Marine Wildlife of the Mediterranean

Your new user-friendly visual guide

Marine Wildlife

This handbook will be your constant companion on your coastal explorations and marine adventures. It will help you identify species you encounter while snorkeling or SCUBA diving, and will also be very handy while browsing through the day’s catch at the local fish market.

The front material introduces you to the Mediterranean Sea, identifying some of its most remarkable locations, describing its main habitats and providing invaluable tips and advice on observing its flora and fauna.

This book has been designed as a handy, friendly and practical tool that will serve as an ideal companion for an inquisitive explorer, keen to discover the rich faunal and floral treasures the Mediterranean Sea has to offer.

Enric Ballesteros Toni LLobet

Mediterranean Marine Wildlife of the Mediterranean

A total of 832 species are illustrated, from cetaceans to seaweeds, including sea birds, turtles, fish and all kind of invertebrates. Each drawing is accompanied by a brief description of the species, its most popular English name(s), its scientific name and icons that clearly summarise data of interest (habitat, frequency, depth...).

of the

Menorca

Formentera Port-Cros Columbretes Corsica Vulcano

Mallorca Sardinia Tunisia Medes islands Mljet Cyprus Adrasan France Costa Brava Greece Malta Crete Spain Cap de Creus

Italy

Cabo de Palos Sicily Croatia Zakynthos

Morocco Turkey

83tra2ted

illus species

In collaboration with:

GALLO CANTA

GALLOCANTA

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10

Spain

France

Italy

1. Strait of Gibraltar 2. Alborรกn 3. Cabo de Palos 4. Formentera 5. Illots de Ponent (Eivissa) 6. Cabrera 7. Formentor 8. Menorca 9. Columbretes 10. Illes Medes 11. Cap de Creus

12. Calanques 13. Port-Cros 14. Bouches de Bonifacio 15. Porto-Calvi

16. Portofino 17. Bouches de Bonifacio 18. Tavolara 19. Alguer 20. Teulada 21. Ferdinandea 22. Ustica 23. Marettimo 24. Messina 25. Vulcano 26. Giannutri 27. Ischia 28. Palinuro 29. Tremiti

Morocco

Algeria

Tunisia

64. Cap de Tres Forcas (Ras Tileta Madari) 65. Strait of Gibraltar

60. Habibas 61. Taza 62. Cap Bon 63. El Kala

58. La Galite 59. Zembra

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Croatia

Montenegro

Greece

30. Mljet 31. Jabuka 32. Blitvenica 33. Biševo 34. Lastovo 35. Palagruža

36. Boka Kotorska

39. Zakynthos 40. Chania 41. Karpathos 42. Santorini 43. Panagopoula 44. Perachora 45. Pelion 46. Lesbos 47. Chalkidiki 48. Fourni

Albania 37. Sazani and Karaburun

Malta 38. Gozo

Turkey

Cyprus

Lebanon

49. Gökova 50. Sarigerme 51. Kas 52. Adrasan

53. Cape Greco 54. Akamas

55. Ras Ech Chaqaa 56. Al Rankin

Israel 57. Rosh-Hanikra 11

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habitats

Coralligenous outcrops and maërl beds

Photo: Enric Ballesteros

Red coral can be seen while diving in caves, on overhangs and in the darkest spots of coralligenous outcrops

These two habitats can only be accessed by very good free divers or, much more easily, by SCUBA divers. They extend from a depth of 20 meters down to 100 meters, and may descend even deeper (150 m) in the eastern Mediterranean. They harbour a large diversity of animals as well as algae. Coralligenous outcrops are the best place to see some of the most emblematic Mediterranean species such as spiny lobsters, dusky groupers, red scorpionfish and the valuable red coral. Maërl beds are also very rich in biodiversity and they are a preferred habitat for rays and catsharks. On the deepest maërl beds, where spiny lobsters and scorpionfish roam, we can find the Mediterranean kelp, which is endemic 9

WHAT TO EXPECT ON CORALLIGENOUS OUTCROPS:

8 12

1 Dogfish, 37 11

2 Cardinal fish, 48

14

3 Swallowtail seaperch, 49 Schooling fish 4 Brown meagre, 51 Swims gracefully

3 7 13

10

5 Pandora, 53 6 Dentex, 53 Predator, feeds on fish and squid

6

2

7 Red sea squirt, 70 8 Sea squirt, Cystodytes dellechiajei, 72 9 Red coral, 112 10 Sea finger, 112 11 Sunset cup coral, 115 12 Orange-red encrusting sponge, 119 13 Yellow clathrina, 119

5 4

14 Bluish encrusting sponge, 120 15 Maërl, 135 Main component of maërl beds 18

1

15

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habitats to this sea. Benthic assemblages found at the entrance of underwater caves and tunnels are very similar to communities found at the darkest locations of coralligenous outcrops, where they receive little direct light. In contrast, in the deepest caves, in total darkness, the community is completely different since only very few species can survive here; cave walls and ceilings have plenty of free space, something never found on coralligenous bottoms.

