Nerophis lumbriciformis (Jenyns, 1835)

Iglésias, Samuel P., Bariche, Michel, Beau, Florent, Bérenger, Lucas, Beucher, Renaud, Chabrolle, Antoine, Cottalorda, Jean-Michel, Cousin, Bertrand, Curd, Amelia, Danet, Valentin, Duhamel, Erwan, Duval, Audrey, Farque, Pierre-André, Goascoz, Nicolas, Jadaud, Angélique, Larnaud, Pascal, Bouter, Mathieu Le, Bras, Yvan Le, Bris, Sylvain Le, Lombard, Laurent, Louisy, Patrick, Mandine, Alain, Mas, Lise, Menut, Thomas, Metral, Luisa, Poussard, Pierre, Quéro, Jean-Claude, Raybaud, Virginie, Renoult, Julien P., Richard, Thomas, Spitz, Jérôme, Ternon, Quentin, Thiriet, Pierre & Tournier-Broer, Ruben, 2021, French ichthyological records for 2019, Cybium 45 (3), pp. 169-188 : 175

Nerophis lumbriciformis (Jenyns, 1835)

A Worm pipefish, Syngnathidae ( Fig. 4B ), was observed and photographed by L. Bérenger while scuba diving on 26 Jan 2019 ( Bérenger et al., 2019a) at the Conque cove in Agde (43.2763°N, 3.5157°E, Mediterranean Sea) at 2 m depth, on a rocky bottom covered by coralline algae. A second individual was observed and photographed by R. Tournier-Bro- er while snorkelling on 06 Jul 2019 off the beach located at the west of the harbour of Palavas-les-Flots (43.5247°N, 3.9295°E) at 0.5 m depth, in an agglomerate of algae detached from the substrate ( Tournier-Broer et al., 2019). These individuals were about 10 and 9 cm TL, respectively. The species was previously recorded in the French Mediterranean in 2001 and again on 11 Oct 2011 at Agde (P. Louisy, pers. obs.). Other observations were recorded in the Hippo- ATLAS and Fish Watch Forum programs, on 31 Jul 2010 at Sète (Benjamin Adam), on 25 Jun 2011 and 06 Jul 2013 at Sausset-les-Pins (Nicolas Adam, B. Adam), on 15 Sep 2018 at Narbonne-Plage (Xavier Lefèvre de la Houplière / Vanessa Meric). The species was first recorded in the Mediterranean at Sète by Carus (1893). It was subsequently considered doubtful due to the lack of new records. The scarcity of records for this species in the Mediterranean may be related to its cryptic habitat and its geographic distribution limits. The species is only known in the western Mediterranean basin, along the Spanish and French coasts.

Figures

Figure 4. – Significant French ichthyological records for 2019 (continued). A: Holocentrus adscensionis, ~20 cm TL, Aug 2019 (© L. Lombard); B: Nerophis lumbriciformis, ~10 cm TL, 26 Jan 2019; the black arrow indicates the head of the individual (© L. Bérenger); C: Scorpaena scrofa, 345 mm TL, 6-12 May 2019, MNHN-IC 2021-0143 (© S.P. Iglésias); D: Lepidotrigla dieuzeidei, 150 mm TL, 26 Oct 2019 (© S.P. Iglésias); E: Eutelichthys leptochirus, 63 mm TL, 30 May 2019, MNHN-IC 2021-0144 (© L. Metral); F: Liparis montagui, ~3 cm TL, 10 Jan 2019 (© J.P. Renoult); G: Mycteroperca rubra, ~20 cm TL, 25 Jul 2019 (© F. Beau); H: Serranus cabrilla, ~25 cm TL, 11 Oct 2019 (© F. Bernard).