Inventory of alien and cryptogenic species of the Dodecanese (Aegean Sea, Greece): collaboration through COST action training school

Abstract

The Dodecanese region has a high prevalence of marine alien species due to its close proximity to the Suez Canal and associated Suez shipping lanes, as well as its location at biogeographical border between sub-tropical and tropical biota. This region is therefore very important for the early detection of alien species entering the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal and it is imperative that monitoring of alien species is continued in order to assess the levels of biological invasion. We present results of marine alien surveys, carried out in April 2014 on the island of Rodos. Surveys were performed by a team of marine taxonomic experts and students as part of an EU wide training school, coordinated by the COST Action TD1209 “Alien Challenge”. A variety of survey methods were employed to cover a number of coastal habitats. These included: rapid assessment surveys of epibiota on artificial structures in harbours, rapid assessment snorkelling surveys of biota on sublittoral bedrock, and quantified fishing surveys (both boat-seine and trammel net fishing methods). A total of 33 alien and cryptogenic species were recorded across all the survey techniques. Of these species, 9 represented first records for Rodos: the foraminiferan Amphisorus hemprichii, the polychaetes Branchiomma bairdi, Dorvillea similis, Hydroides dirampha and Pseudonereis anomala, the molluscs Aplysia parvula, Chama pacifica and Septifer cumingii, and the bryozoan Hippopodina feegeensis. Of note the record of the Lessepsian invader Dorvillea similis represents the second record in the Mediterranean Sea. Alien fish species represented a small but notable proportion of the diversity, biomass and number of individuals in fishing catch of both fishing methods. All alien fish species observed were already known to be present in Rodos. The addition of species firstly recorded in this study brings the total number of marine alien and cryptogenic species in the Dodecanese region up to 129 species. The vast majority of these alien species have entered unaided via the Suez Canal, but an increasing number have been introduced through hull fouling or ballast water transfer from shipping. The results highlight the value of conducting marine alien surveys with teams of a diverse range of taxonomic expertise, both in its scientific output and student training

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

“…S2B ). Recently, Corsini-Foka et al (2015) recorded Hippopodina feegeensis from Mandraki Harbor in Rhodes, in the same locality where it was also collected during this study (at the Three Windmills wall), and those specimens will likely be re-assigned to Hipppodina sp. A, after a more comprehensive and detailed taxonomic comparison is undertaken.…”

“…Distribution: The species Hippopodina feegeensis (Busk, 1884) from the Indo-Pacific and the Red Sea, was reported as NIS in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea ( Powell, 1969 ; Morri et al, 1999 ; Corsini-Foka et al, 2015 ). However, Tilbrook (1999) had observed strong morphological variations within Hippopodina feegeensis colonies from different geographical regions, and some species were later designated to be new species ( Tilbrook, 2006 ).…”

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

“…Zarzis (Tunisia), where the species is considered as casual (see Zaouali et al, 2007;Crocetta et al, 2014;Ounifi-Ben Amor et al, 2016); ✓ Acar plicata (Dillwyn, 1817): only known from a single record in Israel (Barash and Danin, 1986), as the additional record from Greece should be considered as questionable (see Corsini-Foka et al, 2015); ✓ Atactodea striata (Gmelin, 1791): only known from two single records - Barash and Danin (1977) and Cachia et al (2004); ✓ Conus fumigatus Hwass in Bruguie ' re, 1792: only recorded in 1974e1976 from a single locality in Libya (Ro €ckel, 1986), with no follow up; ✓ Chiton hululensis (E. A. Smith, 1903): only known from two old single records, with no follow up (Barash and Danin, 1992); ✓ Cuthona perca (Er. Marcus, 1958): only known from Italy on the basis of an old record of a single specimen (Perrone, 1995); ✓ Halgerda willeyi Eliot, 1904: only known from Croatia on the basis of an old record of a single specimen (Turk, 2000); ✓ Lodderia novemcarinata (Melvill, 1906): only known from 5 specimens from a single locality (O € ztürk et al, 2015); ✓ Mercenaria mercenaria (Linnaeus, 1758): the Northern quahog cannot be classified as abundant, and not even as established.…”

Polychaetes of Greece: an updated and annotated checklist

“…Reported from Greece by Corsini-Foka et al (2015). In the Mediterranean also known from Turkey (Çınar 2009), natively distributed in the Indo-Pacific Ocean and Red Sea.…”

“…Reported from Greece by Corsini-Foka et al (2015). A West Atlantic / East Pacific species which has been reported in the Mediterranean from Italy (Giangrande et al 2012), Malta (Arias et al 2013b), Turkey (Çınar et al 2014) and Tunisia (Khedhri et al 2017).…”