•1 min read•from Frontiers in Marine Science | New and Recent Articles
New records of Priacanthus arenatus in the Mediterranean Sea: morphological and molecular evidence with biogeographic insights
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We present two new records of the Atlantic bigeye, Priacanthus arenatus, from Italian waters in the Ionian Sea and the Strait of Sicily. This species, previously documented only twice in the Mediterranean, is confirmed through rigorous morphological and molecular analyses. Our study includes a comprehensive comparison of morphometric and meristic data with existing literature, alongside phylogenetic analyses utilizing COI sequences. These findings not only affirm species identity but also reveal connections to eastern Atlantic haplotypes, prompting further discussion on ecological implications and taxonomic considerations.
We report two new records of the Atlantic bigeye, Priacanthus arenatus Cuvier, 1829, from Italian waters (Ionian Sea and Strait of Sicily), confirmed through morphological and molecular analyses. The species has previously been reported in the Mediterranean only twice, in the Gulf of Cagliari and the Strait of Messina. Morphometric and meristic data were compared with literature values, and phylogenetic analyses based on COI sequences confirmed species identity and suggested affinity with an eastern Atlantic haplotype. Ecological implications and taxonomic considerations are discussed.
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#ocean data#data visualization#Priacanthus arenatus#Mediterranean Sea#Atlantic bigeye#morphological evidence#molecular evidence#phylogenetic analyses#species identity#biogeographic insights#Ionian Sea#Strait of Sicily#COI sequences#morphometric data#meristic data#eastern Atlantic haplotype#Gulf of Cagliari#Strait of Messina#ecological implications#taxonomic considerations