The amphipod (Crustacea: Peracarida) fauna of the Aegean Sea, and comparison with those of the neighbouring seas

Abstract

Examination of sampled material and review of the relevant literature revealed the presence of 299 benthic and 46 pelagic amphipod species from the Aegean Sea. Two of the species identified, Caprella hirsuta Mayer, 1890 and Apohyale crassipes (Heller, 1866), are recorded for the first time in the Aegean Sea and the Levantine Basin respectively. A checklist of the Mediterranean amphipods is given, as well as their distribution in the Mediterranean territorial areas and the Black Sea. The faunal comparison of the Mediterranean areas showed that the number of species decreases from west to east. In terms of zoogeographical categories the Atlanto-Mediterranean species dominate in all Mediterranean areas followed by the endemic species concerning the benthic amphipods while in pelagic amphipods cosmopolitan species dominate and are then followed by Atlanto-Mediterranean. Three species, Bemlos leptocheirus (Walker, 1909) and Linguimarea caesaris Krapp-Schickel, 2003, Photis lamellifera Schellenberg, 1928, are lessepsian migrants and are reported in the Levantine and Central Mediterranean Seas.

Parhyale plumicornis(Crustacea: Amphipoda: Hyalidae): is this an anti-lessepsian Mediterranean species? Morphological remarks, molecular markers and ecological notes as tools for future records

“…However, the authors may have mistaken the identification of one of the Ptilohyale species with P. plumicornis. Another doubtful record is that by Christodoulou et al (2013). They have reported a species list where P. plumicornis has been recorded in the Atlanto-Mediterranean area even if there is no mention made in the literature about this report.…”

“…The case of the erroneous identification of P. explorator, now under the genus Ptilohyale (Bousfield & Hendrycks, 2002), subsequently corrected by the authors (Bakir, Kata gan, & Sezgin, 2013), caused a cascade-effect throughout the literature. The following papers reported the invasive alien species in Mediterranean, although this assertion could not be substantiated: Bakir et al, (2010), Christodoulou et al (2013) and Faasse (2014).…”

“…Hyale s.l.). In particular, Parhyale Stebbing, 1897 includes three species: P. plumicornis (Heller, 1866), P. eburnea Krapp-Schickel, 1974 and P. aquilina (Costa, 1857) (Christodoulou, Paraskevopoulou, Syranidou, & Koukouras, 2013;Ruffo, 1993). Recently, a new species Parhyale taurica Grinstov, 2009 has been described from the Crimea coastal zone (Black Sea).…”

“…However the similarity between the two genera and various minor mistakes in Bousfield and Hendrycks (2002) (such as mentioning the species Parhyale plumicornis in Ptilohyale's species-list, although Parhyale plumicornis was left in the Parhyale key to species) has caused confusion with some authors (Bakir, Sezgin, & Katagan, 2010;Bellan-Santini & Costello, 2001;Christodoulou et al, 2013;Lowry, 2015;Ruffo, 2010), who incorrectly placed Parhyale plumicornis in synonymy with Ptilohyale plumicornis, the latter nomen dubium.…”

The Tryphosa group (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Lysianassoidea: <br />Lysianassidae: Tryphosinae)

“…Tryphosa nana. -Chevreux, 1888: 3.-Meinert, 1890: 155.-Bonnier, 1893: 191, 196, pl.7.-Norman, 1900: 203.-Scott, 1901.-Christodoulou, Paraskevopoulou, Syranidou & Koukouras, 2013: 1312 -Chevreux, 1898: 476.-Walker, 1898: 166.-Walker, 1904: 244.-Stephensen, 1923: 12.-Chevreux, 1925: 288.-Chevreux & Fage, 1925: 71, fig. 62.-Stephensen, 1929: 60.-Marine Biological Association of the UK, 1931: 188.-Stephensen, 1932: 357.-Stephensen, 1935.…”