Ümit Dokuzparmak, Ömerhan Dürrani
The sharpsnout seabream, Diplodus puntazzo (Walbaum, 1792), is a demersal sparid that has recently established populations in the Black Sea, where the basin represents the northern margin of its known distribution. This study documents a new maximum size record for D. puntazzo in the Black Sea and provides an additional observation on its autumn feeding ecology. On 29 November 2025, a single female specimen was captured by spearfishing at 14 m depth over rocky substrate off Yomra, Trabzon, in the southeastern Black Sea. The specimen measured 47.6 cm in total length and weighed 1,452.0 g, exceeding the previously reported regional maximum total length of 45.4 cm and maximum body weight of 1,186.5 g. Although the increase in length was moderate, the substantially greater body weight may be partly associated with the specimen’s greater maximum body depth, rather than reproductive condition, as the gonads were not macroscopically prominent at the time of capture. Stomach content examination revealed only macroalgae, identified as Ulva rigida and Ceramium spp., indicating recent macroalgal ingestion during late autumn. This finding contrasts with previous summer observations of D. puntazzo feeding on egg capsules of the invasive veined rapa whelk, Rapana venosa , in the same region and may reflect seasonal dietary flexibility. The capture of a record-sized individual by spearfishing further suggests that large specimens encountered in recreational fisheries may be insufficiently represented in conventional fishery records; however, this inference remains preliminary due to the opportunistic nature of the observation and the single-specimen basis of the study. Overall, this record extends the known maximum size of D. puntazzo in the Black Sea and provides a useful biological reference for future studies on growth potential, trophic ecology, habitat use, and fishery interactions of this increasingly relevant sparid in the region.