Issn: 0001-5113 ACtA AdrIAt., udC: 594.35 (210.5) (564.3) AAdrAY 52(1): 115 - 124, 2011 Further additions to the alien mollusc fauna along the Cypriot coast: new opisthobranchia species Louis Tsiakkiros1 and argyro ZeneTos2* 1 4, Michael Koutsofta, Mesa Yitonia, 4000, Limassol, Cyprus 2Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Marine Biological Resources, Anavissos, GR 19013, Attica, Greece *Corresponding author, e-mail: [email protected] The finding of some alien opisthobranchia previously unknown from Cyprus confirms that Indo- Pacific alien species are spreading at an increasing rate in the Levantine Sea. This work reports on the occurrence of four new alien species recorded in the form of images that have been taken over a period spanning more than 8 years. These are Chelidonura fulvipunctata, Chromodoris annulata, Flabellina rubrolineata and Hypselodoris infucata. In addition, finding of Melibe viridis, which was considered hitherto as casual, confirm its establishment success around Cyprus. Chromodoris annulata, a recent invader in the Mediterranean and little known from the Levantine basin, is currently well established on the Cypriot coast. Key words: alien opisthobranchia, Chelidonura fulvipunctata, Hypselodoris infucata, Melibe viridis, Chromodoris annulata, Flabellina rubrolineata, Cyprus, Mediterranean sea IntroduCtIon MAtErIAL And MEthods The alien mollusca of Cyprus have been The records are in the form of images and summarised in oZTUrk et al., 2004. Thirty five these have been taken by one of the authors (LT) out of 645 (5%) of the species of molluscs cited over a period spanning more than 8 years. nikon from Cyprus are alien (CeCaLUPo & QUaDri, cameras with a nikkor 105 mm macro lens in 1994, 1996; BUZZUrro & GrePPi, 1997; oZTUrk et ikelite housing and Dual strobes were used. al., 2004). recently, ZeneTos et al. (2009) reported Water temperature was recorded by means on the occurrence of six more alien bivalve spe- of a dive computer (sUUnTo eon model cies previously unknown from Cyprus. This work reports on additional sightings for dives between 2000-2004 and sUUnTo of alien mollusca reported in the literature VYTeC model from 2004-to date). after ZeneTos et al. (2009) and kaTsaneVakis Dive sites are summarised in Table 1, whilst et al. (2009) and adds significant information on biotope details are provided for each species. the spread of reported alien species and on the occurrence of new ones. 116 ACTA ADriaTiCa, 52(1): 115 - 125, 2011 Table 1. Location of dive sites Longitude Latitude Cyclops Cave (Protaras) 34°59'10,34"n 34°04'35,8"e agios Georgios alamanou 34°42'22,9"n 33°13'11,7"e (Limassol) Limassol - new port 34°38'38,2"n 33°00'49,4"e amathus (Limassol) 34°42'41,6"n 33°08'43,3"e The Canyon (Famagusta) 34°57'40,5"n 34°03'50,6"e Dhekelia (Larnaka) 34°58'44,7"n 33°43'48,1"e Wreck of the Zenobia, 34°53'49,5"n 33°39'27,1"e (Larnaka) The distribution of species in chronological and at a water temperature of 26°C. a different order is based on the 2010 update of the HCMr colour variance (Fig. 1b) was found at agios database (ZeneTos & FraGGos, 2008). Georgios alamanou (Limassol) in December 2006, on a sandy seabed surrounded by rock rEsuLts formations, at a depth of 3 m and at a water temperature of 21°C. Both locations are situated The newly reported species are Chelidonura at a great distance from ports and harbours. The fulvipunctata, Hypselodoris infucata, Chromo- characteristic W marking on the head of the slug is more prominent on the Limassol specimen doris annulata and Flabellina rubrolineata. (Fig. 1b). some additional data are reported on Melibe Chelidonura fulvipunctata is a slug mostly viridis. recorded as from Japan and eastern australia Family: aglajidae (BaBa, 1938). it is believed to be present in other Chelidonura fulvipunctata Baba, 1938 areas as well. records exist from south africa Fig. 1. Chelidonura fulvipunctata observed at a) Cyclops Cave (Protaras), and b) Agios Georgios Alamanou (Limassol) The specimen illustrated in Fig. 1a comes and the red sea. The colour pattern of this from Cyclops Cave (Protaras). it was found in species is extremely variable and even the two June 2003 near a crevice of a big rock boulder specimens illustrated here show dissimilarities. covered with marine plants, at a depth of 9 m in fact, the characteristic W marking on the head Tsiakkiros et al.: new alien opisthobranchia in Cyprus 117 of the slug, that makes it unmistakable when on coarse sandy bottoms. present, is more prominent on the Limassol Hypselodoris infuncata is a tropical species specimen (Fig. 1b), while it appears even faded widespread in the indo & West Pacific regions. away on the Protaras one (Fig. 1a). another dis- additional sighting records exist from the indian tinctive feature is its long thin tapering left ‘tail’. ocean coast of south