The Mediterranean parrotfish Sparisoma cretense is reported for the first time along the south-eastern coasts of Apulia (Ionian Sea, south-east Italy). Only juvenile specimens of S. cretense were observed during visual census surveys carried out in late August 2000, whereas adults were never observed in, or reported from, this region. Juvenile parrotfish were 3–4-cm long (TL), with a light-grey livery, pale-yellow heads and marked yellow margins around the eyes. They were recorded at 5–15 m depth, whereas they were absent near the surface (0–2 m depth) and in deeper areas (25–28 m depth). The possibility that climatic changes occurring in the Mediterranean basin (i.e. water warming) would be involved in the spreading of S. cretense outside its typical distribution range is discussed.