Lagocephalus suezensis
Πληροφορίες
These pufferfishes occur in coastal habitats from sandy bottoms to seagrass meadows, down to a depth of 100 m. They inflate their bodies when threatened. In the Mediterranean this fish family is carnivorous, feeding mainly on shrimps, but also on crabs, fish (including individuals of the same species), squids, molluscs and cuttlefish.
In the Levant, L. sceleratus spawning takes place during early summer. Their eggs and larvae are planktonic.
The genus Lagocephalus includes four species inhabiting the Mediterranean. Only L. lagocephalus (Linnaeus, 1758) is native, while the other three species, L. spadiceus, L. suezensis and L. sceleratus, migrated from the Red Sea to the Levantine basin by way of the Suez Canal.
Lagocephalus spadiceus can be distinguished from all the others by the presence of spinules on the belly and back (from the eye to half-way to the dorsal fin, with another patch ventrally from the throat to half-way along the belly), the lack of black dots on its back, yellow dorsal and pectoral fins, and a dusky tail fin with white tips.
Lagocephalus sceleratus has a distinct wide silver stripe on the sides, a dark grey dorsal surface with many regularly distributed small black spots, a silvery white ventral surface, and pronounced, strong teeth.
Lagocephalus suezensis is blackish brown to olive grey in colour with irregular brown to grey dots in various sizes. It has a bright silver stripe along the side and a white belly.
The native species, Lagocephalus lagocephalus, has dorsal and anal fins with white bands. The body is smooth (without dots) except for well-developed spinules on the belly from chin to anus. In adults the lower tail fin lobe is longer than the upper one. The back is dark blue and the belly is white.
Lagocephalus sceleratus is a tropical Indo-West Pacific species, and has recently entered the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal. Soon after it was first detected in 2003 in Turkey, the species underwent a population explosion in many areas around the Levant Basin, including Israel, Turkey, Crete, Egypt and possibly in Libya and Tunisia. More recently it was also recorded into the North Adriatic waters.
Lagocephalus suezensis was first recorded in Lebanon in 1977 (as L. sceleratus), and later found in Israel, Syria, Turkey, Greece and Libya.
Lagocephalus spadiceus was first recorded in the Dodecanese Islands, Greece, in 1930, and it has subsequently been recorded in Turkey, Israel and Tunisia.
L. sceleratus is one of the most important species in terms of biomass in both Posidonia oceanica meadows and sandy areas in Rhodes (Greece).
Lagocephalus species are regarded as some of the worst invasive species in the Mediterranean Sea, and they have a significant impact on the fisheries sector. However, the role of these invasive species within the coastal ecosystem and their effect on local populations are still unknown.
These species are very dangerous to eat as their flesh is poisonous. The dramatic spread of these highly poisonous fishes along the Mediterranean coast reinforces the need for a public information campaign to raise awareness of the dangers to human health. Despite landings are prohibited in countries like Turkey, it is illegally landed and consumed the Mediterranean coasts.
Lagocephalus sceleratus attacks fishes caught in nets and on lines and can cause serious damage to both fishing gear and catch.
Nader M., Indary S., Boustany L., 2012. FAO EastMed The Puffer Fish Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin, 1789) in the Eastern Mediterranean. GCP/INT/041/EC – GRE – ITA/TD-10. Athens 2012: 39 pp.
http://www.ciesm.org/atlas/Lagocephalussceleratus.php
