First record of the epipelagic Cranocephalus scleroticus (Streets, 1878) (Amphipoda: Hyperiidea) in the Egyptian Mediterranean waters

This study aims to document the first occurrence of the epipelagic amphipod Cranocephalus scleroticus (Streets, 1878) in the Egyptian Mediterranean waters. During the winter of 2019, only one female spec-imen was collected by a zooplankton net from El-Dabaa sector on the western coast of Egypt. An inves-tigation of systematic position and concise redescription, along with some structural photos, was conducted to confirm the identification. Habitat and distribution are also provided in the study. A new record, that has never been recorded before, is added to the list of species of the Egyptian Mediterranean fauna. & COPY; 2023 National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries. Hosting by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Automated summary

This study aims to document the first occurrence of the epipelagic amphipod Cranocephalus scleroticus in the Egyptian Mediterranean waters. A female specimen was collected from El-Dabaa sector in the winter of 2019. The study confirms its identification through investigation of systematic position and concise redescription, and provides information on habitat and distribution. This adds a new record to the list of species in the Egyptian Mediterranean fauna.