Hostname: page-component-669899f699-tzmfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-05-02T22:57:49.575Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

First record of Herdmania momus (Ascidiacea: Pyuridae) from the central Mediterranean Sea

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 December 2013

Julian Evans ,
Joseph A. Borg  and
Patrick J. Schembri
Julian Evans*
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Malta, Msida MSD2080, Malta Marine Biology and Ecology Research Centre, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK
Joseph A. Borg
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Malta, Msida MSD2080, Malta
Patrick J. Schembri
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Malta, Msida MSD2080, Malta
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: J. Evans, Department of Biology, University of Malta, Msida MSD2080, Malta email: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

The solitary ascidian Herdmania momus, an Indo-Pacific species that has been introduced into the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal during the past century, has so far been restricted to the Levantine region. Here we record H. momus from the Maltese Islands, which represents a considerable westwards expansion of the species' distribution range in the Mediterranean. Possible modes of introduction are discussed, with translocation of adults via shipping and subsequent spawning at destination sites deemed a plausible mechanism.

Keywords

ChordataTunicataHerdmania momusMaltaalien speciesrange extension
Type
Research Article
Information
Marine Biodiversity Records , Volume 6 , 2013 , e134
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.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

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). Rapport du Congrès de la Commission Internationale pour l'Exploration Scientifique de la Mer Méditerranée 38, 437–438.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.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davis, M.H., Lützen, J. and Davis, M.E. (2007) The spread of Styela clava Herdman, 1882 (Tunicata, Ascidiacea) in European waters. Aquatic Invasions 2, 378–390.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Degnan, B.M., Rohde, P.R. and Lavin, M.F. (1996) Normal development and embryonic gene activity of the ascidian Herdmania momus . Marine and Freshwater Research 47, 543–551.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harant, H. (1927) Rapport sur les tuniciers. Transactions of the Zoological Society of London 22, 365–373.Google Scholar
Harant, H. (1939) Les fonds de pêche près d'Alexandrie: Ascidiacea. Notes et Mémoires, Institut Fouad I Hydrobiologie et Pêche 28, 1–12.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
Monniot, C. (2002) Stolidobranch ascidians from the tropical western Indian Ocean. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 135, 65–120.Google Scholar
Nishikawa, T. (2002) Revision of the ascidian genus Herdmania (Urochordata: Ascidiacea) inhabiting Japanese waters. Species Diversity 7, 217–250.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Otero, M., Cebrian, E., Francour, P., Galil, B. and Savini, D. (2013) Monitoring marine invasive species in Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas (MPAs): a strategy and practical guide for managers. Malaga, Spain: IUCN.Google Scholar
Pérès, J.M. (1958) Ascidies récoltées sur les côtes méditerranéannes d'Israel. Bulletin of the Research Council of Israel 7B, 143–150.Google Scholar
Shenkar, N. and Loya, Y. (2008) The solitary ascidian Herdmania momus: native (Red Sea) versus non-indigenous (Mediterranean) populations. Biological Invasions 10, 1431–1439.Google Scholar
Shenkar, N. and Loya, Y. (2009) Non-indigenous ascidians along the Mediterranean coast of Israel. Marine Biodiversity Records 2, e166. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1755267209990753.Google Scholar
Zenetos, A., Gofas, S., Morri, C., Rosso, A., Violanti, D., García Raso, J.E., Çinar, M.E., Almogi-Labin, A., Ates, A.S., Azzurro, E., Ballesteros, E., Bianchi, C.N., Bilecenoglu, M., Gambi, M.C., Giangrande, A., Gravili, C., Hyams-Kaphzan, O., Karachle, P.K., Katsanevakis, S., Lipej, L., Mastrototaro, F., Mineur, F., Pancucci-Papadopoulou, M.A., Ramos Esplá, A., Salas, C., San Martín, G., Sfriso, A., Streftaris, N. and Verlaque, M. (2012) Alien species in the Mediterranean Sea by 2012. A contribution to the application of European Union's Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). Part 2. Introduction trends and pathways. Mediterranean Marine Science 13, 328–352.Google Scholar