New records of non-indigenous species from the eastern Mediterranean Sea (Crustacea, Mollusca), with a revision of genus Isognomon (Mollusca: Bivalvia)

PeerJ. 2024 May 31:12:e17425. doi: 10.7717/peerj.17425. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

We report new data on non-indigenous invertebrates from the Mediterranean Sea (four ostracods and 20 molluscs), including five new records for the basin: the ostracods Neomonoceratina iniqua, Neomonoceratina aff. mediterranea, Neomonoceratina cf. entomon, Loxoconcha cf. gisellae (Arthropoda: Crustacea)-the first records of non-indigenous ostracods in the Mediterranean-and the bivalve Striarca aff. symmetrica (Mollusca). Additionally, we report for the first time Electroma vexillum from Israel, and Euthymella colzumensis, Joculator problematicus, Hemiliostraca clandestina, Pyrgulina nana, Pyrgulina microtuber, Turbonilla cangeyrani, Musculus aff. viridulus and Isognomon bicolor from Cyprus. We also report the second record of Fossarus sp. and of Cerithiopsis sp. cf. pulvis in the Mediterranean Sea, the first live collected specimens of Oscilla galilae from Cyprus and the northernmost record of Gari pallida in Israel (and the Mediterranean). Moreover, we report the earliest records of Rugalucina angela, Ervilia scaliola and Alveinus miliaceus in the Mediterranean Sea, backdating their first occurrence in the basin by 3, 5 and 7 years, respectively. We provide new data on the presence of Spondylus nicobaricus and Nudiscintilla aff. glabra in Israel. Finally, yet importantly, we use both morphological and molecular approaches to revise the systematics of the non-indigenous genus Isognomon in the Mediterranean Sea, showing that two species currently co-occur in the basin: the Caribbean I. bicolor, distributed in the central and eastern Mediterranean, and the Indo-Pacific I. aff. legumen, at present reported only from the eastern Mediterranean and whose identity requires a more in-depth taxonomic study. Our work shows the need of taxonomic expertise and investigation, the necessity to avoid the unfounded sense of confidence given by names in closed nomenclature when the NIS belong to taxa that have not enjoyed ample taxonomic work, and the necessity to continue collecting samples-rather than relying on visual censuses and bio-blitzes-to enable accurate detection of non-indigenous species.

Keywords: Biological invasions; Crustacea; Detectability; Isognomonidae; Mollusca; Noetiidae; Taxonomy.

MeSH terms

  • Animal Distribution
  • Animals
  • Bivalvia* / classification
  • Crustacea / classification
  • Introduced Species
  • Israel
  • Mediterranean Sea
  • Mollusca / classification

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the project “Drivers of biodiversity loss in the Eastern Mediterranean” funded by the Austrian Science Fund (project P 34509-B to Paolo G Albano, Martin Zuschin) and Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn funds to Paolo G Albano. Laetitia Wilkins, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen (Germany), contributed to field expenses. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.