Spatial distribution of Decapoda in the Strait of Sicily (Central Mediterranean Sea) based on a trawl survey

The spatial representation of decapod crustaceans (Crustacea, Malacostraca) of the Strait of Sicily (Central Mediterranean Sea) is presented for the first time, together with comments on their vertical and horizontal distributions. The most relevant trawlable species were analysed using quantitative data gathered in 260 daylight lasting hauls, which covered a large portion (about 100 000 km2) of the investigated area. The index of local abundance, standardized to 1 km2, both in weight (Biomass Index), number (Density Index) and mean body weight were obtained for each species and for all species combined. A spatial representation of the Density Index was produced for all decapod crustaceans combined and for the most frequent species. In particular, the indices were transferred under a GIS system and spatial maps produced by applying the program ArcView™ 9.0. Different interpolators were tested and the most exact interpolator (IDW Inverse Distance Weighting) was chosen. Both historical (i.e., doubts about the presence or identification of the species) and spatial (i.e., differential distribution among different fishing areas) heterogeneity were detected and commented upon. Concerning the trawlable bottoms, very few species (such as Parapenaeus longirostris (Lucas, 1846), Aristaeomorpha foliacea (Risso, 1827), Aristeus antennatus (Risso, 1816), Nephrops norvegicus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Plesionika martia (A. Milne-Edwards, 1883)) are consistently and largely represented in the catches. A high spatial heterogeneity, likely reflecting the complex interaction between fishing pattern, hydrological features and bottom typology, was made evident.

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New records of two uncommon species, Calappa tuerkayana Pastore, 1995 (Decapoda, Calappidae) and Parasquilla ferrussaci (Roux, 1828) (Stomatopoda, Parasquillidae), from the Strait of Sicily (central Mediterranean Sea)

Arxius de Miscel·lània Zoològica ◽

10.32800/amz.2020.18.0113 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 113-121

Author(s):

G. Sardo ◽

M. L. Geraci ◽

D. Scannella ◽

F. Falsone ◽

S. Vitale

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Sea ◽

New Records ◽

Trawl Survey ◽

Soft Bottom ◽

Central Mediterranean ◽

Crustacean Species ◽

Mantis Shrimp ◽

Strait Of Sicily ◽

Central Mediterranean Sea ◽

The Mediterranean

The shamefaced crab Calappa tuerkayana Pastore, 1995 and the mantis shrimp Parasquilla ferussaci (Roux, 1828) are two crustacean species rarely reported in the Mediterranean Sea. In December 2018, two specimens of C. tuerkayana and one specimen of P. ferussaci were collected on a soft bottom at about 132 and 145 m depth during a trawl survey off Mazara del Vallo harbour (Strait of Sicily). This note reports the northernmost record of C. tuerkayana in the Strait of Sicily and confirms the occurrence of P. ferussaci in the same area. An update of the spatial distribution of these crustacean species in the Mediterranean Sea is also presented.

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The impact of fisheries on vulnerable habitats: the case of trawling on circa-littoral grounds in the Strait of Sicily (central Mediterranean Sea)

Marine Biology Research ◽

10.1080/17451000.2017.1348010 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 13 (10) ◽

pp. 1084-1094 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Pierpaolo Consoli ◽

Valentina Esposito ◽

Manuela Falautano ◽

Pietro Battaglia ◽

Luca Castriota ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Central Mediterranean ◽

Strait Of Sicily ◽

Central Mediterranean Sea ◽

Vulnerable Habitats ◽

The Impact

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Linking spatial distribution and feeding behavior of Atlantic horse mackerel ( Trachurus trachurus ) in the Strait of Sicily (Central Mediterranean Sea)

Journal of Sea Research ◽

10.1016/j.seares.2017.01.002 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 121 ◽

pp. 47-58 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Paola Rumolo ◽

Gualtiero Basilone ◽

Emanuela Fanelli ◽

Marco Barra ◽

Monica Calabrò ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spatial Distribution ◽

