RT journal article
T1 Expansion of the invasive alga Rugulopteryx okamurae (Dictyotaceae, Ochrophyta) in the Mediterranean Sea: first evidence as epiphyte of the cold-water coral Dendrophyllia ramea (Cnidaria: Scleractinia)
A1 Estévez, Rocío M.
A1 Palacios, Marina
A1 Cervera Currado, Juan Lucas
A1 González Duarte, Manuel María
A2 Biología
K1 Alboran Sea
K1 Asian algae
K1 bathymetric range
K1 epibiont
K1 habitat-forming species
K1 invasive species
AB The Mediterranean Sea is one of the main hotspots for the introduction ofnonindigenous species in the world. The invasive alga Rugulopteryx okamurae wasdetected in 2015 along the coasts of the Strait of Gibraltar, the Atlantic entrance tothe Mediterranean Sea. This brown seaweed of Asian origin, with an enormousexpansion capacity and high survival rate, has spread rapidly across the Alboran Sea(western Mediterranean). Nevertheless, this species continues to show its highestabundance in areas close to the Strait of Gibraltar. We recorded R. okamurae in Puntade la Mona (Granada, northern coast of the Alboran Sea), one of the zones with thehighest marine biodiversity in the Alboran Sea. This record is the easternmost pointwithin the Spanish coasts where abundance data for this invasive species are available.Rugulopteryx okamurae demonstrated its highest abundance values at 48 m, anunusual record for this species in the Mediterranean Sea. We found R. okamuraegrowing on rocky bottoms, multiple coralligenous organisms, artificial substratesand epiphyting the coral Dendrophyllia ramea (an important habitat-forming species).Cold-water corals provide substrate, shelter and habitat for other species and play acritical role in deep water ecosystems. It is crucial to study and quantify the possibleeffects of invasive species on habitat-forming species, especially in the MediterraneanSea, where the arrival of exotic organisms is striking; a better understanding of theirdispersal capacities is urgently needed, as they can affect key organisms. The resultsobtained in this study validate the prolific capacity of R. okamurae to colonize newareas, affecting both littoral and deeper coastal areas. This behaviour, coupled withthe ability to grow on a wide variety of suitable substrates, creates a strong threat tonatural environments
PB Regional Euro-Asian Biological Invasions Centre
SN 2242-1300
YR 2022
FD 2022
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/32543
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/32543
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 21-sep-2026