16 Undulate ray, 39 17 Forkbeard, 42 18 John Dory, 43 A curious and unusual fish, found only in deep reefs 19 Dusky grouper, 50 Impressive, hides when threatened 20 Zebra sea bream, 54 21 Cuckoo wrasse, 62 22 Butterfly blenny, 64 23 Sea fig, 71 24 Smooth starfish, 75 25 Lobster, 89 On muddy coralligenous bottoms

19

26 Small slipper lobster, 89 Roams at night 20

32

27 Organ pipe worm, 96

36

33

28 Green spoon worm, 97 29 Dotted sea slug, 104

26

37 27

21

28

22 29

33 White sea fan, 113

18

34 12

24

35

34 Sponge, Agelas oroides, 119 35 Sponge, Axinella damicornis,119 36 Green alga, Halimeda tuna, 125

17 31

16

31 Orange sea fan, 113 32 Violescent sea fan, 113 On rocky walls subject to strong currents

23

30

30 Wing oyster, 107 Attaches to sea fans

25

37 Red alga, Lithophyllum stictaeforme, 125 19

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mammals fin whale and sperm whale

Mammals Descendants of terrestrial ancestors, their anatomies and physiologies are highly re-adapted for an aquatic existence. Their limbs are modified, used both for propulsion and steering through the water. Like all mammals, they have lungs, but have evolved to maximize their diving skills. While cetaceans, like whales and dolphins, spend all stages of their life in the water, pinnipeds, such as the monk seal, return to land to breed and to rest.

Whale watching The best option for sighting whales and other cetaceans is to board a ship and sail offshore, since they are rarely seen inshore.

• Fin whale Balaenoptera physalus k This is the second largest living animal after the blue whale (B. musculus), which differs from the fin whale by its marbled back and by being very rare in the Mediterranean Sea. The largest fin whale recorded in the Mediterranean measured 21 meters long. Fin whales swim long distances, most of them migrating in groups to the Atlantic Ocean in autumn and returning in spring. They can live up to 80 years.

Calving occurs between November and January; young calves measure 6 meters long at birth.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 1000 m

• Sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus k The largest predator on earth. Feeds on large fish and giant squid. It can measure up to 20 m long, can hold its breath up to 45 minutes and can dive to a depth of 1500 meters. Gathers in pods that can comprise one or a few males, up to 20 adult females, often accompanied by young and immature animals. Males excluded from the pods swim alone or in small groups. Sperm whales are relatively common in the western Mediterranean but rare in the eastern basin.

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cm

300

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killer whale and pilot whales mammals

• Goose-beaked whale k Ziphius cavirostris

Robust, small-headed whale, its back is often covered with battlescars as a result of fights with other individuals. It usually swims with its head outside the water.

These whales are excellent free divers; they feed on squid and fish that they capture in deep waters.

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• Risso’s dolphin Grampus griseus k Inquisitive, it often approaches moving vessels and follows them. A gregarious species, it forms pods of 5 to 100 whales and feeds on squid.

• Common pilot whale k

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 1000 m

Globicephala melas

Forms large pods of dozens to hundreds of individuals, with a complex social structure. They feed mainly on squid but also on benthic and pelagic fishes.

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• Killer whale Orcinus orca k Ferocious predator. Can grow to 10 meters long. Has a very broad diet, and has been known to feed even on fin whales and other big cetaceans.

Remarkably intelligent, it attacks its prey in groups using well-defined strategies. There have been no reports of attacks on humans and they appear peaceful and undisturbed by human presence. They steal fish from fishing gear.

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fish sharks

• Porbeagle Lamna nasus k Similar to the shortfin mako and the great white shark, it is usually smaller but very robust. It differs by having teeth with two small lateral tips.

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kj • Bluntnose six-gill shark

Hexanchus griseus

Relatively common in deep-water bottom habitats. It is occasionally captured in trawl nets and sold very cheap.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 1000 m

Sharks At present rare in the Mediterranean due to overfishing, sharks have an undeserved reputation as human killers.

Inquisitive predators, attacks on humans are very uncommon.

k • Blue shark Prionace glauca

Has a long mouth and bluish colour, it is typically found in offshore waters, where it feeds on squid and fish. Even though it is not a threat to divers, it can be aggressive and dangerous for stranded survivors swimming around capsized vessels. Usually swims solitarily.

