Polychaetes (Annelida) of Cyprus (Eastern Mediterranean Sea): An Updated and Annotated Checklist including New Distribution Records

• Published in: Diversity (Basel) Vol. 15; no. 8; p. 941
• Main Authors: Rousou, Maria, Langeneck, Joachim, Apserou, Chara, Arvanitidis, Christos, Charalambous, Stephanos, Chrysanthou, Kyproula, Constantinides, George, Dimitriou, Panagiotis D., García Gómez, Sergio Carlos, Hadjieftychiou, Soteria Irene, Katsiaras, Nikolaos, Kleitou, Periklis, Kletou, Demetris, Küpper, Frithjof C., Louizidou, Paraskevi, Martins, Roberto, Moraitis, Manos L., Papageorgiou, Nafsika, Papatheodoulou, Magdalene, Petrou, Antonis, Xevgenos, Dimitris, Vasiliades, Lavrentios, Voultsiadou, Eleni, Chintiroglou, Chariton Charles, Castelli, Alberto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01-08-2023
• Subjects: Aquaculture; benthic macrofauna; Biogeography; Check lists; Citations; Coastal zone; Coasts; Data acquisition; Distribution records; Ecology; Environmental impact; Environmental monitoring; Introduced species; inventory; Levantine Sea; Macrofauna; Morphology; MSFD; Native species; New records; NIS; Polychaeta; Research projects; Taxonomy; WFD; Cyprus; Mediterranean Sea
• ISSN: 1424-2818; 1424-2818
• DOI: 10.3390/d15080941

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.