OSTRACIIDAE

Psomadakis, Peter Nick, Giustino, Stefano & Vacchi, Marino, 2012, Mediterranean fish biodiversity: an updated inventory with focus on the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian seas, Zootaxa 3263, pp. 1-46 : 18

OSTRACIIDAE

Acanthostracion Bleeker, 1865 , two species ( A. notacanthus and A. quadricornis ) are included in the Mediterranean ( France and Adriatic) on the basis of unreliable records published by old authors (see Tortonese, 1975). Šoljan (1975) points out that the record of a A. quadricornis in the Adriatic is improbable and Tortonese (1986) regards the other boxfish species as very doubtful. Nevertheless, the above species are included in the Mediterranean ichthyofauna by Quignard and Tomasini (2000).

Lactophrys trigonus ( Linnaeus, 1758) , was included in the Mediterranean (Sicily and Nice) by Carus (1983) and Risso (1826) , respectively. As pointed out by Tortonese (1975, 1979a) these records are wrong and Ostraciidae should be considered as non-existing in the Mediterranean. Nevertheless, the above mentioned boxfish is included in the Mediterranean ichthyofauna by Quignard and Tomasini (2000).

Rhinesomus triqueter ( Linnaeus, 1758) , was recorded on the basis of a dead specimen collected inside the Genoa harbour (Ligurian Sea) on February 1909 and taken to the University of Genoa. Parona (1909) who studied this specimen, excluded the Ostraciidae from the Mediterranean and linked the presence of this fish to a ship transport. In fact, Parona (1909) reports similar boxfish findings at Nice, where Risso (1826) obtained his specimens in similar circumstances. It is not included in the lists of exotic species compiled by Golani et al. (2002) and Zenetos et al. (2010).