Abstract
Caprella scaura is an invasive amphipod, native to the Indian Ocean, which has already spread to several regions of the world, including the Mediterranean Sea. The present study reports the first occurrence of the species on fish farms cages in Greece, in the Pagasitikos Gulf. Specimens were collected from colonies of the bryozoan Bugula neritina. Basic aspects of the population dynamics of the species, such as the population structure, sex ratio, and size frequency were studied for 13 months and tested for differences between two depth levels (30 cm and 5 m). Population density was significantly different between the two sampled depths. All the demographic categories were present during the whole study period, indicating that the species follows a continuous reproduction pattern in the region. Males were typically larger than females, but females were more abundant in most samples. It seems that the species is well established in the region and is probably moving towards the northern parts of the Aegean Sea.
Highlights
The spreading of marine non-indigenous species (NIS) is considered a great threat to the marine environment [1,2]
Invasions to the environment are becoming a huge concern to scientists and legislators. This concern is reflected within the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and the EU Biodiversity Strategy, which stress the need to assess the threats posed by the introduction and spread of marine NIS [1,2]
Since there might be a potential interest in using C. scaura as a candidate species in Integrated Multi-trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) systems [28], we thought it would be useful to have some information regarding the potential effects of depth on the population dynamics of the species, since this would affect the optimal deployment of their culturing system in the future
Summary
The spreading of marine non-indigenous species (NIS) is considered a great threat to the marine environment [1,2]. Their impact on the structure, function and biodiversity of native ecosystems and communities can be very strong, they are very often being referred to as a form of “biological pollution” [3,4]. The implications of marine NIS invasions to the environment are becoming a huge concern to scientists and legislators This concern is reflected within the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and the EU Biodiversity Strategy, which stress the need to assess the threats posed by the introduction and spread of marine NIS [1,2]. The second step requires a potential recipient community where the transported species will settle and start their expansion in their new “home”, in which case recreational marinas, harbors and off-coast aquaculture facilities and equipment provide the adequate substrate for NIS to establish and thrive [10,11,12,13,14,15]
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