Abstract

An individual belonging to the Caesio genus was recorded with an underwater camera off the coast of Hatay Yayladağ on 20 May 2025 in the northeastern Mediterranean. The species, observed several times with an underwater camera in the same location, was identified as Caesio cf. teres. However, due to the lack of a physical specimen, a definitive species identification could not be made. This is the first known visual record of the Caesio cf. teres species in the Mediterranean basin. It is believed that the species recently arrived in the Mediterranean via the Lessepsian migration route through the Suez Canal.

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