Isopoda (crustacea) from the Levantine sea with comments on the biogeography of mediterranean isopods

This study focuses on the isopod fauna of the eastern Mediterranean, mainly from the waters of Lebanon. Ninety-five samples containing isopods were obtained by scuba diving (depths 0 to 44 m) at 32 stations along the coast of Northern Cyprus, Syria, and Lebanon. The substrates most frequently sampled were caves, vertical walls, and calcareous algae crusts or build-ups. A total of 502 individuals were studied, belonging to 28 species, included in 20 genera, nine families, and three suborders. Four new species from this collection (Atarbolana beirutensis, Cirolana bitari, Cirolana zibrowiusi, Mesanthura pacoi) have already been published. Brief diagnoses and illustrations were included. The collection studied here consists mostly of Mediterranean species, some already known in the area. Ten (eleven, when cf. species is confirmed) are new records in the Levantine Sea (Apanthura addui, Cirolana manorae, Cymodoce fuscina, Cymodoce pilosa, Elaphognathia bacescoi, Gnathia illepidus, Gnathia inopinata, Heptanthura cryptobia, Kupellonura serritelson, Metacirolana rotunda, Pseudocerceis cf. seleneides). Of them, three (four, when cf. species is confirmed) are new records in the Mediterranean Sea (Apanthura addui, Cirolana manorae, Metacirolana rotunda, Pseudocerceis cf. seleneides). Eight species (28.5%) can be considered as non-indigenous (Apanthura addui, Cirolana manorae, Cymodoce fuscina, Metacirolana rotunda, Paracerceis sculpta, Paradella dianae, Pseudocerceis cf. seleneides, Sphaeroma walkeri). This manuscript also provides an inventory of the known Mediterranean isopod fauna (excluding Epicaridea, Oniscidea, and brackish water Aselloidea), which totals 295 species. The isopod fauna of various subregions of the Mediterranean, the Suez Canal, and the Red Sea / Gulf of Aden is compared, and the transit of species through the Suez Canal is discussed. The list of non-indigenous species in the Mediterranaean Sea is updated to 23.

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Holocene fish assemblages provide baseline data for the rapidly changing eastern Mediterranean

The Holocene ◽

10.1177/0959683620932969 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (10) ◽

pp. 1438-1450

Author(s):

Konstantina Agiadi ◽

Paolo G Albano

Keyword(s):

Radiocarbon Dating ◽

Trophic Structure ◽

Fish Assemblages ◽

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

Marine Ecosystem ◽

Fish Fauna ◽

Suez Canal ◽

Indigenous Species ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Non Indigenous Species

The eastern Mediterranean marine ecosystem is undergoing massive modification due to biological invasions, overfishing, habitat deterioration, and climate warming. Our ability to quantify these changes is severely hindered by the lack of an appropriate baseline; most ecological datasets date back a few decades only and show already strong signatures of impact. Surficial death assemblages (DAs) offer an alternative data source that provides baseline information on community structure and composition. In this study, we reconstruct the marine fish fauna of the southern shallow Israeli shelf before the opening of the Suez Canal based on fish otoliths. We quantify the age of the otolith DAs by radiocarbon dating, and describe its taxonomic composition, geographic affinity, and trophic structure. Additionally, we test by radiocarbon dating the hypothesis that Bregmaceros, a presumed Lessepsian invader with continuous presence in the Mediterranean throughout the late Cenozoic, is a relict species. The otolith DA dates back to the mid-Holocene because 75% of the dated otoliths of the native species are older than the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, suggesting that the DA is a proper baseline for quantifying modern impacts. Consistently, 97% of the otoliths and 88% of the species we collected belong to native Mediterranean species. The native anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus dominates the DAs, although gobiids are the most diverse group (14 species, 28%). The DAs show similar trophic structure to present-day pristine Mediterranean coastal fish assemblages. Two non-indigenous species are recorded here for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea, Amblygobius albimaculatus and Callogobius sp., highlighting the importance of DAs for detecting non-indigenous species. Finally, Bregmaceros otoliths are modern, not supporting the previous hypothesis that the taxon is a Pleistocene relict.

