The first record of Synanceia verrucosa Bloch & Schneider, 1801 and Pagrus auriga Valenciennes, 1843 from Cyprus

05/07/2021 Arda Tonay

The first record of Synanceia verrucosa Bloch & Schneider, 1801 and Pagrus auriga Valenciennes, 1843 from Cyprus

Hasan Deniz Akbora, Burak Ali Çiçek, Deniz Ayas

ORCID IDs: H.D.A. 0000-0002-6647-866X; B.A.Ç. 0000-0001-6144-1721; D.A. 0000-0001-6762-6284

Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Eastern Mediterranean University, Famagusta, 99628, North CYPRUS via Mersin on TURKEY
Faculty of Fisheries, Mersin University, Yenişehir Campus, 33160, Mersin, TURKEY

Abstract

On May 14, 2020, a stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa Bloch & Schneider, 1801) was caught using a speargun in Kumyalı in the north of Cyprus Island. The fish was photographed and reported. On November 19, 2020, red-banded seabream (Pagrus auriga Valenciennes, 1843) was caught with a speargun near Girne (Kyrenia) Harbour. The fish is stored in the laboratory of the Eastern Mediterranean University, Department of Biological Sciences. These records are the first from the waters of Cyprus. The record of stonefish is an issue to be considered since its spines are quite poisonous.

Keywords: Stonefish, alien species, venomous fish, migration, red-banded seabream, Mediterranean

pdf-dl icon

References

Bariche, M., Torres, M., Azzurro, E. (2013) The presence of the invasive lionfish Pterois miles in the Mediterranean Sea. Mediterranean Marine Science 14(2): 292-294.

Bauchot, M.L., Hureau, J.C. (1986) Sparidae. In: Fishes of the north‐eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, Vol. 2. (eds., Whitehead, P.J.P., Bauchot, M.L., Hureau, J.C., Nielsen, J., Tortonese, E.) UNESCO, Paris, France, pp. 883-907.

Bauchot, M.L., Hureau, J.C. (1990) Sparidae. In: Check‐list of the fishes of the eastern tropical Atlantic. (eds., Quero, J.C., Hureau, J.C., Karrer, C., Post, A., Saldanha, L.) Clofeta II. UNESCO, Paris, France, pp. 790-812.

Bilecenoglu, M. (2012) First sighting of the Red Sea originated stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa) from Turkey. Journal of the Black Sea/Medit Environ 18(1): 76-82.

Breton, P., Delamanche, I., Buée, J., Goudey-Perriére, F., Perriére, C. (2002) Evidence for a neurotoxic activity in crude venom of the stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa). Journal of Natural Toxins 11(4): 305-313.

Carpenter, K.E., De Angelis, N. (2016) The Living Marine Resources of the Eastern Central Atlantic. Volume 4: Part 2, Bony Fishes (Tetradontiformes to Perciformes) and Sea Turtles. FAO, Rome, 1509 p.

Carpenter, K.E., Niem, V.H. (1999) The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific, Volume 4 Bony Fishes Part 2 (Mugilidae to Carangidae). FAO, Rome, 736 p.

Crocetta, F., Agius, D., Balistreri, P., Bariche, M., Bayhan, Y., Çakir, M., Ciriaco, S., Corsini-Foka, M., Deidun, A., El Zrelli, R. (2015) New Mediterranean biodiversity records (October 2015). Mediterranean Marine Science 3: 682-702.

DFMR (2006) Toxic Fish. Technical Report 427/2006, Department of Fisheries and Marine Research, Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, Nicosia, Cyprus.

Edelist, D., Spanier, E., Golani, D. (2011) Evidence for the occurrence of the Indo-Pacific stonefish, Synanceia verrucosa (Actinopterygii: Scorpaeniformes: Synanceiidae), in the Mediterranean Sea. Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria 41(2): 129.

Fishbase (2020) Pagrus auriga Valenciennes, 1843 Redbanded seabream. Available at: https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Pagrus-auriga.html (accessed 19 Feb 2021).

Fodera, V. (1961). Report to the Government of Cyprus on Fishery Development Possibilities. Expanded Program of Technical Assistance. FAO, Rome, Italy, pp. 82.

