First record of the invasive worm Branchiomma bairdi (Annelida: Sabellidae) in the Balearic Sea (Western Mediterranean)

The invasive sabellid Branchiomma bairdi (McIntosh, 1885) was collected in the Estany des Peix lagoon (Formentera Island, Balearic Sea, Western Mediterranean). This species is native to Bermuda (Western Atlantic Ocean), being widely distributed through the Caribbean Sea. However, it has been describ...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2018-12, Vol.98 (8), p.1955-1963
Main Authors: Cepeda, D., Rodríguez-Flores, P.C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Branchiomma
Branchiomma bairdi
Indigenous species
Introduced species
Invasive species
Lagoons
Museums
New records
Nonnative species
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Summary:The invasive sabellid Branchiomma bairdi (McIntosh, 1885) was collected in the Estany des Peix lagoon (Formentera Island, Balearic Sea, Western Mediterranean). This species is native to Bermuda (Western Atlantic Ocean), being widely distributed through the Caribbean Sea. However, it has been described as invasive worldwide, being also present in the Indo-Pacific region, the Eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. We here provide the first record of the species for the Balearic Sea, together with a comparison to other morphologically similar alien species, Branchiomma boholense (Grube, 1878), which is supposed to have also been introduced in the Mediterranean basin. We also include comprehensive taxonomic descriptions of both taxa based on the type material, a dichotomous key for the Mediterranean species of Branchiomma and hypothesize the most likely way of introduction of B. bairdi in the Balearic region.
ISSN:0025-3154
1469-7769
DOI:10.1017/S0025315417001618