First record of the Pelagic stingray, Pteroplatytrygon violacea (Bonaparte, 1832), in Albanian seas
The very first finding of the Pelagic stingray, Pteroplatytrygon violacea (Bonaparte, 1832) (Elasmobranchii: Myliobatiformes: Dasyatidae), in Albanian seas is reported in this paper. Female specimen was recorded in August 2021 at Gjiri i Vlorës at the depth of 25 m and was collected for further examination. The specimen measured 43.18 cm WD, and 101 cm in TL and weighted 2.730 g in total weight. There were 25 upper tooth rows and 23 lower tooth rows, which is less than previously described for this species. No gross pathological changes were observed, nor parasites. Although there were no previous reports in the territorial waters of Albanian territorial waters of the southern Adriatic and northern Ionian Seas, it can be attributed to the lack of studies and lack of proper monitoring in fisheries. Despite importance of the record on the state level, based on our regional research we believe that the Pelagic stingray is not rare species and could be encountered in waters not too far offshore across the entire Adriatic and Ionian Seas, including the Albanian territorial waters.