The clubbed tunicate Styela clava has arrived in the Lagoon of Venice

Abstract

Individuals of the solitary ascidian Styela clava Herdman, 1881 have been recorded for the first time in Italian waters, in Chioggia, within the Lagoon of Venice. This finding represents the third record of the species in the Mediterranean Sea. The Lagoon of Venice is a well-known hotspot of introduction of Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) along Italian coasts. It hosts several important vectors of introduction such as commercial shipping, recreational boating, aquaculture facilities and the live seafood trade. Monitoring surveys are a crucial step for the early identification of NIS, especially those characterized by a high invasive potential such as S. clava.

Keywords

• Styela clava
• Tunicata
• non-indigenous species
• Lagoon of Venice
• Mediterranean Sea