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Lagocephalus sceleratus caught off Gökova Bay, southern Aegean Sea, Turkey (391 mm LS).
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One specimen of the Indo-Pacific silverstripe blaasop Lagocephalus sceleratus(Gmelin, 1789)(Tetraodontidae) is recorded from the Aegean coast of Turkey and is confirmed for the Mediterranean. Dispersal of the species to the Mediterranean is due to migration from the Red Sea via the Suez Canal.
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... According to Kara et al. (2015), the silver-cheeked toadfish is widely spread in the tropical Indo-West Pacific Ocean, the Red Sea, and more recently, the eastern Mediterranean Sea basin. The species was first reported in the Mediterranean Sea in 2003 from Turkey and ever since it is listed as an invasive species (Akyol et al. 2005;Torcu-Koç et al. 2011;Nader et al. 2012). The negative allometry estimated for the silver-cheeked toadfish combined with the equal or bellow three 'b' value in all relevant studies included herein (Aydin 2011;Başusta et al. 2013;Boustany et al. 2015;Aydin et al. 2017;Bilge et al. 2017;Torcu-Koç et al. 2020), is an indication that the species is malnourished, or a fact attributed to the inherited body shape of the species. ...
Allometric data of marine fish species from Rhodes, southeastern Aegean Sea are scarce. Their collection is crucial as they provide important information on the ongoing changes of small-scale fisheries in Rhodian coastal marine waters, a highly affected region of the Eastern Mediterranean by biological invasions. Monthly experimental trials and random samplings with static nets were conducted from April 2021 to March 2022 in the coastal marine waters of eastern Rhodes, Levantine Sea. Experimental boat seining was deployed in November 2022 in the coastal waters of northwest Rhodes, Aegean Sea. Total length and total weight of several individuals of 21 fish species were measured and the length-weight relationships of 12 indigenous and nine non-indigenous fish species were examined. The allometric coefficient (b) did not differ significantly from 3.00 for most of the species (70%), demonstrating isometric growth. Positive and negative allometry were found for three indigenous and three non-indigenous species. The largest and heaviest species were the bluespotted cornetfish (Fistularia commersonii), with a maximum TL of 117.60 cm and the silver-cheeked toadfish (Lagocephlaus sceleratus), with a maximum weight of 4640.90 g. Statistically significant positive allometric relationships were found for three non-indigenous fish, namely the bluespotted cornetfish, the devil firefish (Pterois miles) and the dusky spinefoot (Siganus luridus), suggesting that these species are thriving in the understudy area.
... In Europe, only one case has been registered after the ingestion of shellfish (Charonia lampas lampas) [9,10] in Spain. Nevertheless, in the Mediterranean Sea, where 13 species of pufferfish have been reported [11], the presence of toxic pufferfish is increasing in part due to the invasion of Lagocephalus sceleratus through the Suez Canal [12], which was first reported in Turkey in 2003 [13,14]. ...
Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a marine toxin responsible for many intoxications around the world. Its presence in some pufferfish species and, as recently reported, in shellfish, poses a serious health concern. Although TTX is not routinely monitored, there is a need for fast, sensitive, reliable, and simple methods for its detection and quantification. In this work, we describe the use of an automated patch clamp (APC) system with Neuro-2a cells for the determination of TTX contents in pufferfish samples. The cells showed an IC50 of 6.4 nM for TTX and were not affected by the presence of muscle, skin, liver, and gonad tissues of a Sphoeroides pachygaster specimen (TTX-free) when analysed at 10 mg/mL. The LOD achieved with this technique was 0.05 mg TTX equiv./kg, which is far below the Japanese regulatory limit of 2 mg TTX equiv./kg. The APC system was applied to the analysis of extracts of a Lagocephalus sceleratus specimen, showing TTX contents that followed the trend of gonads > liver > skin > muscle. The APC system, providing an in vitro toxicological approach, offers the advantages of being sensitive, rapid, and reliable for the detection of TTX-like compounds in seafood.
... Six of the thirteen pufferfish species recorded in the Mediterranean Sea entered through the Suez Canal, the remainder being of either East Atlantic, subtropical or circumtropical origins [5]. The silver-cheeked toadfish, Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin 1789), was first recorded in the Mediterranean Sea in 2003 [6] and has spread across the basin [5,7]. The presence and expansion of pufferfish species have raised basin-wide concerns, due to the threats they pose to local biodiversity, fishers' livelihoods, and fisheries, as well as to human health. ...