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High xenodiversity versus low native diversity in the south-eastern Mediterranean: bryozoans from the coastal zone of Lebanon

Mediterranean Marine Science ◽

10.12681/mms.1429 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 417 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

J. G. HARMELIN ◽

G. BITAR ◽

H. ZIBROWIUS

Keyword(s):

Coastal Zone ◽

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

Suez Canal ◽

Indigenous Species ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Main Components ◽

Non Indigenous Species ◽

Native Diversity ◽

The Impact ◽

Near Future

Because of its location in the warmest corner of the Mediterranean, its proximity to the northern entrance of the Suez Canal, i.e. the gateway for massive exotic biota introduction into the Mediterranean, the occurrence of high shipping activity and strong human pressure, the Lebanese coastal zone is an area that is exceptionally well-suited for investigating the effects of these extreme conditions on Mediterranean biodiversity. Bryozoans, which are among the main components of sessile communities, reflect dramatically the impact of these particular conditions. Their assemblages, sampled by diving along the whole coast of Lebanon during a pluriannual programme, mainly between 1999 and 2003, consist of 93 species (12 Cyclostomata, 2 Ctenostomata, 79 Cheilostomata). The native part of this bryozoan fauna exhibits low diversity, with an unexpected absence of many taxa, from family to species level, which are very common in the rest of the Mediterranean. It is also characterized by a high proportion of endemic species, in contrast with the general eastward trend of decreasing endemicity observed in the Mediterranean, and by the strong presence of 'southern' thermophilic species. With 27 non-indigenous species, xenodiversity is exceptionally high, particularly in the cheilostome pool (26 species), but was likely undersampled. Moreover, one may assume that new non-indigenous bryozoans (NIB) are now established along the Levantine coasts. This trend is expected to increase in the near future with the intensification of surface water warming and boost of shipping activity and propagule flux generated by the expansion of the Suez Canal.

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The Enlargement of the Suez Canal and Introduction of Non-Indigenous Species to the Mediterranean Sea

Limnology and Oceanography Bulletin ◽

10.1002/lob.10036 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 24 (2) ◽

pp. 43-45 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Bella Galil ◽

Ferdinando Boero ◽

Simona Fraschetti ◽

Stefano Piraino ◽

Marnie Campbell ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Suez Canal ◽

Indigenous Species ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Non Indigenous Species

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Low diversity or poorly explored? Mesophotic molluscs highlight undersampling in the Eastern Mediterranean

Biodiversity and Conservation ◽

10.1007/s10531-020-02063-w ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 29 (14) ◽

pp. 4059-4072

Author(s):

Paolo G. Albano ◽

Michele Azzarone ◽

Bruno Amati ◽

Cesare Bogi ◽

Bruno Sabelli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

Rocky Reef ◽

Indigenous Species ◽

Diversity Gradient ◽

Conservation Actions ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Molluscan Diversity ◽

Vulnerable Habitats ◽

Non Indigenous Species ◽

Recreational Scuba

Abstract Mesophotic assemblages are the next frontier of marine exploration in the Mediterranean Sea. Located below recreational scuba diving depths, they are difficult to access but host a diverse array of habitats structured by large invertebrate species. The Eastern Mediterranean has been much less explored than the western part of the basin and its mesophotic habitats are virtually unknown. We here describe two mesophotic (77–92 m depth) molluscan assemblages at a rocky reef and on a soft substrate off northern Israel. We record 172 species, of which 43 (25%) are first records for Israel and increase its overall marine molluscan diversity by 7%. Only five of these species have been reported in recent surveys of the nearby Lebanon, suggesting that our results are robust at a broader scale than our study area and that the reported west-to-east declining diversity gradient in the Mediterranean needs a reappraisal based on proper sampling of the eastern basin. We found only four (2%) non-indigenous species, represented by seven (0.5%) specimens. These results suggest that pristine native assemblages still thrive at this depth in Israel, in contrast to the shallow subtidal heavily affected by global warming and biological invasions, calling for strong conservation actions for these valuable but vulnerable habitats.

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Alien species in the Mediterranean Sea by 2012. A contribution to the application of European Union’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). Part 2. Introduction trends and pathways

Mediterranean Marine Science ◽

10.12681/mms.327 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 328 ◽

Cited By ~ 231

Author(s):

Α. ZENETOS ◽

S. GOFAS ◽

C. MORRI ◽

A. ROSSO ◽

D. VIOLANTI ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alien Species ◽

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

Western Mediterranean ◽

Suez Canal ◽

Indigenous Species ◽

Dominant Group ◽

Central Mediterranean ◽

Lessepsian Species ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Oyster Farms

More than 60 marine non-indigenous species (NIS) have been removed from previous lists and 84 species have been added, bringing the total to 986 alien species in the Mediterranean [775 in the eastern Mediterranean (EMED), 249 in the central Mediterranean (CMED), 190 in the Adriatic Sea (ADRIA) and 308 in the western Mediterranean (WMED)]. There were 48 new entries since 2011 which can be interpreted as approximately one new entry every two weeks. The number of alien species continues to increase, by 2-3 species per year for macrophytes, molluscs and polychaetes, 3-4 species per year for crustaceans, and 6 species per year for fish. The dominant group among alien species is molluscs (with 215 species), followed by crustaceans (159) and polychaetes (132). Macrophytes are the leading group of NIS in the ADRIA and the WMED, reaching 26-30% of all aliens, whereas in the EMED they barely constitute 10% of the introductions. In the EMED, molluscs are the most species-rich group, followed by crustaceans, fish and polychaetes. More than half (54%) of the marine alien species in the Mediterranean were probably introduced by corridors (mainly Suez). Shipping is blamed directly for the introduction of only 12 species, whereas it is assumed to be the most likely pathway of introduction (via ballasts or fouling) of another 300 species. For approximately 100 species shipping is a probable pathway along with the Suez Canal and/or aquaculture. Approximately 20 species have been introduced with certainty via aquaculture, while >50 species (mostly macroalgae), occurring in the vicinity of oyster farms, are assumed to be introduced accidentally as contaminants of imported species. A total of 18 species are assumed to have been introduced by the aquarium trade. Lessepsian species decline westwards, while the reverse pattern is evident for ship-mediated species and for those introduced with aquaculture. There is an increasing trend in new introductions via the Suez Canal and via shipping.

