Seawater warming favours the northward range expansion of Lessepsian species in the Mediterranean Sea: the cephalaspidean Lamprohaminoea ovalis

Abstract

Monitoring the spread of non-indigenous species is fundamental to study global warming effects on marine biodiversity. A valuable tool is represented by the continuous updating of the geographic range expansion of non-indigenous species. Lamprohaminoea ovalis is a Lessepsian mollusc initially recorded in the Mediterranean Sea in 2001. This paper reports its range expansion over the last 20 years related to water warming. The first record of Lamprohaminoea ovalis from the Ligurian Sea (NW Mediterranean) is also reported. Two individuals (about 10 mm length) were observed on a sub-vertical rocky bottom at 26 m depth displaying potential trailing behaviour. This recent finding extends the currently known distributional range of Lamprohaminoea ovalis, representing the northernmost occurrence of this non-indigenous species in the western Mediterranean Sea.

Checklist of the marine malacofauna of Culuccia Peninsula (NW Sardinia, Italy), with notes on relevant species

“…Four NIS, two gastropods and two bivalves have been recorded. The cephalaspidean Lamprohaminoea cyanomarginata (Heller & Thompson, 1983) is a lessepsian species and, in spite of the fact that it is missing in “The New Checklist of the Italian Fauna” ( Renda et al 2022 , herein abbreviated as CIFmM) for the Sardinia waters, this non-indigenous seaslug has been reported since 2016 by Azzola et al (2022) from the Tavolara-Punta Coda Cavallo Marine Protected Area. With this investigation, its presence has been confirmed and its range has been slightly enlarged to the north-western portion of Sardinia.…”

Integrative Taxonomy of the Bubble Snails (Cephalaspidea, Heterobranchia) Inhabiting a Promising Study Area: The Coastal Sicilian Faro Lake (Southern Italy)

“…Incorrect determinations represent a problem that should not be overlooked, as underlined by [13] in relation to the emergence of cercarial dermatitis caused by schistosome parasites, which are notably associated with the invasive species Haloa japonica (Pilsbry, 1895). Moreover, Heterobranchia faunas are known for both stochastic and environmentally fluctuations [14], extensive colonization of new habitats [15] and the efficient spread of invasive species [16,17], often associated with Mytilus, clam farming and export [13,18,19].…”

A new perspective on the distribution of Camachoaglaja africana (Pruvot-Fol, 1953) and Biuve fulvipunctata (Baba, 1938) (Gastropoda, Cephalaspidea) in the Mediterranean and the NE Atlantic

“…The discovery of non-indigenous or cryptogenic species in the Mediterranean has become increasingly common and widespread (Galil 2008, Azzola et al 2022, Garzia et al 2022, Mioni and Furfaro 2022, Trainito et al 2022a). Actually, the patterns of diffusion and the sequence of findings are often subject of discussion since the dispersion phenomena can be masked by the methods of detection (Trainito et al 2022b).…”

“…This is particularly 2 true for a group of Mollusca, the marine Heterobranchia. In fact, in some specific areas non-native or cryptogenic species are more frequently reported due to the helpful activity of research institutes, naturalistic associations, individual specialists or citizen scientists who systematically investigate well-defined areas (Trainito et al 2022, Rizgalla et al 2023). On the other hand, the practice of reporting uncommon species on various online platforms by citizen scientists (divers, underwater photographers, or simple snorkelers) is constantly expanding, also favoured by the spreading of social media.…”