The family Scorpaenidae (scorpion fish) includes at least 56 genera with about 418 species (Nelson, Reference Nelson2006). Scorpaena loppei Cadenat, 1943 is a benthic species distributed from the Bay of Biscay to Morocco, Mauritania and including the western Mediterranean Sea. Its record from Cyprus (eastern Mediterranean) is unreliable (Hureau & Litvinenko, Reference Hureau, Litvinenko and Whitehead1986). It is one of the fourteen representatives of the family Scorpaenidae in the Mediterranean (Quignard & Tomasini, Reference Quignard and Tomasini2000). To date Scorpaena loppei has been reported from Greek territorial waters of the Aegean Sea (Papaconstantinou, Reference Papaconstantinou1988), to the eastern Mediterranean near Israel (Golani, Reference Golani2005). In addition, it was found off the coast of Botricello (south-eastern Italian coast, Ionian Sea) at 30 m (Matarrese et al., Reference Matarrese, D'Onghia, Tursi and Basanisi1996). Bilecenoğlu et al. (Reference Bilecenoğlu, Taşkavak, Mater and Kaya2002) mentioned the single record from Turkey according to Akşıray (1987). Akşıray (1987) has not given any information about depth and locality where this species was caught. This record, indicated by Akşıray (1987), should be considered as doubtful. Morever, S. loppei has not been reported from Turkish seas by Fricke et al. (Reference Fricke, Bilecenoğlu and Sarı2007). In the present study, a description of S. loppei based on two specimens caught in the Mersin-Taşucu Bay, Turkey is given.
On 24 August 2006, two specimens of S. loppei were captured by the RV ‘YUNUS-S’ using a bottom trawl, from Mersin-Taşucu Bay, Turkey. The trawling haul began at 36°09′N 33°50′E and ended at 36°08′N 33°52′E, at a depth range from 73 to 93 m (Figure 1). The specimens were fixed in 5% neutral formalin and later preserved in 70% ethyl alcohol and then deposited at Istanbul University, Fisheries Faculty, Marine Biology Laboratory and Istanbul University, Science Faculty, Hydrobiology Museum, Istanbul (IUSHM 36100-58). Measurements were made with dial calipers and recorded to 0.1 mm. The first specimen was 42.8 mm standard length, and the second specimen was 52.3 mm standard length (Figure 2A).
Sampling location of Scorpaena loppei: trawl line, along the Taşucu Bay (eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey).
(A–C) Specimen of Scorpaena loppei (IUSHM 36100-58: sl: 42.8 mm) caught in the Mersin-Taşucu, Turkey.
Diagnostic characteristics of two S. loppei specimens are as follows: body moderately compressed; head large; maxilla with a characteristic longitudinal crest; snout shorter than orbit diameter; preorbital bone with two spines over maxilla, first is very blunt, second is long and curved to rear; suborbital ridge with four spinous points; upper post-temporal spine present. Occipital pit present. Tentacles on head and body poorly developed. Dorsal fin rays XII + 10; anal fin rays III + 5; pectoral fin rays 18; pelvic fin rays I + 5. Scales on body ctenoid; chest, pectoral fin base and head naked; vertical rows of scales 37; scales in lateral lines 21–22. Gillrakers 15 on the whole first arch. Standard lengths are 42.8 and 52.3 mm. Body depth 3, head length 2.5, predorsal length 2.7–2.8, preanal length 1.5, dorsal fin base length 1.8–1.9 and anal fin base length 6.6–6.8 in standard length; snout length 3.6–3.8, eye diameter 3–3.4, total head length.
Body colour uniformly pink with many black spots on body; a dark spot on spinous dorsal fin between spines 6 and 9 and fins dusky. All counts and measurements agree with descriptions given by Hureau & Litvinenko (Reference Hureau, Litvinenko and Whitehead1986). Scorpaena loppei can be easily distinguished from all other Mediterranean scorpion fish by the anterior mandibular pores united in a single opening (Figure 2B), and the presence of maxilla with a longitudinal crest (Figure 2C). Scorpaena loppei is a small sized fish; Bauchot (Reference Bauchot and Fischer1987) reported maximum length 150 mm, Hureau & Litvinenko (Reference Hureau, Litvinenko and Whitehead1986) 100 mm and Tortonese (Reference Tortonese1975) 120 mm. According to Bauchot (Reference Bauchot and Fischer1987), the species is generally found at depths between 80 and 300 m. Scorpaena loppei feeds mainly on crustaceans.
The presence of S. loppei in the seas of Turkey is now reported, and information provided for the first time about the depth and locality where the specimens of this species were caught from Turkish waters.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We are grateful to Professor Bayram Öztürk, who organized the research cruise to the eastern Mediterranean in August 2006, and the scientific team on this cruise. We also thank the RV ‘YUNUSS’ crew for their help in the field, and Cem Dalyan, who took the photographs of the species, for help during the study.
