SSRG International Journal of Agriculture & Environmental Science (SSRG-IJAES) – Volume 6 Issue 3–May to June 2019 ISSN: 2394 - 2568 http://www.internationaljournalssrg.org Page 14 First Record of the Broadbanded cardinalfish Ostorhinchus fasciatus (White, 1790) from the Syrian Marine Waters (Eastern Mediterranean) Firas Alshawy 1 , Amir Ibrahim 1 , Chirine Hussein 1 and Murhaf Lahlah 2 1 Department of Marine Biology, High Institute of Marine Research, Tishreen University, Lattakia, Syria 2 Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine -Hama University, Hama, Syria Abstract Currently, marine species in the Mediterranean Sea is on increase; as a consequence, the Mediterranean Sea becomes a biodiversity hotspot. Apogonidae family contains 353small colourful species, which exist in the tropical and subtropical waters. On 21/3/2019,a field trip was performed in the marine waters facing Banyas city, Syria. Two specimens of the Broadbanded cardinalfish Ostorhinchus fasciatus (White, 1790) were caught, and this species has been recorded for the first time in the Syrian marine water. Keywords: Ostorhinchus fasciatus ,Broadbanded cardinalfish, Syrian marine waters, Eastern Mediterranean. I. INTRODUCTION Currently, marine species in the Mediterranean Sea is on increase [1], where new species are being continuously added to the fish checklist [2]. Human activities and climate changes have led aquatic biota to reach new habitats too far from their native ones [3],[4],[5],[6]. As a consequence, the Mediterranean Sea becomes a biodiversity hotspot [7]. Most non-indigenous species in the Mediterranean Sea have entered through the Suez Canal, where it is one of the most important waterways for those species [8[,[9],[10]. Apogonidae family contains 353small colourful species, which exist in the tropical and subtropical waters[11]. Yet, there are nine Apogonidae species in the Mediterranean Sea [6, 11]. The Broadbanded cardinal fish Ostorhinchus fasciatus (White, 1790) (Apogonidae), has been recorded for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea at Ashdod coast in 2009 [12], at Iskenderun Bay in 2010 [13], and at Cypriot coasts in 2014 [14]; It has not been recorded in the central and western parts of the Mediterranean Sea yet ([11], [15]). This paper reveals that the Broadbanded cardinalfishOstorhinchus fasciatus (White, 1790), has been recorded for the first time in the Syria marine water; this represents the fourth record in the eastern Mediterranean. II. METHODS AND MATERIALS On 21/3/2019,a field trip was performed in the marine waters facing Banyas city, Syria (N: 35°14'35.11", E: 35°55'12"; Fig.1). Fish samples were collected using fixed gillnet (18mm mesh size, 3m height, 200m length: with duplicates), with assistance of fishing boat (9.5m, 19HP). The fish specimens were identified according to [16]. The morphometric measurements (length to the nearest mm, weight to the nearest g), and meristic counts were recorded. They were then photographed, preserved in 7% formaldehyde, and placed at the Biological Laboratory of the High Institute of Marine Research (Tishreen University - Lattakia, Syria) as reference samples [17]. III. RESULT Two specimens of the Broadbanded cardinalfish Ostorhinchus fasciatus (White, 1790) (Fig2) were caught at 40-60 m water depths. They had the following identical morphological characteristics: the body was ovate to elongate, with two separated dorsal fins, the eye was bigger than the snout and the caudal fin was lightly emarginated. The body was pale brown, with two dark stripes. The first lower stripe, which runs from the snout to the end of caudal fin, passes through the eye but the upper stripe runs from post-temporal bone to the end of the second dorsal fin. The meristic formula was: D,VII+I+9;A,II+8;P,15;V.I+5;C,20. These features of O. fasciatus are in full agreement with[16].