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

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

The northernmost record of the blue-spotted cornetfish from the Mediterranean Sea

A school of Fistularia commersonii was sighted off Laigueglia (Italy), Northwestern Ligurian Sea, inAugust 2008. This fast spreading invasive Indo-Pacific fish was first recorded in the Mediterranean fromIsrael, and it has since spread clear across the sea. This is the northernmost record from the Mediterranean

ICES Viewpoint background document: Evaluating and mitigating introduction of marine non-native species via vessel biofouling

Biofouled vessels create novel, mobile habitats characterized by great abundances of opportunistic and non-native species. Vessel biofouling1 affects the environment as well as the economics of vessel management..

Classification of non-indigenous species based on their impacts: Considerations for application in marine management

Assessment of the ecological and economic/societal impacts of the introduction of non-indigenous species (NIS) is one of the primary focus areas of bioinvasion science in terrestrial and aquatic environments, and is considered essential to management. A classification system of NIS, based on the magnitude of their environmental impacts, was recently proposed to assist management. Here, we consider the potential application of this classification scheme to the marine environment, and offer a complementary framework focussing on value sets in order to explicitly address marine management concerns. Since existing data on marine NIS impacts are scarce and successful marine removals are rare, we propose that management of marine NIS adopt a precautionary approach, which not only would emphasise preventing new incursions through pre-border and at-border controls but also should influence the categorisation of impacts. The study of marine invasion impacts requires urgent attention and significant investment, since we lack the luxury of waiting for the knowledge base to be acquired before the window of opportunity closes for feasible management

New Mediterranean Biodiversity Records (July 2019)

This is the second collective paper issued in 2019, currently amalgamates new knowledge on the Mediterranean geographic distributions of 17 species from five phyla (six aliens, three cosmopolitans, two east Atlantic records and six natives). The acknowledged species were reported from ten countries, mentioned here from west to east: Spain: first report of the east Atlantic grouper Cephalopholis taeniops in the western Mediterranean and an inclusion of Pontarachna puntulum and Litarachna communis to the pontarachnid fauna of Spain; Morocco: first record of Solea senegalensis from the Moroccan Mediterranean coast; Algeria: a valid confirmation for the presence of Sardinella maderensis; Malta: a first record of the Red Sea stomatopod Erugosquilla massavensis; Italy: a rare observation of the crab Paragalene longicrura from Siciliy and a further integration of the alien brown shrimp Penaeus aztecus to the commercial catch in Sicily; Montenegro: a first record of the Lessepsian bigfin reef squid Sepioteuthis lessoniana from the Adriatic Sea; Turkey: northernmost documentation of the Mediterranean flatworm Prostheceraeus giesbrechtii in the Aegean Sea; Israel: a solid confirmation for the population establishment of both the alien rock shrimp Sicyonia lancifer and two species of angelfish, and a first and deepest record of the crystalline goby Odondebuenia balearica; Lebanon: first record of the jellyfish Pelagia noctiluca; Syria: first records of the crown jellyfish Nausithoe punctate and the smallscale codlet Bregmaceros nectabanus

Taming the terminological tempest in invasion science

Standardised terminology in science is important for clarity of interpretation and communication. In invasion science – a dynamic and rapidly evolving discipline – the proliferation of technical terminology has lacked a standardised framework for its development. The result is a convoluted and inconsistent usage of terminology, with various discrepancies in descriptions of damage and interventions. A standardised framework is therefore needed for a clear, universally applicable, and consistent terminology to promote more effective communication across researchers, stakeholders, and policymakers. Inconsistencies in terminology stem from the exponential increase in scientific publications on the patterns and processes of biological invasions authored by experts from various disciplines and countries since the 1990s, as well as publications by legislators and policymakers focusing on practical applications, regulations, and management of resources. Aligning and standardising terminology across stakeholders remains a challenge in invasion science. Here, we review and evaluate the multiple terms used in invasion science (e.g. ‘non-native’, ‘alien’, ‘invasive’ or ‘invader’, ‘exotic’, ‘non-indigenous’, ‘naturalised’, ‘pest’) to propose a more simplified and standardised terminology. The streamlined framework we propose and translate into 28 other languages is based on the terms (i) ‘non-native’, denoting species transported beyond their natural biogeographic range, (ii) ‘established non-native’, i.e. those non-native species that have established self-sustaining populations in their new location(s) in the wild, and (iii) ‘invasive non-native’ – populations of established non-native species that have recently spread or are spreading rapidly in their invaded range actively or passively with or without human mediation. We also highlight the importance of conceptualising ‘spread’ for classifying invasiveness and ‘impact’ for management. Finally, we propose a protocol for classifying populations based on (i) dispersal mechanism, (ii) species origin, (iii) population status, and (iv) impact. Collectively and without introducing new terminology, the framework that we present aims to facilitate effective communication and collaboration in invasion science and management of non-native species

A revision of Myra Leach, 1817 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Leucosioidea)

A study of major collections led to a revision of the Indo-Pacific leucosioid genus Myra Leach, 1817. The systematic status and nomenclatural disposition of each species was assessed, and many were diagnosed based on examination of the type material. A new genus, Myrine, is established for M. acutidens (Ihle, 1918) and M. kesslerii (Paulson, 1875). The genus Myrodes Bell, 1855, is synonymized with Myra. Nine species are retained as valid: M. affinis Bell, 1855, M. australis Haswell, 1880, M. brevimana Alcock, 1896, M. elegans Bell, 1855, M. eudactyla (Bell, 1855), M. fugax (Fabricius, 1798), M. grandis Zarenkov, 1990, M. mammillaris Bell, 1855, and M. subgranulata Kossmann, 1877. Five new species are established: M. celeris, M. currax, M. curtimana, M. pernix and M. tumidospina. All species are described and illustrated, extended synonymies are given, and a key for their identification is provided

Contribution to the knowledge of Leucosiidae I. The identity of Leucosia craniolaris (Linnaeus, 1758), and redefinition of the genus Leucosia Weber, 1795 (Crustacea: Brachyura)

A study of the genus Leucosia Weber, 1795, led to the establishment of the identity of the type species, L. craniolaris (Linnaeus, 1758), designation of a neotype and redefinition of the genus. Leucosia is now restricted to 4 species: the type species L. craniolaris (Linnaeus, 1758), L. punctata Bell, 1855, L. moresbiensis Haswell, 1880, and a new species, L. rubripalma. They differ from all other species heretofore assigned to the genus in having first male pleopod with a screw-like tightly coiled shaft, terminating in a setose muff. The species are described or redescribed and illustrated, extended synonymies are given, and a key for their identification is provided

Calappoidea and Leucosioidea (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura) from Luzon, Philippines, with descriptions of two new species of Mursia

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