FIRST RECORD OF THE OCEAN SUNFISH, MOLA MOLA (LINNAEUS 1758), FROM THE BLACK SEA

First record of the ocean sunfish, Mola mola (Linnaeus 1758), from the Black Sea

Rafet Çağrı Öztürk, Erdal Özbulut

Department of Fisheries Technology Engineering, Faculty of Marine Science, Karadeniz Technical University, 61530 Surmene, Trabzon, TURKEY
Fındıklı Fisheries Cooperative, Rize, TURKEY

Abstract

The ocean sunfish, Mola mola (Linnaeus 1758), is considered as a cosmopolitan species which is naturally found in almost all of the oceans as well as in the Mediterranean Sea. A specimen of M. mola was observed by a fisherman in the surface water off the coast of Rize, Turkey, in March 2016. The fish most probably entered the Black Sea from the Aegean Sea through the Turkish Straits System. This is the first record of M. mola in the Black Sea.

Keywords: Mola mola, non-indigeneous species, mediterranization

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