The marine ichthyofauna of Egypt

This work is the result of a compilation of the Egyptian ichthyofauna, aiming to provide a basis for monitoring and assessing potential biodiversity changes in the area. The main sources used were peer-reviewed papers and grey literature (i.e. unpublished reports, theses, conference proceedings, etc), FishBase and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Overall, 956 fish species (71 Elasmobranchii, 2 Holocephali and 883 Actinopteri) have been recorded to date from the Egyptian marine waters. Of those, 592 species are present only in the Red Sea, 263 species are present only in the Mediterranean Sea, and the remaining 101 species are reported from both seas. In addition to those 956 fishes, 52 species have been reported based on photos, but these records require further documentation with samples. Finally, for 64 species, which are listed in FishBase as belonging to the ichthyofauna of Egypt, no publication or museum sample report verifying their presence in Egypt could be traced. Thus, their presence remains questionable until further evidence becomes available.