First record of Panulirus regius (Decapoda: Palinuridae) in the Italian seas, with remarks on the earlier Mediterranean records

The increasing frequency of capture of thermophilic Atlanto- Mediterranean species, previously unknown in the Ligurian Sea has been related to global warming (Bianchi, 2007). This phenomenon is sometimes called 'meridionalization' of the northern sectors of the Mediterranean Sea (Riera et al., 1995; Cattaneo Vietti et al., 2010). Unintentional introduction of alien species, a consequence of the increase of maritime traffic, was also noticed and, among decapods, we can note the capture of single specimens of two alien portunid crabs: Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1906 (Bisconti & Silvi, 2005) and Portunus pelagicus Linnaeus, 1758 (Crocetta, 2006) in the proximity of Livorno harbour. Herein we report the capture of several specimens of the royal spiny lobster, Panulirus regius de Brito Capello, 1864, in the coastal waters north of Livorno. The species was previously unknown in the Italian seas (Froglia, 2010).