... Most pufferfish research in the Mediterranean at the onset of these new invasions in the early 2000s pertained to their expanding distribution [6,46,47], while research on their ecological and biological aspects, and investigations into their toxin levels only began shortly after in the late 2000s [8,15,48]. Katikou et al. [15] pioneered the first TTX study in the Mediterranean on L. sceleratus tissues (Table 1) These studies demonstrated that L. sceleratus, L. suezensis and T. hypselogeneion are not only highly toxic but can also be lethal to humans (Table 1). ...
The silver-cheeked toadfish Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin 1789), and to a lesser degree the orange spotted toadfish Torquigener hypselogeneion (Bleeker, 1852), pose threats to human health from physical attacks and poisonings in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. This study reviewed human health-related impacts resulting from these pufferfish, compiling and assessing records from online sources, the peer-reviewed literature, medical records, personal interviews, and observations across the Eastern Mediterranean in the years 2004 to 2023. A total of 198 events impacting human health were documented: 28 records of physical attacks, at least 144 non-lethal poisoning episodes, and 27 human fatalities resulting from consumption. The majority of the reported incidences occurred in Syria, Türkiye, and Lebanon. Most physical attacks occurred in summer, while most poisoning events occurred during winter. The number of recorded incidents greatly increased after 2019, especially with regard to poisonings, yet whether this is related to greater media attention, or to increased fish abundance is unclear. This is the first comprehensive study to collate findings on attacks, poisonings and fatalities caused by these pufferfish in the Mediterranean Sea, and may help in improving national health policies. We urge the continuation of national campaigns to caution residents and tourists of these species’ high toxicities and potential aggressiveness.
... Among the alien species established in the eastern Mediterranean, one of the most successful is the silver-cheeked toadfish, Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin 1789). This species was first recorded in the Mediterranean in 2003, from Gokova Bay in southwestern Turkish waters (Akyol et al. 2005). It is both the largest (maximum weight of 10 kg; Ulman et al. 2022) and most abundant pufferfish species in many localities in the eastern Mediterranean (Farrag et al. 2015, Turan 2022. ...
The silver-cheeked toadfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus) is an invasive species of highest concern. Its population must be controlled to mitigate its negative impacts on marine ecosystems, fishers, fisheries and human health. This study thoroughly investigates the biology, diet and catchability of the L. sceleratus stock from Finike, Turkey from March 2017 to February 2018 in order to better manage its invasion. A total of 751 specimens were sampled for this study with a M/F ratio of 1.25/1. The species becomes sexually mature at three and a half years of age, and Lm50 was 41.39 cm for males and 42.08 cm for females. Its spawning season in this region was from June to August, peaking in July. Its diet was mostly crustaceans in spring, fish in summer and both fish and crustaceans in winter. This species consumed a large amount of other pufferfish species, resulting in over a quarter of its fish diet. The trophic level of L. sceleratus was 4.41, demonstrating that it is indeed a top predator carnivore in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Ingested fishing gear parts such as net pieces and hooks were found in about 10% of the fish. A slight modification of longlines using steel branch lines and a swivel hook resulted in double the catch per unit effort than standard longlines, so this technique can be used to target and control more of this invasive species, which is a national priority.
... On the other hand, using GTRs, 62 species were collected, of which 48 (77.42%) were IS, weighing 91.05 kg (26.41% of the total GTR biomass), and 14 (22.58%) were NIS, weighing 253.72 kg (73.59% of the total GTR biomass). Several years before the first records of F. commersonii (2000) [116] and L. sceleratus (2003) [117] and the second record of P. miles (the first record in 1991 from Israel [118], second record 2012 [103]), their biomass corresponded to 40.6% of the total catch biomass in experimental trials [119], which is a percentage lower than that of this present study. A relatively recent study on static nets from Israel reported that among the 69 collected species, the number of IAS alone was 16, constituting 24% of all species, which is a percentage that corresponded with 20% of the total biomass [69], with their abundance skyrocketing to 84% over shallow soft-bo oms. ...
Experimental fishing was conducted in three different locations along the coastal marine waters of eastern Rhodes Island, Levantine Sea, Hellas, from April 2021 to March 2022 on a monthly basis. Twelve samplings with gill nets and 12 with trammel nets at each of three selected locations resulted in a total of 72 samplings. The numbers of indigenous and non-indigenous species, as well as their abundances, biomasses and frequencies of occurrence, were recorded. Overall, the samplings yielded 71 species, of which 14 were non-indigenous. The total abundance was 1879 individuals , corresponding to a fish biomass of 433.57 kg. Fistularia commersonii, Sparisoma cretense and Pterois miles exhibited the highest numbers of individuals, whereas three of the invasive alien species in the Hellenic seas, namely, F. commersonii, Lagocephalus sceleratus and P. miles had the highest bio-masses. The results exhibited a strong presence of P. miles in the Rhodian fisheries as the dominant invasive species based on the examined indicators (i.e., abundance, catches and frequency of occurrence). Comparisons in regard to the collected biomass between the locations, seasons, species origins and types of fishing gear were performed. All three locations were characterized by a good ecological status based on the relationship between abundance and biomass. The results of this study contribute valuable information on the ongoing changes in small-scale fisheries in the marine waters of Rhodes Island, which is one of the Eastern Mediterranean regions most affected by biological invasions.