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Bryozoa from the Mediterranean coast of Israel

Mediterranean Marine Science ◽

10.12681/mms.1390 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 440 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

N. SOKOLOVER ◽

P. D. TAYLOR ◽

M. ILAN

Keyword(s):

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

Mediterranean Coast ◽

Indigenous Species ◽

Baseline Information ◽

Higher Temperature ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

1960S And 1970S ◽

The 1960S ◽

Non Indigenous Species ◽

The Impact

The impact of global warming on the composition of marine biotas is increasing, underscoring the need for better baseline information on the species currently present in given areas. Little is known about the bryozoan fauna of Israel; the most recent publication concerning species from the Mediterranean coast was based on samples collected in the 1960s and 1970s. Since that time, not only have the species present in this region changed, but so too has our understanding of bryozoan taxonomy. Here we use samples collected during the last decade to identify 47 bryozoan species, of which 15 are first records for the Levantine basin. These include one new genus and species (Crenulatella levantinensis gen. et. sp. nov.), two new species (Licornia vieirai sp. nov. and Trematooecia mikeli sp. nov.), and two species that may be new but for which available material is inadequate for formal description (Reteporella sp. and Thalamoporella sp.). In addition, Conopeum ponticum is recorded for the first time from the Mediterranean Sea. Non-indigenous species make up almost one-quarter of the 47 species identified. All of the non-indigenous species are native to tropical and subtropical regions, implying a change of the Levant bryozoan biota from a temperate to a more tropical state, probably related to both higher temperature and salinity and to the opening of the Suez Canal connecting the Red Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean.

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An overlooked alien species present on the coasts of Greece (Eastern Mediterranean): the polychaete Polycirrus twisti Potts (Polychaeta: Terebellidae)

Mediterranean Marine Science ◽

10.12681/mms.62 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 239 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

N. SIMBOURA

Keyword(s):

Alien Species ◽

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

Aegean Sea ◽

Suez Canal ◽

Polychaete Species ◽

Marine Area ◽

Levantine Sea ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Of Greece

The Terebellidae polychaete Polycirrus twisti Potts, 1928 had been confused in several previous records the Eastern Mediterranean with the co-generic species Polycirrus plumosusWollebaeck, 1912, because of incomplete specimens or unclear descriptions; therefore its presence in Greek seas had been overlooked. Specimens of Polycirrus twisti were currently identified from the Korinthiakos Gulf (Greece, Eastern Mediterranean), while older records from the Hellenic marine area, erroneously assigned toPolycirrus plumosus and recorded since 1983 (Rhodos island, Dodekanesse) were emended. Polycirrus twisti is an alien species, most likely introduced to the Mediterranean from the Suez Canal, while it was recently reported from the Southern coasts of Turkey (Levantine Sea). Its identification and report in Greek Seas increases the number of alien polychaete species in this area to 37 and offers a further evidence and link of its introduction and dispersion dynamics from the Suez Canal to the Levantine and Aegean Sea. The presence of the previously reported species Polycirrus plumosus in the Mediterranean Sea is therefore strongly questionable.

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A massive update of non-indigenous species records in Mediterranean marinas

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.3954 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. e3954 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Aylin Ulman ◽

Jasmine Ferrario ◽

Anna Occhpinti-Ambrogi ◽

Christos Arvanitidis ◽

Ada Bandi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Sea ◽

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

Western Mediterranean ◽

Indigenous Species ◽

Central Mediterranean ◽

Indigenous Status ◽

Mediterranean Countries ◽

Saccostrea Glomerata ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Non Indigenous Species

