First record of juvenile Atlantic tripletail, Lobotes surinamensis (Bloch, 1790), from Antalya Bay, Eastern Mediterranean, Türkiye

Aybala Gökçen Güncan

Abstract

A juvenile Atlantic tripletail, Lobotes surinamensis (Bloch, 1790), was seen and recorded in the surface waters of Antalya Bay (36°50'59"N, 31°03'26"E) on August 26, 2025, around 08:30 in the morning. The individual measured approximately 7–10 cm in total length, displayed typical leaf-like movements characteristic of the species’ juveniles. During the observation, the juvenile fish, which is the Atlantic tripletail actively attempted to capture and feed on small, unidentified juvenile fish in its immediate vicinity. Water conditions at the time were calm, with a surface temperature around 28°C, allowing clear visual confirmation of its morphological features. This observed juvenile is morphologically and behaviourally identical to Lobotes surinamensis previously observed and reported in other regions of Türkiye, such as Izmir, Muğla, Mersin and Iskenderun. This observation represents the first record of juvenile Lobotes surinamensis from Antalya Bay and fills the geographical distribution gap between Mersin and Muğla in the eastern Mediterranean region.

Keywords

Antalya Bay, Atlantic tripletail, first record, juvenile, Lobotes surinamensis

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References

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