Species name Impact Mechanism Impact outcome Level Species affected Confidence Rationale for confidence Citation from text Full Reference Location Comments Plotosus lineatus MO competition population size decline of T.draco population Trachinus draco low "No direct observational evidence, circumstantial evidence, mechanism is inferred" "A drop by two orders of magnitude of indigenous weaverfishes (Trachinus draco) is described in the present study (concurrently with the population increase of the catfish P. lineatus). Weavers could have declined independently of the catfish; however, it is quite possible that weavers were competitively excluded by catfishes, as the two share several behavioral traits and trophic niche characteristics" "Edelist, D., Golani, D., Rilov, G., and Spanier, E. (2012). The invasive venomous striped eel catfish Plotosus lineatus in the Levant: Possible mechanisms facilitating its rapid invasional success. Mar. Biol. 159, 283–290. doi:10.1007/s00227-011-1806-4." Israel (all along the coast) Lagocephalus sceleratus DD predation population size decline of Octopus vulgaris and Sepia officinalis population "Octopus vulgaris, Sepia officinalis" There is some observational evidence but it is difficult to interpret. No accompanying data to link these population declines with L.sceleratus. "According to DFMR unpublished data and reports from the artisanal fishermen, there seems to be an effect of the increasing L. sceleratus population, at least since 2006, on the cephalopod populations in Cyprus (Figure 22 showing declines in annual landings of Octopus vulgaris, Sepia officinalis and Loligo vulgaris in Cyprus since 2006). " EastMed (2010). REPORT OF THE TECHNICAL MEETING ON THE LESSEPSIAN MIGRATION AND ITS IMPACT ON EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN FISHERY. Cyprus Lagocephalus sceleratus DD predation population size decline of Octopus vulgaris and Sepia officinalis population "Octopus vulgaris, Sepia officinalis" There is some observational evidence but it is difficult to interpret " In the study area, it is commonly believed by fishermen that the rapid expansion of L. sceleratus might have adversely affected commercial squid and octopus populations. However, it is difficult to quantify the predation impact of the puffer fish due to the lack of quantitative studies on local invertebrate communities" "Kalogirou, S. (2013). Ecological characteristics of the invasive pufferfish Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin, 1789) in Rhodes, Eastern Mediterranean Sea. A case study. Mediterr. Mar. Sci. 14, 251–260. doi:10.12681/mms.364." "Greece, Rhodos island" Pterois volitans/miles MN predation decline in recruitment of native species species/population coral reef fishes medium "Direct observational evidence, reliable data, scale small (space and time), experimental patch reefs" "Lionfish caused significant reductions in the recruitment of native fishes by an average of 79% over the 5 wk duration of the experiment. (One fish per reef, prey <5cm)" "Albins, M. A., and Hixon, M. A. (2008). Invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish Pterois volitans reduce recruitment of Atlantic coral-reef fishes. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 367, 233–238. doi:10.3354/meps07620." Bahamas field experiment Pterois volitans/miles MN predation decline in recruitment of native species species/population coral reef fishes medium "Direct observational evidence, reliable data, scale small (space and time), adults and recruits not separated in the results" "Lion?sh caused a reduction in the abundance of small (<5cm) native coral-reef ?shes that was 2.5 ± 0.5 times (mean ± SEM) greater than that caused by a similarly sized native piscivore, the coney grouper " "Albins, M. A. (2013). Effects of invasive Pacific red lionfish Pterois volitans versus a native predator on Bahamian coral-reef fish communities. Biol. Invasions 15, 29–43. doi:10.1007/s10530-012-0266-1." Bahamas field experiment Pterois volitans/miles MO predation population size decline of native species species/population coral reef fishes high "Direct observational evidence, reliable data, scale typical, higher impacts NOT demonstrated" "lionfish caused significant changes in native reef-fish communities, including reductions in the total density (up to 46.3 ± 13.7%, mean ± SEM), biomass (31.9 ± 10.7%), and species richness (21.4 ± 9.1%) of prey-sized fishes (all individuals <10 cm total length). These negative effects on small fish did not translate to observable declines in a larger size-class (all individuals 10 to 20 cm total length) over the 14mo study period" "Albins M A (2015). Invasive Pacific lionfish Pterois volitans reduce abundance and species richness of native Bahamian coral-reef fishes . Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 522, 231–243. Available at: http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v522/p231-243/." Bahamas field experiment at large spatial scale Pterois volitans/miles predation (non-consumptive effects) decrease in grazing/herbivory species "herbivorous reef fishes (Labridae, Acanthuridae, Pomacanthidae, Pomacentridae)" "Direct observational evidence, reliable data, but impact description cannot be included into the EICAT framework" "The presence of invasive lionfish resulted in NCEs on both small and large herbivorous fishes: fewer fish grazed (visitation rate) and individuals that did graze took fewer bites (individual bite rate), which resulted in an overall decrease in grazing intensity (bite rate)" "Kindinger, T. L., and Albins, M. A. (2016). Consumptive and non-consumptive effects of an invasive marine predator on native coral-reef herbivores. Biol. Invasions, 1–16. doi:10.1007/s10530-016-1268-1." Bahamas field experiment at large spatial scale no score Pterois volitans/miles predation (non-consumptive effects) structural impact on ecosystem ecosystem reef algal species "Direct observational evidence, reliable data, but impact description cannot be included into the EICAT framework" "Lionfish had a negative indirect effect on algal loss, with 66–80 % less algae removed from substrata in high-lionfish-density reefs" "Kindinger, T. L., and Albins, M. A. (2016). Consumptive and non-consumptive effects of an invasive marine predator on native coral-reef herbivores. Biol. Invasions, 1–16. doi:10.1007/s10530-016-1268-1." Bahamas field experiment at large spatial scale no score Pterois volitans/miles MO predation population size decline of native species species/population "herbivorous reef fishes (Labridae, Acanthuridae, Pomacanthidae, Pomacentridae)" low There is some observational evidence but effects are not consistent and data interpretation is ambiguous Lionfish reduced the density of small (<10cm) but not large (>10cm) herbivorous fishes. Difference significant in only 1/7 sampling occasions "Kindinger, T. L., and Albins, M. A. (2016). Consumptive and non-consumptive effects of an invasive marine predator on native coral-reef herbivores. Biol. Invasions, 1–16. doi:10.1007/s10530-016-1268-1." Bahamas field experiment at large spatial scale Pterois volitans/miles MR predation local extinction of fairy basslet populations species/population Gramma loreto medium "Direct observational evidence, reliable data, scale small (space and time)" High mortality rates on lionfish reefs resulted in extirpation of 2 out of 14 fairy basslet populations; no fairy basslet populations on native-only reefs reached zero abundance "Ingeman K E (2016). Lionfish cause increased mortality rates and drive local extirpation of native prey . Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 558, 235–245. Available at: http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v558/p235-245/." Bahamas field experiment Pterois volitans/miles MO predation population size decline of fairy basslet species/population Gramma loreto medium "Direct observational evidence, reliable data, scale small (space and time)" "9 out 14 prey populations exposed to the invader showed loss rates of >50% over 4 wk. In contrast, only 3 prey populations demonstrated such high mortality rates on native-only reefs" "Ingeman K E (2016). Lionfish cause increased mortality rates and drive local extirpation of native prey . Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 558, 235–245. Available at: http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v558/p235-245/." Bahamas field experiment Pterois volitans/miles MO predation population size decline of damselfish species/population Stegastes partitus medium "Direct observational evidence, reliable data, scale small (space and time), adults and recruits not separated in the results" "The lionfish effectively reduced recruit (<2.5cm) populations by 55% and ""adult"" (>2.5cm, not reproductively active) populations by 84% in damselfish Stegastes partitus in a sponge dominated reef" "Palmer, G., JD, H., BD, S.-B., and Overath R D (2016). Invasive lionfish Pterois volitans reduce the density but not the genetic diversity of a native reef fish . Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 558, 223–234. Available at: http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v558/p223-234/." "Panama, Valiente Peninsula " removal field experiment Pterois volitans/miles MO predation population size decline of tomtate species/population Haemulon aurolineatum high "Data reliable and straightforward to interpret, scale representative (space and time)" "In impacted areas, lionfish have reduced the pre-invasion ADULT tomtate abundance by 45%." "Ballew, N. G., Bacheler, N. M., Kellison, G. T., and Schueller, A. M. (2016). Invasive lionfish reduce native fish abundance on a regional scale. Sci. Rep. 6, 32169. doi:10.1038/srep32169." "SEUS, North Carolina to Florida" surveys with video samples 1990-2014 Pterois volitans/miles MN predation decline in recruitment of native species species/population coral reef fishes medium "Direct observational evidence, reliable data, scale small (space and time)" The number of juvenile fishes at sites with a transplanted lionfish was less than half that at control sites after six weeks (24.3 ± 9.10 vs. 58.3 ± 12.9) "Faletti, M. E., Ellis, R. D., and Bay, F. (2013). Novel Predator , Novel Habitat?: A Diet Analysis and Experimental Test of the Ecological Effects of Invasive Lionfish in Florida Bay. Proceedings of the 66th Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute November 4 – 8, 2013 Corpus Christi, Texas USA." "USA, Florida Bay" "field experiment, 30km, 6wk" Pterois volitans/miles MO predation population size decline of native species species/population coral reef fishes medium "There is some observational evidence, some information is inferred (mathematical model)" Lionfish (at densities of 393/ha) can consume between 62-93% of prey fish biomass in coral reefs "Cerino, D., Overton, A. S., Rice, J. A., and Morris, Jr., J. A. (2013). Bioenergetics and Trophic Impacts of the Invasive Indo-Pacific Lionfish. Trans. Am. Fish. Soc. 142, 1522–1534. doi:10.1080/00028487.2013.811098." "Florida, USA" bioenergetics model based on laboratory derived parameters Pterois volitans/miles MN competition (for shelter) impact on fitness of native individuals species Epinephelus striatus medium "There is some observational evidence, data are not straightforward to interpret, interactions are size-dependent and can be density-dependent as well" "Nassau grouper display avoidance behavior towards lionfish in two different ways; by moving further away from shelter occupied by a small lionfish and by using shelter slightly less. Behaviour is size-dependent, density-dependent effects were not examined" "Raymond, W. W., Albins, M. A., and Pusack, T. J. (2015). Competitive interactions for shelter between invasive Pacific red lionfish and native Nassau grouper. Environ. Biol. Fishes 98, 57–65. doi:10.1007/s10641-014-0236-9." Bahamas tank experiments 1-on-1 Pterois volitans/miles MO predation population size decline of native species species/population coral reef fishes medium "There is some observational evidence, some information is inferred, scale small, adults and juveniles are not separated but this size group also contains adults" "Between 2008 and 2010, the combined biomass of these 42 species (prey species <13cm comprising 90% of stomach content of examined lionfish) declined by 65%, on average, across the study reefs" "Green, S. J., Akins, J. L., Maljkovic, A., and Cote, I. M. (2012). Invasive Lionfish Drive Atlantic Coral Reef Fish Declines Stephanie. PLoS One 7, e32596. doi:10.1371/ journal.pone.0032596." "Bahamas, New Providence Island" "surveys on 9 sites, along 15km stretch of continuous reef" Pterois volitans/miles MO predation population size decline of native species species/population coral reef fishes medium "There is some observational evidence, some information is inferred, spatial scale small, effects on larger individuals (presumably adults among them) also demonstrated" "On reefs where lion?sh were kept below threshold densities, native prey ?sh biomass increased by 50– 70%. Gains in small (<6 cm) size classes of native ?shes translated into lagged increases in larger size classes over time. By contrast, the biomass of small native ?shes declined by .50% on all reefs with lion?sh densities exceeding reef-speci?c thresholds. " "Green, S. J., Dulvy, N. K., Brooks, A. M. L., Akins, J. L., Cooper, A. B., Miller, S., et al. (2014). Linking removal targets to the ecological effects of invaders: A predictive model and field test. Ecol. Appl. 24, 1311–1322. doi:10.1890/13-0979.1." Bahamas removal field experiment Pterois volitans/miles MR predation (mesopredator release) structural impact on ecosystem/local extinction ecosystem coral reef herbivorous fishes low "Evidence is circumstantial, some information is inferred, spatial scale small, extrapolation likely to entail significant uncertainties" A phase shift to an algal dominated (<50% benthic cover) community occurred simultaneously with the loss of herbivores to a depth of 61 m (and the appearance of lionfish at the reef) and caused a signi?cant decline in corals and sponges at mesophotic depths. (Table 1 for species losses) "Lesser, M. P., and Slattery, M. (2011). Phase shift to algal dominated communities at mesophotic depths associated with lionfish (Pterois volitans) invasion on a Bahamian coral reef. Biol. Invasions 13, 1855–1868. doi:10.1007/s10530-011-0005-z." "Bahamas, Lee Stocking Island" "survey 2003-2009, mesophotic