Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-hc48f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T05:37:58.539Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Microcosmus exasperatus (Ascidiacea: Pyuridae), current distribution in the Mediterranean Sea

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 August 2013

Alfonso A. Ramos-Espla ,
Andres Izquierdo  and
Melih Ertan Çinar
Alfonso A. Ramos-Espla*
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciencias del Mar y Biologia Aplicada, Universidad de Alicante, 03080, Alicante, Spain
Andres Izquierdo
Affiliation:
Centro de Investigación Marina de Santa Pola (CIMAR), Universidad de Alicante—Ayuntamiento de Santa Pola, 03130 Santa Pola, Alicante, Spain
Melih Ertan Çinar
Affiliation:
Ege University, Faculty of Fisheries, Department of Hydrobiology, 35100 Bornova, İzmir, Turkey
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: A.A. Ramos-Esplá, Departamento de Ciencias del Mar y Biologia Aplicada, Universidad de Alicante, 03080, Alicante, Spain email: alfonso.ramos@ua.es
Get access

Abstract

The presence of the pantropical ascidian Microcosmus exasperatus has been an object of some taxonomic confusion in the Mediterranean Sea. A closely related species, M. squamiger was previously reported in the north of Tunisia (in 1962) as M. exasperatus; it has spread to the western Mediterranean and the northern part of the Ionian Sea, whereas, the reliable report of M. exasperatus has been made more recently (in 1998) in the Gulf of Gabès (South Tunisia), and later studies have confirmed its presence in the eastern Mediterranean basin (Lebanon and Israel). The occurrence of this species in Izmir (Turkey) extends its distribution range to the Aegean Sea. At present, the distributions of both species of Microcosmus are not overlapping in the Mediterranean, suggesting a different route of entrance, probably by the maritime traffic (M. squamiger via the Strait of Gibraltar; and M. exasperatus via the Suez Canal). The discontinuity in the distribution of M. exasperatus in the Mediterranean is analysed and discussed.

