scholarly journals A little can be enough. Native fish from the Western Mediterranean Sea can act as a control agent for the invasive alga Caulerpa cylindracea

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Santamaría ◽  
Fiona Tomas ◽  
Enric Ballesteros ◽  
Juan Manuel Ruiz ◽  
Jorge Terrados ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Biotic Resistance ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Exclusion Experiment ◽  
Invasive Algae ◽  
Western Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Invasive Alga

In the Mediterranean Sea, different organisms can feed on invasive algae species, yet, how these species provide biotic resistance against algal invasions remains unclear. In this study, we analyzed fish stomach contents to determine which fish species feed on Caulerpa cylindracea and we performed an exclusion experiment to experimentally test how this grazing activity may limit invasive algae abundance and spread. Our results show that several fish species, many of them not considered strictly herbivores, feed on the invasive alga; however, the Ivlev´s Index suggests that its consumption was accidental except for Sarpa salpa. Additionally, the exclusion experiment demonstrated that fish species can limit C. cylindracea coverage at 10m but not at 30m deep; which is likely linked to the higher abundance and activity of these fish species at depths above 25m. These results are in agreement with the current distribution of C. cylindracea, which is much more abundant at depths from 25 to 50m. In this study we show that fish herbivory is a form of biotic resistance against C. cylindracea at shallow depths, not being able to completely remove it, but controlling its abundance.

scholarly journals A little can be enough. Native fish from the Western Mediterranean Sea can act as a control agent for the invasive alga Caulerpa cylindracea

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Santamaría ◽  
Fiona Tomas ◽  
Enric Ballesteros ◽  
Juan Manuel Ruiz ◽  
Jorge Terrados ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Biotic Resistance ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Exclusion Experiment ◽  
Invasive Algae ◽  
Western Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Invasive Alga

In the Mediterranean Sea, different organisms can feed on invasive algae species, yet, how these species provide biotic resistance against algal invasions remains unclear. In this study, we analyzed fish stomach contents to determine which fish species feed on Caulerpa cylindracea and we performed an exclusion experiment to experimentally test how this grazing activity may limit invasive algae abundance and spread. Our results show that several fish species, many of them not considered strictly herbivores, feed on the invasive alga; however, the Ivlev´s Index suggests that its consumption was accidental except for Sarpa salpa. Additionally, the exclusion experiment demonstrated that fish species can limit C. cylindracea coverage at 10m but not at 30m deep; which is likely linked to the higher abundance and activity of these fish species at depths above 25m. These results are in agreement with the current distribution of C. cylindracea, which is much more abundant at depths from 25 to 50m. In this study we show that fish herbivory is a form of biotic resistance against C. cylindracea at shallow depths, not being able to completely remove it, but controlling its abundance.

Anthropogenic particles ingestion in fish species from two areas of the western Mediterranean Sea

2019 ◽  
Vol 144 ◽  
pp. 325-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beatriz Rios-Fuster ◽  
Carme Alomar ◽  
Montserrat Compa ◽  
Beatriz Guijarro ◽  
Salud Deudero
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Western Mediterranean Sea

Cephalopod prey in the stomach contents of odontocete cetaceans stranded in the western Mediterranean Sea

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 593-602 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Pedà ◽  
Pietro Battaglia ◽  
Alessia Scuderi ◽  
Alessandro Voliani ◽  
Cecilia Mancusi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Western Mediterranean Sea

A new approach using biomarkers to elucidate the regression state of the invasive alga Caulerpa taxifolia in waters around the Balearic Islands (Western Mediterranean Sea)

2013 ◽  
Vol 64 (10) ◽  
pp. 986 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Tejada ◽  
Antoni Sureda
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Peroxidation ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Balearic Islands ◽  
Antioxidant Enzyme Activities ◽  
Caulerpa Taxifolia ◽  
Western Mediterranean Sea ◽  
And Function ◽  
Invasive Alga

Invasive algae alter the structure and function of ecosystems. The green alga Caulerpa taxifolia is an invasive alga introduced in the Mediterranean Sea, whereas Caulerpa prolifera is a native species in Mediterranean waters. The aim of the current work was to determine the oxidative status of both Caulerpa species by means of biomarker measures as a possible indicator of the regression state of C. taxifolia in waters around the Balearic Islands (western Mediterranean Sea). The levels of markers of lipid peroxidation, glutathione concentration, activities of antioxidant enzymes and caulerpenyne production were measured in C. prolifera and C. taxifolia fronds. The concentration of the end product of lipid peroxidation, malondialdehyde, was significantly higher in C. taxifolia than in C. prolifera samples. Antioxidant enzyme activities, namely superoxide dismutase glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase, as well as the reduced glutathione : glutathione disulfide ratio were lower in C. taxifolia than in C. prolifera, although the concentrations of malondialdehyde were higher in the alien species. No differences were found in catalase activity or in the concentration of caulerpenyne. In conclusion, the invasive alga C. taxifolia presented a more oxidised status, which could be related to its regression in Mallorcan coastal waters.

scholarly journals Biotic Resistance Against Invasive Macroalgae: The Role of Omnivorous Sparid Fishes in the Herbivory on Caulerpa Cylindracea

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Santamaría ◽  
Fiona Tomas ◽  
Enric Ballesteros ◽  
Emma Cebrian
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Potential Role ◽  
Biotic Resistance ◽  
Sea Bream ◽  
Main Food ◽  
Omnivorous Fish ◽  
Marine Habitats ◽  
Invasive Alga

Abstract Herbivory has long been considered an important component of biotic resistance against macroalgae invasions in marine habitats. However, most of the studies on herbivory of invasive algae refer only to consumption by strictly herbivorous organisms, whereas consumption by omnivorous organisms has been largely ignored and rarely quantified. In this study, we assess whether the commonest omnivorous sparid species in the Mediterranean Sea are consuming the highly invasive alga, Caulerpa cylindracea, and determine its importance in their diet and their electivity towards it as a source of food. Our results confirm that three of the four fish species we studied do, in fact, consume C. cylindracea, but in most cases, the importance of C. cylindracea in the diet was low. Indeed, the low electivity values confirm that all four fish species avoid feeding on the invasive alga and that it is probably consumed accidentally. However, despite animals and detritus being the main food for these sea bream species, several individual specimens were found to have consumed high amounts of C. cylindracea. This suggests a potential role that these fish species may play in controlling, to some extent, the abundance of the invader. We suggest that herbivory by omnivorous fish might complement the higher impact exerted by the strict herbivores, and together, they might contribute to the overall biotic resistance against the invader.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document