On the presence of Megatrema Anglicum (Soweby, 1823) (Thoracica : Balanoidea) in Maltese waters

A single individual of the acorn barnacle Megatrema anglicum (Sowerby, 1823) is recorded from a maerl substratum off the Maltese Islands.peer-reviewe

The wart-like barnacles Verrucidae (Crustacea : Cirripedia) present in Maltese waters

Two species of wart-like barnacles, from the genus Metaverruca are reported from the deep waters round the Maltese Islands at the centre of the Mediterranean Sea.peer-reviewe

On the occurrence of Schedophilus ovalis (Cuvier, 1833) and S. rnedusophagus Cocco, 1839 (Perciformes, Centrolophidae) in Maltese waters

The family Centrolophidae includes Atlantic and Mediterranean pelagic fish which seek shelter under floating debris and which do not reside for very long periods under moored floats such as those used by in Malta for catching dolphin fish (Coryphaena hippurus Linn.) There are three species from this family which are found occasionally in Maltese waters, two in the genus Schedophilus, S. ovalis (Cuvier, 1833) and S. medusophagus Cocco, 1839 and one in the genus Centrolophus, C niger (Gmelin, 1789). S. ovalis (Cuvier, 1833) (fig.I) can reach a length of one metre while S. medusophagus is much smaller, not exceeding 30 cm in length. These species of fish are known to feed on jellyfish, but they also feed on other marine animals present in the plankton and scavenge dead fish (Debelius 1997).peer-reviewe

On the occurrence of the Buoy Barnacle Dosirna fascicularis Ellis and Solander, 1786 (Cirripedia : Lepadidae) in Maltese waters with new records of other species of Thoracica

The occurence of Dosima fascieularis Ellis & Solander 1786 in Maltese waters is recorded for the first time and additional records of other lepadid and scalpellid species are given.peer-reviewe

Contributions to the malacology of Malta, 1 : a new location for subfossil Oxyloma elegans (Risso, 1826) (Pulmonata : Succineidae) from the Salini Holocene deposits in Malta

A shell of Oxyloma elegans (Risso, 1826) is reported from the Holocene deposits at the Salini watercourse.peer-reviewe

ON THE PRESENCE OF MEGATREMA ANGLICUM (SOWEBY, 1823) (THORACICA: BALANOIDEA) IN MALTESE WATERS

ABSTRACT A single individual of the acorn barnacle Megatrema anglicum (Sowerby, 1823) is recorded from a maerl substratum off the Maltese Islands

A contribution to the knowledge of the phylum Sipuncula in the Maltese Islands (Central Mediterranean)

Specimens of the phylum Sipuncula collected through a span of eleven years from around the Maltese Islands have revealed the existence of fifteen species and subspecies. The majority of these animals are new records for the Maltese Islands.peer-reviewe

On some alien terrestrial and freshwater gastropods (Mollusca) from Malta

Nine species of gastropod molluscs: Otala lactea (0. F. MUller, 1774); Cemuella virgata (da Costa, 1778); Cochlicella barbara (Linnaeus, 1758); Oxychilus helveticus (Blum, 1881); Succinea putris (Linnaeus, 1758); Oxyloma elegans (Risso, 1826); Helisoma duryi Wetherby, 1879; Planorbarius comeus (Linnaeus, 1758); and the limacid slug Lehmannia valentiana (A. Ferussac, 1822) are recorded for the first time as alien species from local plant nurseries. For each species a short description and notes on distribution and ecology are given.peer-reviewe

The macrobenthic species of the infralittoral to circalittoral transition zone off the northeastern coast of Malta (Central Mediterranean)

