Page 125 - Invasive_Species_2013

Mediterranean invasive species factsheet

Similar species Ecological impacts
The Monacanthidae is a fish family typical of tropical Stephanolepis diaspros feeds on a large variety of
seas. The only closely related Atlantic species benthic invertebrates, and sometimes on algae and
occurring in the Mediterranean is the unicorn plants.
leatherjacket filefish Aluterus monoceros, recorded
Both the non-indigenous monocanthid species, A.
from the Zembra and Zembretta MPA, in Tunisia,
monoceros and S. diaspros, and the native one, B.
and the Chafarinas Islands in the Alboran Sea. S.
capriscus, live in similar habitats and feed on similar
diaspros can be distinguished from A. monoceros by
prey items, with probable overlaps. They are
the first ray in the second dorsal fin, which is often
therefore likely to compete for food and have an
long and filamentous; its much longer body; and the
impact on local faunal diversity.
rough shagreen-like skin composed of very small
scales with delicate spinules.
The native species Balistes capriscus differs from S.
diaspros in having a first dorsal fin with three dorsal
spines.

First ray of the second dorsal fin
of normal length

Aluteros monoceros
Balistes capriscus. Photo: L. Sanchez Tocino
First dorsal fin
with 3 rays Pointed tail edges

Economic impacts
Due to its size, S. diaspros is not an important
commercial species in the eastern Mediterranean
basin. In some places, it is even seen as a nuisance
to fisheries and all caught specimens are discarded.

Management options
Balistes capriscus
These include a) early eradication of new
populations by MPA technicians through hand and
Brief history of its introduction and spear fishing, and b) maintenance of healthy and
pathways abundant assemblages of top predators to
encourage natural control through predation.
This is a western Indian Ocean species, recorded
from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea. In the
Mediterranean it was first recorded in Palestine in References
1927 and subsequently from Syria, Cyprus, Rhodes, Zouari-Ktari Rim & Bradai Mohamed-Nejmeddine, 2011.
Gulf of Gabes (Tunisia), Gulf of Taranto (Italy), Reproductive biology of the lessepsian reticulated
leatherjacket Stephanolepis diaspros (Fraser - Brünner,
Crete, Saronikos Gulf (Greece), Gulf of Palermo Drawings: Juan Varela
1940) in the Gulf of Gabes (Eastern Mediterranean Sea).
(Sicily) and the southern Adriatic. It is now very Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries 21: 641-648.
common throughout the eastern basin.
http://www.ciesm.org/atlas/Stephanolepisdiaspros.php

122 Monitoring Marine Invasive Species in Mediterranean MPAs: A strategy and practical guide for managers