African Sergeant

Maltese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin (Marine Region) Unlike most of the alien fish species noted in the Mediterranean which have entered through the Suez Canal (Occhipinti-Ambrogi et al., 2011; Kalogirou et al. 2012; Golani et al., 2010; Golani et al., 2014; Vella et al., 2015b), this new alien species has probably entered through the Strait of Gibraltar, given that its typical range is of tropical eastern Atlantic origin (Loris & Rucabado 1990; Edwards et al., 2001; Cowman & Bellwood, 2013). The lack of records of A. hoefleri in other regions of the Mediterranean Sea might indicate that this species is not a natural migrant but has been introduced through shipping activity, especially given that the occurrence of this species has been noted to coincide with the presence of port activities and oil platforms in the Canary Islands (Triay-Portella et al., 2015).