Occurrence of basking shark, <I>Cetorhinus maximus</I> (Elasmobranchii: Lamniformes: Cetorhinidae), off the Syrian coast (eastern Mediterranean) with first description of egg case

Abstract

Basking shark, Cetorhinus maximus (Gunnerus, 1765), is a large shark, distributed worldwide, generally found in boreal to warm temperate waters, frequently sighted in open seas, and which often enters into enclosed bays where it is usually captured; additionally, some dead specimens are found stranded on the beach The presence of basking shark is known in the Mediterranean, but most of the reported captures were from western and central areas