Polychaetes (Annelida) of Cyprus (Eastern Mediterranean Sea): An Updated and Annotated Checklist including New Distribution Records
Maria Rousou,
Joachim Langeneck,
Chara Apserou,
Christos Arvanitidis,
Stephanos Charalambous,
Kyproula Chrysanthou,
George Constantinides,
Panagiotis D. Dimitriou,
Sergio Carlos García Gómez,
Soteria Irene Hadjieftychiou,
Nikolaos Katsiaras,
Periklis Kleitou,
Demetris Kletou,
Frithjof C. Küpper,
Paraskevi Louizidou,
Roberto Martins,
Manos L. Moraitis,
Nafsika Papageorgiou,
Magdalene Papatheodoulou,
Antonis Petrou,
Dimitris Xevgenos,
Lavrentios Vasiliades,
Eleni Voultsiadou,
Chariton Charles Chintiroglou,
Alberto Castelli
Affiliations
Maria Rousou
Department of Fisheries and Marine Research (DFMR), Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment of the Republic of Cyprus, 101 Vithleem Street, Strovolos, 2033 Nicosia, Cyprus
Joachim Langeneck
Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare (CoNISMa), U.L.R. di Lecce, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies (DiSTeBA), University of Salento, Strada Provinciale Lecce-Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Institute of Marine Biology Biotechnology & Aquaculture (IMBBC), Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), Gournes Pediados, Crete, P.O. Box 2214, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 44.6km Athinon-Souniou, 19013 Anavissos, Greece
Periklis Kleitou
Marine & Environmental Research (MER) Lab Ltd., 4533 Limassol, Cyprus
Demetris Kletou
Marine & Environmental Research (MER) Lab Ltd., 4533 Limassol, Cyprus
Frithjof C. Küpper
School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Cruickshank Bldg, St. Machar Drive, Aberdeen AB24 3UU, UK
Paraskevi Louizidou
School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Cruickshank Bldg, St. Machar Drive, Aberdeen AB24 3UU, UK
Roberto Martins
CESAM—Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Manos L. Moraitis
Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute, CMMI House, Vasileos Pavlou Square, 6023 Larnaca, Cyprus
Nafsika Papageorgiou
Department of Agricultural Development, Agri-Food & Natural Resources Management, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Evripos Complex, 34400 Psachna, Greece
Magdalene Papatheodoulou
Department of Fisheries and Marine Research (DFMR), Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment of the Republic of Cyprus, 101 Vithleem Street, Strovolos, 2033 Nicosia, Cyprus
Engineering Systems & Services Department, Technology Policy & Management Faculty, Delft University of Technology, Jaffalaan 5, 2628 BX Delft, The Netherlands
Lavrentios Vasiliades
Department of Fisheries and Marine Research (DFMR), Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment of the Republic of Cyprus, 101 Vithleem Street, Strovolos, 2033 Nicosia, Cyprus
Eleni Voultsiadou
Department of Zoology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Chariton Charles Chintiroglou
Department of Zoology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Alberto Castelli
Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via Derna 1, 56126 Pisa, Italy
The diversity and distribution of polychaetes in the coastal area and the EEZ of the Republic of Cyprus is presented based on both the literature records and new data acquired in a wide range of environmental monitoring programmes and research projects. A total of 585 polychaete species belonging to 49 families were reported in Cyprus waters; among them, 205 species (34%) were recorded based on the literature only, 149 (26%) were new records based on our own data, and a total of 231 spp. (40%) were recorded from both the literature and new data. A total of 51 polychaete species were identified as non-indigenous; among them, 32 were confirmed as alien species, 4 were considered cryptogenic, and 15 were considered questionable as there were doubts about their identity. The Indo-Pacific Schistomeringos loveni was reported for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea, while four species already reported in the literature, namely, Bispira melanostigma, Fimbriosthenelais longipinnis Leonnates aylaoberi, and Rhodopsis pusilla, were added to the list of non-indigenous polychaetes in the Mediterranean Sea. The current work highlights the importance of implementing environmental monitoring programmes and carrying out research surveys targeting benthic macrofauna assemblages.