reef wall" Pterois volitans/miles MO predation population size decline of native species species/population coral reef fishes medium "Direct observational evidence, data reliable, scale very small" "The abundance of prey-sized (<5cm) native ?shes nearly tripled on the lion?sh-free control reefs, increased by approximately 18 % on the reef with one lion?sh, and decreased on all reefs with two or more lion?sh. On the reef with the highest lion?sh density, the abundance of native ?shes decreased by 97 %" "Benkwitt, C. E. (2015). Non-linear effects of invasive lionfish density on native coral-reef fish communities. Biol. Invasions 17, 1383–1395. doi:10.1007/s10530-014-0801-3." "Bahamas, Lee Stocking Island" "field experiment, 7wk, very small patch reefs" Pterois volitans/miles MN competition (for shelter) impact on fitness of native individuals species Panulirus argus low "Evidence is circumstantial, interpretation is not straightforward" "An inverse relationship existed between lobster density and lionfish numbers in lobster shelter traps (condos) placed in sand and seagrass areas by local fishers, implying potential conflict for habitat use. However, it is not clear from this preliminary analysis which species is driving this relationship. " "Henderson, E. B., and Côté, I. M. (2011). Potential Effects of the Indo - Pacific Lionfish Invasion on the Bahamian Lobster Fishery. in Proceedings of the 64th Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute, October 31 - November 5, 2011 (Puerto Morelos, Mexico), 55–56." "Bahamas, New Providence island" Pterois volitans/miles MN competition (for shelter) impact on fitness of native individuals species Panulirus argus medium "Direct observational evidence, interpretation is not straighforward, artificial conditions" The amount of time lobsters spent in a shelter decreased significantly by 20.31% and the amount of time lobster spent roaming increased by more than 50% on average when a lionfish was present. Similar effects were observed with a native mesopredator (graysby). "Curtis-Quick, J., Underwood, E., Green, S., Akins, L. A. D., Harborne, A., and Côté, I. (2013). Interactions Between the Caribbean Spiny Lobster , Panulirus argus , and Invasive Lionfish , Pterois volitans?: Who Displaces Whom?? in Proceedings of the 66th Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute, November 4 – 8, 2013 (Corpus Christi, Texas USA). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0032596.Henderson." Bahamas tank experiments 1-on-1 Fistularia commersonii predation population size decline of native species species/population "Spicara smaris, Boops boobs, Mullidae" "No documented impact, there are concerns this may affect the populations of native prey species" "More than 70% by weight of the diet of F. commersonii is made up of native species of economic value—S. smaris, B. boops and mullid spp." "Kalogirou, S., Corsini, M., Kondilatos, G., and Wennhage, H. (2007). Diet of the invasive piscivorous fish Fistularia commersonii in a recently colonized area of the eastern Mediterranean. Biol. Invasions 9, 887–896. doi:10.1007/s10530-006-9088-3." "Greece, Rhodos island" commercial trawling Fistularia commersonii predation decline in recruitment of native species species/population "No documented impact, there are concerns this may affect the populations of native prey species" ?sh fry by numbers were shown to be an important component of the F. commersonii diet "Kalogirou, S., Corsini, M., Kondilatos, G., and Wennhage, H. (2007). Diet of the invasive piscivorous fish Fistularia commersonii in a recently colonized area of the eastern Mediterranean. Biol. Invasions 9, 887–896. doi:10.1007/s10530-006-9088-3." "Greece, Rhodos island" Fistularia commersonii predation population size decline of native species species/population "Spicara smaris, Boops boobs" "No documented impact, there are concerns this may affect the populations of native prey species" "Spicara smaris and B. boops (comercially important species) accounted for most of ingested prey in Lebanon in terms of frequency of occurrence (%F), composition by number and weight " "Bariche, M., Alwan, N., El-Assi, H., and Zurayk, R. (2009). Diet composition of the lessepsian bluespotted cornetfish fistularia commersonii in the eastern mediterranean. J. Appl. Ichthyol. 25, 460–465. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0426.2008.01202.x." "Lebanon, all along the coast" commercial catches Siganus spp. MR grazing/herbivory "modification of benthic community, habitat degradation or loss" "habitat, ecosystem" Cystoseira forests medium "Reliable data, straightforward to interpret, scale typical." " grazing by the alien fish Siganus luridus and S. rivulatus creates and maintains areas denuded of erect algae in the Eastern Mediterranean, causing a dramatic reduction in biodiversity, biomass, and algal growth" "Sala, E., Kizilkaya, Z., Yildirim, D., and Ballesteros, E. (2011). Alien marine fishes deplete algal biomass in the Eastern Mediterranean. PLoS One 6, 1–5. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0017356." "Turkey (Kas, Fethiye, Bodrum)" field experiment Siganus spp. MO competition population size decline of native species - replacement of Sarpa salpa species/population Sarpa salpa medium "There is some observational evidence, some information is inferred, scale small" "In the eastern Mediterranean Sea, S.rivulatus has probably replaced S.salpa on the coast of Lebanon, being more competitive than the native sparid" "Bariche, M., Letourneur, Y., and Harmelin-vivien, M. (2004). Temporal uctuations and settlement patterns of native and Lessepsian herbivorous shes on the Lebanese coast (eastern Mediterranean). Environ. Biol. Fishes, 81–90." Lebanon surveys Siganus spp. MO competition population size decline of native species Sarpa salpa species/population Sarpa salpa medium "There is some observational evidence, some information is inferred" "Figure 3. {describing the relative distribution of herbivorous species, where an inverse relationship between S.luridus and Sarpa salpa can be seen)" "Giakoumi, S. (2014). Distribution patterns of the invasive herbivore Siganus luridus (Ruppell, 1829) and its relation to native benthic communities in the central Aegean Sea, Northeastern Mediterranean. Mar. Ecol. 35, 96–105. doi:10.1111/maec.12059." "Greece, Cyclades Islands" surveys Siganus spp. MO grazing/herbivory "modification of benthic community, habitat degradation" "habitat, ecosystem" "Cystoseira spp., Dictyotales" medium "There is some observational evidence, some information is inferred" "A signi?cant negative relationship was found between the abundance of the invasive species {Siganus luridus} and the sum of erect and canopy algae cover (Dictyotales and Cystoseira spp.), which are the main components of its diet in the region….the low percentage cover of canopy and erect algae, particularly in the southeastern region of the Cyclades, could be mainly or partly attributed to S. luridus grazing, reinforcing sea-urchin activity" "Giakoumi, S. (2014). Distribution patterns of the invasive herbivore Siganus luridus (Ruppell, 1829) and its relation to native benthic communities in the central Aegean Sea, Northeastern Mediterranean. Mar. Ecol. 35, 96–105. doi:10.1111/maec.12059." "Greece, Cyclades Islands" surveys Siganus spp. MR grazing/herbivory "modification of benthic community, habitat or refugia loss" "habitat, ecosystem" Fucales (Cystoseira forests) medium "There is some observational evidence, some information is inferred, scale typical" "the overgrazing effects of the abundant alien herbivore spinefoot fishes (Siganus spp.), as reflected by the abnormal structure of the algal communities (turf algae, various calcified species and the ubiquitous presence of bare rock, barely any Cystoseira)... Indeed, the infralittoral vegetation at both 5 m and 15 m depth was mainly characterized by turf algae, various calcified species and the ubiquitous presence of bare rock. On the contrary, the perennial canopy algae of the order Fucales were only barely recorded during this study (with average percent cover of 6.7% and 5.5% at 5 and 15 m respectively and canopy algae completely absent from 6 (at 5m) and 10 (at 15m) out of 18 sampling locations - Figure 4). Likewise, the cover of bushy algae, epiphytes and benthic invertebrates was low. The predominant presence of two invasive herbivore fishes, i.e. S. luridus and S. rivulatus, was remarkable. During the study period (October 2012), large schools of these species thrived in the waters of Santorini.....their overabundant populations in the study area pose a direct threat to its native algal communities " "Salomidi, M., Giakoumi, S., Gerakaris, V., Issaris, Y., Sini, M., and Tsiamis, K. (2016). Setting an ecological baseline prior to the bottom-up establishment of a marine protected area in Santorini Island , Aegean Sea. Medit. Mar. Sci., 17/3, 720-737." "Greece, Santorini Island" surveys Siganus spp. MO grazing/herbivory "modification of benthic community, habitat degradation" "habitat, ecosystem" "Cystoseira forests, multiple species" medium "Reliable data, straightforward to interpret, but pooled over large scale, difficult to assess local changes" "In regions with abundant rabbitfish, canopy algae were 65% less abundant, there was a 60% reduction of overall benthic biomass (algae and invertebrates) and a 40% decrease in total species richness (results refer to depths of 8-12m)...adult algae in regions dominated by rabbitfish were only present out of the reach from herbivorous fishes, either hidden within crevices or at 0 m in wave-washed regions....the range expansion of tropical herbivorous rabbitfishes is accompanied by a shift from diverse and productive Mediterranean algal forests to deforested, depauperate barrens" "Vergés, A., Tomas, F., Cebrian, E., Ballesteros, E., Kizilkaya, Z., Dendrinos, P., et al. (2014). Tropical rabbitfish and the deforestation of a warming temperate sea. J. Ecol. 102, 1518–1527. doi:10.1111/1365-2745.12324." "Greece, Turkey" surveys Siganus spp. grazing/herbivory habitat or refugia loss "habitat, ecosystem" "No direct link between Siganus spp and the nursery value of Cystoseira forests, no way to combine impact records" "Densities of several reef fish juveniles—particularly Symphodus spp.