Keywords
Ophichthidae
Levant Basin
occurrence
How to Cite
Abstract
The armless snake eel, Dalophis imberbis, is an ophichthid eel widely distributed in the Mediterranean Sea, but comparatively rare in the eastern basin. This study examined three specimens from Iskenderun Bay (northeastern Mediterranean Sea, Türkiye), which were identified based on standard morphological diagnostic characters and measured for key morphometric traits. The individuals were captured at shallow coastal depths, contributing new distributional and ecological data for the species in the eastern Levant Basin. Morphometric results are consistent with previously published Mediterranean data, although minor variations were observed among selected proportional measurements. These findings provide additional evidence for the presence of D. imberbis in Turkish waters and support the view that the species forms part of the established ichthyofauna of the eastern Mediterranean.
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