New record of Blackmouth catshark, Galeus melastomus Rafinesque, 1810 (Carcharhiniformes, Scyliorhinidae) from the International Waters of the Mersin Bay, Turkey

Abstract

An immature specimen of the blackmouth catshark, Galeus melastomus Rafinesque, 1810, was caught by a bottom trawl in the international waters of the Mersin Bay in May 2018. (Coordinates: 36.24853N-34.36491E, 36.18839N-43.38847E, 36.17065N-34.40686E, and 36.07227N-34.53326E). This specimen was preserved in 4% formalin and was deposited in the Museum of the Systematic, Faculty of Fisheries, Mersin University, (catalogue number: MEUFC-18-11-078). The species belongs to the family Scyliorhinidae of the Carchariniformes order and is of Atlantic origin. This species recorded earlier from Israel Open Waters, and Marmara, Aegean and Mediterranean Sea. This is the second record for Turkish Coastal Waters and the first record for Mersin Bay.