Keywords

ascidiansMicrocosmus spp.alien specieslessepsian migrantsMediterranean SeaAegean Sea
Type
Research Article
Information
Marine Biodiversity Records , Volume 6 , 2013 , e89
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Bitar, G., Ocaña, O. and Ramos-Esplá, A.A. (2007) Contribution of the Red Sea alien species to structuring some benthic biocenosis in the Lebanon coast (Eastern Mediterranean). Rapports de la Commission International pour l'Exploration de la Mer Méditerranée 38, 437.Google Scholar
Boero, F. (2002) Ship-driven biological invasions in the Mediterranean Sea. CIESM Workshop Monographs 20, 87–91.Google Scholar
Boudouresque, C.F. (1999) The Red Sea–Mediterranean link: unwanted effects of canals. In Sandlund, O.T., Scheil, P.J. and Viken, A. (eds) Invasive species and biodiversity management. London: Kluwer Academic Publishers, pp. 213–228.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Briggs, J.C. (1974) Marine zoogeography. New York: McGraw-Hill.Google Scholar
Çinar, M.E., Bilecenoglu, M., Öztürk, B. and Can, A. (2006) New records of alien species on the Levantine coast of Turkey. Aquatic Invasions 1, 84–90.Google Scholar
Çinar, M.E., Katagan, T., Koçak, F., Öztürk, B., Ergen, Z., Kocatas, A., Önen, M., Kirkim, F., Bakir, K., Kurt, G., Dagli, E., Açik, S., Dogan, A. and Özcan, T. (2008) Faunal assemblages of the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis in and around Alsancak Harbour (Izmir Bay, eastern Mediterranean) with special emphasis on alien species. Journal of Marine Systems 71, 1–17.Google Scholar
Çinar, M.E., Bilecenoglu, M., Öztürk, B., Katağan, T., Yokeş, M.B., Aysel, V., Dağlı, E., Açık, S., Özcan, T. and Erdoğan, H. (2011) An updated review of alien species on the coasts of Turkey. Mediterranean Marine Science 12, 257–315.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ekman, S. (1953) Zoography of the sea. London: Sidgwick & Jackson.Google Scholar
Galil, B.S. (2000) A sea under siege—alien species in the Mediterranean. Biological Invasions 2, 177–186.Google Scholar
Galil, B.S. (2007) Seeing red: alien species along the Mediterranean coast of Israel. Aquatic Invasions 2, 281–312.Google Scholar
Izquierdo-Muñoz, A., Díaz-Valdés, M. and Ramos-Esplá, A.A. (2009) Recent non-indigenous ascidians in the Mediterranean Sea. Aquatic Invasions 4, 59–64.Google Scholar
Kondilatos, G., Corsini-Foka, M. and Pancucci-Papadopoulou, M.A. (2010) Occurrence of the first non-indigenous ascidian Phallusia nigra Savigny, 1816 (Tunicata: Ascidiacea) in Greek waters. Aquatic Invasions 5, 181–184.Google Scholar
Kott, P. (1985) The Australian Ascidiacea. Part 1. Phlebobranchia and Stolidobranchia. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 23, 1–440.Google Scholar
Kott, P. (2002) The genus Herdmania Lahille, 1888 (Tunicata, Ascidiacea) in Australian waters. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 134, 359–374.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lambert, G. (2001) A global overview of ascidian introductions and their possible impact on the endemic fauna. In Sawada, H., Yokosawa, H. and Lambert, C.C. (eds) The biology of ascidians. Tokyo: Springer-Verlag, pp. 249–257.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lambert, G. (2002) Nonindigenous ascidians in tropical waters. Pacific Science 56, 291–298.Google Scholar
Lambert, G. (2007) Invasive sea squirts: a growing global problem. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 342, 3–4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mastrototaro, F. and Dappiano, M. (2005) New record of the non-indigenous species Microcosmus squamiger (Ascidiacea: Stolidobranchia) in the harbour of Salerno (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy). Marine Biodiversity Records e12, 1–3. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1755267205001247.Google Scholar
Mastrototaro, F., Petrocelli, A., Cecere, E. and Matarrese, A. (2004) Non-indigenous species settle down in the Taranto Seas. Biogeographia 25, 47–54.Google Scholar
Méliane, I. (2002) Contribution to the knowledge of the ascidian fauna in the south-east of Tunisia. MSc thesis. University of Alicante, Spain.Google Scholar
Millar, R.H. (1971) The biology of ascidians. Advances in Marine Biology 9, 1–100.Google Scholar
Monniot, C. (1981) Apparition de l'ascidie Microcosmus exasperatus dans les ports méditerranéens. Téthys 10, 59–82.Google Scholar
Monniot, C. (2002) Stolidobranch ascidians from the tropical western Indian Ocean. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 135, 65–120.Google Scholar
