Diversification mechanisms in Sub‐Saharan Africa have long attracted research interest, with varying support for either allopatric or parapatric models of speciation. However, studies have seldom been performed across the entire continent, a scale which could elucidate the relative importance of allopatric and parapatric models of divergence. To shed light on continental‐scale patterns of African biogeography and diversificati...

Invasive species pose serious threats to ecosystems. To reduce ecological and economic consequences of invasions, efforts are made to control invaders and evaluating the effects of such efforts is paramount. Lionfishes ( Pterois volitans and Pterois miles ) are native to the Indo‐Pacific Ocean and pose a major threat to local ecosystems in the invaded Atlantic and Mediterranean. Culling via spearfishing is a widespread measure...

Physiological constraints related to atmospheric temperature pose a limit to body and appendage size in endothermic animals. This relationship has been summarised by two classical principles of biogeography: Bergmann's and Allen's rules. Body size may also constrain other phenotypic traits important in ecology, evolution and behaviour, and such effects have seldom been investigated at a continental scale. Through a multilevel‐...

The tendency of world media to villainize of sharks has likely contributed to a disparity in the distribution of research and conservation resources among threatened marine megavertebrates, with elasmobranchs losing out. Increased public knowledge on elasmobranchs can shape public attitude and foster and gain support for elasmobranch conservation. Through an online survey, this study aimed to evaluate the drivers of public kno...

Depredation by cetaceans on fisheries is a major issue globally, both in terms of conservation and fisheries economics. The present study conducted in Cyprus, Eastern Mediterranean Sea, aimed to understand the extent, level, and type of cetacean depredation on the albacore tuna pelagic longline fishery, and in particular to quantify and evaluate the economic consequences of depredation and identify potential dolphin-longline c...

The European Regulation (EU) 1143/2014 on Invasive Alien Species entered into force in 2015, with the aim to fulfill regional and international biodiversity goals in a concerted manner. To date, the Regulation listed 66 Invasive Alien Species (IAS) that are subject to legal controls. Only one of these is marine. A recent lionfish (Pterois miles) invasion has been closely monitored in the Mediterranean and a detailed risk asses...

The lionfish, Pterois miles , is one of the most recent Lessepsian immigrants into the Mediterranean Sea, and it poses a serious threat to marine ecosystems in the region. This study assesses the basic biology and ecology of lionfish in the Mediterranean, examining morphometrics, reproduction and diet as well as population structure and distribution. The population density of lionfish has increased dramatically in Cyprus since...