From occasional records to regular presence: Increasing occurrence of the bastard grunt Pomadasys incisus in the French Ligurian Sea (northwestern Mediterranean)

Abstract The bastard grunt Pomadasys incisus (Bowdich, 1825), an Atlantic teleost, has recently been recorded at multiple sites along the French Ligurian Sea. Three juveniles were captured in Villepey Lagoon, while several groups of sub‐adult and adult individuals were observed at Cagnes‐sur‐Mer and Monaco between 2020 and 2024. These records indicate a shift from occasional sightings to a perennial presence, likely linked to ongoing Mediterranean Sea warming favouring this warm‐adapted species.