CONFIRMING THE OCCURRENCE OF THE NON-INDIGENOUS PTERAGOGUS TRISPILUS (ACTINOPTERYGII: LABRIDAE) IN MALTESE WATERS
Vol. 35 No. 1 (2025), Articles
Vol. 35 No. 1 (2025)

CONFIRMING THE OCCURRENCE OF THE NON-INDIGENOUS PTERAGOGUS TRISPILUS (ACTINOPTERYGII: LABRIDAE) IN MALTESE WATERS

Articles
https://doi.org/10.19233/ASHN.2025.03
Published 2025-06-20
Alan DEIDUN
Department of Geosciences, University of Malta, Msida MSD 2080, Malta
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6919-5374
Sarah BAUMANN
22 Triq il-Mulett, Twilight Fl. 13 SPB1580 Qawra, Malta
Colin PAVITT
DiveGozo, Ritual Diving Centre, 2, 4 Triq il-Gostra, Xlendi, Munxar, Gozo XLN1404, Malta
Bruno ZAVA
Wilderness studi ambientali, via Cruillas 27, 90146 Palermo, Italy; Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Comiso, Via degli Studi 9, Comiso (RG), Italy
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8131-0355
Maria CORSINI-FOKA
Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research. Hydrobiological Station of Rhodes, Enydreiou Str., 85133 Rhodes, Greece
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6575-2639
Adam GAUCI
Department of Geosciences, University of Malta, Msida MSD 2080, Malta
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8635-9230
Alessio MARRONE
Department of Geosciences, University of Malta, Msida MSD 2080, Malta
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8250-9673
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Keywords

Lessepsian migrant
Pteragogus trispilus
Malta
second record
Posidonia oceanica
citizen science

How to Cite

DEIDUN, A., BAUMANN, S., PAVITT, C., ZAVA, B., CORSINI-FOKA, M., GAUCI, A., & MARRONE, A. (2025). CONFIRMING THE OCCURRENCE OF THE NON-INDIGENOUS PTERAGOGUS TRISPILUS (ACTINOPTERYGII: LABRIDAE) IN MALTESE WATERS. ANNALES, SERIES HISTORIA NATURALIS, 35(1), 13–20. https://doi.org/10.19233/ASHN.2025.03
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Abstract

The comb wrasse Pteragogus trispilus Randall, 2013, a species native to the Red Sea and a known Lessepsian migrant, is hereby reported for the second time from Maltese waters. The record is based on a single individual observed and photographed on 25 January 2025 in a Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadow settled on a sandy seabed at a depth of approximately 10 meters. This observation further supports the hypothesized local establishment in the Maltese waters and the ongoing range expansion of this species in the Mediterranean Sea.

https://doi.org/10.19233/ASHN.2025.03
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