Confirmation of the presence of the Sea Lamprey, Petromyzon marinus Linnaeus, 1758 in the Levantine Sea (Petromyzoniformes: Petromyzonidae)

摘要

Lampreys or Stone Suckers (Petromyzonidae), a group of primitive vertebrates, the Agnatha or 'jawless fishes', comprise about 40 species worldwide. The Sea Lamprey, Petromyzon marinus Linnaeus, 1758, is generally widely distributed on both sides of the North Atlantic. However, its occurrence is sporadic and rather rare in northern Europe, while in Western Europe the largest populations are found in the big rivers which flow into the Atlantic. It is less abundant in the Mediterranean, where it is recorded along the coasts of France, Corsica, Sicily, Malta, and in the south in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. It is also found along the western coast of Italy from Genoa to Palermo, and from Trieste to Bari on the eastern coast. Additionally, it is seen along the Adriatic coast (former Yugoslavia and Albania), ascending many local rivers such as the Bune and Lake Skadar (Economidis et al. 1999).