First observation of Apogon imberbis in Izmir Bay, North-eastern Aegean Sea

Abstract

Three specimens of the Cardinal fish Apogon imberbis were observed on 02 October 2016 in the coast of Karaburun, Izmir Bay during the snorkeling. This short paper constitutes the first record of Cardinal fish from Izmir Bay, NE Aegean Sea.

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Short Communication
Journal of Maritime and Marine Sciences Volume: 2 Issue: 2 (2016) 36-38
First observation of Apogon imberbis in Izmir Bay, North-eastern Aegean Sea
İzmir Körfezi’nde (Kuzeydoğu Ege Denizi) Apogon imberbis’in İlk Gözlemi
Denizcilik ve Deniz Bilimleri Dergisi Cilt: 2 Sayı: 2 (2016) 36-38
Okan AKYOL1,*, Aytaç ÖZGÜL1
1 Ege University Faculty of Fisheries, 35440 Urla, Izmir, Turkey
ABSTRACT
Three specimens of the Cardinal fish Apogon imberbis were observed on 02 October 2016
in the coast of Karaburun, Izmir Bay during the snorkeling. This short paper constitutes
the first record of Cardinal fish from Izmir Bay, NE Aegean Sea.
Keywords: Cardinal fish, Apogon imberbis, new record, Izmir Bay, NE Aegean Sea.
ÖZET
Kardinal balığının, Apogon imberbis üç bireyi 02 Ekim 2016 tarihinde Karaburun
kıyılarında (İzmir Körfezi) şnorkelle dalış sırasında gözlenmiştir. Bu kısa makale,
kardinal balığının İzmir Körfezi’nden (Ege Denizi) ilk kaydını vermektedir.
Anahtar sözcükler: Kardinal balığı, Apogon imberbis, yeni kayıt, İzmir Körfezi, Ege
Denizi
Article Info
Received: 18 October 2016
Revised: 23 November 2016
Accepted: 27 November 2016
* (corresponding author)
E-mail: okan.akyol@ege.edu.tr

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1. INTRODUCTION
Cardinal fish, Apogon imberbis (Linnaeus
1758) is a nocturnal species, forming hover
in groups of several individuals to
hundreds in caves and crevices at depth to
100 m during the day, whereas at night,
they feed on zooplankton away from
shelter (Golani et al., 2006). It is Atlanto-
Mediterranean and unique native species
among the six Apogon species, while
Apogonichthyoides pharaonis (Bellotti
1874), Jaydia queketti (Gilchrist, 1903), J.
smithi Kotthaus, 1970, Ostorhinchus
fasciatus (White, 1790), Cheilodipterus
novemstriatus (Rüppell, 1838) are
Lessepsian apogonid fishes in the
Mediterranean (Golani et al., 2002).
Apogon imberbis is well-known from the
SE Aegean Sea. De Raedmaecker et al.
(2010) reported from Arki Island, Greece
that this was a highly sheltered species and
it was found to be an abundant typifying
species for the sheltered sites. In a recent
study, this fish observed at depths of 20 and
40 m in the artificial reefs (made from
concrete tubes), deployed in Gümüldür,
Sığacık Bay, SE Aegean Sea (Gül et al.,
2011). However, it has not been observed
yet in Izmir Bay. Moreover, Akyol et al.
(2011) recorded a total of 76 rare and little-
known fish species in Izmir Bay between
1969 and 2008, and A. imberbis was not
available in the list of Izmir Bay fish fauna.
The aim of the study was therefore to
document the occurrence of a new
uncommon fish species recently observed
in this ecosystem.
On 02 October 2016, three A. imberbis
specimens (Figure 1) were photographed
by an amateur skin diver from the coats of
Incirlikoy, Karaburun (38.65079° N,
26.52045°E), Izmir Bay at a depth of 2.5 m
on a rocky and pebble bottom. Total
lengths of these fishes were about 70 mm.
Figure 1. Apogon imberbis, sighted in the
coast of Karaburun, Izmir Bay, NE Aegean
Sea (underwater photograph: O. Öner).
According to expression, three A. imberbis
were calmly going around the rocks in the
shallow waters in the morning. When they
were being disturbed by approaching of
underwater photographer, they suddenly
escaped into the crevices in order to hide
(O. Öner, pers. comm.). This interesting
fishes are still rare in the area; nevertheless,
it is added as a new species in Izmir Bay
fish fauna.
2. REFERENCES
Golani D., Öztürk, B., Başusta, N. (2006). The
fishes of the eastern Mediterranean. Turkish Marine
Research Foundation, Publication No. 24, Istanbul,
Turkey.
Golani, D., Orsi-Relini, L., Massuti, E., Quignard,
J.P. (2002). CIESM Atlas of Exotic Species in the
Mediterranean. Vol.1-Fishes, 256 p.
De Raedemaecker, F., Miliou, A., Perkins, R.
(2010). Fish community structure on littoral rocky
shores in the Eastern Aegean Sea: Effects of
exposure and substratum. Estuarine, Coastal and
Shelf Science 90: 35-44.
Gül, B., Lök, A., Özgül, A., Ulaş, A., Düzbastılar,
O.F., Metin, C. (2011). Comparison of fish
community structure on artificial reefs deployed at
different depths on Turkish Aegean Sea coast.
Brazilian Journal of Oceanography 59 (special
issue CARAH): 27-32.

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Akyol, O., Çoker, T., Perçin, F. (2011). The very
rare and little known fishes along the coast of Izmir
(Aegean Sea, Turkey) in the past 40 years (1969–
2008). Journal of Applied Ichthyology 27: 1337–
1345.