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Abstract
Examines in Marine Biology & Oceanography
Rediscovery of a Single Specimen of the Critically Endangered Spiny Butterfly Ray (Gymnura Altavela Linnaeus, 1758) on the Mediterranean Coast of the Gaza Strip, Palestine, Following A 30-Year Absence
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Open or CloseAbdel Fattah N Abd Rabou*1, Mazen T Abualtayef2, Khalid A Qahman3, Eman A Amodi4, Faten A Al-Hamidi5, Jehad Y Salah6, Norman A Khalaf7, Ola A Abd Rabou8, Asmaa A Abd Rabou9, Eman S El-Sharatha10, Doaa F Abd Rabou11, Mariam Abu Rayya11, Shoroug Abu Rayya12 and Mohammed R Al-Agha13
1Department of Biology & Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Islamic University of Gaza, Gaza Strip, Palestine
2Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Islamic University of Gaza, Gaza Strip, Palestine
3Environment Quality Authority, Gaza Strip, Palestine
4Department of Biodiversity, Environment Quality Authority, Ramallah, Palestine
5Department of Media & Communication Technology, University College of Applied Sciences, Gaza Strip, Palestine
6General Directorate of Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, Gaza Strip, Palestine
7Department of Environmental Research & Media, National Research Center, University of Palestine, Gaza Strip, Palestine
8Department of Smart Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Islamic University of Gaza, Gaza Strip, Palestine
9Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Islamic University of Gaza, Gaza Strip, Palestine
10Public Administration Program, Postgraduate Studies College, Gaza University, Gaza Strip, Palestine
11Department of Curricula and Teaching Methods, Faculty of Education, Islamic University of Gaza, Gaza Strip, Palestine
12Department of Primary Education, Faculty of Education, Islamic University of Gaza, Gaza Strip, Palestine
13Department of Marine Sciences, Faculty of Science, Islamic University of Gaza, Gaza Strip, Palestine
*Corresponding author:Abdel Fattah N Abd Rabou, Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Islamic University of Gaza, PO. Box 108, Gaza Strip, Palestine
Submission: January 21, 2026;Published: February 12, 2026
ISSN : 2578-031XVolume 8 Issue 1
Abstract
Cartilaginous fishes are highly threatened due to slow growth, late maturity, and low reproductive rates. The Spiny Butterfly Ray (Gymnura altavela Linnaeus, 1758) is Endangered globally and Critically Endangered in the Mediterranean, with severe population declines and local extirpations. This study reports the first confirmed record of a single specimen of the Spiny Butterfly Ray along the Mediterranean coast of the Gaza Strip, Palestine, after a 30-year absence. A single specimen, measuring 115cm in disc width and weighing 13kg, was incidentally captured by local fishermen using a bottom longline on 28 August 2023. Although not targeted, the specimen was sold and consumed locally. This single record confirms the very rare presence of the Spiny Butterfly Ray in the southeastern Mediterranean and underscores the need for monitoring, bycatch mitigation, and public awareness to support its conservation.
Keywords:PlatevindexElasmobranchs; Spiny butterfly ray; Gymnura altavela; Bycatch; Bottom longline; Human consumption; Southeastern mediterranean sea; Gaza strip; Palestine
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