First Observation of the Nocturnal Cleaning Relationship between Common Octopus Octopus vulgaris (Cuvier, 1797), and Indo-Pacific Palaemonid Shrimp, Urocaridella pulchella Yokeş &amp; Galil, 2006 from the Iskenderun Bay, Eastern Mediterranean Coast of Turkey

Deniz Ergüden,Deniz Ayas,Necdet Uyğur

doi:10.29103/aa.v8i2.4780

Abstract

During a Scuba survey in Iskenderun Bay at night time on November 2018, a female Urocaridella pulchella individual was observed with nocturnal cleaning on Octopus vulgaris at 16 m in depth. Some photos of the shrimp and its symbiont were taken. Although the nocturnal cleaning relationship between U. pulchella and various marine species has been reported in some studies, the nocturnal cleaning relationship between O. vulgaris and U. pulchella has been observed for the first time. In addition, in the present study, we first reported Indo-Pacific palaemonid shrimp U. pulchella which was encountered in its natural habitat during an underwater observation from Iskenderun Bay, and this report is the first observation for this area and fills a gap in the distribution range of this species.Keywords: eastern Mediterranean, Iskenderun coast, nocturnal cleaning, Palaemonidae, Turkey.

Highlights

Cleaning symbiosis is considered mutualistic interaction under symbiosis
Cleaning symbiosis has been extensively documented in the marine environment over the past 55 years (Vaughan et al, 2016)
On 29th November 2018, a female individual of U. pulchella was observed with O. vulgaris in a rocky crevice in the Iskenderun Bay (Keldag) at 16 m in depth during the night dive (Fig. 1)

Summary

Introduction

Cleaning symbiosis is considered mutualistic interaction under symbiosis. Cleaning symbiosis has been extensively documented in the marine environment over the past 55 years (Vaughan et al, 2016). The common octopus, Octopus vulgaris (Cuvier, 1797) is belonging to the Octopodidae family. This species is distributed worldwide and is found in tropical, subtropical, and temperate waters between the surface and at a depth of 200 meters (Roper et al, 1984). O. vulgaris is the best known of all octopus species They commonly live in coastal waters and the upper part of the continental shelf. Cleaner shrimp U. pulchella shares a nocturnal cleaning symbiont relationship with various organisms in reef systems (Côté, 2000). They are known as a cleaner and clean parasite of other organisms. This report is the first visual observation for this area and fills a gap in this species' distribution range

Study area

Result and Discussion

Conclusion