This paper presents records extending or confirming the distribution of Mediterranean species. Three alien algae are included, namely Codium taylorii reported for the first time from the Aegean and Turkey (Izmir Gulf), Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea (Karpathos and Chalki Isl., Aegean Sea) and Ganonema farinosum (Karpathos Isl., Aegean Sea). As far as animals are concerned, Litarachna divergens (Acari: Hydrachnidia) was recorded (Side, Eastern Mediterranean) and represents a new amendment at genus level for Turkish fauna. Other invertebrates include alien species such as the crabs Dyspanopeus sayi (Lago Fusaro, SW Italy), Percnon gibbesi (Larnaca, Cyprus; Karpathos and Chalki Isl., Aegean Sea) and Callinectes sapidus (Voda estuary, NW Greece), the nudibranch Aplysia dactylomela (Boka Kotorska Bay, Montenegro), the gastropod Conomurex persicus (Karpathos and Chalki Isl., Aegean Sea) and the bryozoan Electra tenella (Livorno harbour and Messina Straits area). The alien fish Siganus luridus, Siganus rivulatus, Fistularia commersonii, Sphyraena chrysotaenia and Sargocentron rubrum are also reported from the islands of Karpathos and Chalki, and Pteragogus pelycus from Heraklion Bay, Crete. In addition, new localities for four rare Mediterranean inhabitants are given: the cephalopod Thysanoteuthis rhombus (NW Sardinia) and the fish: Lampris guttatus (Calabria, S Italy), Petromyzon marinus (Gokova Bay) and Remora australis (Saronikos Gulf), while the opisthobranch gastropod Cerberilla bernadettae is reported for the first time from the E Mediterranean (Cyprus). Finally, three species of the Aegean ascidiofauna are recorded for the first time: Lissoclinum perforatum, Ciona roulei and Ecteinascidia turbinata. Furthermore, it was established that Phallusia nigra has extended its distributional range to the north of the Aegean Sea.

The “New Mediterranean Biodiversity Records” series includes new records of marine species found in the Mediterranean basin and/or information on the spatial distribution of already established species of particular interest. The current article presents information on 20 marine taxa classified per country according to their geographic position in the Mediterranean, from west to east. The new records per ecoregion are as follows: Algeria: the first record of the fish Etrumeus golanii is reported along the Algerian coast. Tunisia: the alien jellyfish Phyllorhiza punctata is reported for the first time in the Gulf of Gabès. Italy: the first record of Siganus rivulatus in the Strait of Sicily and a new record of Katsuwonus pelamis from the central Tyrrhenian Sea are reported. The establishment of the isopod of the genus Mesanthura in the northern Tyrrhenian with some notes on its ecology are also included. Croatia: signs of establishment of the Lessepsian Siganus luridus and the occurrence of the alien mollusc Rapana venosa are reported. Albania: the first record of the elasmobranch Alopias superciliosus and a recent sighting of the rare monk seal Monachus monachus in Albanian waters are given. Greece: signs of the establishment of the fish Parupeneus forsskali and of the ascidian Hermania momus in Hellenic Aegean waters are reported. Turkey: a new record of the fish P. forsskali and of the Acarea of the genus Acaromantis and Simognathus are given, while the first case of Remora australis in association with delphinids and the occurrence of the sea star Coscinasterias tenuispina are reported. Also, the establishment of the two alien species Isognomon legumen and Viriola sp. [cf. corrugata] are presented. Egypt: the fish Bathygobius cyclopterus is reported for the first time in Mediterranean Sea waters. Also, a new record of Pagellus bogaraveo and a first record of Seriola fasciata in Egyptian Mediterranean waters are reported. Lebanon: the first record of Dondice banyulensis is presented.

In this study, length-weight relationships were given belonging to Tetraodontidae family: Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin, 1789), Lagocephalus spadiceus (Richardson, 1845), Lagocephalus suezensis Clark & Gohar, 1953 and Torquigener flavimaculosus Hardy & Randall, 1983. Specimens were collected via different fishing activities (e.g. longline, trammel net, bottomtrawl) from Muğla coasts (South Aegean Sea, Turkey) during 2014. Specimens were thown back sea after length and weight measurements because of restrictive legal requirements. Minimum, maximum and mean total lengths and weights were established as 5.3, 10.6, 7.25 cm, 3.96, 31.57, 11.28 g for T. flavimaculosus, as 16.7, 63.8, 29.34 cm, 64.36, 2968.42, 342.39 g for L. sceleratus, as 11.8, 27.9, 16.48 cm, 27.98, 287.48, 74.24 g for L. spadiceus and as 8.6, 15.9, 10.62 cm, 7.94, 43.56, 15.47 g for L. suezensis, respectively. LWR equations were calculated as follow: W= 0.03761 *L2.8363(R2= 0.896) for T. flavimaculosus, W= 0.01646 *L29272(R2= 0.974) for L. sceleratus, W= 0.03327 *L2.7315(R2= 0.913) for L. spadiceus and W= 0.02138*L2.7586(R2= 0.871) for L. suezensis. Four pufferfish species were show negative allometric growth (A-) model.

The Aquatic Species Invasiveness Screening Kit (AS-ISK) has been used in order to exhibit the factors increasing the invasiveness of Pufferfishes on the Muğla coast. Basic Risk Assessment (BRA) scores were calculated as 28.0 (Lagocephalus guentheri), 31.0 (Torguigener flavimaculasus), 33.0 (Lagocephalus suezensis), 38.0 (Lagocephalus spadiceus) and 40.0 (Lagocephalus sceleratus) and these scores were indicated a high risk of invasiveness for the species. The factors increasing overall AS-ISK scores were; high climate match, tolerance of a wide range of environmental conditions, flexibility in utilizing food resources, high fecundity, small size at maturity, high reproductive effort, reliable data about parasite transmission and high invasiveness potential elsewhere while factors decreasing scores were; no hybridization with native fish, and no parental care. This information is expected to allow managers and agencies that are responsible for risk assessment and management of lessepsian/invasive species to perform a better decision-making.

In the present study, the relationships between sagittal otoliths (otolith length (OL), height (OH) and weight (OW)), fish size (fish length (TL) and weight (W)) in brown comber (Serranus hepatus, Linnaeus, 1758) were analysed. Fish specimens (N=504, 41-133 mm in TL and 1.05-31.98 g) were captured by bottom trawl vessels from off the Güllük Bay (Southern Aegean Sea) between January and December 2013. Left otolith pairs were used for calculations since there was no statistical differences between left and right otoliths (P>0.05). Regression formulas were used as follows: TL= 16.94*OL+10.14, TL= 26.77*OH+24.88, TL= 375.7*OW 0.315 , W= 0.251*OL 2.431 , W= 2.009*OH 1.917 , W= 854.0*OW+1.552, OH= 0.600*OL-0.394, OW= 0.00025*OL 2.555 and OW= 0.001*OH 2.007 . Calculated regressions were revealed a high coefficient of determinations ranging from 0.865 to 0.960. It is found that otolith sizes and weight are good indicators of the total length and weight of S. hepatus.