... L. sceleratus was first reported in 2005 off the coast of Türkiye [3] and then spread rapidly. In a short time, relevant occurrence reports followed from Greece, Croatia, Spain, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, and Italy [4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. ...
The silver-cheeked toadfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus), an invasive alien pufferfish species that has rapidly settled throughout the Mediterranean region, poses significant threats not only to native marine species and fisheries but also to public health due to the tetrodotoxin (TTX) they harbor. In this study, TTX concentrations in L. sceleratus from Antalya Bay in the Northeastern Mediterranean Sea were investigated using Q-TOF-LC-MS on a monthly basis over a one-year period. Pufferfish were caught by angling from May 2018 to April 2019. The TTX levels in three different tissues (gonads, liver, and muscle) of 110 pufferfish in total were determined in both male and female individuals caught for 11 months. The highest TTX mean levels generally occurred in the gonads and the lowest in the muscle samples. As regards the maximum TTX contents, the highest concentrations determined were 68.2, 34.2, and 7.8 µg/g in the gonad, liver, and muscle tissues, respectively. The highest levels were generally observed in late autumn to winter (especially in November and December) in all tissues from both genders. Female individuals were generally found to be more toxic than male individuals. The TTX levels found confirm that the consumption of L. sceleratus from Antalya Bay remains dangerous throughout the year, and thus L. sceleratus constantly constitutes an important risk source for public health.
... However, there is now growing evidence for TTX presence in edible marine species in subtropical and temperate waters around Europe. Partly, this is due to the rapid establishment of a TTX-bearing invasive pufferfish Lagocephalus sceleratus (Tetraodontidae) in the Mediterranean following its discovery off the Turkish coast in 2003 (Akyol et al., 2005). In 2007, a TTX-poisoning case was recorded in Spain after consumption of a Portuguese-sourced gastropod Charonia lampas (Fernández-Ortega et al., 2010;Rodriguez et al., 2008). ...
Tetrodotoxin (TTX), a potent neurotoxin mostly associated with pufferfish poisoning, is also found in bivalve shellfish. Recent studies into this emerging food safety threat reported TTX in a few, mainly estuarine, shellfish production areas in some European countries, including the United Kingdom. A pattern in occurrences has started to emerge, however the role of temperature on TTX has not been investigated in detail. Therefore, we conducted a large systematic TTX screening study, encompassing over 3500 bivalve samples collected throughout 2016 from 155 shellfish monitoring sites along the coast of Great Britain. Overall, we found that only 1.1 % of tested samples contained TTX above the reporting limit of 2 μg/kg whole shellfish flesh and these samples all originated from ten shellfish production sites in southern England. Subsequent continuous monitoring of selected areas over a five-year period showed a potential seasonal TTX accumulation in bivalves, starting in June when water temperatures reached around 15 °C. For the first time, satellite-derived data were also applied to investigate temperature differences between sites with and without confirmed presence of TTX in 2016. Although average annual temperatures were similar in both groups, daily mean values were higher in summer and lower in winter at sites where TTX was found. Here, temperature also increased significantly faster during late spring and early summer, the critical period for TTX. Our study supports the hypothesis that temperature is one of the key triggers of events leading to TTX accumulation in European bivalves. However, other factors are also likely to play an important role, including the presence or absence of a de novo biological source, which remains elusive.
... One of the most notorious recent invasive species in the Mediterranean Sea is the silver-cheeked toadfish, Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin 1789). First recorded in Turkey in 2003, this pufferfish rapidly spread in the Eastern and Western basins of the Mediterranean Sea, including some parts of the Black Sea (Akyol et al. 2005;Coro et al. 2018;Ulman et al. 2021a). The species L. sceleratus is a large (~ 100 cm total length; Ulman et al. 2022) predator with a known economic impact (e.g. ...
