ON THE OCCURRENCE OF LUTJANUS ARGENTIMACULATUS (FORSSKÅL, 1775) IN THE SOUTH-EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN, TURKEY

Abstract

A single large specimen of mangrove red snapper Lutjanus argentimaculatus (Forsskål, 1775) with a total length of 59.5 cm and weight of 3386 g was caught with a spear gun on 30 November 2022 in the coastal waters of the Iskenderun Bay (Konacik), Turkey at a depth of 12 m. The present paper is the first report of the occurrence of L. argentimaculatus in Turkey’s south-eastern Mediterranean marine waters. The species is believed to be spreading rapidly in the Mediterranean waters of Turkey.