First report of the invasive species Branchiomma bairdi McIntosh, 1885 (Annelida: Sabellidae) along the Tunisian coast (Mediterranean Sea)

Ines Khedhri,María Tovar-Hernández,Paulo Bonifácio,Lotfi Aleya,Afli Ahmed

doi:10.3391/bir.2017.6.2.09

Ines Khedhri, María Tovar-Hernández + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3391/bir.2017.6.2.09

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Abstract

The invasive sabellid polychaete Branchiomma bairdi McIntosh, 1885 was collected in the Boughrara Lagoon (southern Tunisian coast) between 2012 and 2013. This species was originally described from Bermuda and has been widely reported in the Caribbean Sea. It has been considered as non-indigenous species on the Pacific coast of Panama and the California Gulf. Recently, B. bairdi was recorded along the Italian and Turkish coasts, Australia, Canary and Madeira Islands. It was suggested that the commercial shipping is the most likely vector for the introduction of the species to Mediterranean Sea. A description of the species along with a discussion of its systematic position and ecology are provided.

Highlights

In Recent years, the number of non-native species in the Mediterranean Sea has increased rapidly (Zenetos et al 2010, 2012; Gerovasileiou et al 2016) with at least 1035 alien species recorded in the Mediterranean Sea (Crocetta et al 2016; Gerovasileiou et al 2016)
The present paper reports the first record of the invasive and fan worm B. bairdi along the southern Tunisian coasts
The densities of B. bairdi (1 to 35 ind.m-2) recorded here in the Boughrara Lagoon were comparable with densities found in Faro Lake Messina, Italy, (Ionian Sea) with about (2 to 30 ind.m-2) during the summer months of 2007 (Giangrande et al 2012) and greater in the Maltese Island with 1 to 15 ind.m-2 during April 2012 (Arias et al 2013a)

Summary

Introduction

In Recent years, the number of non-native species in the Mediterranean Sea has increased rapidly (Zenetos et al 2010, 2012; Gerovasileiou et al 2016) with at least 1035 alien species recorded in the Mediterranean Sea (Crocetta et al 2016; Gerovasileiou et al 2016). It becomes urgent that Alien species should be identified and studied because of their negative economic and ecological impacts on native ones (Tovar-Hernández et al 2009a; El Haddad et al 2007). Five taxa were considered to be alien (Çinar 2013; Keppel et al 2015) namely: B. coheni (Tovar-Hernández and Knight-Jones, 2006), B. luctuosum (Grube, 1870), B. boholense (Grube, 1878), B. curtum (Ehlers, 1901), B. bairdi (Mclntosh, 1885)

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