Aliens in changing seascapes: a newly reported non-native sacoglossan (Mollusca, Heterobranchia) in the western Mediterranean Sea

Trainito, Egidio; Doneddu, Mauro; Furfaro, Giulia

doi:10.15560/18.3.545

Cited by 6 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…This ecological characteristic could represent one of the main limits to the spreading of NI species that, in fact, need to find sources of available food to settle and establish in a new, invaded habitat. Cases that confirm this behavior are new alien food webs with prey-predator relationships involving only NI species [20,21,25,27,28]. These new trophic chains, usually composed by a NI sessile prey eaten by an allochthonous sea slug species, have mainly been reported from small lakes, marinas, or harbor areas near mussel farms and characterized by high human impact [20,21,27,28].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 83%

“…Mediterranean mollusks also include the greatest number of invading taxa, with 156 alien, NI species recently catalogued [9,10,17,18], of which 44 were Diversity 2022, 14, 687 2 of 16 reported from Italian seas [16]. Among Gastropoda, the amount of alien species to date reported is 101, with new Heterobranchia constantly being added [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]. Nudibranch sea slugs are known to show specialized feeding strategies that directly influence species' distribution patterns [26].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Alien Travel Companies: The Case of Two Sea Slugs and One Bryozoan in the Mediterranean Sea

Mioni¹,

Furfaro

2022

Diversity

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Mediterranean marine fauna is constantly changing due to the entry of non-indigenous (NI) species and the loss of endemic biodiversity. In this framework, it is very important to monitor this constant change and investigate possible new pathways of dispersion. Marinas and ports are considered key stations to detect and study some important ecological aspects, such as NI and invasive species, the effects of climate change, and pollution. Here, we reported the case of a group of NI species that presumably reached the Mediterranean Sea together, each of them being ecologically associated with one another. The bryozoan Amathia verticillate and the sea slugs Favorinus ghanensis and Polycerella emertoni were found in the shallow waters of Fezzano’s marina in the gulf of La Spezia (Ligurian Sea, Mediterranean Sea). Molecular analyses were carried out to exclude cryptic diversity and to investigate the phylogenetic relationships occurring between closely related taxa. The spreading of these two NI sea slugs into the Mediterranean Sea was confirmed and the first record of P. emertoni from the Ligurian Sea reported. These findings shed some light on the poorly known ecology of these species that could be useful for future monitoring and conservation strategies.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 83%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alien Travel Companies: The Case of Two Sea Slugs and One Bryozoan in the Mediterranean Sea

Mioni¹,

Furfaro

2022

Diversity

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“…Increasing temperatures are increasing the arrival and establishment of several seaweeds, in a process of tropicalization of the Mediterranean Sea [36]. In the Balearic Islands, H. incrassata and P. capitatus are examples of tropical algae capable of settling and expanding over infralittoral algae communities [10,12,37]. The current study was carried out in the Cala Blava locality (Palma Bay) where both species thrive with a patchy distribution near P. oceanica seagrass meadows [12].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oxidative Stress Response in the Seaweed Padina pavonica Associated with the Invasive Halimeda incrassata and Penicillus capitatus

Cerrato

Mir-Rosselló

Ferriol

et al. 2023

Water

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The western Mediterranean Sea is one of the most affected areas by the introduction of alien seaweed. Penicillus capitatus Lam. and the recently introduced Halimeda incrassata (J.Ellis) J.V.Lamour are tropical algae that invade native algae assemblies in the shallow sandy beds of Mallorca (Balearic Islands, western Mediterranean) where they are already settled. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a potential competition between the invasive P. capitatus and H. incrassata and the native Padina pavonica (L.) Thivy, by means of biomarkers. P. pavonica samples were collected in their habitat without invasive species and areas where P. capitatus and H. incrassata cohabitated. P. pavonica densities were measured in the three investigated areas. The coexistence of the invasive algae and P. pavonica was related to a significant decrease in the densities of native algae when compared to the area without the invaders. Antioxidant enzymes, catalase and superoxide dismutase, and the reduced glutathione and polyphenols levels were significantly increased in P. pavonica in the presence of both invasive algae. Malondialdehyde, a marker of oxidative damage, and the reactive oxygen species production tended to increase in the presence of the alien species, but without significant differences. The obtained results show that the presence of P. capitatus and H. incrassata altered the normal vegetative growth of P. pavonica and caused an antioxidant response that led to a context of stress, but without evidence of oxidative damage. In conclusion, the presence of the alien H. incrassata and P. capitatus can be considered a source of competitive stress for P. pavonica, although further research regarding the increased water temperature is required.

