Spread of the invasive alga Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea (Caulerpales, Chlorophyta) along the Mediterranean Coast of the Murcia region (SE Spain)

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to document the appearance and spread of the green alga Caulerpa racemosa along the coast of Murcia in south-eastern Spain. It was found for the first time in the area in 2005 and over the next two years the number of new sightings increased almost exponentially. In the period 2005-2007 the total surface area colonised by the alga in the region was estimated to be at least 265 ha. Benthic assemblages colonised by the alga were rocky bottoms with photophilic algae, dead P. oceanica rhizomes, infralittoral and circalittoral soft bottoms and maerl beds. No penetration of the alga was observed in P. oceanica meadows, except in one locality. Biometric analysis indicated high vegetative development in the established colonies in comparison to those described in other Mediterranean areas. Rapid spreading dynamics observed in the Murcia region is a potential threat for native benthic communities.

The Invasion of Caulerpa cylindracea Sonder 1845 in the Calabria Coastal Seas

“…Table 3. Comparison of the median morphometric data of C. cylindracea in three biogeographical sectors (Indo-Pacific [22], Mediterranean Basin [40] and Calabria region [36]).…”

“…Table 3. Comparison of the median morphometric data of C. cylindracea in three biogeographical sectors (Indo-Pacific [22], Mediterranean Basin [40] and Calabria region [36]). Moreover, the branchlets were clavate, poorly ramified and distichously arranged around the main central axis (Figure 2).…”

The Devil Firefish Pterois miles (Bennett, 1828): Life History Traits of a Potential Fishing Resource in Rhodes (Eastern Mediterranean)

“…According to several studies, it is rather clear that the introduction of marine invasive alien species (IAS) to an ecosystem poses a serious threat to the biodiversity, structure and function [12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. Caulerpa taxifolia (M.Vahl) C.Agardh, 1817, first discovered in the basin in 1984 [19,20], and Caulerpa cylindracea Sonder, 1845, first documented in the Mediterranean in 1990 [21], are two of the first invasive species that raised significant concerns about becoming major threats to the Mediterranean ecosystem. In the late 2010s, the two introduced invasive marine Indo-Pacific lionfishes, the devil firefish Pterois miles (Bennett 1828) and the red lionfish Pterois volitans (Linnaeus, 1758), were recognized as the first truly invasive marine fishes and a major ecosystemic threat [22,23].…”