Marine invasive species are pervasive across the world’s coastal regions. Nevertheless, empirical quantification of their ecological effects remains limited. Here, we elucidate the interaction of the invasive silver-cheeked toadfish, Lagocephalus sceleratus, with the fish community of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, a hotspot for marine biological invasions. We deployed 88 underwater stereo-video systems across the Israeli continental shelf and upper slope. From this data, we quantified the change in fish behavior in the absence and presence of L. sceleratus. We further supported our findings by analyzing L. sceleratus gut contents. Our results indicated that the presence of L. sceleratus significantly deterred other non-indigenous species (NIS) and we recorded multiple NIS escape behaviors (fleeing, covering beneath sand or algae, or using camouflage). However, indigenous species (IS), for the most part, remained indifferent to L. sceleratus’ presence. Furthermore, analysis of gut contents supported the visual surveys and revealed that L. sceleratus primarily feed on NIS, including other non-indigenous pufferfish species. Our findings suggest that harmful invasive species may not necessarily be detrimental to IS. At the same time, the apparent threat by L. sceleratus may have ecological impacts on other NIS, especially invasive pufferfishes which are highly poisonous and are suspected to have few predators in the Mediterranean Sea.
... Among the alien invasive species are five pufferfish, which originally inhabited the Red Sea and the Indo-Pacific Ocean (Golani et al., 2021). The species are the diamond-back puffer (Lagocephalus guentheri Miranda Ribeiro, 1915) first reported from the Dodecanese Islands (Greece) (Sanzo, 1930), the Suez puffer (Lagocephalus suezensis E. Clark & Gohar, 1953) first reported from Lebanon (Mouneimne, 1977), the yellow-spotted puffer (Torquigener flavimaculosus Hardy & Randall, 1983), first reported in Israel (Golani, 1987), the silver-cheeked toadfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin, 1789)) reported simultaneously from Israel (Golani and Levy, 2005) and Turkey (Akyol et al., 2005) and the rare and diminutive bathydemersal spiny blaasop (Tylerius spinosissimus (Regan, 1908)), reported from the Island of Rhodes (Greece) (Corsini et al., 2005). All of the species have extended their range after introduction, in particular L. sceleratus, which is now considered both a massive threat and a significant nuisance to the local ecosystem and human population alike (Streftaris and Zenetos, 2006;Kalogirou et al., 2010Kalogirou et al., , 2012Nader et al., 2012;Kalogirou, 2013). ...
With the opening of the Suez Canal as a link between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea in 1869, the biogeographical event of the Lessepsian migration has been starting. Aided by beneficial conditions in the new habitat, almost 500 marine species have immigrated and often established themselves in the Mediterranean Sea, including several pufferfish species, with all of them extending their range and becoming important components of the local fauna. The parasitic fauna of these pufferfish has scarcely been examined in the Mediterranean Sea or in their native range, which provides the opportunity to study host-parasite interaction in a new habitat. The present study describes the parasitic fauna in four alien invasive pufferfish species (Lagocephalus guentheri, L. sceleratus, L. suezensis, and Torquigener flavimaculosus) of various sizes and ages on the Israeli Mediterranean coast. The parasite fauna of these species was diverse (Maculifer dayawanensis, Digenea; Calliterarhynchus gracilis, Nybelinia africana and Tetraphyllidea larvae Cestoda; Hysterothylacium reliquens, Hysterothylacium sp. and Raphidascaris sp. Nematoda; Trachellobdella lubrica Hirudinea and Caligus fugu and Taeniacanthus lagocephali Copepoda) and consisted of mostly generalist species, most likely acquired in the new habitat, and specialist copepod ectoparasites, having co-invaded with the pufferfish. Additionally, the oioxenic opecoelid digenean Maculifer dayawanensis was found in two pufferfish species. The genus was previously only known from the Indo-Pacific Ocean, representing the eighth reported case of a Lessepsian endoparasite so far. Our results suggest a change in parasite fauna to native Mediterranean species in the pufferfish like previously reported in other Lessepsian migrant predatory fish species and a wider spread of co-invasion of fish endoparasites to the Mediterranean Sea than previously assumed. The study also provides several new host records and the first report for parasites in T. flavimaculosus.
... Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin, 1789), also known as the silver-cheeked toadfish, is a widely spread species, which originates from the tropical Indian and Pacific Oceans (Boustany et al., 2015). It was first detected in the Mediterranean Sea in Turkey in February 2003 (Akyol et al. 2005). In Greece it was first reported two years later, in July 2005 in the Cretan Sea (Kasapidis et al., 2007). ...
The Greek seas as a part of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, have been considered as a hotspot for the entrance of non-indigenous species (NIS). Ballast water functions as a major pathway for the spread of NIS in new environments, posing significant threats to both the ecosystems and human health. Nine non-indigenous fish species, originating from the Red Sea, have been introduced to the Greek seas since 1925. Despite the implemented laws for limiting the spread of NIS and the subsequent impacts, current global environmental issues, such as climate change and micro-plastic pollution, could result in a rapid spread and establishment of NIS in hot-spot regions, including the Greek seas. A more systematic use of advanced tools for the systematic monitoring of all NIS in the Mediterranean Sea is necessary.
