Decapoda and Stomatopoda (Crustacea) of Rodos island (Greece) and the Erythrean expansion NW of the Levantine sea

Abstract

The Decapoda and Stomatopoda (Crustacea) of the sublittoral zone of Rodos island were studied between 1995 and 2000. Twenty-five sites, at depths ranging from the intertidal to 119 m, were sampled. Three species of stomatopods and 52 species of decapods were identified, bringing the number of decapods known from Rodos to 83. One Stomatopode and nineteen decapods, though previously known from the Aegean Sea, are new records for Rodos. The presence of seven species of Erythrean origin testify to a trend of increasing tropicalization of the area. A remarkable number of Erythrean taxa (fish, Crustacea, Mollusca, Polychaeta) have been established in Rodos, the Dodecanese and the southern Aegean Sea, whereas few reached the northern Aegean and the Ionian Seas. The expansion of the Erythrean species NW of the Levantine Sea is discussed.

Gonioinfradens paucidentatus (A. Milne Edwards, 1861) (Crustacea, Decapoda, Portunidae): a new alien crab in the Mediterranean Sea

“…Erythrean alien invertebrates establish successfully in the littoral and infralittoral zones of the eastern Mediterranean to a depth of approximately 50 m, and are hardly ever found in deeper waters, according to GALIL & ZENETOS (2002); to date, this was true also for the majority of the brachyurans of Indo-Pacific origin recorded in the marine region of Rodos, although a few species, like Charybdis (Goniohellenus) longicollis Leene, 1938, could occur in deeper waters up to 80 m (KEVREKIDIS & GALIL, 2003;ELNAIS 2010). In our case, the third specimen of G. paucidentatus was found at 200 m. The species is considered to inhabit coastal waters, even though it has been reported from Polynesia at up to 100 m (POUPIN, 1994).…”

Reproductive biology of the prawn Melicertus kerathurus (Decapoda: Penaeidae) in Thermaikos Gulf (N. Aegean Sea)

“…Intense exploitation rates in parts of the Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic, along with the replacement of the species by Eritrean penaeid prawns in the eastern Mediterranean, have resulted in very low landings in most countries (e.g. Rodrígeuz 1977;Scordella and Lumare 2001;Kevrekidis and Galil 2003;Can et al 2004;Galil 2007;Kevrekidis 2009). Thus, species-speciWc initiatives toward sustainable management of this resource should be implemented (Kevrekidis and Thessalou-Legaki 2011).…”

On the occurrence of two brachyurans, Myra subgranulata and Herbstia condyliata, on Rhodes Island (Se Aegean Sea)

“…These results might be due to the gradual warming of the area, which ultimately promotes exotic colonization (Kevrekidis & Galil, 2003).…”

“…Recent investigations conducted in the sublittoral zone of the island of Rhodes have enlarged the number of decapod crustacean species to 83, and the stomatopods recorded in the area to three (Kevrekidis & Galil, 2003). Among these are six decapods and one stomatopod of Indo-Pacific origin.…”