The spread of Aoroides longimerus Ren & Zheng, 1996 across the Mediterranean and the Atlantic: genetic diversity, anthropogenic transport, and ecological implications
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Accurate knowledge of the global distribution of non-indigenous species (NIS) is essential for understanding their invasion dynamics and for implementing timely management measures. This study reports the first records of the marine amphipod Aoroides longimerus, putatively native to the East Asian coast, in Italy (2018), Spain (2019) and Tunisia (2022) and provides the earliest documented record of the species in its introduced European range (Portugal, 2011). Furthermore, it expands the species’ known distribution in mainland Portugal (including the northernmost record), Macaronesia (with first records in the Canary Islands and Madeira), and confirms its presence along the Atlantic coasts of France and the Netherlands. Aquaculture facilities, particularly those associated with oyster farming, are probably the primary vector of introduction, while recreational boating may have contributed significantly to secondary dispersal. In comparison to other exotic amphipods, A. longimerus remains absent from many marinas, ports and/or aquaculture facilities in the Mediterranean Sea and adjacent regions, such as the Red Sea. This suggests that the species may still be in the early stages of expansion, or that its dispersal ability across marinas and ports is more limited than that of other amphipods. The present study, however, highlights several key ecological traits of A. longimerus: (i) it can survive year-round despite seasonal fluctuations, and reach high local densities, (ii) it exhibits strong colonisation capacity, as shown by its rapid establishment on settlement plates, and (iii) it displays opportunistic feeding behaviour, primarily consuming detritus. These characteristics underscore the importance of continuous surveillance and effective communication with stakeholders to prevent further expansion of this species.
Source: Mediterranean Marine Science
DOI: 10.12681/mms.41784
Authors: JOSÉ MANUEL GUERRA-GARCÍA, ANDREA DESIDERATO, SERENA MUCCIOLO, CARLOS NAVARRO-BARRANCO, MACARENA ROS, JASMINE FERRARIO, PAULA MORETTI, AGNESE MARCHINI, NAWFEL MOSBAHI, SOFÍA RUIZ-VELASCO, IGNACIO GESTOSO, PATRÍCIO RAMALHOSA, JOÃO CANNING-CLODE, CELIA OLABARRIA, EVA CACABELOS, JESÚS S. TRONCOSO, JEAN-PHILIPPE PEZY, AURORE RAOUX, JEAN-CLAUDE DAUVIN, MATHILDE CHARBONNELLE, FERDINAND SCHLICKLIN, HIROYUKI ARIYAMA, EMANUELE MANCINI, ANDREA BONIFAZI, VINCENT LE GARREC, THOMAS BUREL, BENOIT GOUILLIEUX, CRISTINA ESPÍRITO SANTO, PAULA CHAINHO, ROMEU S. RIBEIRO, INÊS AFONSO, YANRONG WANG, JEAN-CHARLES LECLERC, MARINE MOAL, CÉLINE HOUBIN, FRÉDÉRIQUE VIARD, ERIC THIÉBAUT, VICTORIA FERNANDEZ-GONZALEZ, SANDRA NAVARRO-MAYORAL, SONIA DÍAZ-VERGARA, ARJAN GITTENBERGER, LAUREN ELIZABETH HUGHES, MARIA LAMPA, GIORGOS CHATZIGEORGIOU, WANDA PLAITIS, FRANCESCO TIRALONGO, GEMMA MARTÍNEZ-LAIZ, M. PILAR CABEZAS, SOFIA DUARTE, JOÃO P.R. PINHEIRO, GIOVANNA O. REIS, TRIANA REVANALES, SEMPERE-VALVERDE JUAN, EVA AYLAGAS, ANGELO POLISENO, SAHAR CHEBAANE, SUSANA CARVALHO, VASILIS GEROVASILEIOU, INMACULADA FRUTOS, PABLO SAENZ-ARIAS
Institutions: Universidad de Sevilla, University of Łódź, University of Pavia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), University of Sfax, Faculty of Sciences of Sfax, Universidad de Cádiz, Agencia Regional para o Desenvolvimento da Investigacao Tecnologia e Inovacao, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Universidade da Madeira, Universidade de Vigo, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire Morphodynamique Continentale et Côtière, Université de Caen Normandie, Osaka Museum of Natural History, University of Salento, Agenzia Regionale protezione ambientale del Lazio, Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Ifremer, Laboratoire des Sciences de l'Environnement Marin, Université de Bordeaux, Environnements et Paléoenvironnements Océaniques et Continentaux, Institut Polytechnique de Bordeaux, University of Évora, Laboratório de Ciências do Mar, University of Lisbon, Universidade Politécnica de Setúbal, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Sorbonne Université, Institute of Oceanology, Adaptation et Diversité en Milieu Marin, École Pratique des Hautes Études, Université de Montpellier, Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, University of Alicante, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, GiMaRIS Research, Inventory & Strategy Solutions (Netherlands), Natural History Museum, University of Crete, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, University of Catania, Instituto de Ciência e Inovação para a Bio-Sustentabilidade, University of Minho, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Ionian University, Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Université Pierre-et-Marie-Curie
Language: English
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Life below water
Open Access status: diamond
Funders: European Commission, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Agence de l'Eau Seine-Normandie, Junta de Andalucía, Région Normandie, HORIZON EUROPE Framework Programme, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, European Regional Development Fund
OpenAlex ID: W4415358081