First Record of Pope's ponyfish Equulites popei (Whitley, 1932), (Osteichthyes: Leiognathidae) in the Syrian Marine Waters (Eastern Mediterranean)

Authors

  • Amir Ibrahim HIMR, Tishreen University, Lattajia, Syira
  • Chirine Hussein HIMR, Tishreen University, Lattajia, Syira
  • Firas Alshawy HIMR, Tishreen University, Lattajia, Syira
  • Alaa Alcheikh Ahmad General Commission of Fisheries Resourcses: Coastal Area Branch, Tartous-Syria.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22120/jwb.2020.123579.1127

Keywords:

Alien Species, Mediterranean Sea, Levantine Basin, the Syrian coast

Abstract

The eastern Mediterranean has received many alien fish species, mainly due to climate change and human activities. The Lessepsian species Equulites popei (Whitley, 1932) had been previously recorded in the northern and southern parts of the eastern Mediterranean. It was first classified as Equulites elongatus. Later on, and based on DNA analysis. E. elongatus has been split into three different species and E. popei is one of them, and the Mediterranean specimens belong to E popei. This paper confirms that E. popei is present in the Syrian marine waters for the first time. This record fills the gap in the species distribution between north and south of the eastern Mediterranean.

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Published

2020-10-30

How to Cite

Ibrahim, A., Hussein, C., Alshawy, F., & Ahmad, A. A. (2020). First Record of Pope’s ponyfish Equulites popei (Whitley, 1932), (Osteichthyes: Leiognathidae) in the Syrian Marine Waters (Eastern Mediterranean). Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity, 1–5. https://doi.org/10.22120/jwb.2020.123579.1127