scholarly journals Settlement and Spreading of the Introduced Seaweed Caulacanthus okamurae (Rhodophyta) in the Mediterranean Sea

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonella Petrocelli ◽  
Marion A. Wolf ◽  
Ester Cecere ◽  
Katia Sciuto ◽  
Adriano Sfriso
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Venice Lagoon ◽  
Molecular Evidence ◽  
Bisphosphate Carboxylase ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Intertidal Zones ◽  
Mar Piccolo Of Taranto ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Ionian And Adriatic Seas ◽  
Introduced Seaweed

In this study, we report the first finding of the non-indigenous seaweed Caulacanthus okamurae (Rhodophyta) in the Ionian and Adriatic Seas (Mediterranean). Specimens were identified through molecular analyses based on the plastid ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (rbcL) marker. The sequences obtained during this study represent the first molecular evidence of the presence of this taxon in the Mediterranean Sea. Stable populations have been detected in some areas of the Mar Piccolo of Taranto (Italy) and in the whole lagoon of Venice, forming dense patches of low turf that reach high biomasses. Turf-forming algae are common in the intertidal zones of tropical regions, but are rare in temperate ones. The particular environmental conditions of transitional water systems, such as the Mar Piccolo of Taranto and the Venice Lagoon, together with the water temperature increase observed in the last years could have favored the settlement and spread of this introduced species.

Trade and stowaways: molecular evidence for human-mediated translocation of eastern skinks into the western Mediterranean

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-62
Author(s):  
Josep Francesc Bisbal-Chinesta ◽  
Karin Tamar ◽  
Ángel Gálvez ◽  
Luís Albero ◽  
Pablo Vicent-Castelló ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Iberian Peninsula ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Molecular Evidence ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Human Movements ◽  
Allochthonous Species ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Chalcides Ocellatus ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Human movements in the regions surrounding the Mediterranean Sea have caused a great impact in the composition of terrestrial fauna due to the introductions of several allochthonous species, intentionally or not. Reptiles are one of the groups where this anthropic impact is most evident, owing to the extensive intra-Mediterranean dispersals of recent chronologies. Chalcides ocellatus is a widespread skink with a natural distribution that covers almost the entire Mediterranean Basin. Two hypotheses have been proposed to explain its origin: natural dispersions and human translocations. Previous molecular data suggest the occurrence of a recent dispersal phenomenon across the Mediterranean Sea. In this study we present the first record of this species in the Iberian Peninsula, in Serra del Molar (South-east Spain). We combined molecular analyses and archaeological records to study the origin of this population. The molecular results indicate that the population is phylogenetically closely related to specimens from north-eastern Egypt and southern Red Sea. We suggest that the species arrived at the Iberian Peninsula most likely through human-mediated dispersal by using the trade routes. Between the Iron to Middle Ages, even now, the region surrounding Serra del Molar has been the destination of human groups and commercial goods of Egyptian origins, in which Chalcides ocellatus could have arrived as stowaways. The regional geomorphological evolution would have restricted its expansion out of Serra del Molar. These findings provide new data about the impact of human movements on faunal introductions and present new information relating to mechanisms of long-distance translocations.

Spatial and seasonal distribution of ascidians in a semi-enclosed basin of the Mediterranean Sea

2008 ◽  
Vol 88 (5) ◽  
pp. 1053-1061 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Mastrototaro ◽  
G. D'Onghia ◽  
A. Tursi
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Marine Pollution ◽  
Ciona Intestinalis ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Artificial Substrates ◽  
Larval Recruitment ◽  
Styela Plicata ◽  
Mar Piccolo Of Taranto ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Shallow Water Species

A total of 25 species of ascidians were collected in the Mar Piccolo of Taranto, a semi-enclosed Mediterranean basin. Three are non-indigenous for the Mediterranean Sea: Microcosmus squamiger, Polyandrocarpa zorritensis and Distaplia bermudensis. The substrate features, season and depth affect the distribution of ascidians in the study area. Some species, such as Pyura dura and Pyura microcosmus, were found only on artificial substrates, while Ascidiella aspersa was almost exclusively recovered on natural bottoms. Seasonal variation in the ascidian distribution and abundance seems to be due mainly to their biological cycles, larval recruitment and adaptation. During the autumn and winter the most abundant species were Clavelina phlegraea and Ciona intestinalis, while A.aspersa was particularly abundant during spring. Depth and more directly light intensity play an important role in ascidian distribution. In the upper few metres the shallow-water species Polyandrocarpa zorritensis was abundant due to its photopositive larvae. Even though the distribution and abundance changed significantly between substrates, seasons and depths, the most abundant species in the Mar Piccolo of Taranto were Clavelina phlegraea, Ciona intestinalis and Styela plicata all of which are able to tolerate the variations in environmental conditions, low rate of water renewal and continuous silting of this semi-enclosed sea. Assuming the role that the above mentioned species have as marine pollution indicators and the abundance recorded for some of them, a high degree of environmental stress can be confirmed for the Mar Piccolo of Taranto. A comparative list of the ascidians recorded in this and previous studies is also reported.

