Records of two non-indigenous fish species Synanceia verrucosa Bloch and Schneider, 1801 and Acanthurus sohal (Forsskål, 1775) from the Gaza strip (eastern Mediterranean Sea)

Abstract

The sohal surgeonfish Acanthurus sohal and the reef stonefish Synanceia verrucosa are marine fishes native to the Indo-Pacific realm. A single individual of each of the two species was captured from the coastal waters of the city of Gaza and their pictures were shared on social media. This constitutes the second record of the surgeonfish and the fourth record of the stonefish in the Mediterranean Sea. The proximity to the Suez Canal suggests Lessepsian migration as a likely mode of entry to the Mediterranean Sea for A. sohal and adds another record of S. verrucosa in the basin. © Bariche et al.