—were 9 to 12 folds greater in Cystoseira forests than in other erect and turf algal assemblages. Our study shows that in shallow rocky bottoms of the NW Mediterranean, Cystoseira forests are important nurseries for some species of littoral fishes including species of commercial interest for recreational and professional fisheries (Labrus spp. Seranus spp., Symphodus spp.)" "Cheminée, A., Sala, E., Pastor, J., Bodilis, P., Thiriet, P., Mangialajo, L., et al. (2013). Nursery value of Cystoseira forests for Mediterranean rocky reef fishes. J. Exp. Mar. Bio. Ecol. 442, 70–79. doi:10.1016/j.jembe.2013.02.003." "Western Med, Corsica-France" "field experiments,artificail Cystoseira" Saurida lessepsianus MO competition population size decline of native species (Merluccius merluccius). Niche displacement species/population Merluccius merluccius low "Evidence is poor and contradictory, synergistic effects of environmental fluctuations likely at play" "The Red Sea lizardfish,Saurida undosquamis (Richardson), invaded the Levant Basin and established a population of considerable commercial importance. Its expansion came at the expense of other commercial fishes on which it preys and with which it competes. The explosion ofthe Red Sea lizardfish population in the Levant Basin was made possible by a combination of changes in the environmental conditions (abiotic and biotic), one of these being the retreat of, or the recession in, the native hake (Merluccius merluccius) population. The dynamic coexistence between the lizardfish and the hake, its main competitor, is affected by fluctuations in the abiotic conditions to which the hake seemsto be more sensitive than the lizardfish. Undoubtedly, the lizardfish is not just an additional inhabitant, and its invasion did not enrich the existing ecosystem in terms of biomass. It occurs in the catches at the expense of otherfish, partly its competitors,such as the hake, and partly its prey, such as the yellow-striped goatfish, red mullet, etc. " "Ben-Yami, M., and Glaser, T. (1974). The invasion of Saurida undosquamis (Richardson) into the Levan basin - An example of biological effect of interoceanic canals. Fish. Bull. 72, 359–373." Israel (all along the coast) Saurida lessepsianus MC competition niche displacement of native Merluccius merluccies species/population Merluccius merluccius medium "There is some observational evidence, some information is inferred, scale typical" "In this study the results of sparse historical trawl surveys (in southern Turkey) were evaluated together with oceanographic data, and the impact of hydrographical changes on the appearance ? disappearance of hake in the Levant was considered. The formation and movement of different water masses in the area seem to have primary importance for the species. The winter occurrence of modified Atlantic water that temporarily intrudes in the region may favour hake. The immigrant competitor, Saurida undosquamis, does not seem to have much influence on the abundance of hake." "Gucu, A. C., and Bingel, F. (2011). Hake, Merluccius merluccius L., in the northeastern Mediterranean Sea: A case of disappearance. J. Appl. Ichthyol. 27, 1001–1012. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0426.2011.01765.x." Turkey (south-eastern coast) Saurida lessepsianus MC competition niche segregation with native species (Synodus saurus) species/population Synodus saurus medium "There is some observational evidence, some information is inferred, scale typical" "The present study revealed that, among lizard- fish, the invaders occupy deeper water than con- familial native species. It is important to stress, however, that the bathymetrical segregation is not a result of displacement of (the native lizardfish) Synodus saurus (by Saurida undosquamis) to shallow water since it was not found in the traditional trawl ground (30-100 m) prior to the invasion of S. undosquamis." "Golani, D. (1993). The biology of the Red Sea migrant, Saurida undosquamis in the Mediterranean and comparison with the indigenous confamilial Synodus saurus (Teleostei: Synodontidae). Hydrobiologia 271, 109–117. doi:10.1007/BF00007547." Israel (all along the coast)