Feeding Behavior ◽

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Horse Mackerel ◽

Trachurus Trachurus ◽

Central Mediterranean ◽

Strait Of Sicily ◽

Central Mediterranean Sea ◽

Atlantic Horse Mackerel

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Nurseries, spawning grounds and recruitment of Octopus vulgaris in the Strait of Sicily, central Mediterranean Sea

ICES Journal of Marine Science ◽

10.1093/icesjms/fsq101 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 67 (7) ◽

pp. 1363-1371 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Germana Garofalo ◽

Luca Ceriola ◽

Michele Gristina ◽

Fabio Fiorentino ◽

Roberta Pace

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Environmental Parameters ◽

Octopus Vulgaris ◽

Northwestern Part ◽

Central Mediterranean ◽

Spawning Grounds ◽

Strait Of Sicily ◽

Central Mediterranean Sea ◽

Distance Weighted ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Garofalo, G., Ceriola, L., Gristina, M., Fiorentino, F., and Pace, R. 2010. Nurseries, spawning grounds and recruitment of Octopus vulgaris in the Strait of Sicily, central Mediterranean Sea. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 1363–1371. The presence of nursery and spawning grounds and the relationship between sea surface temperature (SST) and the abundance of juvenile O. vulgaris in the Strait of Sicily, central Mediterranean, are investigated using fishery-independent data (trawl surveys, 1994–2008). Annual distributions were generated for mature animals and juveniles for spring/summer (the peak spawning season) and autumn (peak recruitment) using an inverse distance weighted deterministic interpolation. Based on the persistence of abundant recruits and mature animals, respectively, nursery and spawning grounds were identified. The correlation between annual recruitment and SST during hatching and recruitment was also investigated. Concentrations of juveniles (nurseries) were located off the southwest coast of Sicily and in the central Strait of Sicily, including south of Lampedusa on the African shelf, but just one consistent concentration of mature animals (spawning grounds) was found in the northwestern part of the Strait. There was a significant positive correlation between recruitment and SST. Results are discussed in the light of environmental parameters, and a hypothesis on possible stock units in the area was developed. The direct and indirect effects of SST variation on the recruitment process were also examined.

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Nursery and Spawning Areas of Deep-water Rose Shrimp, Parapenaeus longirostris (Decapoda: Penaeidae), in the Strait of Sicily (Central Mediterranean Sea)

Journal of Crustacean Biology ◽

10.1651/09-3167.1 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 30 (2) ◽

pp. 167-174 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Tomaso Fortibuoni ◽

Michele Gristina ◽

Tarub Bahri ◽

Fabio Fiorentino ◽

Matthew Camilleri ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Deep Water ◽

Central Mediterranean ◽

Strait Of Sicily ◽

Spawning Areas ◽

Central Mediterranean Sea ◽

Parapenaeus Longirostris

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A new record of a great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias(Chondrichthyes: Lamnidae) in the Strait of Sicily, Central Mediterranean Sea

Acta Adriatica ◽

10.32582/aa.61.2.13 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 61 (2) ◽

pp. 231-238

Author(s):

Danilo Scannella ◽

Sergio Vitale ◽

Federico Di Maio ◽

Fabrizio Serena ◽

Bruno Zava ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Sea ◽

White Shark ◽

Central Mediterranean ◽

Carcharodon Carcharias ◽

Strait Of Sicily ◽

Male Individual ◽

Great White Shark ◽

Central Mediterranean Sea ◽

By Catch ◽

Available Information

In November 2015 an immature male individual of great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus 1758), was caught as by-catch by a bottom trawler in the Strait of Sicily, in the Central Mediterranean Sea. The shark, reaching 266 cm in length and weighing 290 Kg, was identified and measured by means of a video provided by fishers. This record is discussed considering the available information on the presence of the great white shark in the area and confirms the importance of the Strait of Sicily for the conservation of this vulnerable species.

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