The macrobenthic assemblages of the sedimentary bottoms off the northeastern coast of Malta were studied during the summer of 1993. Crab and dredge samples were collected from depths of 21-75tn from an area of approximately 48 km2 off Comino, Mellieha Bay and St. Paul's Bay. Below ctr. 40m the bottorn was predominantly sandy with meadows of Posidonia oceanica, giving way to bare sand it1 the lower infralittoral. Between 45rn and 75r11, the bottom consisted of organogenic gravel with abundunt free-living culcureous rhodophytes, predominantly the corallines Phymatolithon calcareum and Lithothamnion corallioides. Such bot~oms, known as maerl, have not been reported previously from the Maltese Islands. 19 species of macroalgae, I phanerogam, and 108 species of macrofaunu were recorded, the bulk of these from the maerl bottom. An additional 122 species of molluscs occurred as etnpty shells. Maerl bottoms support a high species richness, even if abundance is low. There is evidence to suggest that maerl is the predominant bottom type all along the northeastern coast of the Maltese Islands in the tramition between the lower infralittoral and the circalittoral, which occurs at depths of 45-75m.peer-reviewe

New Mediterranean biodiversity records (October 2015)

The Collective Article “New Mediterranean Biodiversity Records” of the Mediterranean Marine Science journal offers the means to publish biodiversity records in the Mediterranean Sea. The current article has adopted a country-based classification and the countries are listed according to their geographic position, from west to east. New biodiversity data are reported for 7 different countries, although one species reported from Malta is new for the entire Mediterranean basin, and is presumably also present in Israel and Lebanon (see below, under Malta). Italy: the rare native fish Gobius kolombatovici is first reported from the Ionian Sea, whilst the alien jellyfish Rhopilema nomadica and the alien fish Oplegnathus fasciatus are first reported from the entire country. The presence of O. fasciatus from Trieste is concomitantly the first for the entire Adriatic Sea. Finally, the alien bivalve Arcuatula senhousia is reported for the first time from Campania (Tyrrhenian Sea). Tunisia: a bloom of the alien crab ortunus segnis is first reported from the Gulf of Gabes, where it was considered as casual. Malta: the alien flatworm Maritigrella fuscopunctata is recorded in the Mediterranean Sea for the first time, on the basis of 25 specimens. At the same time, web searches include possible unpublished records from Israel and Lebanon. The alien crab P. segnis, already mentioned above, is first formally reported from Malta based on specimens collected in 1972. Concomitantly, the presence of Callinectes sapidus in Maltese waters is excluded since based on misidentifications. Greece: the Atlantic northern brown shrimp Penaeus atzecus, previously known from the Ionian Sea from sporadic records only, is now well established in Greek and international Ionian waters. The alien sea urchin Diadema setosum is reported for the second time from Greece, and its first record from the country is backdated to 2010 in Rhodes Island. The alien lionfish Pterois miles is first reported from Greece and concomitantly from the entire Aegean Sea. Turkey: the alien rhodophyte Antithamnion hubbsii is first reported from Turkey and the entire eastern Mediterranean. New distribution data are also provided for the native fishes Alectis alexandrina and Heptranchias perlo. In particular, the former record consists of a juvenile measuring 21.38 mm total length, whilst the latter by a mature male. Cyprus: the rare native cephalopod Macrotritopus defilippi, and the alien crab Atergatis roseus, sea slug Plocamopherus ocellatus and fish Cheilodipterus novemstriatus are first recorded from the entire country. Lebanon: the alien crabs Actaea savignii and Matuta victor, as well as the alien fish Synanceia verrucosa, are first recorded from the entire country. In addition, the first Mediterranean record of A. savignii is backdated to 2006, whilst the high number of M. victor specimens observed in Lebanon suggest its establishment in the Basin. The Atlantic fishes Paranthias furcifer and Seriola fasciata, and the circumtropical Rachycentron canadum, are also first reported from the country. The P. furcifer record backdates its presence in the Mediterranean to 2007, whilst S. fasciata records backdate its presence in the eastern Mediterranean to 2005. Finally, two of these latter species have been recently ascribed to alien species, but all three species may fit the cryptogenic category, if not a new one, better.peer-reviewe