Journal Article
Rarely reported cryptobenthic fish in marine caves of the eastern Mediterranean Sea
Ragkousis, M., Digenis, M., Kovacic, M., Katsanevakis, S. and Gerovasileiou, V.
Record Number:
5354
Year:
2021
Journal:
Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
Pages:
1-18
Volume:
9, 557
Notes:
This article is an open access article
distributed under the terms and
conditions of the Creative Commons
Attribution (CC BY) license (https://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/
4.0/).
Abstract:
Abstract: Data on the distribution and ecology of cryptobenthic fish of marine caves in the Mediterranean
Sea are extremely scarce but necessary for scientists and marine managers alike in order
to understand these fish’s ecological role and assess their conservation status. Broadscale surveys
by implementing underwater visual census and photographic sampling in marine caves of the
northeastern Mediterranean Sea, within different expeditions during the last 5 years, brought to light
new records of eight rarely reported cryptobenthic fish species. To a smaller extent, complementary
citizen science data from diving professionals of Crete were used to fill distribution gaps. A total of
36 new records (66 individuals) from 18 marine caves and caverns of the Aegean and northeastern
Levantine Seas were assembled, belonging to the gobies Corcyrogobius liechtensteini, Didogobius
splechtnai, Gammogobius steinitzi, and Thorogobius ephippiatus, the blenny Microlipophrys nigriceps, the
tripterygiid Tripterygion melanurum, the speleophilic bythitid Grammonus ater, and the gobiesocid
Lepadogaster cf. lepadogaster. The above species have been rarely reported from the Eastern Mediterranean
Sea, with D. splechtnai and G. steinitzi being recorded for the first and second time from Greek
waters, respectively, while L. cf. lepadogaster constitutes the second record of a clingfish species in a
marine cave of the Aegean Sea. Interesting behavioral and ecological habits were also noted for some
species, based on in situ observations and photographic evidence. Our study contributes to filling
gaps in the knowledge of cave fish diversity and demonstrates that cryptobenthic mobile species in
understudied cryptic habitats are more common than previously thought in the Mediterranean Sea.
Keywords: cryptobenthic fish; marine caves; cryptic habitats; mobile species; visual census; Pisces;
Gobiidae; Blenniidae; Tripterygiidae; Bythitidae; Gobiesocidae
Times Cited:
0