Association between the Crab, Nepinnotheres pinnotheres (Linnaeus, 1758), and the Endangered Species Fan Mussel, Pinna nobilis (Linnaeus, 1758), from the Aegean Sea, Turkey

Abstract

Pinna nobilis, commonly known as the fan mussel or pen shell, is an endemic species in the Mediterranean Sea. The fan mussel population has recently been significantly endangered along the Mediterranean coast, mainly due to diseases. However, it has a critical role in the ecological system of the throughout the coasts of the Mediterranean. Therefore, it is important to investigate the interactions between P. nobilis and their enemies, parasites, symbiont in the ecological environment. Pea crabs are small crustacean and symbionts in a variety of invertebrates. They inhabit the mantle cavities of bivalve. The association between the pea crab, Nepinnotheres pinnotheres (Decapoda), and P. nobilis (Bivalvia) from the Aegean Sea, Turkey was examined in this study. The crab samples were collected off Urla Karantina Island, Izmir Bay, Aegean Sea. The biometric characteristics of bivalve and crab in this coexistence were analyzed. 80% of P. nobilis was occupied by N. pinnotheres. The weight of pea crabs was recorded between 0.01 g and 3.87 g.

Amino acid and biochemical composition of Banded Carpet Shell (Polititapes rhomboides, Pennant, 1777), collected from the Çardak Lagoon, Turkey

“…Energy storage and determination of its consumption strategy varies based on the species, environmental conditions, food availability, quality, and geographical location. The main energy reserves for gametogenesis in bivalves are lipid and carbohydrate (Dridi et al, 2007, Acarli et al, 2018aMachado et al, 2018). Bivalves utilize protein as an alternative energy source when carbohydrate reserves are depleted (Joaquim et al, 2011;Vural and Acarlı 2021).…”

Distribution of the critically endangered fan mussel Pinna nobilis population in the Çanakkale Strait and Marmara Sea

“…All shells of both living and deceased P. nobilis individuals were measured for their widths, and subsequently, their total volumes were calculated using the formula established by Acarli et al (2018) as follows:…”

Ocean literacy and scientific data acquisition through citizen science campaigns: a mixed approach in the Maltese Islands to collect information on Pinna nobilis and Pinna rudis

“…Pinna nobilis and P. rudis provide several ecosystem functions and services. The shells act as a hard substrate on generally soft, less heterogeneous substrata, increasing the local biodiversity (Basso et al, 2015) by hosting different species assemblages (Çinar et al, 2021) including strictly-associated commensal species (Trigos & Vicente, 2019;Acarli et al, 2019). Moreover, they filter large volumes of water, retaining organic matter and decreasing water turbidity (Basso et al, 2015).…”