An alien species, new to European seas has been found in Greece thanks to a citizen science project. The Indo-Pacific mangrove red snapper Lutjanus argentimaculatus is a fish that has recently invaded the eastern Mediterranean Sea, with records from Israel, Lebanon, and Turkey. It has now been reported in Greece trough the capture of three specimens spearfished during summer 2019. The species seems to have a rapid capability of spread, and this finding indicates the possibility of an existing established population in the eastern part of the Mediterranean.
In addition, Phenolia (Lasiodites) picta (sap beetle) has been also recorded for the first time in Greece next to a water stream. This species was previously recorded from Spain, France, and Turkey. Information on the species' distribution, biology, and implications are discussed here.
Both findings will supplement EASIN-Lit, which entail the screening of scientific literature and the retrieving of geo-referenced data, contributing to the enrichment of the EASIN Geodatabase.
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