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• Sandbar shark tj Carcharhinus plumbeus

A coastal shark, it aggregates in some locations off the Turkish coast, close to beaches, in late spring. It is inquisitive but not aggressive.

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jt • Angular rough shark Oxynotus centrina With an unmistakable shape and small size, it swims slowly and quietly, close to the bottom, where it feeds on invertebrates.

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36

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100

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small sharks fish

jk • Soupfin shark Galeorhinus galeus

[Tope shark] Up to 2 meters long, its main features are a small rear dorsal fin and the distinctive shape of the caudal fin.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 1000 m

• Spiny dogfish j Squalus acanthias

[Spurdog] Has large bones in its dorsal fins. Very vulnerable to fishing, together with S. blainvillei.

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• Smoothhound j Mustelus mustelus

Historically abundant, its populations are now at risk because of overfishing.

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tj • Greater spotted dogfish Scyliorhinus stellaris

[Nursehound] Larger than the dogfish, with fewer but larger spots.

At risk due to overfishing.

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• Dogfish Scyliorhinus canicula tj Among the most abundant and smallest of littoral sharks, attaches its eggs to the seafloor and gorgonians.

egg case of greater spotted dogfish

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j • Starry smoothhound

Mustelus asterias

Shares the same habitat (and problems) as the smoothhound.

It has small white dots on its back.

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• Black mouthed catshark

Galeus melastomus

j

Small catshark restricted to deep waters. Has large dorsal spots and large eyes.

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cm

30

37

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fish boarfish, trumpet fish, grunts and others

• Boarfish Capros aper jt Inhabits deep waters, where it forms schools above the sea floor or in the water column. The mouth is sharp, retractable, can be extended to capture prey. It has tropical affinities.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 1000 m

• Snipefish Macroramphosus scolopax jk [Trumpetfish] Mouth pointed and with a large bone in the dorsal fin. It forms small schools in deep waters. It takes on a silvery colour when swimming in the water column.

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• Cardinal fish Apogon imberbis t Common in crevices and in small caves during the day, patrols during the night. Males carry eggs inside their mouths, which they cannot close for the entire incubation period.

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• Apogonichthyoides nigripinnis tc Native to the Red Sea, it is present only in the southernmost part of the eastern basin. Shelters in crevices and small holes during the day, patrols during the night. Males carry eggs inside their mouths.

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• African striped grunt t

Parapristipoma octolineatum

With a tropical Atlantic distribution, it is only present in the southern areas of the western Mediterranean. Forms small schools although sometimes encountered alone.

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tc • Red soldier fish Sargocentron rubrum

Shelters in dark places during the day, solitarily or in small groups.

Native to the Red Sea, it has colonized the southernmost part of the eastern basin, where it is abundant.

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48

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cm

6

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damselfish, seaperch and combers fish

tc • Sweeper Pempheris vanicolensis Shelters in crevices and small caves during the day, forming schools. Native to the Red Sea, it has colonized the southeastern Mediterranean.

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• Damselfish Chromis chromis tk Sometimes solitary, they usually form huge schools. Males territorial, they protect their eggs layed in crevices. Juveniles bright blue.

Ray’s bream Brama brama Large fish, up to 80 cm long, lives in the water column, always in deep waters, where it preys on shrimp and other swimming crustaceans.

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• Swallowtail seaperch Anthias anthias t Forms huge schools above coralligenous outcrops. The second and third bones of the dorsal fin are elongated in males.

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• Comber Serranus cabrilla th Small but voracious predator. In the northern Mediterranean it is frequent below 3 meters depth; in southern areas it has a deeper distribution.

Zu cristatus Extraordinary fish inhabiting the water column. Uncommon, it is seen only occasionally.

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jt • Brown comber Serranus hepatus The smallest Mediterranean comber, lives mainly on deep sedimentary bottoms, where it can be found close to boulders, shells, sea fans, big sponges or even trash (bottles, plastics).

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ht • Painted comber Serranus scriba

Inhabits shallow bottoms. Territorial, every fish is both male and female at the same time.

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49

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fish mackerels, bonito and similar fish

• Mackerel Scomber scombrus k Forms large schools offshore. Feeds on small fish in summer; in spring feeds on plankton, which it filters through its open mouth.

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• Chub mackerel k

Scomber japonicus

Differs from the mackerel by its paler dorsal stripes and the presence of grey spots on the belly.

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k • Bonito Sarda sarda

Fast pelagic predator that engages in long migrations.

Aggregates in large schools, feeding on sardines, anchovies and other small pelagic fish. It is frequent in coastal waters, but only gets close to shore in capes and near steep rocky shores.

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• Bullet tuna Auxis rochei k [Frigate mackerel] Smaller than the bonito and with a different stripe pattern on the back.