Froese, R., Pauly, D. (Eds.) (2019) Pagrus auriga Valenciennes, 1843 Redbanded seabream. Available at: https://www.fishbase.se/summary/5066 (accessed 2 Dec. 2020).

Ghanem, H., Khan, M. T., Al-Ghanem, S., Al-Qasem, G. (2019) Stonefish (Synanceiea verrucosa) Envenomation in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Journal of the Bahrain Medical Society 31(1): 5-9.

Hornell, J. (1935) Report on the Fisheries of Palestine. Government of Palestine by the Crown Agents for the Colonies.

İbrahim, A., Alshawy, F., Hussein, C. (2019) Stonefish Synanceia verrucosa Bloch & Schneider, 1801 (Actinopterygii: Synanceiidae): the first record in the Syrian coast and the fourth in the Mediterranean. International Journal of Aquatic Biology 7(6): 383-386.

Iglésias, S., Frotté, L. (2015) Alien marine fishes in Cyprus: update and new records. Aquatic Invasions 10(4): 425-438.

Katsanevakis, S., Tsiamis, K., Ioannou, G., Michailidis, N., Zenetos, A. (2009) Inventory of alien marine species of Cyprus. Mediterranean Marine Science 10(2): 109-134.

Keskin, Ç., Turan, C., Ergüden, D. (2011) Distribution of the demersal fishes on the continental shelves of the Levantine and North Aegean Seas (Eastern Mediterranean). Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 11(3): 413-423.

Maillaud, C., Hoang-Oppermann, T., Hoang-Oppermann, V., Rigot, H., Girardot, S., Nour, M. (2020) Is stonefish Synanceia verrucosa envenomation potentially lethal? Toxicon 184: 78-82.

Matallanas, J., Carrasson, M., Boix, J., Fernandez, V. (1993) Occurrence of Pagrus auriga Valenciennes, 1843 (Pisces: Sparidae) in the Catalan Sea. Cybium 17(1): 79-80.

Michailidis, N. (2010) Study on the lessepsian migrant Lagocephalus sceleratus in Cyprus. EastMed, Report of the Sub-Regional Technical meeting on the Lessepsian migration and its impact on Eastern Mediterranean fishery. pp. 74-87.

Norman, J. R. (1929) Note on the Fishes of the Suez Canal. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 99(4): 615-616.

Ormond, R.F.G. (1987) Red Sea fishes. In: Red Sea, (ed., Edwards, A.J.), Pergamon Press, UK, pp. 251-287.

Pajuelo, J.G., Socorro, J., González, J.A., Lorenzo, J.M., Pérez‐Peñalvo, J.A., Martínez, I., Hernández‐Cruz, C.M. (2006) Life history of the red‐banded seabream Pagrus auriga (Sparidae) from the coasts of the Canarian Archipelago. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 22(5): 430-436.

Shiomi, K., Hosaka, M., Kikuchi, T. (1993) Properties of a lethal factor in stonefish Synanceia vorrucosa venom. Nippon Suisan Gakkaishi 59(6): 1099.

Statistical Service (2019) Demographic Statistics, 2018. Cyprus. Available at: https://www.mof.gov.cy/mof/cystat/statistics.nsf/populationcondition_21main_puparchive_en/populationcondition_21main_puparchive_en?OpenForm&yr=2019 (accessed 22 Feb 2021).

Torcu, H., Aka, Z., İşbilir, A. (2001) An investigation on fishes of the Turkish Rebuplic of Northern Cyprus. Turkish Journal of Veterinary and Animal Sciences 25(2): 155-159.

TRNC Statistical Institute (2019) Population Census 2011. Available at: http://www.stat.gov.ct.tr/nufus.aspx (accessed 22 Feb. 2021).

Ueda, A., Suzuki, M., Honma, T., Nagai, H., Nagashima, Y., Shiomi, K. (2006) Purification, properties and cDNA cloning of neoverrucotoxin (neoVTX), a hemolytic lethal factor from the stonefish Synanceia verrucosa venom. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA)-General Subjects 1760(11): 1713-1722.

Wirtz, P., Debelius, H. (2003) Mediterranean and Atlantic Invertebrate Guide. ConchBooks.