First record of the colonial ascidian Didemnum vexillum Kott, 2002 in the Mediterranean: Lagoon of Venice (Italy)

Abstract

The European Alien Species Information Network (EASIN; http://easin.jrc.ec.europa.eu) aims to facilitate the exploration of existing alien species information from distributed sources through a network of interoperable web services, and to assist the implementation of European policies on biological invasions. The network allows extraction of alien species information from online information systems for all species included in the EASIN catalogue. This catalogue was based on an inventory of reported alien species in Europe that was produced by reviewing and standardizing information from 43 online databases. It includes information on taxonomy, synonyms, common names, pathways of introduction, native range in Europe, and impact. EASIN catalogue entails the basic information needed to efficiently link to existing online databases and retrieve spatial information for alien species distribution in Europe. Using search functionality powered by a widget framework, it is possible to make a tailored selection of a subgroup of species based on various criteria (e.g., environment, taxonomy, pathways). Distribution maps of the selected species can be produced dynamically and downloaded by the user. The EASIN web tools and services follow internationally recognized standards and protocols, and can be utilized freely and independently by any website, while ownership of the data remains with its source, which is properly cited and linked.

Ongoing expansion of the worldwide invader Didemnum vexillum (Ascidiacea) in the Mediterranean Sea: high plasticity of its biological cycle promotes establishment in warm waters

“…The morphological traits of the colonial ascidian matched those of Didemnum vexillum , Kott 2002. This ascidian, recently recorded in the eastern Mediterranean Sea by Tagliapietra et al ( 2012 ) at the Lagoon of Venice (Adriatic Sea), is one of the most important pest species among marine invertebrates due to its high invasiveness, dispersal capabilities, and its high capacity to impact benthic communities (see Lambert 2009 and references therein). The ascidian represents an issue of special concern to aquaculture industry, as the species overgrows commercial shellfish smothering them (Coutts and Forrest 2007 ; Bullard et al 2007a ; Valentine et al 2007a ).…”

Uncertainties and validation of alien species catalogues: The Mediterranean as an example

“…Branchiomma bairdi is a common and abundant AS in the Eastern and Western Mediterranean Sea, reaching up to 50 ind.m -2 in the harbour environment (Arias et al, 2013b) and coastal lakes (Giangrande et al, 2012). Among ascidians, Didemnum vexillum Kott 2002 was first reported in the Venice Lagoon (Tagliapietra et al, 2012) and later in the Ebro Delta (Spain, Ordoñez et al, 2015). In these localities the species was highly abundant and has become a pest on bivalve cultures.…”

Current status and trends of biological invasions in the Lagoon of Venice, a hotspot of marine NIS introductions in the Mediterranean Sea

“…Several new published records from the Venetian lagoon have appeared since then (e.g., Wolf et al 2011;Keppel et al 2012;Tagliapietra et al 2012;Sfriso et al 2014a;. Partial updates of the NIS biota of Venice have been presented by Occhipinti-Ambrogi et al (2011), Sfriso and Facca (2011), Marchini et al (2013).…”