The westernmost recorded location of the Liomera rugipes (Brachyura: Xanthidae: Liomerinae) in Antalya Bay, Mediterranean Sea, Türkiye
Tahir Özcan
Iskenderun Technical University, Faculty of Marine Sciences and Technology 31200 İskenderun, Hatay, Türkiye
Abstract
The Mediterranean Sea is being increasingly affected by biological invasions due to the Suez Canal and rising seawater temperatures associated with climate change. In 2023, the non-native crab species Liomera rugipes was recorded in the Mediterranean ecosystem. In 2025, the species was sighted again in Turkish waters, specifically in the Iskenderun Bay, and approximately 700 km west of there, in the Antalya Bay. This record is the result of research conducted through marine citizen science. This confirms the species’ second occurrence in Turkish waters and its westernmost distribution in the Mediterranean Sea. Our findings emphasise the importance of citizen science in the early detection and monitoring of marine biological invasions.
How to Cite
Tahir Özcan (2026). The westernmost recorded location of the Liomera rugipes (Brachyura: Xanthidae: Liomerinae) in Antalya Bay, Mediterranean Sea, Türkiye. MARFRESH – Journal of Marine and Freshwater Sciences, 1(1), 23–25.