Report of Nerocila bivittata (Risso, 1816) (Isopoda: Cymothoidae) Parasitic on Alien Fish, Pterois miles (Bennett, 1828) from the Aegean and Mediterranean Sea

Abstract

Since 2014, an invasive alien fish species, lionfish, Pterois miles (Bennett, 1828) has been started to distribute in the Turkish Mediterranean Sea coasts and spread out to the Aegean Sea. In the present study, a Cymothoid fish parasite, Nerocila bivittata (Risso, 1816) is reported from the pectoral fin of P. miles caught from the Gulf of Iskenderun (Northeastern Mediterranean) and Bodrum, Turkey (Aegean Sea Coast). This study is the first record of N. bivittata on lionfish P. miles caught from Gulf of Iskenderun. Key diagnostic characters of N. bivittata, some morphological differences observed between the newly collected material of N. bivittata and its previous descriptions, in addition to newly observed additional characters were presented.