WoRMS source details
Gerovasileiou, V.; Chintiroglou, C. C.; Vafidis, D.; Koutsoubas, D.; Sini, M.; Dailianis, T.; Issaris, Y.; Akritopoulou, E.; Dimarchopoulou, D.; Voultsiadou, E. (2015). Census of biodiversity in marine caves of the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Mediterranean Marine Science. 16 (1), 245-265.
199510
10.12681/mms.1069 [view]
Gerovasileiou, V.; Chintiroglou, C. C.; Vafidis, D.; Koutsoubas, D.; Sini, M.; Dailianis, T.; Issaris, Y.; Akritopoulou, E.; Dimarchopoulou, D.; Voultsiadou, E.
2015
Census of biodiversity in marine caves of the eastern Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Marine Science
16 (1), 245-265
Publication
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Scientific information on the biodiversity of marine caves in the eastern Mediterranean is limited, especially when considering the extensively studied caves of the north-western and central Mediterranean. Aiming to enhance current knowledge regarding cave communities, this study represents a first assessment of the marine cave biota of the eastern Mediterranean, as defined by the European
Union’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). Information retrieved from an extensive overview of relevant scientific documents was combined with original data recorded from 23 marine caves in the north-eastern Mediterranean. Our results report a total of 520 taxa recorded in eastern Mediterranean marine caves to date, the majority of which are sponges, polychaetes, rhodophytes, bivalves, fishes, and gastropods. These include several protected, endemic and alien species. However, not all taxonomic groups from different areas have been equally investigated and future studies are expected to increase the number of endemic and alien species. The observed general trend is that the reported species number is generally related to sampling effort and scientific expertise. The most well-studied marine cave communities in the eastern Mediterranean are those of the Aegean Sea (especially its northern sector), which presented the highest number of species, followed by those of the Levantine. Furthermore, our research in Aegean caves revealed numerous new records for the marine cave fauna of the eastern basin, while several species are reported for the first time in a marine cave habitat. The critical need for further scientific research, monitoring, and conservation of this unique ecosystem was highlighted by (i) the presence of certain species endemic to the eastern Mediterranean coupled with a high proportion of alien species, especially in the Levantine Basin, and (ii) marine cave habitat availability in isolated insular areas of the eastern Mediterranean.
Mediterranean Sea in general
Ecology
Date
action
by
Clathrina clathrus (Schmidt, 1864) (additional source)
Plakina weinbergi Muricy, Boury-Esnault, Bézac & Vacelet, 1998 (additional source)
Sycon elegans (Bowerbank, 1845) (additional source)
Plakina weinbergi Muricy, Boury-Esnault, Bézac & Vacelet, 1998 (additional source)
Sycon elegans (Bowerbank, 1845) (additional source)
Aegean Sea for Clathrina clathrus (Schmidt, 1864)
Aegean Sea for Clathrina clathrus (Schmidt, 1864)
Aegean Sea for Plakina weinbergi Muricy, Boury-Esnault, Bézac & Vacelet, 1998
Aegean Sea for Sycon elegans (Bowerbank, 1845)
Cypriote part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Conomurex decorus (Röding, 1798) (inaccurate) (origin: alien)
Greece - Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean for Chelidonura fulvipunctata Baba, 1938 (origin: alien)
Greek part of the Aegean Sea for Asparagopsis taxiformis (Delile) Trevisan de Saint-Léon, 1845 (origin: alien)
Greek part of the Aegean Sea for Pilumnus minutus De Haan, 1835 (origin: alien)
Greek part of the Aegean Sea for Pinctada imbricata radiata (Leach, 1814) (origin: alien)
Greek part of the Aegean Sea for Sargocentron rubrum (Forsskål, 1775) (origin: alien)
Greek part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Sargocentron rubrum (Forsskål, 1775) (origin: alien)
Greek part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Siganus luridus (Rüppell, 1829) (origin: alien)
Israeli part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Hydroides heterocerus (Grube, 1868) (origin: alien)
Israeli part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Hydroides minax (Grube, 1878) (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Acteocina mucronata (R. A. Philippi, 1849) (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Afrocardium richardi (Audouin, 1826) (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Brachidontes pharaonis (P. Fischer, 1870) (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Chama pacifica Broderip, 1835 (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Charybdis (Charybdis) hellerii (A. Milne-Edwards, 1867) (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Clytia linearis (Thorneley, 1900) (origin: origin unknown)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Dynamena quadridentata (Ellis & Solander, 1786) (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Eudendrium carneum Clarke, 1882 (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Eudendrium