernmost observation of the species in the Mediterranean Sea. The expansion and establishment of puffer fish species in the basin are discussed, with particular emphasis on the importance of the additional use of molecular analysis for increasing the efficiency in understanding species spread and dynamics.     

First record of Polyprion oxygeneios(Perciformes: Polyprionidae) for the south‐west Atlantic and a northernmost range extension

The occurrence of Polyprion oxygeneios (Perciformes: Polyprionidae) is recorded for the first in the south‐west Atlantic. Twenty specimens were caught off Rio Grande do Sul (33°41·8'–34° 15·3' S, 370–854 m depth) during winter cruises of the commercial fishing fleet.     

First record of the great barracuda,Sphyraena barracuda (Perciformes,Sphyraenidae), in the Azores,north-east Atlantic

One individual of Sphyraena barracuda was collected on August 5, 2023, in the northern coast of Terceira Island, Azores, Portugal, by spearfishing. In this note, we report this first record and discuss the occurrence, which represents the northernmost one in the north-east Atlantic.     

First record of Randall's snapper Randallichthys filamentosus (Perciformes: Lujanidae) from the eastern Indian Ocean (north-western Australia)

The rare Randall's snapper Randallichthys filamentosus is recorded here for the first time in the eastern Indian Ocean from Scott Reef, north-western Australia. A single specimen of R. filamentosus , measuring 495 mm fork length, was captured on 9 July 2006 at a depth of 211 m on the outer reef slopes of Scott Reef. The capture of this specimen indicates that this deepwater fish is more widely distributed than was previously acknowledged and further implies that this species has a dispersal capacity that extends across ocean boundaries.     

First confirmed record of Lagocephalus sceleratus(Gmelin, 1789) in the Mediterranean Sea

One specimen of the Indo‐Pacific silverstripe blaasop Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin, 1789)(Tetraodontidae) is recorded from the Aegean coast of Turkey and is confirmed for the Mediterranean. Dispersal of the species to the Mediterranean is due to migration from the Red Sea via the Suez Canal.     

First record of the opal chimaera,Chimaera opalescens (Holocephali: Chimaeridae) and revision of the occurrence of the rabbitfish Chimaera monstrosa in the Azores waters

The presence of the opal chimaera, Chimaera opalescens, is reported for the first time in the deep waters of the Azores, with the capture of four specimens by fishermen and the video recording of an additional five individuals. Species identification was supported by the 646 bp sequenced fragment of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase subunit I. Because C. opalescens is a recently recognised species that had been recurrently misidentified as rabbitfish, Chimaera monstrosa, the historical data of C. monstrosa in the Azores were reviewed to assess the possible presence of both Chimaera species in the region. Although several authors have reported the occurrence of C. monstrosa in the Azorean waters since the 1800s, the majority of these are based on only three specimens caught during the late 1800s. The investigation performed using literature and examination of the museum specimens still available concluded that the most likely scenario is that C. monstrosa is absent from the Azores and past records of that species in the region are most likely misidentifications of C. opalescens.     

First record of a digenean from invasive lionfish, Pterois cf. volitans, (Scorpaeniformes: Scorpaenidae) in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean

Adults of Lecithochirium floridense (Digenea: Hemiuridae) parasitized the stomach in each of 22 necropsied lionfish, Pterois cf. volitans (Scorpaeniformes: Scorpaenidae) (prevalence = 100%, mean intensity = 11), captured in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean off Beaufort, North Carolina (34°14.83'N, 76°35.25'W). This is the first report of a digenean from the invasive lionfish and that of L. floridense from a species of Pterois. The leech specimen previously identified as Myzobdella lugubris from P. volitans in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean is re-identified as Trachelobdella lubrica based on a study of the original voucher specimen.     

First record of the paedomorphic fish Schindleria (Gobioidei, Schindleriidae) from the Red Sea

A male specimen of the paedomorphic fish Schindleria sp. was collected by plankton net, in February 2005, from a reef lagoon from Hurghada on the Egyptian coast of the northern Red Sea. This is the first record of the Schindleriidae in the Red Sea.     

First record of the Atlantic bumper Chloroscombrus chrysurus (Teleostei: Carangidae) in the Mediterranean Sea

In December 1997, one specimen of the Atlantic bumper, Chloroscombrus chrysurus was recorded for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea, off Almuñécar (Granada, Spain: 36° 43′ 26″ N; 3° 41′ 39″ W). This species probably entered the Mediterranean Sea via the Strait of Gibraltar.     

First record of the Sphyraena chrysotaenia (Klunzinger, 1884) (Pisces, Sphyraenidae) from the Adriatic Sea

One specimen of the obtuse barracuda Sphyraena chrysotaenia is recorded for the first time from the Adriatic Sea.     

First record of Caulerpa lentillifera J. Agardh (Bryopsidales,Chlorophyta) from China

ABSTRACT

An edible green algal species Caulerpa lentillifera J. Agardh is reported from China for the first time. The species was collected from the southwest of Hainan Island and morphologically identified to be C. lentillifera based on the grape-like branches arising from cylindrical stolons. Phylogenetic analysis using tufA and rbcL DNA sequences also confirmed the monophyly of C. lentillifera-microphysa clade.     

Chelonodontops alvheimi,a new species of pufferfish (Actinopterygii: Tetraodontiformes: Tetraodontidae) from the Indian Ocean,with redescription of the rare pufferfish Chelonodontops leopardus (Day 1878)

Ichthyological Research - A new pufferfish, Chelonodontops alvheimi, is described on the basis of three specimens (86–117 mm SL) collected from off Myanmar (Eastern Indian Ocean) in 2015. It...     

First record of a rare pelagic octopod,Ocythoe tuberculata (Cephalopoda: Ocythoidae), in Korea

The family Ocythoidae is found throughout the temperate and subtropical waters of the world’s ocean and contains a single species, Ocythoe tuberculata. Recently, a single female specimen of the rare pelagic species O. tuberculata was collected off Uljin in the East Sea/Sea of Japan of Korea by squid jigging for the first time. The appearance of this species could be considered as evidence of the changes in species distribution of sea surface. However, further studies are required to investigate whether this phenomenon is temporary or continuous.     

First record of the deep-water whalefish Cetichthys indagator (Actinopterygii: Cetomimidae) in the North Atlantic Ocean

The whalefish Cetichthys indagator is reported for the first time in the North Atlantic Ocean. This record increases to five the number of specimens ever caught and represents the northernmost occurrence of this species in the northern hemisphere.