africa, the Persian Gulf, additionally, the white edged tail and the white the arabian sea, the red sea and the Mediter- patch on the anterior portion of the head-shield ranean coast of israel, Lebanon, Turkey and are present in both colour forms. C. fulvipunc- Cyprus (JoHnson & VaLDes, 2001; ZeneTos et al., tata is most probably a Lessepsian immigrant 2004). This is yet another Lessepsian immigrant as its colour forms match specimens recorded in that appears in the eastern Mediterranean basin. the red Sea (koreTZ, 2005). The species has a moderately documented The species has a sparsely documented dis- distribution in the Mediterranean tribution in the Mediterranean 1965: Caesarea, israel (BarasH & Danin, 1959: selimiye harbour, antalaya, Turkey 1977 as Glossodoris runcinata; Mienis & GaT, 1981; (sWennen, 1961). FisHeLson, 2000). 1986: ashkelon, israel (Mienis & GaT, 1987). 1999: Yumurtalik, iskenderun Bay, s. Tur- 1993: Malta (Perrone & saMMUT, 1997). key (ÇeVik & ÖZTÜrk, 2001). 2005: Lebanon (Lakkis & Lakkis, 2005). 2000: Fethiye, s. Turkey (aYTUr, 2003). http://www.ciesm.org/atlas/Chelidonuraful- 2000-2001: ramkine island, Lebanon, 4 vipunctata.html specimens; http://www.seaslugforum.net/showall/chel- Beirut Harbor, Lebanon, 3-8 m, 9 speci- fulv mens; el Heri, Lebanon, 2-3 m, 2 specimens 7-10 Family: Chromodorididae mm; Hypselodoris infucata (ruppell & Leuckart, selaata, Lebanon, 1 specimen (VaLDÉs & 1830) TeMPLaDo, 2002). The specimens shown in Fig. 2a are from 2007: Zeyko Diving site / Girne, 15 m, n. amathus (Limassol). This site lies a significant Cyprus, Mediterranean (Personn, 2009) distance from Limassol port. The first one (Fig. 2008: israel (HakiM, 2008). 2a) was found in september 2002 moving along 2010: Gulf of antalya (oZVaroL et al., 2010) a sandy patch of seabed adjacent to the ancient Hypselodoris infucata was rarely seen in harbour of amathus at a depth of 4 m and at Turkish waters. it is found on, or around, a water temperature of 25°C. another speci- sponges of the genus Dysidea (rUDMan, 2003), men (Fig. 2b) was observed at the same site in but these sponges are mostly found in the north august 2004, at a water temperature of 27°C. as aegean, Marmara and the Black seas, which is seen from the photos both specimens were found probably too cold for H. infucata. Therefore the Fig 2. Hypselodoris infucata from Amathus (Limassol): a) 2002 sighting, b) 2004 sighting 118 ACTA ADriaTiCa, 52(1): 115 - 125, 2011 distribution of H. infucata is limited to a few 2008: a single specimen of C. annulata locations in the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, was found in a rocky habitat, at 2.5 m depth in where sponges are plentiful (rUDMan, 2003). Beldibi, antalya (GÖkoĞLU & ÖZGÜr, 2008). http://www.seaslugforum.net/showall/ 2009: iskenderun, s. Turkey (Yokes et al., hypsinfu 2009). http://www.ciesm.org/atlas/Hypselodorisin- 2008-9: a total of eleven specimens of C. fucata.html annulata were collected at various locations from 15 June 2008 to 15 December 2009, at Family: Chromodorididae depths of 0-15 m (oZCan et al., 2010). Chromodoris annulata (eliot, 1904) 2009: Caesarea, israel, 6 m (LaVi, 2009). The specimens shown in Fig. 3 come from http://www.seaslugforum.net/showall/ Dhekelia (Larnaka). The first one (Fig. 3a) was chroannu found in april 2009 at a depth of 5 m and at a water temperature of 22°C. it was observed Family: Flabellinidae grazing on marine plants on an abandoned sub- Flabellina rubrolineata merged mooring structure. in august 2010, a (o’Donoghue, 1929) second sighting was recorded at the same dive The specimen depicted in Fig. 4 comes site in Dhekelia, Cyprus. a pair in mating behav- from the coastal area of the town of Larnaka. iour was observed (Fig. 3b) and three separate Larnaka Bay is home to the second largest port egg masses were found. another solitary speci- in Cyprus. it was found on the wreck of Zeno- men was located a few metres away. The mating bia, a ro-ro ferry that sank 1 nautical mile off pair and the egg masses support the statement Larnaka in 1980 and now rests at depths from that this species is now established in Cyprus. 42 m to 14 m. This specimen was observed in Chromodoris annulata is a tropical spe- april 2008, located at a depth of 18 m and at a cies widespread in the red sea and the indian water temperature of 17°C. This single speci- ocean. on its back, there is a clear pattern that men was observed grazing among the marine shows two solid purple circular lines, around the plants encrusting the ship’s hull. Later, during rhinophores and the branchial lobe, that are not the same year (october 2008), a juvenile speci- joined together. Moreover, the clearly formed men was found at ‘The Canyon’, Cape Greco yellow-orange spots denote that the specimens area, at a depth of 14 m and at a water tempera- originate from the red sea.