ANNALES • Ser. his?, nal. • 13 ■ 2003 • 2 short scientific article UDK 597.5:591.9(262-14) received: 2003-08-12 ON THE OCCURRENCE OF THE TRIPLETAiL, LOBOTES SURiNAMENSIS (BLOCH, 1790} (OSTEICHTHYES: LOBOTIDAE), OFF THE COAST OF ALGERIA (SOUTHERN MEDITERRANEAN) l:arid HtiMIDA laboratoire Halieutique, Institut des Sciences de la Nature, Université des Sciences et Techniques Houari Boumédienne, S. P. 32, £1 Alia, IG 111 Bab Ezzouar, Alger, Algérie Daniel GOLAN! Department ot fivolution, Systematics and Ecology, The Hebrew Uoiversity of Jerusalem, ¡1-91904 Jerusalem, Israel Youssouph DI ATI'A Département de Biologie animale, faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, B. P. SÛ05, Dakar, Sénégal Christian CAPAPC l aboratoire d'Ichtyologie, Université Montpellier II, Sciences ci Techniques du Languedoc, F-34 09S Montpellier cedex OS, France E-mail: capapeiSuniv-montp2.fr ABSTRACT In the present paper, their authors report on a new record of the Triptetail, Loboles surinamensis (Bloch, 1790), off the coast of Algeria (southern Mediterranean). A brief description of the specimen and comment on both occurrence and distribution of the species in the Mediterranean is given. Key words: teleost, Lobotidae, inbotes surinamensis, distribution, Algeria, Mediterranean TESTIMONIANZA Di PESCE FOCHA, LOBOTES SURINAMENSIS (BLOCH, 1790} (OSTEJTTI: LOBOTIDAE) AL LARGO DELLA COSTA DELL'ALGERIA (MEDITERRANEO MERIDIONALE) S i NTL SI Glí autorí riportano una nuova testimonianza di pesce foglia, Lobotes surinamensis (Bloch, 1790), ai largo della cosía algerina (Mediterráneo méridionale). L/articolo fornisce una breve descrízione dell'eseinplare e commenta sia il ritrovamento che la distribuzione della spede m Mediterráneo. Parole chiavc: Teleoslei, Lobotidae, Lobotes surinamensis, distribuzione, Algeria, Mediterráneo 145 ANNALES • Ser. hist, nat. • 13 • 2003 • 2 fgrid HiMlOA el jif.: ON tH£ OCCURRENCE Of THE TRIPLCTAIl. l.OBOTTS SURINAMENSIS (BLOCM, t 790> (OSTEtCHTHYES: LOBOTIDAE).....i <5-1« INTRODUCTION The Tripietail Lobotes surinamensis (Bloch, 1790) is a cosmopolitan species found in all warm seas. The first written re-cord of this teleost fish, as far as the Mediterranean is concerned., comes from Sicilian waters (Doder-iein, 1875}. its presence in the Mediterranean has been since then noted by several authors, Ben-Tuvia (1953) arid Golani (1996, 1997} in Israeli waters, Bini (1968) off Calabria, Itaiy and Tortonese (1975) off Rhodes, Greece, Turkey and Lebanon. Although L. surinamensis occurs in many places, it is still considered a rather rare species. Despite its wide distribution, it was not mentioned in the comprehensive studies by Dieu/eide (1953) carried out in coastal waters of Algeria. The first record from Tunisian coastal waters was made by Bra das (2000). An unsubstantiated record of this species was presented by Mr. AN Messaoudi with a specimen of L. surinamensis presumably caught off Algiers (Anonymous, 1993). A recent survey conducted at some fishery sites along the Algerian coast revealed another specimen of this species. MATERIAL AND METHODS On 15 December 2002, a Tripietail was observed at the fish market of Algiers; it was caught by pelagic gillnet at a depth between 10 and 15 metres, off Annaba, city located in eastern Algeria, 90 km west to the Tunisian border (Fig. 1). The specimen was a female, 450mm total length and weighing 4500 g. As the fishermen sold it immediately, we were unfortunately unable to preserve and include it in the Ichthyoiogical Collection of the Algiers University. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Morphometry measurements and rnertstic characteristics of this specimen are given in Table 1. Body compressed, deep oval-shaped. Upper profile of head concave. Mouth oblique with protractibie upper jaw. Jaws have bands of villiform teeth with rows of conical teeth on the outer edge. Preoperculum margin sharply serrated. Pelvic fin larger than pectoral. Posterior portions of the dorsal and ana! rays rounded and opposite each other; together with ¡lie rounded caudal fin, they form a threc-iobed caudal fin. Posterior part of dorsal and anal fins scaled. Colour brownish with differently shaped faded blotches and spots. Posterior margin of caudal fin yellow. According to the authors, the Tripietail i surinamensis lives solitary or in pairs, it feeds mainly on invertebrates and fish. This species is known for its strange behaviour: it floats motionless on its side on the surface of the water, for reasons still unknown. Schmid & Randall (1997) noted this behaviour pattern serves the fish to camouflage against its predators and while placing itself in a good position to surreptitiously drawing closer to its prey, This probably explains why captures of this fish are rarely mentioned. Fig. 7: Map of the Maghrebine shore showing the Algerian capture sites of Lobotes surinamensis (arrow pointing at the black star: first record; arrow pointing at Ibe black square: second record). SI. 1: Zemljevid magrebske obale z oznakami lokacij v alžirskih vodah, kjer je bila ujeta vrsta Lobotes surinamensis (črna zvezdica: prvi zapis; črni kvadratek: drugi zapis). Tab, 1: Morphometric measurements (in mm) and meristic counts of the specimen of Lobotes surinamensis. Tab. 1: Morfometrični (v mm) in merrsfični podatki o primerku vrste Lobotes surinamensis. Total length 450 Fork length 370 Space between tip of snout to caudal fin origin 361 Head length 60 Interorbital space 24 Space between tip of snout to pectoral fin 66 origin Space between tip of snout to dorsal fin origin 73 Space between tip of snout to pelvic fin origin 64 Space between tip of snout to anal fin origin 280 Space between snout and vent 310 Dorsal fin length 300 Pectoral fin length 70 Pelvic fin length 95 Anal fin length 90 Caudal fin length 45 Caudal fin width 43 Eviscerated mass in grammes 4500 Peivic fin rays 1 + 5 Dorsal fin rays XII + 16 Anal fin rays ill + 15 Pectoral fin rays 12 Caudal fin rays 18 Ctenoid scales on tail 10 146 ANNALES • Ser. hist, nat. • 13 • 2003 • 2 rati it HCM1DA pi a/..- ON lHf OCCUKKFNtt OFTHFTRiï'l ETAII., LOROTB SURINAM ¡-NS