First record of the African hind Cephalopholis taeniops (Valenciennes, 1828) in the NW Mediterranean Sea: a likely ship-borne introduction documented in collaboration with a recreational fisher

In October 2024, a single specimen of Cephalopholis taeniops, an Eastern Atlantic grouper, was captured by a recreational fisher near the port of Genoa, Italy (44232N, 85934E), in the Ligurian Sea.Here, we briefly report this unusual capture, which represents the northernmost Mediterranean record for the species, and we examine evidence suggesting a possible new and independent introduction likely related to ship transport.