Molecular evidence of three species in the Pseudocaranx dentex complex (Carangidae) in Australian waters

2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (4) ◽  
pp. 518 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas Bearham ◽  
Myrto Robert ◽  
Jennifer A. Chaplin ◽  
Glenn I. Moore ◽  
David V. Fairclough ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Molecular Data ◽  
Morphological Data ◽  
Molecular Evidence ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Identification Of Species ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Proper Interpretation ◽  
Conservation And Management

The discovery and identification of species is fundamental to the documentation, conservation and management of biodiversity. The taxonomy of the antitropical Pseudocaranx dentex complex (Carangidae) is confused and inconsistently reported. Previous morphological analyses concluded that this complex consisted of three species, namely P. sp. ‘dentex’, P. georgianus and P. dinjerra, in Australian waters. This study used genetic (COI sequence) and morphological data to evaluate the validity of this conclusion. The COI data showed the presence of three discrete lineages within this complex, which appear to correspond to the above-mentioned three species. They also suggested that P. sp. ‘dentex’ is closely related to, and possibly the same species as, P. dentex from southern Africa and the Mediterranean Sea. Also, the extent of morphological and geographical overlap between P. georgianus and P. dinjerra was greater than previously documented which, uncorrected, could lead to identification errors and present challenges for monitoring and management of harvested stocks of these species. By answering important taxonomic questions, our results will facilitate the proper interpretation of the results of past studies and the design of future studies of the P. dentex complex. They have also highlighted the value of molecular data for identifying species in morphologically conservative taxa.

scholarly journals New morphological and molecular evidence confirm the presence of the Norwegian skate Dipturus nidarosiensis (Storm, 1881) in the Mediterranean Sea and extend its distribution to the western basin

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 251 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. RAMÍREZ-AMARO ◽  
F. ORDINES ◽  
M. ÁNGEL PUERTO ◽  
C. GARCÍA ◽  
C. RAMON ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
First Record ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Molecular Evidence ◽  
Alboran Sea ◽  
Diagnostic Features ◽  
Western Basin ◽  
Northeast Atlantic ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Alborán Sea

The present study confirms the presence of the Norwegian skate Dipturus nidarosiensis (Storm, 1881) in the Mediterranean Sea, by means of morphological traits and molecular markers providing the first record of this species in the Alboran Sea. Cannas et al. (2010) reported D. nidarosiensis for the first time in the Mediterranean from specimens captured in the central western basin, but Ebert & Stehmann (2013) and Stehmann et al. (2015) considered these records "likely refer to the smaller morphotype, Dipturus sp.", a species not yet described. Eight specimens of the Dipturus genus (Rajiformes: Rajidae) were caught off the Alboran Island (western Mediterranean) in 2012, 2013 and 2016, between 620 and 819 m depth. These specimens showed morphometric diagnostic features corresponding to those of Norwegian skates from the Northeast Atlantic and the central western Mediterranean Sea. Moreover, the Alboran individuals were genetically compared to Northeast Atlantic specimens available in GenBank by means of two mitochondrial DNA fragments: cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and cytochrome b (Cytb). Analyses showed that the Northeast Atlantic Norwegian skate specimens and the Alboran Sea ones were genetically similar and shared haplotypes, corroborating the identification of the Alboran individuals as Dipturus nidarosiensis. However, they were different from other Dipturus species distributed throughout the Northeast Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. Our results confirm the occurrence of this deep-sea large skate species in the Mediterranean, although the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species does not consider it possible (Stehmann et al., 2015).

scholarly journals Molecular evidence for the aquarium origin of the green alga Caulerpa taxifolia introduced to the Mediterranean Sea

1998 ◽  
Vol 172 ◽  
pp. 275-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
O Jousson ◽  
J Pawlowski ◽  
L Zaninetti ◽  
A Meinesz ◽  
CF Boudouresque
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Green Alga ◽  
Molecular Evidence ◽  
Caulerpa Taxifolia ◽  
The Mediterranean

Aeromonas dhakensis pneumonia and sepsis in a neonate Risso’s dolphin Grampus griseus from the Mediterranean Sea

2015 ◽  
Vol 116 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Pérez ◽  
ML Abarca ◽  
F Latif-Eugenín ◽  
R Beaz-Hidalgo ◽  
MJ Figueras ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Grampus Griseus ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Risso's Dolphin
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