First record of skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) from Dahab in the Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea, Egypt

Abstract

The present study describes the first record of skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis (Linnaeus, 1758), from Dahab on the west coast of the Gulf of Aqaba, northern Red Sea. In the field, marine biologists photographed fish specimens and recorded the morphometric parameters for identification. Purse seines, line gear and longlines were the main fishing methods used to collect this fish. The skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis, is a member of Family: Scombridae and it was first observed in Dahab (Gulf of Aqaba, northern Red Sea) following its first detection in October 2021 by artisanal Bedouin fishermen at the start of the cooling trend of sea temperature in the region. The fish specimens were described, and their morphometric and meristic characteristics were investigated. This fish migrates from the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea via the narrow Strait of Bab El-Mandab. This migration is a new route for this fish species and it has been recorded for the first time in the Red Sea. The skipjack tuna is chiefly a scavenger, consuming a variety of creatures with different percentages. According to our findings, small fish (Atherinomorus lacunosus) is the most dominant and preferred food item consumed by K. pelamis, accounting for 79% of the total consumption food items. In conclusion, the first sighting of skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis, an epipelagic oceanic fish species in Egypt's Gulf of Aqaba, occurred in

Morphological, Histological and Histochemical Adaptations in Digestive Tubular Part, Concerning the Feeding Strategy of Skipjack Tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) Inhabiting Abu Galum, Aqaba Gulf, Red Sea, Egypt

“…The fish are mostly scavengers, eating a variety of animals in varying proportions. The most common and preferred food item ingested by the fish was the small fish, namely Atherinomorus lacunosus, which was mostly devoured by K. pelamis, representing 79% of its stomach content (Afifi et al, 2022).…”