H. B. ÖZALP, M. ALPARSLAN Turk J Zool 2011; 35(5): 701-705 © TÜBİTAK Research Article doi:10.3906/zoo-0907-80 Th e fi rst record of Cladocora caespitosa (Linnaeus, 1767) (Anthozoa, Scleractinia) from the Marmara Sea Hasan Barış ÖZALP*, Mustafa ALPARSLAN Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Faculty of Fisheries, Department of Marine Biology, 17100 Çanakkale - TURKEY Received: 27.07.2009 Abstract: Th e Scleractinian Cladocora caespitosa is reported for the fi rst time from the Marmara Sea, Turkey. Five colonies of the elliptical Cladocora caespitosa were discovered at 7 m by scuba divers around Posidonia oceanica beds colonising a substrate of sand and rock. Th e colonies’ characteristics were recorded with underwater apparatus with a close-up device and with a video system. Th e present paper provides the new updated area of the species on the Turkish coast. Key words: Scleractinian, Faviidae, Cladocora caespitosa, Marmara Sea, fi rst record Marmara Denizi’nden Cladocora caespitosa Linnaeus 1767’nın ilk kaydı Özet: Bu çalışmada ince tüp mercan Cladocora caespitosa Marmara Denizi’nden ilk kez rapor edilmektedir. Eliptik şekilli beş farklı Cladocora caespitosa kolonileri scuba dalgıçları tarafından 7 metre derinlikte Posidonia oceanica çayırları etrafında bulunmuştur. Dip bölgedeki substrat yapısı aynı zamanda yer yer gözlenen kum ve kaya oluşumlarından meydana gelmektedir. Alandaki mercan kolonilerinin varlığı manta-tow tekniği uygulanarak saptanmıştır. Kolonilerin scuba dalgıçları tarafından sualtında makro fotoğrafl arı çekilmiş ve video kayıtları yapılmıştır. Ek olarak, türün Türkiye kıyılarındaki yeni yayılım alanı belirtilmiştir. Anahtar sözcükler: Scleractinian, Faviidae, Cladocora caespitosa, Marmara Denizi, ilk kayıt Introduction al., 2000). Th e Scleractinian Cladocora caespitosa Coral reefs are one of the richest ecosystems in is the only colonial and zooaxantellate coral in the the world (Okamoto et al., 1998). Corals are key Mediterranean (Zibrowius, 1980; Peirano et al., species in marine life and are used as bioindicators 1999; Veron and Staff ord-Smith, 2000). Th e species to assess the impact of climate change on marine is one of the major carbonate producers among communities (Okamoto et al., 1998; Wilkinson et the Mediterranean organisms (Peirano et al., 2001; * E-mail: [email protected] 701 Th e fi rst record of Cladocora caespitosa (Linnaeus, 1767) (Anthozoa, Scleractinia) from the Marmara Sea Montagna et al., 2007). It lives on rocky and sandy was investigated with the manta tow technique. Five bottoms and is rarely found below 30 m of depth colonies of the thin tube coral Cladocora caespitosa (Kružić et al., 2008). were found in 2009 at 7 m depth in the Çanakkale Studies on hard corals and investigations on Strait (Dardanelles), the Marmara Sea (GPS position: Anthozoan species along the Turkish coasts have 40°04ʹ23ʺN, 26°21ʹ19ʺE). Th e coral colonizes some been very limited, except for some reference books rocks in one Posidonia oceanica bed implanted on a and the related articles on benthic ecosystems. Here sand bottom. No bleaching events were found. we report a new record of Cladocora caespitosa for Th e major axis D1, the minor axis D2, and the the Marmara Sea (Veron, 2000). Colonies of the coral height H of the colonies were measured with a are described and the geographical distribution of plastic ruler in situ (Figure 2 and Table). In addition the species in the Mediterranean Sea is discussed. to these parameters, the calix diameter (Cd) of one corallite (Figure 3) located in the middle of each colony was measured with a calliper at 1/20 of mm Materials and methods accuracy level. Aft er the measurements, all colonies To verify the abundance of the coral, an area of were macro-photographed and recorded with Nimar about 6 km2 on the western side of the Çanakkale Underwater Video System. Two corallites were Strait (Figure 1) along the coast of Dardanos Campus sampled from the centre of 2 colonies (colonies 1 and 26°21’ Çanakkale N Strait 4 5 3.2 33 33 4.8 50 10 3.3 6 6 40 20 40°04’ WK 6 18 18 TURKEY WK 23 23 4.1 Figure 1. Map of the investigated station in Çanakkale strait. 