Occurrence of Diopatra marocensis (Annelida, Onuphidae) in the eastern Mediterranean

By

ÇINAR, Melih
Fauchald, Kristian
Dagli, Ertan

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2014

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

445

Pages

1-11

Subjects

Aegean Sea , Levantine Sea , Polychaeta , Turkey

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.445.8464

 

Abstract

The present study deals with the presence of Diopatra marocensis in the eastern Mediterranean. This species is small-sized and inhabited muddy bottom near the opening of rivers or lagoons [salinity range: 33−39‰] in the Aegean and Levantine Seas, and reached a maximum density of 90 ind.m-2 in Mersin Bay. This species might be an alien species that was introduced from the East Atlantic (near Gibraltar) to the eastern Mediterranean via ballast water of ships, as it has never been reported from the western Mediterranean Sea.