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“…Incorrect determinations represent a problem that should not be overlooked, as underlined by [13] in relation to the emergence of cercarial dermatitis caused by schistosome parasites, which are notably associated with the invasive species Haloa japonica (Pilsbry, 1895). Moreover, Heterobranchia faunas are known for both stochastic and environmentally fluctuations [14], extensive colonization of new habitats [15] and the efficient spread of invasive species [16,17], often associated with Mytilus, clam farming and export [13,18,19].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrative Taxonomy of the Bubble Snails (Cephalaspidea, Heterobranchia) Inhabiting a Promising Study Area: The Coastal Sicilian Faro Lake (Southern Italy)

Furfaro

Renda²,

Nardi³

et al. 2023

Water

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The worldwide diffused bubble snails, Haminoeidae, although characterized by an extreme morphological homogeneity, display the most diverse radiation inside the order Cephalaspidea. This hidden diversity within the family Haminoeidae was recently unraveled by molecular studies, which helped to understand the evolutionary history of this group by clarifying some aspects of its systematics. In fact, the type genus Haminoea W. Turton and Kingston (1830) was proved to be polyphyletic and, consequently, the genus Haminoea sensu stricto was restricted to the Mediterranean, Atlantic and East Pacific species, with the Mediterranean Haminoea hydatis Linnaeus (1758) as the type taxon. However, at the specie rank, many aspects need to be clarified, especially concerning the Mediterranean fauna. Due to low reliability of macro-morphological characters, the minimal quantity of molecular data currently available on Mediterranean specimen adds to the lack of molecular comparison in most reports. Based on such considerations, Haminoea species from an interesting Mediterranean study area, Faro Lake, a Sicilian coastal lake that is considered a hot spot for both alien and endemic marine Heterobranchia, have been studied using an integrative taxonomic approach. Eleven Mediterranean specimens belonging to four Haminoea bubble snails have been collected, identified and compared with samples from other localities, integrating ecological, morphological, anatomical (reproductive apparatus) and molecular data. Based on molecular investigations carried out on three different molecular markers (H3, 16S and COI), the morphological identifications of the species collected in the Faro Lake have been confirmed, and 37 new sequences are provided for future comparisons. Furthermore, results from this integrative systematic study shed light on the phylogenetic relationships occurring in this group of bubble snails that could be useful in identifying valid diagnostic morphological characters. Haminoea hydatis and H. navicula were confirmed to be close to each other, with H. orteai as sister to them and with H. orbignyana as the basal taxon. Given external morphological features are unreliable with species identification in Haminoea genus open questions on the geographical distribution of the species and on their ranges of intraspecific variability have yet to be addressed and further in-depth studies are needed. Finally, the presence of three sympatric Haminoea species, two of which are considered native or long-time naturalized, along with other occasional congeneric species, and the absence of the introduced invasive Haloa japonica, reflects both the resilience and stochastic space-temporal dynamics of Faro Lake. This confirms it as an inexhaustible source of case-studies.

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Aliens in changing seascapes: a newly reported non-native sacoglossan (Mollusca, Heterobranchia) in the western Mediterranean Sea

Cited by 6 publications

References 21 publications

Alien Travel Companies: The Case of Two Sea Slugs and One Bryozoan in the Mediterranean Sea

Alien Travel Companies: The Case of Two Sea Slugs and One Bryozoan in the Mediterranean Sea

Oxidative Stress Response in the Seaweed Padina pavonica Associated with the Invasive Halimeda incrassata and Penicillus capitatus

Integrative Taxonomy of the Bubble Snails (Cephalaspidea, Heterobranchia) Inhabiting a Promising Study Area: The Coastal Sicilian Faro Lake (Southern Italy)

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