702 H. B. ÖZALP, M. ALPARSLAN Figure 2. Photograph of colony no. 1. Lines and letters show the Figure 3. Macro photographs of Cladocora caespitosa underwater measurements of length (D1), width (D2), and height (H) of the colony. Table. Measurements of 5 colonies observed. Th e units are in centimetres. Colony number 1 2 3 4 5 Length (D1) 66 48 55 29 35 Width (D2) 51 37 40 10 12 Height (H) 1 6 5 8 4 Calix diameter (Cd) 0.495 0.42 0.398 0.316 0.346 2) with pointed-tip pincers to date them in the future with the schlerochronological technique (Peirano et al., 1999). Th e corallites were washed to remove the sediment and immersed in a peroxide solution for 1 day to clear the organic matter, and then were dried at 80 °C for 48 h in the laboratory (Figure 4). Th e lengths of 2 corallites showed in Figure 4 are: L1 (Length of the fi rst corallite): 3 cm L2 (Length of the second corallite): 3.38 cm. 1 cm Results and discussion Figure 4. Photograph of the 2 corallites of Cladocora, on the Th e scleractinian Cladocora caespitosa previously left the corallite from colony no. 1, on the right from reported from areas in the north-western Aegean Sea colony no. 2. at Gökçeada Island (Öztürk, 2004) (Zibrowius, 1979, for the Greek coast), in Edremit Bay (Çınar, 2003 703 Th e fi rst record of Cladocora caespitosa (Linnaeus, 1767) (Anthozoa, Scleractinia) from the Marmara Sea and Zibrowius, 1979, for the Greek coast) has been Th e Marmara Sea diff ers in salinity and observed for the fi rst time in the Marmara Sea in temperature values from the Mediterranean (Oğuz the Strait of Çanakkale (Figures 5 and 6). Th e study and Tuğrul, 1998). As is well known, mean salinity provides a more expanded geographical distribution value and annually determined temperature record of the species. as the main diff erences in the Çanakkale Strait Figure 5. Global distribution of Cladocora caespitosa in the Mediterranean and Aegean Sea (from: Peirano et al, 1998-2004; Veron, 2000; Çınar, 2003; Kružić and Benković, 2008; Peirano et al., 2009). Th e yellow points are the living corals at depths between 2 and 40 m. Th e black and white points are fossil records of C. caespitosa (Peirano et al. and references therein, 2009). Figure 6. Cladocora caespitosa: red quadrats are records from the Northern Aegean Sea from bibliography (Zibrowius, 1979; Çınar, 2003; Öztürk, 2004); the yellow quadrats show the new records from the Çanakkale Strait (Dardanelles). 704 H. B. ÖZALP, M. ALPARSLAN (Marmara Sea) are lower than in the Mediterranean lower than the parameters in the Mediterranean Sea, (Büyükateş and İnanmaz, 2007). Th us it can be it shows that the species has started to spread in a stated that the Mediterranean endemic coral diff erent zone in terms of physico-chemical data. Cladocora caespitosa can live in the strait’s diff erent Th e new record of the species in the Marmara Sea is physicochemical conditions. important in that it will provide the opportunity to It is known from fossil records that Cladocora add new information on the biology of C. caespitosa caespitosa was more abundant and reef-forming in in one area dissimilar from the Mediterranean Sea warmer phases of the Quaternary (Peirano, 2007). both in salinity and seasonal temperature values. Today, however, the coral is less abundant since it suff ered mortality events during the heat waves of the Acknowledgements last 2 decades (Metalpa et al., 2005). At the present time, studies on population dynamics of Cladocora Th e authors are deeply indebted to Dr. Andrea caespitosa are still inadequate. Moreover, the question PEIRANO from the ENEA Marine Environment as to what will happen to Cladocora caespitosa in a Research Center of La Spezia (Italy) for his warming Mediterranean Sea in the future still waits suggestions. Th ey are also very thankful to Mehmet to be answered (Bianchi, 2007). Since mean salinity GÜNAYDIN, authority of Çanakkale Underwater and temperature values in the Marmara Sea are Sport Club, for obtaining scuba and some other technical underwater equipment. References Bianchi, C.N. 2007. Biodiversity issues for the forthcoming tropical Öztürk, B. 2004. Marine Life of Turkey in the Aegean & Mediterranean Sea. Hydrobiologia 580: 7-21. Mediterranean Sea. In: Phylum Cnidaria, Turkish Marine Research Foundation, Turkey, pp. 48. Büyükates, Y. and İnanmaz, Ö.E. 2007. Temporal variations in vertical distribution and occurrence of marine cladocerans in Peirano, A., Morri, C. and Bianchi, N.C. 1999. Skeleton growth an urbanized harbour, Dardanelles, Turkey. 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