To the Mediterranean and beyond: An integrative approach to evaluate the spreading of Branchiomma luctuosum (Annelida: Sabellidae)

Citizen Science Helps in Tracking the Range Expansions of Non-Indigenous and Neo-Native Species in Greece and Cyprus (Eastern Mediterranean Sea)

“…After the first record in Lake Lucrino in 1979 [19], this species was recorded in several locations along the Italian coastline, usually at high densities [20]. A similar invasion success, although significantly delayed, was reported on the Mediterranean Spanish coastline, where the species was first recorded in Valencia harbor [21] and is currently widespread in the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula, including some Atlantic harbors around Gibraltar [22]. In other Mediterranean areas, the species is still scantily reported, with only one record for the eastern Adriatic Sea [23], two records for the Aegean Sea [24,25], two for the Levantine Sea [26,27], and two for the southern Mediterranean Sea [28,29].…”

“…The population of B. luctuosum from Messolonghi shows a relatively low density when compared with historical data from other Mediterranean areas [22]. In general, although B. luctuosum can occur locally in pristine environments [20,22], it manages to structure abundant populations only in enclosed environments, such as brackish-water coastal ponds [20,23] and ports [22,30,31]. The scarcity of detailed study from port assemblages in Greece [32] might possibly account for the alleged rarity of this species, and it is likely that further studies in Greek port environments will highlight a wider distribution of B. luctuosum.…”

“…However, the abundant population reported by Tanduo et al [23] for Vlora Bay (Albania, southeastern Adriatic Sea) suggests that the species might be widespread in this geographical sector as well. The population of B. luctuosum from Messolonghi shows a relatively low density when compared with historical data from other Mediterranean areas [22]. In general, although B. luctuosum can occur locally in pristine environments [20,22], it manages to structure abundant populations only in enclosed environments, such as brackish-water coastal ponds [20,23] and ports [22,30,31].…”

“…Although the first studies suggested a strong competitive effect of this species on the native Sabella spallanzanii (Gmelin, 1791), which seemed to be almost completely replaced by B. luctuosum [33], further studies highlighted a spatial and temporal variability of population dynamics in this species, suggesting that the impact of B. luctuosum might strongly depend on local environmental conditions. This species is an important habitat-former in Mediterranean ports, with the possibility of not only locally increasing biodiversity but also favoring the establishment and spread of other NIS [22]. The impact on pristine environments seems, instead, less pronounced, as individuals of B. luctuosum sampled outside port areas are distinctly smaller [22].…”

Monitoring Non-indigenous Species in Port Habitats: First Application of a Standardized North American Protocol in the Mediterranean Sea

“…Branchiomma luctuosum, originally described from the Red Sea (Grube, 1870), was found for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea in Italy in 1978 (Knight-Jones et al, 1991). Then, B. luctuosum was recorded in several localities in the whole Mediterranean Sea, where it is considered established and able to colonize both artificial and natural substrates (Giangrande et al, 2012;Fernández-Romero et al, 2021). In the Western Mediterranean, B. luctuosum was found along the Spanish coasts since 2004 (El Haddad et al, 2012;López and Richter, 2017), in the Gulf of Genoa in 2011-2015 (Bianchi et al, 2018), in Sardinia in 2014 (Ferrario et al, 2017;Langeneck et al, 2020), and more recently in Leghorn in 2016 (Langeneck et al, 2020;Tempesti et al, 2020); the latter locality being about 37 nautical miles away from La Spezia.…”