The Mediterranean Sea is home to over 2/3 of the world’s charter boat traffic and hosts an estimated 1.5 million recreational boats. Studies elsewhere have demonstrated marinas as important hubs for the stepping-stone transfer of non-indigenous species (NIS), but these unique anthropogenic, and typically artificial habitats have largely gone overlooked in the Mediterranean as sources of NIS hot-spots. From April 2015 to November 2016, 34 marinas were sampled across the following Mediterranean countries: Spain, France, Italy, Malta, Greece, Turkey and Cyprus to investigate the NIS presence and richness in the specialized hard substrate material of these marina habitats. All macroinvertebrate taxa were collected and identified. Additionally, fouling samples were collected from approximately 600 boat-hulls from 25 of these marinas to determine if boats host diverse NIS not present in the marina. Here, we present data revealing that Mediterranean marinas indeed act as major hubs for the transfer of marine NIS, and we also provide evidence that recreational boats act as effective vectors of spread. From this wide-ranging geographical study, we report here numerous new NIS records at the basin, subregional, country and locality level. At the basin level, we report three NIS new to the Mediterranean Sea (Achelia sawayai sensu lato,Aorides longimerus,Cymodoceaff.fuscina), and the re-appearance of two NIS previously known but currently considered extinct in the Mediterranean (Bemlos leptocheirus, Saccostrea glomerata). We also compellingly update the distributions of many NIS in the Mediterranean Sea showing some recent spreading; we provide details for 11 new subregional records for NIS (Watersipora arcuata,Hydroides brachyacantha sensu latoandSaccostrea glomeratanow present in the Western Mediterranean;Symplegma brakenhielmi,Stenothoe georgiana,Spirobranchus tertaceros sensu lato,Dendostrea folium sensu latoandParasmittina egyptiacanow present in the Central Mediterranean, andW. arcuata,Bemlos leptocheirusandDyspanopeus sayiin the Eastern Mediterranean). We also report 51 new NIS country records from recreational marinas: 12 for Malta, 10 for Cyprus, nine for Greece, six for Spain and France, five for Turkey and three for Italy, representing 32 species. Finally, we report 20 new NIS records (representing 17 species) found on recreational boat-hulls (mobile habitats), not yet found in the same marina, or in most cases, even the country. For each new NIS record, their native origin and global and Mediterranean distributions are provided, along with details of the new record. Additionally, taxonomic characters used for identification and photos of the specimens are also provided. These new NIS records should now be added to the relevant NIS databases compiled by several entities. Records of uncertain identity are also discussed, to assess the probability of valid non-indigenous status.

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Numerous new records of tropical non-indigenous species in the Eastern Mediterranean highlight the challenges of their recognition and identification

ZooKeys ◽

10.3897/zookeys.1010.58759 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 1010 ◽

pp. 1-95

Author(s):

Paolo G. Albano ◽

Jan Steger ◽

Piet A. J. Bakker ◽

Cesare Bogi ◽

Marija Bošnjak ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Sea ◽

New Records ◽

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

Indigenous Species ◽

Indigenous Status ◽

Eastern Mediterranean Sea ◽

The Poor ◽

Detection And Identification ◽

The Status ◽

Non Indigenous Species

New data on 52 non-indigenous mollusks in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea is reported. Fossarus sp. (aff. aptus sensu Blatterer 2019), Coriophora lessepsiana Albano, Bakker & Sabelli, sp. nov., Cerithiopsis sp. aff. pulvis, Joculator problematicus Albano & Steger, sp. nov., Cerithiopsis sp., Elachisina sp., Iravadia aff. elongata, Vitrinella aff. Vitrinella sp. 1 (sensu Blatterer 2019), Melanella orientalis, Parvioris aff. dilecta, Odostomia cf. dalli, Oscilla virginiae, Parthenina cossmanni, Parthenina typica, Pyrgulina craticulata, Turbonilla funiculata, Cylichna collyra, Musculus coenobitus, Musculus aff. viridulus, Chavania erythraea, Scintilla cf. violescens, Iacra seychellarum and Corbula erythraeensis are new records for the Mediterranean. An unidentified gastropod, Skeneidae indet., Triphora sp., Hypermastus sp., Sticteulima sp., Vitreolina cf. philippi, Odostomia (s.l.) sp. 1, Henrya (?) sp., and Semelidae sp. are further potential new non-indigenous species although their status should be confirmed upon final taxonomic assessment. Additionally, the status of Dikoleps micalii, Hemiliostraca clandestinacomb. nov. and H. athenamariaecomb. nov. is changed to non-indigenous, range extensions for nine species and the occurrence of living individuals for species previously recorded from empty shells only are reported. Opimaphora blattereri Albano, Bakker & Sabelli, sp. nov. is described from the Red Sea for comparison with the morphologically similar C. lessepsiana Albano, Bakker & Sabelli, sp. nov. The taxonomic part is followed by a discussion on how intensive fieldwork and cooperation among institutions and individuals enabled such a massive report, and how the poor taxonomic knowledge of the Indo-Pacific fauna hampers non-indigenous species detection and identification. Finally, the hypothesis that the simultaneous analysis of quantitative benthic death assemblages can support the assignment of non-indigenous status to taxonomically undetermined species is discussed.

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