First record of the Lessepsian migrant species Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin, 1789) (Actinopterygii: Tetraodontidae) in the Central Mediterranean

Abstract

The Lessepsian migrant fish Lagocephalus sceleratus is being recorded for the first time from the gulf of Gabes (Central Mediterranean, Tunisia). The record is based on a single specimen collected in December 2010. Previous records of the species were confined to the Levantine and Aegean Seas. Recent research reveals that this species is extending its distribution area to the western Mediterranean. The species is toxic, containing tetrodotoxin (TTX) that paralyses the nervous and respiratory systems. Actions of awareness were taken in Tunisia to alert consumers and fishermen on the potential danger of this species.