Page 5 - ArcipelagoEgadi

Two months later, another specimen measuring 249 cm in
TL and weighing 70 kg was entangled in a net (Lipej et
al., 2000). Both specimens had a typical elongated snout.
This was even more evident in the specimen of December
2014, which was also curved down.
1.4. New record of the deep-sea Messina rockfish
Scorpaenodes arenai in a sublittoral cave of the
National Marine Park of Zakynthos (East Ionian
Sea, Greece)
By V. Gerovasileiou and N. Bailly
The Messina rockfish Scorpaenodes arenai Torchio,
1962 has been rarely reported after its first description.
Only 36 specimens have been hitherto recorded in the
literature: (a) 17 stranded individuals from the Strait of
Messina; (b) 13 individuals recorded with ROV (70.9-
135 m deep) in the straits of Messina, and of Sicily, and
in the Tyrrhenian Sea (Battaglia et al., 2015 and referenc-
es therein); (c) 6 individuals collected in a subtidal tunnel
and rocky bottoms (14-30 m deep) in Azores (Azevedo &
Heemstra, 1995; Micael et al., 2006).
This study reports on the observation of Scorpaenodes
arenai along the south-western coasts of the island of
Zakynthos, inside the National Marine Park of Zakynthos
(Ionian Sea, Greece), approximately 450 km away from
Messina Strait where most records were made previously.
Two specimens were observed on 14 June 2015 (8:23 am)
during a SCUBA dive in a submerged cave (37.647˚N,
20.846˚E) located at a depth range of 26-31 m. The fish
was l�y�i�n�g��o��n��th��e�w��a�l�l�s�a��n�d��c�e�i�li�n�g��o��f�t�h�e��d�a�r�k��c�a�v��e��se��c�-
tor (10-15 m from the entrance), often in an upside-down
position�a�n�d��d�i�s�p�l�a�y�e�d��e�l�u�s�iv��e�b�e�h��a�v�io��u�r�(��s�w���im��m���i�n��g����r�a��p�- stones” by deep-sea species drifting from adjacent deeper
idly away as divers were approaching) in contrast to the
typical behaviour of shallow-water Scorpaena spp. Thus,
only a single individual was photographed (Fig. 5). The
fish length was visually estimated to approximately 10 cm.
A combination of diagnostic morphological charac-
ters was used to safely identify Scorpaenodes arenai: (a)
overall red-orange colour; (b) vertical reddish-brown bars
with that on the caudal peduncle not being Y-forked like
in Helicolenus dactylopterus; (c) eye with dark iris and
brownish radial bands; (d) suborbital ridge with spines;
(e) black blotch in the middle of the dorsal fin (Azevedo
& Heemstra, 1995; Battaglia et al., 2015).
This is the first time Scorpaenodes arenai is ob-
served during a SCUBA dive in the Mediterranean. The
shallowest record of the species was also reported during
diving in a subtidal tunnel (14 m deep) in Azores where
it was regularly observed as “resident species”, exhibit-
ing nocturnal feeding habits (Micael et al., 2006). Marine
caves often provide refuge for deep-sea species and thus
have been characterized as “bathyal islands” within the
littoral zone (Harmelin & Vacelet, 1997).
The present finding of Scorpaenodes arenai in the
476 Medit. Mar. Sci., 16/2, 2015, 472-488
Fig. 5: Scorpaenodes arenai in a dark cave of the National
Marine Park of Zakytnhos (Photo by V. Gerovasileiou).
dark zone of a sublittoral cave constitutes a new addition
to Mediterranean marine cave fauna (Gerovasileiou et al.,
2015). The species was spotted in a typical dark cave com-
munity dominated by serpulid polychaetes and sponges
(e.g. Agelas oroides, Dendroxea lenis, and Haliclona
mucosa). Large swarms of the shrimp Plesionika narval
were found throughout the cave while its fish assemblage
also included Anthias anthias, Apogon imberbis, Phycis
phycis and Serranus cabrilla.
The current record is the first of Scorpaenodes arenai
in Greek waters, expanding eastwards of its hitherto known
distribution. The south-western coasts of Zakynthos are
characterized by vertical cliffs often falling sharply to a
depth of >30 m and are exposed to wind-driven upwelling
currents from the open Ionian Sea. Furthermore, the lime-
stone coasts of the area are perforated by numerous caves
and crevices which could be used as refuge or “stepping
waters.
1.5. New additional records of the oceanic puff-
er Lagocephalus lagocephalus (Osteichthyes,
Tetraodontidae) in the Adriatic Sea
By J. Dulčić and B. Dragičević
The oceanic puffer Lagocephalus lagocephalus
(Linnaues, 1758) is distributed circumglobally from the
tropical to temperate seas. It is primarily an oceanic, pelag-
ic species but may enter estuaries. It feeds on crustaceans
and squid (Smith & Heemstra, 1986). It is represented in
the Mediterranean (Tortonese, 1986) and Adriatic waters
(Lipej & Dulčić, 2010). However, the species is rarely
sighted in the Adriatic Sea and biological information is
quite scarce (Dulčić & Pallaoro, 2006). The first record in
the Adriatic Sea was observed on 16-17 September 2004,
a specimen of 181.2 mm total length, 7 nautical miles from
the coast (off Molunat Bay, southern Adriatic) at approxi-
mately 70 m depth (Dulčić & Pallaoro, 2006).