First record of Steinhardt's shrimp-goby Cryptocentrus steinhardti in Turkish waters, providing evidence for its establishment in the Mediterranean Sea
Abstract
The Mediterranean Sea is a hotspot for biological invasions, particularly due to the influx of non-indigenous species from the Red Sea via the Suez Canal (Lessepsian migration). Cryptocentrus steinhardti, a shrimp-associated goby, was previously known only from three trawl-collected specimens off the Israeli coast, with no in situ observations and limited ecological information. Here, we report the first in situ records of C. steinhardti in the Mediterranean Sea, based on scuba observations conducted in the Bay of Kaş, Türkiye, between 2019 and 2025. These observations provide the first photographic and video documentation of the species in its natural Mediterranean habitat and constitute its first confirmed record in Turkish waters. Repeated sightings over multiple years suggest the presence of a locally established, low-density population. Individuals were observed at shallower depths (10-25 m) than previously reported and in association with the alpheid shrimp Alpheus cf. rapacida, confirming their symbiotic behaviour. Our findings indicate that C. steinhardti is established in the Mediterranean Sea and emphasize the value of in situ monitoring for assessing the ecology and spread of non-indigenous species.
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BibTeX
@article{louisy2026first,
title = {{First record of Steinhardt's shrimp-goby Cryptocentrus steinhardti in Turkish waters, providing evidence for its establishment in the Mediterranean Sea}},
author = {Patrick Louisy and Murat Draman and Cem Dalyan and Lucas Berenger and Bikem Kesici and Virginie Raybaud},
journal = {Mediterranean Marine Science},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.12681/mms.45398},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05797123v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - First record of Steinhardt's shrimp-goby Cryptocentrus steinhardti in Turkish waters, providing evidence for its establishment in the Mediterranean Sea
AU - Patrick Louisy
AU - Murat Draman
AU - Cem Dalyan
AU - Lucas Berenger
AU - Bikem Kesici
AU - Virginie Raybaud
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/12
JO - Mediterranean Marine Science
DO - 10.12681/mms.45398
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05797123v1
AB - The Mediterranean Sea is a hotspot for biological invasions, particularly due to the influx of non-indigenous species from the Red Sea via the Suez Canal (Lessepsian migration). Cryptocentrus steinhardti, a shrimp-associated goby, was previously known only from three trawl-collected specimens off the Israeli coast, with no in situ observations and limited ecological information. Here, we report the first in situ records of C. steinhardti in the Mediterranean Sea, based on scuba observations conducted in the Bay of Kaş, Türkiye, between 2019 and 2025. These observations provide the first photographic and video documentation of the species in its natural Mediterranean habitat and constitute its first confirmed record in Turkish waters. Repeated sightings over multiple years suggest the presence of a locally established, low-density population. Individuals were observed at shallower depths (10-25 m) than previously reported and in association with the alpheid shrimp Alpheus cf. rapacida, confirming their symbiotic behaviour. Our findings indicate that C. steinhardti is established in the Mediterranean Sea and emphasize the value of in situ monitoring for assessing the ecology and spread of non-indigenous species.
SN - 1108-393X
SN - 1791-6763
ER -