2025/12/04 by Alan Deidun, Maria Corsini-Foka, Bruno Zava +4 · 1 voice
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Environmental Science · #DNA barcoding #Ichthyology and Marine Biology #Identification and Quantification in Food #Maltese #Marine Ecology and Invasive Species #Mediterranean climate #Mediterranean sea #Meristics #Mitochondrial DNA
paper · pdf · doi:10.3897/aiep.55.173159
openalex created_date 2025/12/04 · openalex publication_date 2025/12/04 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
The occurrence of Synodus synodus (Linnaeus, 1758) in the central Mediterranean Sea is ascertained through integrated morphological and molecular analyses conducted on two specimens collected in April 2025 off the southwestern coast of Malta as well as through underwater photographic documentation from the same region. Morphological examination, including meristic counts and morphometric measurements, revealed diagnostic characters consistent with S. synodus , further confirmed by DNA barcoding of the mitochondrial COI gene. The presence of S. synodus in Maltese waters represents the first confirmed record for the area and is added to the sparse reports of the species in the Mediterranean Sea. The occurrence of other Synodontidae recently found in the basin is briefly discussed.