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<p>The black seabream <i>Spondyliosoma cantharus</i> is one of the few sparids that build and guard benthic nests, yet its breeding grounds have never been documented in the Mediterranean. During habitat surveys in early May 2025, we discovered an extensive breeding aggregation northwest of Lesvos Island off the Toukmakia islets, marking it as the first verified Mediterranean spawning aggregation of the species. Subsequently, the site was mapped using high-frequency side-scan sonar and a camera-equipped ROV. Sonar imaging identified a&#xa0;~324 m<sup>2</sup> patch of rippled sand and gravel, bordered by smooth sediment and rocky reef, coinciding with the area where nesting males were first observed. An orthomosaic of the area revealed 585 bowl-shaped nests, with a diameter range between 0.30 and 1.1&#xa0;m and 20–30&#xa0;cm deep, with a density of 1.8&#xa0;m<sup>−2</sup> at a depth range of 50–56&#xa0;m. During the initial survey, every nest was occupied and defended by a male with distinct blue-violet markings; video footage showed hundreds of seabream on the seabed and many more in the water column above the nests. Thirteen days later, nests persisted but were partially infilled and unguarded, and fish abundance had declined sharply. These findings demonstrate how integrated acoustic and optical surveys can rapidly document transient and vulnerable spawning habitats that warrant temporal protection from fishing activities.</p>

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First documented black seabream (Spondyliosoma cantharus) nesting aggregation in the Mediterranean Sea

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年12月6日

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  • Jennifer C. A. Pistevos,
  • Athanasios Nikolaou,
  • Ivan T. Petsimeris,
  • Giulia Pitarra,
  • Nicola Greggio,
  • Olympos Andreadis,
  • Thomas Hasiotis,
  • Antonios D. Mazaris,
  • Stelios Katsanevakis

摘要

The black seabream Spondyliosoma cantharus is one of the few sparids that build and guard benthic nests, yet its breeding grounds have never been documented in the Mediterranean. During habitat surveys in early May 2025, we discovered an extensive breeding aggregation northwest of Lesvos Island off the Toukmakia islets, marking it as the first verified Mediterranean spawning aggregation of the species. Subsequently, the site was mapped using high-frequency side-scan sonar and a camera-equipped ROV. Sonar imaging identified a ~324 m2 patch of rippled sand and gravel, bordered by smooth sediment and rocky reef, coinciding with the area where nesting males were first observed. An orthomosaic of the area revealed 585 bowl-shaped nests, with a diameter range between 0.30 and 1.1 m and 20–30 cm deep, with a density of 1.8 m−2 at a depth range of 50–56 m. During the initial survey, every nest was occupied and defended by a male with distinct blue-violet markings; video footage showed hundreds of seabream on the seabed and many more in the water column above the nests. Thirteen days later, nests persisted but were partially infilled and unguarded, and fish abundance had declined sharply. These findings demonstrate how integrated acoustic and optical surveys can rapidly document transient and vulnerable spawning habitats that warrant temporal protection from fishing activities.