BioInvasions Records (2015) Volume 4, Issue 4: 289–291 Open Access doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3391/bir.2015.4.4.10 © 2015 The Author(s). Journal compilation © 2015 REABIC

Rapid Communication

A population of gibbesi (H. Milne Edwards, 1853) (Crustacea: : ) along the Israeli coastline, southeast Mediterranean

Micha Ilan ¹, Alex Shlagman ¹, Liron Goren ¹, Tal Shema ² and Bella S. Galil ³* 1Department of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Science, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv 69978, 2Arzei HaLevanon 22, Hadera 3832095, Israel 3National Institute of Oceanography, Israel Oceanographic & Limnological Research, Haifa 31080, Israel *Corresponding author E-mail: [email protected]

Received: 2 September 2015 / Accepted: 22 September 2015 / Published online: 3 October 2015 Handling editor: Vadim Panov

Abstract

Percnon gibbesi is the most invasive decapod to enter the . A single specimen was photographed off the Israeli coast in 2009. In the past couple of years specimens, including ovigerous females, of this plagusiid were reported from several Israeli locations, suggesting the presence of a self-sustaining population in the southeast Mediterranean. Key words: , Plagusiidae, Israel, Mediterranean, invasive, alien

Introduction Results and discussion

Percnon gibbesi (H. Milne Edwards, 1853) is a A specimen of P. gibbesi was photographed at widely distributed Atlantic crab inhabiting the Rosh HaNikra Nature Reserve (33.0886°N shallow rocky infra-littoral zone (Manning and 35.1092°E) on 22 November 2013 at depth of 6 Holthuis 1981). This crab was first collected in m (Figure 1). A freshly dead female specimen the western Mediterranean in the summer of (carapace length 35 mm, carapace width 30 mm) 1999 from Linosa Island and the Balearic Islands was photographed on 16 June 2014 in Akhziv (Relini et al. 2000; Garcia and Reviriego 2000; National Park (33.0507°N 35.1031°E) (Figure 2). Mueller 2001). Later records attest its spread A pair of adult specimens were observed north of eastwards: in 2004 in Jabal Aghdar province, Akhziv (33.0548°N 35.1031°E), on 23 June 2015, (Elkrwe et al. 2008); in 2005 it was recorded from under a rock in shallow waters (-1 m). The Crete and Antikythira, (Cannicci et al. 2006) ovigerous specimen (carapace length 35.7 mm, as well as from Uç Adalar, Tekirova-Antalya, carapace width 32.6 mm) was collected and deposited Turkey (Yokes ad Galil 2006); in 2006 in Larnaca, in the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Cyprus (Katsanevakis et al. 2011); and in 2010 Aviv University (TAU AR29532) (Figure 3). in El Heri, Lebanon (Katsanevakis et al. 2011) The habitat of P. gibbesi along the Israeli coast, and from Alexandria, Egypt (Azzurro et al. 2011). in common with previous observations (Deudero Most everywhere the species formed thriving et al. 2005), is the shallow subtidal rocky shore populations in an amazingly short space of time exposed to heavy wave action, among boulders (Cannicci et al. 2004; Deudero et al., 2005; and algae. Yet, such habitats are limited: the Katsanevakis et al. 2011). A single specimen was greatest part of the Israeli coast is sandy, owing photographed off the northern Israeli coast in to the Nilotic sediments transported northwards 2009 (Katsanevakis et al. 2011) yet off the well- from the Nile delta by the prevailing inner shelf monitored Israeli coastline, there were no and wave-induced longshore currents (Emery subsequent reports until the last few years. and Neev 1960).

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Figure 1. Living Percnon gibbesi (H. Milne Edwards, 1853). Israel, Rosh HaNikra Nature Reserve, 22 November 2013. Photographed by Tal Shema.

Figure 2. Percnon gibbesi (H. Milne Edwards, 1853). Israel, Akhziv Figure 3. Ovigerous Percnon gibbesi (H. Milne Edwards, 1853). National Park, 16 June 2014. Photographed by Liron Goren. Israel, north of Akhziv National Park, 23 June 2015. A. dorsal view; B. ventral view. Photographed by Oz Rittner.

However, the coastline of Rosh Haniqra-Akhziv is tracked its introduction to this area. As Rosh characterized by low sandstone ridges, abrasion Haniqra-Akhziv nature reserves are popular with platforms, and shoals interspaced with sandy divers and the general public, it is unlikely that shores (Ramos Esplá and Valle Pérez 2004). a resident population of a relatively large, These habitats were meticulously surveyed in conspicuously-coloured crab scrambling over 2004 as part of a marine biodiversity study of the littoral rocks would have escaped attention. The Rosh Haniqra-Akhziv nature reserves with the recently recorded specimens indicate the presence aim of establishing a management plan in the of a population off Northern Israel, and the framework of Regional Project for the Develop- recorded ovigerous female suggests the possibility ment of Marine and Coastal Protected Areas in of a self-sustaining resident population. the Mediterranean Region (MedMPA) (http://medmpa.rac-spa.org/pdf/Rapports/Israel/MAN Acknowledgements AGEMENTPLAN.pdf, viewed August 24, 2015). No specimens of P. gibbesi were observed during The authors are grateful to Oz Rittner, The Steinhardt Museum of the field survey of the supra and midlittoral Natural History and Israel National Center for Biodiversity Studies, zones, littoral pools and rocky littoral fringe, nor for photographing the recently collected specimen. Partial funding was received by BSG from the European Community’s Seventh during snorkelling and SCUBA diving on shallow Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under Grant Agreement rocky substrata (0–5m depth) (Ramos Esplá and No. 287844 for the project "Towards COast to COast NETworks of Valle Pérez 2004). It therefore is likely that the marine protected areas ( from the shore to the high and deep sea), cluster of observations in the southern Levant coupled with sea-based wind energy potential" (COCONET). (Egypt, Israel, Lebanon) in 2009–2010 closely

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