Ornamental fishes in the mediterranean sea: First records of holacanthus bermudensis goode, 1876, balistes punctatus gmelin, 1789, rhinecanthus assasi (forsskål, 1775), and an unidentified tropical damselfish

Abstract

Aquarium trade constitutes an important pathway for the introduction of non-indigenous aquatic organisms in several parts of the world. Here, based on a series of observations carried out along the Lebanese coasts, we document the first record of four non-indigenous fish species in the Mediterranean Sea. The paper discusses their occurrence as releases from home aquaria as the most plausible mean of introduction. © Bariche et al.