Monniot, C. and Monniot, F. (1983) Navigation ou courants? La colonisation des Açores et des Bermudes par les ascidies (Tuniciers benthiques). Comptes Rendus des Séances de la Société de Biogéographie 59, 53–58.Google Scholar
Monniot, C., Monniot, F. and Laboute, P. (1991) Coral reef ascidians of New Caledonia. Paris: Collection Faune Tropicale 30, ORSTOM, 247 pp.Google Scholar
Monniot, C., Monniot, F., Griffiths, C.L. and Schleyer, M. (2001) South African ascidians. Annals of the South African Museum 108, 1–141.Google Scholar
Naranjo, S. (1995) Taxonomía, zoogeografía y ecología de las ascidias del Estrecho de Gibraltar. Implicaciones de su distribución bionómica en la caracterización ambiental de áreas costeras. PhD thesis. University of Seville, Spain.Google Scholar
Pérès, J.M. (1967) Mediterranean benthos. Oceanography and Marine Biology: an Annual Review 5, 449–533.Google Scholar
Por, F.D. (1978) Lessepsian migration. The influx of Red Sea biota into the Mediterranean by way of the Suez Canal. Berlin: Springer-Verlag.Google Scholar
Ramos-Esplá, A.A. (1988) Ascidias litorales del Mediterráneo Ibérico. Faunística, ecología y biogeografía. PhD thesis. University of Barcelona, Spain.Google Scholar
Ramos-Esplá, A.A., Buencuerpo, V., Vázquez, E. and Lafargue, F. (1993) Distribución bionómica de las ascidias litorales del Estrecho de Gibraltar (sector ibérico). Publicaciones Especiales del Instituto Español de Oceanografía 11, 185–191.Google Scholar
Rius, M., Pineda, M.C. and Turón, X. (2009) Population dynamics and life cycle of the introduced ascidian Microcosmus squamiger in the Mediterranean Sea. Biological Invasions 11, 2181–2194.Google Scholar
Shenkar, N. (2008) Ecological aspects of the ascidian community along the Israeli coasts. PhD thesis. University of Tel-Aviv, Israel.Google Scholar
Shenkar, N. and Loya, Y. (2009) Non-indigenous ascidians (Chordata: Tunicata) along the Mediterranean coast of Israel. Marine Biodiversity Records e166, 1–7. doi:10.1017/S175526720999075.Google Scholar
Streftaris, N., Zenetos, A. and Papathanassiou, E. (2005) Globalisation in marine ecosystems: the story of non-indigenous marine species across European Seas. Oceanography and Marine Biology: an Annual Review 43, 419–453.Google Scholar
Thessalou, M., Aydogan, Ö., Bekas, P., Bilge, G., Boyaci, Y.O., Brunelli, E., Circosta, V., Crocetta, F., Durucan, F., Erdem, M., Ergolavou, A., Filiz, H., Fois, F., Gouva, E., Kapiris, K., Katsanevakis, S., Kljajic, Z.,. Konstantinidis, E., Konstantinou, G., Koutsogiannopoulos, D., Lamon, S., Macic, V., Mazzette, R., Meloni, D., Mureddu, A., Paschos, I., Perdikaris, C., Piras, F., Poursanidis, D., Ramos-Esplá, A.A., Rosso, A., Sordino, P., Sperone, E., Sterioti, A., Taskin, E., Toscano, F., Tripepi, S., Tsiakkiros, L. and Zenetos, A. (2012) New Mediterranean biodiversity records (December 2012). Mediterranean Marine Science 13, 312–327.Google Scholar
Turón, X. (1987) Estudio de las ascidias de las costas de Cataluña e Islas Baleares. PhD thesis. University of Barcelona, Spain.Google Scholar
Turón, X., Nishikawa, T. and Rius, M. (2007) Spread of Microcosmus squamiger (Ascidiacea: Pyuridae) in the Mediterranean Sea and adjacent waters. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 342, 185–188.Google Scholar
Van Name, W.G. (1945) The North and South American ascidians. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 84, 1–476.Google Scholar
Zenetos, A., Çinar, M.E., Pancucci-Papadopoulou, M.A., Harmelin, J.G., Furnari, G., Andaloro, F., Bellou, N., Streftaris, N. and Zibrowius, H. (2005) Annotated list of marine alien species in the Mediterranean with records of the worst invasive species. Mediterranean Marine Science 6, 63–118.Google Scholar
Zenetos, A., Gofas, S., Verlaque, M., Çinar, M.E., Garcia Raso, J.E., Bianchi, C.N., Morri, C., Azzurro, E., Bilecenoglu, M., Froglia, C., Siokou, I., Violanti, D., Sfriso, A., San Martin, G., Giangrande, A., Katağan, T., Ballesteros, E., Ramos-Esplá, A., Mastrototaro, F., Ocaña, O., Zingone, A., Gambi, M.C. and Streftaris, N. (2010) Alien species in the Mediterranean Sea by 2010. A contribution to the application of European Union's Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). Part I. Spatial distribution. Mediterranean Marine Science 11, 381–493.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zibrowius, H. (1991) Ongoing modification of the Mediterranean marine flora and fauna by the establishment of exotic species. Mésogée 51, 83–107.Google Scholar
Zibrowius, H. (2002) Assessing scale and impact of ship transported alien fauna in the Mediterranean? CIESM Workshop Monographs 20, 63–68.Google Scholar