merulum Watson, 1985 (origin: origin uncertain)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Eusyllis kupfferi Langerhans, 1879 (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Filellum serratum (Clarke, 1879) (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Herdmania momus (Savigny, 1816) (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Oculina patagonica de Angelis D'Ossat, 1908 (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Parasmittina egyptiaca (Waters, 1909) (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Phallusia nigra Savigny, 1816 (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Sertularia marginata (Kirchenpauer, 1864) (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Sertularia tongensis (Stechow, 1919) (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Smittina nitidissima (Hincks, 1880) (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Sphenia rueppellii A. Adams, 1851 (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Spirobranchus kraussii (Baird, 1864) (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Spondylus spinosus Schreibers, 1793 (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Synaptula reciprocans (Forsskål, 1775) (origin: alien)
Turkish part of the Aegean Sea for Sargocentron rubrum (Forsskål, 1775) (origin: alien)
Turkish part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Chama asperella Lamarck, 1819 (origin: alien)
Turkish part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Sargocentron rubrum (Forsskål, 1775) (origin: alien)
Aegean Sea for Clathrina clathrus (Schmidt, 1864)
Aegean Sea for Plakina weinbergi Muricy, Boury-Esnault, Bézac & Vacelet, 1998
Aegean Sea for Sycon elegans (Bowerbank, 1845)
Cypriote part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Conomurex decorus (Röding, 1798) (inaccurate) (origin: alien)
Greece - Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean for Chelidonura fulvipunctata Baba, 1938 (origin: alien)
Greek part of the Aegean Sea for Asparagopsis taxiformis (Delile) Trevisan de Saint-Léon, 1845 (origin: alien)
Greek part of the Aegean Sea for Pilumnus minutus De Haan, 1835 (origin: alien)
Greek part of the Aegean Sea for Pinctada imbricata radiata (Leach, 1814) (origin: alien)
Greek part of the Aegean Sea for Sargocentron rubrum (Forsskål, 1775) (origin: alien)
Greek part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Sargocentron rubrum (Forsskål, 1775) (origin: alien)
Greek part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Siganus luridus (Rüppell, 1829) (origin: alien)
Israeli part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Hydroides heterocerus (Grube, 1868) (origin: alien)
Israeli part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Hydroides minax (Grube, 1878) (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Acteocina mucronata (R. A. Philippi, 1849) (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Afrocardium richardi (Audouin, 1826) (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Brachidontes pharaonis (P. Fischer, 1870) (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Chama pacifica Broderip, 1835 (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Charybdis (Charybdis) hellerii (A. Milne-Edwards, 1867) (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Clytia linearis (Thorneley, 1900) (origin: origin unknown)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Dynamena quadridentata (Ellis & Solander, 1786) (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Eudendrium carneum Clarke, 1882 (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Eudendrium merulum Watson, 1985 (origin: origin uncertain)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Eusyllis kupfferi Langerhans, 1879 (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Filellum serratum (Clarke, 1879) (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Herdmania momus (Savigny, 1816) (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Oculina patagonica de Angelis D'Ossat, 1908 (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Parasmittina egyptiaca (Waters, 1909) (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Phallusia nigra Savigny, 1816 (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Sertularia marginata (Kirchenpauer, 1864) (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Sertularia tongensis (Stechow, 1919) (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Smittina nitidissima (Hincks, 1880) (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Sphenia rueppellii A. Adams, 1851 (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Spirobranchus kraussii (Baird, 1864) (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Spondylus spinosus Schreibers, 1793 (origin: alien)
Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Synaptula reciprocans (Forsskål, 1775) (origin: alien)
Turkish part of the Aegean Sea for Sargocentron rubrum (Forsskål, 1775) (origin: alien)
Turkish part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Chama asperella Lamarck, 1819 (origin: alien)
Turkish part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin for Sargocentron rubrum (Forsskål, 1775) (origin: alien)
