Occurrence of the rare fish Lobotes surinamensis (Bloch, 1790) in the Capo Peloro Lagoon (Central Mediterranean Sea): some implications

As part of fish fauna monitoring within the “Capo Peloro Lagoon” Natural Reserve, a juvenile specimen of the rare warm-water fish Lobotes surinamensis (Bloch, 1790) was detected through a collaborative citizen science effort. This represents the first recorded occurrence of the species in the Strait of Messina area. The finding is particularly noteworthy, as the Strait functions as a climatic cold barrier between the warmer Tyrrhenian and Ionian basins, playing a crucial role in regulating the northward spread of thermophilic species. Furthermore, this record reinforces the importance of the Capo Peloro Lagoon as both a nursery and refuge area, as well as a potential steppingstone in the dispersal of both exotic and native thermophilic species.