A long-distance traveler: the peacock rockskipper Istiblennius meleagris (Valenciennes, 1836) on the Mediterranean intertidal reefs

In this study, we document the introduction of the Australian endemic Istiblennius meleagris into the Mediterranean Sea, probably via shipping, and its expansion along the Israeli coastline. Taxonomic confirmations were based on both morphological and molecular approaches. This is the first evidence of a non-indigenous benthic fish colonizing the rocky intertidal zone in the eastern Mediterranean, thus raising concerns regarding the future integrity of the native fish community in this ecosystem.