Aquaria kept marine fish species possibly released in the Mediterranean Sea: First confirmation of intentional release in the wild

This work reviews the introduced marine fish species in the Mediterranean Sea, whose mechanism of introduction is potentially linked to aquarium trade. The list includes 19 species, all listed in FishBase as commercially exploited species in the aquarium trade. Whilst transport-stowaway (shipping) may be considered as a potential pathway for almost all of them, 7 of these also live in the Red Sea, and therefore could have entered unintentionally via the Suez Canal. We also here report the first Mediterranean sighting of the emperor red snapper, Lutjanus sebae (Cuvier, 1816), on the basis of one specimen sampled in Saronikos Gulf. A research carried out by one of the authors led us to trace its entire life in Greece, from the presence in a local pet store to its intentional release in nature and subsequent collection.