The spreading of lessepsian fish migrants into the Aegean Sea (Greece)
Costas Papaconstantinou

The number of the Lessepsian fish migrants colonizing the eastern Mediterranean increases continuously. At least 11 species have reached the Aegean Islands (Dodecanese, Cyclades) by following the Asiatic coasts. The Lessepsian migrants fished in Greek territorial waters are: Sargocentron rubrum, Siganus rivulatus, Siganus luridus, Lagocephalus spadiceus, Stephanolepis diaspros, Upeneus moluccensis, Leiognathus klunzingeri, Saurida undosquamis, Pempheris vanicolensis, Hemiramphus far and Parexocoetus mento. Almost all of them came from the Dodecanese Sea area, five were found in the south Aegean Sea (Cyclades Islands) and only one in Patraikos Gulf ( Western Greece). The spreading of Lessepsian migrants in the Aegean Sea and the presence of some fish species of Black Sea origin contributes to the division of the Aegean Sea into two zoogeographical zones, south and north of the line connecting the islands of Eubia and Peara.

Keywords: Fishes, Aegean Sea, Lessepsian migrants, Lessepsian migration, fauna, Greek fishfauna.
Contents of this volume Sci. Mar. 54(4) : 313-316 Back PDF
 
 
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