Ertan TAŞKAVAK, o Salim Can AKÇINAR, Çağlayan İNANL

Rare occurrence of the leatherback sea turtle, Dermochelys coriacea, in Izmir Bay, Aegean Sea, Turkey

Deri sırtlı deniz kaplumbağası, Dermochelys coriacea, pelajik ve dünya genelinde dağılım gösteren ve IUCN Kırmızı Liste'de Hassas olarak listelenmiş bir türdür. Daha çok Pasifik ve Atlantik Okyanus'larında bulunmasına rağmen, Akdeniz'e zaman zaman giriş yapar. Akdeniz'deki gözlemlerin çoğu Batı Akdeniz'dendir. Türkiye'nin Ege Denizi kıyılarında ilk kez on yıldan fazla süre önce görülen türe, bu kayıtta 28 Eylül 2011 yılında İzmir Körfezi'nde ölü olarak karaya vurmuş halde rastlanmıştır. Bulunan ergin dişi kaplumbağanın 148 cm eğik karapas boyuna ve 198 kg ağırlığa sahiptir. Karapasında, büyük olasılıkla gemi pervanesi sebebiyle oluşan, dikine derin iki yarığa rastlanmıştır

İzmir Körfezi’nde (Ege Denizi, Türkiye) nadir rastlanan deri sırtlı deniz kaplumbağası, Dermochelys coriacea, vakası

Leatherback sea turtle, Dermochelys coriacea, is a pelagic and circumglobal species and listed Vulnerable in IUCN Red List. Although the species mainly inhabits the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and occasionally enters the Mediterranean Sea. Most of the sightings have been made in the western part of the Mediterranean. More than a decade after the species’ first record in the Aegean coasts of Turkey, the recent specimen were found stranded dead on the coast of Izmir Bay on October 28, 2011. The mature turtle was a female with 148 cm of curved carapace length and 198 kg of weight. Two deep transversal cuts which seem to be caused by a boat propeller were observed on carapace

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Figure 1. The stranded leatherback turtle, Dermochelys coriacea (Vandelli, 1761), on the coast of Izmir Bay, Turkey, on October 28, 2011
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