On the occasion of the 15th International Polychaete Conference (IPC15) in Frankfurt, teams from CEAB-CSIC, CCMAR, and Creocean presented a study revealing the establishment of the exotic species Alitta succinea along the French Mediterranean coastline.
Work presented at the conference
Occurrence and establishment of the alien polychaete Alitta succinea (Annelida: Nereididae) along the southern French Mediterranean coast
Authors
Yolanda Lucas¹, Paola Mura¹, Miguel A. Meca¹, João Gil², Sébastien Thorin³, & Daniel Martin¹.
Affiliations
- CEAB-CSIC, Spain
- CCMAR, University of Algarve, Portugal
- Creocean, France.
Abstract
Alitta succinea (Leuckart, 1847) belongs to Nereididae, one o the most representative families of marine polychaetes. Its members are generally large, errant organisms that inhabit a wide variety of marine environments, ranging from the intertidal zone to the deep sea. Alitta succinea is typically found in intertidal habitats and exhibits a remarkable tolerance to broad salinity fluctuations. Nereidids also constitute an important food resource for numerous fish and seabird species, making them a crucial component of coastal and marine ecosystems.
The biogeographical history of A. succinea is complex and characterized by a remarkably broad distribution. Originally described from the North Sea (Helgoland, Germany), the species has since been reported from numerous regions worldwide, including South and North America, Hawaii, or China. This extensive and discontinuous distribution has led several authors to regard A. succinea a species complex, while in many areas, it has been reported as introduced, with a high invasive potential . During the first half of the 20th century, several nereidid species, including A. succinea, were intentionally introduced into aquatic systems such as the Aral and Caspian seas as a food source to support commercial fisheries, contributing to their subsequent dispersal.
Field surveys carried out during the last three decades have revealed the presence of numerous individuals of A. succinea in many marine lagoons and coastal marshes along the Mediterranean coast of Southern France. These reports, confirm the presence of this species so we can publish that this species in the Northwestern Mediterranean, likely introduced through mollusc aquaculture or ship fouling, and, together with previously documented populations from Sardinia (Italy) and the Saronikos Gulf (Greece), provide evidence that A. succinea is now established in the Mediterranean Sea and should be considered part of its alien marine fauna.
Keywords
Alitta succinea; Nereididae; non-indigenous species; Mediterranean Sea; marine bioinvasions; Southern France.
