On the occurrence of the Pennant Coralfish Heniochus acuminatus (Linnaeus, 1758) and the Red Sea Bannerfish Heniochus intermedius Steindachner, 1893 in the Mediterranean Sea: New records and a regional review

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Published: Apr 24, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.41007
Keywords:
Non-indigenous species Mediterranean shipping first record aquarium release
ERNESTO AZZURRO
National Research Council, Institute for Biological Resources and Marine Biotechnologies, Largo Fiera della Pesca, 2, 60125 Ancona, Italy & NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo, Italy
PERIKLIS KLEITOU
Marine & Environmental Research Lab, Limassol, Cyprus
GIACOMO BERNARDI
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
MICHELLE BARICHE
Department of Biology, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
Abstract

Non‑indigenous butterflyfishes (Chaetodontidae) are increasingly detected in the Mediterranean Sea, often through opportunistic observations supported by photographs or video. Here we report the first confirmed Mediterranean record of the Pennant coralfish Heniochus acuminatus (Linnaeus, 1758), based on a specimen speared off Larnaka (Cyprus) in August 2018 and photographed immediately after capture. We also provide six new Mediterranean occurrences of the Red Sea bannerfish Heniochus intermedius Steindachner, 1893, recorded between February 2021 and November 2025: three captures from Lebanon (two preserved as vouchers), and three additional individuals documented exclusively by underwater video from Italy, Cyprus, and Greece, which are conservatively reported as Heniochus cf. intermedius. Finally, we compile and critically update published Mediterranean Heniochus records (n = 21), highlighting the growing contribution of citizen science and social media to the detection of conspicuous tropical fishes, while emphasizing the need for evidence‑based reporting when identifications rely solely on visual material. The spatial clustering of H. intermedius in the Levant is compatible with the presence of an established population, although the broader spatio‑temporal pattern indicates multiple introduction events of Heniochus spp. into the basin.

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