First record of Steinhardt’s shrimp-goby Cryptocentrus steinhardti in Turkish waters, providing evidence for its establishment in the Mediterranean Sea
Year: 2026
Type: article
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.
Source: Mediterranean Marine Science
DOI: 10.12681/mms.45398
Language: English
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Life below water
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7221783799