Additional Record of Pelagic Tunicate Pyrosoma atlanticum Péron, 1804 from Mersin Bay, Northeastern Mediterranean

Pyrosomes, belonging to the Pyrosomatidae family, are pelagic, colonial tunicates composed of thousands of zooids within a common, gelatinous tunic. They are known for their long-lived bioluminescence and occasional large-scale blooms. Pyrosoma atlanticum Peron, 1804 is the only representative of pyrosomes in the Mediterranean. On 9 February 2025, a single colony of P. atlanticum was observed during a scuba dive at a depth of 12 m in Mersin Bay, Türkiye. The present study reports an additional record for the pelagic tunicate P. atlanticum in the northeastern Mediterranean.