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Fishes of the genus Abudefduf are increasingly being recorded in Mediterranean waters, with most of these occurrences being based on the sole inspection of underwater images or video footage. Here we present a critical review of these occurrences, taking into account the uncertainties related to the identification of the congeneric A. vaigiensis and A. saxatilis, and testing the validity of the external traits used so far to distinguish these two species. After a careful revision of the Mediterranean literature and based on the analyses of images mostly taken in their natural native environment, we highlight the possibility that major morphological characters previously used to distinguish A. saxatilis from A. vaigiensis are not consistent within the species and thus not sufficiently reliable for their discrimination. This also relates to the possible confusion of these two species with a third species A. troschelii, never reported in the Mediterranean Sea to date. Finally, new records of the genus Abudefduf are reported for the Adriatic Sea and Tunisian waters. (PDF) On the occurrence of Abudefduf spp. (Pisces: Pomacentridae) in the Mediterranean Sea: a critical review with new records. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/347802 447_On_the_occurrence_of_Abudefduf_spp_Pisces_P omacentridae_in_the_Mediterranean_Sea_a_critica l_review_with_new_records [accessed May 21 2021].

5 pages, 2 figures, The silver-cheeked toadfish Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin, 1789) is rapidly expanding westward through the Mediterranean Sea. On December 2017, a single individual was caught by a local fisherman at the westernmost end of the basin, the Straits of Gibraltar at San Amaro beach, Bahia norte, Ceuta, Spain (35.8974; −5.2994). This new record opens to the possibility of this Indo-Pacific pest to spread beyond the Mediterranean region, prospecting the future extension of Lessepsian bioinvasions to the Atlantic Ocean, This study has been partially supported by the Interreg Med Programme (Project MPA-Adapt - Grant number 1197 | 1MED15_3.2_M2_337 and Project MPA-ENGAGE -grant number: 5216 | 5MED18_3.2_M23_007), With the funding support of the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S), of the Spanish Research Agency (AEI)

Lionfishes are conspicuous and disruptive predators once introduced outside of their native range. Here we provide a revision of the occurrences of the common lionfish Pterois miles (Bennett, 1828) in the Mediterranean Sea, showing its rapid geographical expansion since 2012. A single lionfish was photographed in September 2016 during a scientific survey off the Vendicari coast, Southern Sicily, Italy. This is the first record of this notorious invasive species from Italian waters. Given its large size, conspicuous appearance, and venomous spines, it is critical to involve informed citizen scientists in tracking the spread of this species and to develop means to manage or adapt to its presence in the Mediterranean Basin.

The squirrelfish genus, Sargocentron, is reported for the first time from Maltese coastal waters within the Central Mediterranean. The record is based on two individuals caught at two different coastal locations in the Maltese Islands within the space of a few days of each other, through the same fishing technique (trammel nets). In view of the impossibility to collect meristic, morphometric and molecular data from the recorded individuals, and due to the close similarity between a number of Sargocentron congeners, the exact taxonomic identity of the captured individuals could not be conclusively confirmed, although the livery on the two caught individuals resulted to be consistent with that of S. rubrum and S. hastatum., peer-reviewed

5 pages, 3 figures, The silver-cheeked toadfish Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin, 1789)—an invasive toxic species well established in the eastern Mediterranean—is rapidly expanding through the western Basin and a public campaign was set to inform Italian citizens on the risks associated with its consumption. Both news media and local communities responded rapidly to the initiative generating an increasing flow of information. On 15 April 2016, a new capture of this species (off Briatico, Calabria, Italy at 25 m of depth), was promptly reported to the authors, representing the first documented record of L. sceleratus from the Tyrrhenian Sea. On 7 June 2016, a second specimen was captured at Montebello Ionico in Calabria. This case of early detection is here presented as a successful example of interplay among citizens, researchers, and policy makers: a powerful approach for monitoring the spread of invasive species and reducing their potential impacts through increasing awareness

The occurrence of the silver-cheeked toadfish, Lagocephalus sceleratus, is reported for the first time from Maltese waters. The specimen was caught at a depth of 15 m in a sparse sea grass Posidonia oceanica meadow. The need for a public information campaign on the danger to human health posed by the species, and to develop an early warning system of its spread, is discussed., peer-reviewed

The silver-cheeked toadfish Lagocephalus sceleratus is one of the most recent invaders in the Mediterranean Sea and a serious risk for public health. In June 2011, an awareness campaign to disseminate information related with this toxic species was launched by the Tunisian Ministry of Agriculture. Whilst providing a step toward the development of an appropriate early warning system, this case highlights a remarkable geographical extension of L. sceleratus along the entire Tunisian shoreline (from the island of Djerba to the region of Tabarka). We illustrate how the first step in the process of effectively managing the risks posed by an invasive species is to engage and communicate with the public.

New Mediterranean records of the non-indigenous apogonid Cheilodipterus novemstriatus along the Lebanese coasts are presented. In JulyAugust 2012, two individuals were spotted north of Beirut at 35-37 m depth on two separate occasions. A school of small-sized individuals was photographed in a nearby location a few weeks later. These findings confirm the presence and likely establishment of the species in the Mediterranean Sea.

3 pages, 2 figures, On July 2010, the invasive crab Percnon gibbesi was photographed and captured along the coast of Alexandria (Egypt, Eastern Mediterranean Sea). This represents the first observation of this species in Egyptian waters and the easternmost record for the southern rim of the Mediterranean, We acknowledge the Euromediterranean Center for Climatic Changes and the Italian Ministry for the Environment and the Territory (Project: The impacts of biological invasions and climate change on the biodiversity of the Mediterranean Sea). The suggestions of two anonymous referees improved the quality of this paper