New record of elongate lanternfish Notoscopelus elongatus (Costa, 1844) from the coastal waters of Aegean Sea, Turkey, with notes on species’ morphology and distribution

Background. Marine ichthyofauna of the Mediterranean Sea is represented by 712 species, 117 of which are deepwater fishes. During the last decade, this ichthyofauna has been considerably enriched, either by Suez Canal or Strait of Gibraltar migrations or simply by mariculture escapees. This study is intended to discussed morphology of one of such non-indigenous fish species and its distribution. Materials and methods. Three specimens of elongate lanternfish, Notoscopelus elongatus (Costa, 1844), were captured during a commercial lift net operation in Ece Limani, Aegean Sea, Turkey. The fish were described and illustrated, following commonly accepted procedures. Results. This is the first documented new record of the species from Aegean Sea, Turkey. The described meristic and morphometric features of elongate lanternfish, Notoscopelus elongatus, are consistent with the data provided by descriptors of its previous findings (with minor exceptions). The most interesting morphological feature of the presently described material is the presence in the smaller specimen (TL 103 mm) of 4 precaudal photophores (Prc) on the left body side (in contrast to 3 usual ones). Conclusion. This work will undoubtedly enhance our knowledge on newly introduced species on lanterfishes in the Mediterranean and in Aegean Sea in particular.

Abstract licence: CC BY

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