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During a research cruise carried out in April 2010, aimed at updating the knowledge on the biodiversity of the Santa Maria di Leuca (SML) cold-water coral province (Mediterranean Sea), a facies of the sea pen Kophobelemnon stelliferum (Muller, 1776) was found on mud-dominated bottoms. This finding represents a new species and a new habitat record from the SML coral province as well as a new bathyal facies in the whole Central Mediterranean Sea. The colonies were collected using an epi-benthic sledge, at depths between 400 and 470 m. A significant positive relationship between polyp number and colony length was detected. Density of the colonies ranged from 0.003 to 0.038 NÁm À2 . Differences and affinities between Mediterranean and Atlantic occurrences of K. stelliferum are discussed.

The presence of the basking shark Cetorhinus maximus (Lamniformes: Cetorhinidae) in the central-eastern Mediterranean Sea has been documented by means of 15 sightings and two accidental catches which occurred from February 2011 to January 2014 in the northwestern Ionian and southern Adriatic Sea. Specimens were observed exhibiting typical feeding behaviour, swimming slowly on the surface, during each sighting. In the case of the accidental catches, the basking shark specimens were released still alive by local fishermen. The observed specimens measured between 4 and 9 m in total length (TL). The sightings could be due to an increase in effort in the monitoring of the species occurring in the Mediterranean Sea as a consequence of a rise interest in the conservation of threatened species.