| Recorded off Rosh Hanikra, Israel (33°02' N, 35°04' E), depth: 60 m, collected by Z. Haibatov (captain of the commercial bottom trawler "Or David"), 2 January 2013. TL 460 mm, Weight 113 g TAU-P.14971. The most reasonable introduction route of G. reticularis into the Mediterranean is based on the morphological similarities with the single Red Sea record. These similarities indicate that the newly reported specimen most likely originated from the Red Sea; hence it invaded the Mediterranean via the major common vector, the Suez Canal. Another possible route for introducing G. reticularis into the Mediterranean is based on the genus Gymnothorax providing many species for the world's ornamental fish trade (Monteiro-Neto et al. 2003; Jayalal & Ramachandran 2012). It is therefore also possible that the reported specimen of G. reticularis was simply released by aquarists into the Levant Basin. Further sightings of G. reticularis in the Mediterranean will clearly determine whether this alien species has managed to integrate within the Levantine ichthyofauna or that it will remain as a single esoteric record (Ref. 93345).
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