Hosting 7% of the global marine ichthyofauna [4] the
Mediterranean Sea is a fascinating prosperous biodiversity hotspot
[5], [6] that captured the interest of numerous marine scientists
since ancient times (e.g. Aristoteles) [1].
Holding such richness, the Mediterranean Sea can be elected as
a very important scientific cradle in marine sciences. The
considerable natural variation driven by distinctive regional
evolutionary histories and dynamic anthropogenic pressures [7]
presents major challenges in local biodiversity monitoring
programmes.
Over the past decade, DNA barcoding has played a facilitatory
role for accurate identification of marine ichthyiofauna, thanks to
the integration of molecular and traditional taxonomic methods