Yet another non-indigenous fish from Maltese waters, central Mediterranean: a first record of Lagocephalus guentheri Miranda Ribeiro, 1915 (Tetraodontiformes, Tetraodontidae)

The first occurrence of Lagocephalus guentheri in Maltese waters is validated through morphological and molecular analysis of a specimen collected in 2023.This non-indigenous tetraodontid entered into the Mediterranean from the Red Sea via the Suez Canal and has established itself in the Levantine basin.The finding represents a first indication of L. guentheri westward expansion toward the Malta-Sicily Channel within the central sector of the Mediterranean Sea.