Snapshot of the Distribution and Biology of Alien Jellyfish <i>Cassiopea andromeda</i> (Forsskål, 1775) in a Mediterranean Touristic Harbour
Tiziana Cillari,
Alessandro Allegra,
Daniela Berto,
Mar Bosch-Belmar,
Manuela Falautano,
Teresa Maggio,
Giacomo Milisenda,
Patrizia Perzia,
Federico Rampazzo,
Mauro Sinopoli,
Luca Castriota
Affiliations
Tiziana Cillari
Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Department for the Monitoring and Protection of the Environment and for the Conservation of Biodiversity, Unit for Conservation Management and Sustainable Use of Fish and Marine Resources, Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo 4521 (Ex Complesso Roosevelt), Località Addaura, 90149 Palermo, Italy
Alessandro Allegra
GRAM Gruppo di Ricerca Applicata al Mare Soc. Coop., 90100 Palermo, Italy
Daniela Berto
Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Department for the Monitoring and Protection of the Environment and for the Conservation of Biodiversity, Unit for Marine Waters and Ecosystems Monitoring and Characterisation, Località Brondolo, 30015 Chioggia, Italy
Mar Bosch-Belmar
University of Palermo, Department of Earth and Marine Sciences (DiSTeM), Via Archirafi 22, 90123 Palermo, Italy
Manuela Falautano
Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Department for the Monitoring and Protection of the Environment and for the Conservation of Biodiversity, Unit for Conservation Management and Sustainable Use of Fish and Marine Resources, Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo 4521 (Ex Complesso Roosevelt), Località Addaura, 90149 Palermo, Italy
Teresa Maggio
Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Department for the Monitoring and Protection of the Environment and for the Conservation of Biodiversity, Unit for Conservation Management and Sustainable Use of Fish and Marine Resources, Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo 4521 (Ex Complesso Roosevelt), Località Addaura, 90149 Palermo, Italy
Giacomo Milisenda
Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Department of Integrative Marine Ecology (EMI), Sicily Marine Centre, Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo 4521 (Ex Complesso Roosevelt), Località Addaura, 90149 Palermo, Italy
Patrizia Perzia
Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Department for the Monitoring and Protection of the Environment and for the Conservation of Biodiversity, Unit for Conservation Management and Sustainable Use of Fish and Marine Resources, Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo 4521 (Ex Complesso Roosevelt), Località Addaura, 90149 Palermo, Italy
Federico Rampazzo
Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Department for the Monitoring and Protection of the Environment and for the Conservation of Biodiversity, Unit for Marine Waters and Ecosystems Monitoring and Characterisation, Località Brondolo, 30015 Chioggia, Italy
Mauro Sinopoli
Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Department of Integrative Marine Ecology (EMI), Sicily Marine Centre, Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo 4521 (Ex Complesso Roosevelt), Località Addaura, 90149 Palermo, Italy
Luca Castriota
Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Department for the Monitoring and Protection of the Environment and for the Conservation of Biodiversity, Unit for Conservation Management and Sustainable Use of Fish and Marine Resources, Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo 4521 (Ex Complesso Roosevelt), Località Addaura, 90149 Palermo, Italy
Harbors are hotspots for the introduction of alien species, and, usually, investigations on their host populations help fill the knowledge gap in their pathways of invasion and in their impacts on marine biodiversity and ecosystems. In 2014, the upside-down alien jellyfish Cassiopea andromeda invaded a Mediterranean touristic harbor (“Cala”), and its abundance has since increased over time. In the present study, the distribution and trophic behavior of C. andromeda in Cala were investigated for the years 2017–2018 through visual sampling, and GIS-based statistical and stable isotope analyses. Since Cala is a hard-to-reach area (with many anchor cables and boats), Megabenthos Underwater Video was used to count the number and estimate the size of jellyfishes. The variations in size throughout the study period suggest that the population of C. andromeda is quite established in Cala at depths lower than 7.5 m. The ranges of the environmental parameters recorded (temperature, salinity, and transparency) were consistent with the ideal conditions for maintaining a Cassiopea population, but they did not seem to influence aggregation. Additionally, the carbon and nitrogen isotopic signatures studied highlight the mixotrophic behavior of this species. These preliminary results confirm the capacity of C. andromeda to live and reproduce in heavily anthropized areas.