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k • Oceanic bonito Katsuwonus pelamis

[Skipjack tuna] Gregarious and migratory fast pelagic predator from warm waters.

It has 3 to 5 dark longitudinal stripes on the belly. Present offshore, it avoids coastal waters.

White trevally Pseudocaranx dentex Coastal subtropical fish, with thick lips, retractable mouth and yellow caudal fin. Seldomly reported from the southern Mediterranean.

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k • Little tunny

Euthynnus alletteratus

Tropical, fast pelagic fish with dark irregular patterns on the back and dark spots below the pectoral fins.

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58

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25

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tuna and others fish

• Bluefin tuna k Thunnus thynnus

Large, impressive pelagic predator, very fast, lives in open waters where it aggregates in large schools that perform long migrations.

This species prefers to spawn in the Mediterranean Sea. Bluefin tuna enter and leave the Mediterranean Sea by the Strait of Gibraltar, where they are have been caught since ancient times with tunny nets.

Because of its extraordinary economic value this fish has been severely overfished, making it extremely vulnerable, even if it was very abundant in the past.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 m

Swordfish Xiphias gladius Has a long, flattened sword and a short, rigid dorsal fin. Mediterranean populations are heavily overfished.

k • Long-fin tuna Thunnus alalunga

[Albacore] Habits and habitats similar to the bluefin tuna, differs from it by its longer pectoral fins and a very tall body. Meat is also very tasty. Prefers warm waters.

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White marlin Kajikia albida Powerful pelagic predator, it has a wider body and a longer sword than the Mediterranean marlin (Tetrapturus belone), very rare.

kh • Yellowmouth barracuda Sphyraena viridensis Gathers in large schools in coastal areas harbouring other schools of small fish. Usually found in capes and coves, infrequent in estuaries.

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• Dolphinfish Coryphaena hippurus k [Mahi mahi] Fast pelagic predator with a worldwide tropical distribution. Aggregates below floating objects, which helps fishermen catch it.

Silver scabbard fish Lepidopus caudatus Long, silvery pelagic predator with large, strong teeth. Restricted to deep waters.

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fish wrasses

tjh • Rainbow wrasse Coris julis

Very abundant on rocky bottoms and seagrass meadows, it buries itself in the sand at dusk. Large males have a different colour pattern.

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• Ornate wrasse Thalassoma pavo t With subtropical affinities, it is currently spreading across the northern Mediterranean. Gathers in large spawning aggregations in summer.

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• Pearly razorfish Xyrichtys novacula j [Cleaver wrasse] Inhabits sandy bottoms with small seagrass. Very territorial, each male defends a female harem. It dives into the sand to hide.

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th • Peacock

wrasse

Symphodus tinca

Most wrasses show genderspecific colour patterns. In this species, males are more brightly coloured than females. Males build nests during spring using seaweeds. Females lay their eggs in these nests and males protect them until they hatch.

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Peacock wrasse female, slightly smaller and with subdued colours.

th • Symphodus ocellatus Habits similar to peacock wrasses. Variable colour patterns, but all of them have a colourful spot on the operculum.

Schools of juveniles appear in October.

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wrasses fish

• Goldsinny wrasse Ctenolabrus rupestris t No differences in colour patterns between males and females. Small and solitary, it usually lives in low-light environments.

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jth • Symphodus cinereus Relatively pale compared with other wrasses, it inhabits locations with mixed rocks, sand and seagrass.

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th • Symphodus doderleini No differences in colour patterns between genders, both have a lateral white stripe on the body. Solitary or in pairs.

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th • Axillary wrasse

Symphodus mediterraneus

More robust than other similar species, it swims in pairs on rocky bottoms and in seagrass meadows. Males have several blue lines and spots on the body and the head.

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th • Symphodus melanocercus Usually found cleaning larger fish.

Males and females have different colour patterns.

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• Symphodus rostratus ht Has a long mouth. Moves slowly among the seagrass, but is effectively camouflaged.

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• Symphodus roissali t Variable colour patterns, it inhabits shallow rocky bottoms.

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fish wrasses, parrotfish, rabbitfish

• Cuckoo wrasse Labrus mixtus t

Males with several blue lines. Females not as brightly coloured, with white and black spots on the back. Usually found on coralligenous outcrops.

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th • Brown wrasse Labrus merula Robust, its colour can vary between green, brown and dark blue (males). Very vulnerable to spearfishing, it is a good indicator of fishing pressure.

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• Green wrasse th

Labrus viridis

Colour varies from green to orange, always dotted, it is usually found in seagrass meadows. A predator, it hides between the leaves to capture its prey. Vulnerable to spearfishing.

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th • Parrotfish Sparisoma cretense

A warm water species, males and females have different colour patterns, females being brighter than males. The only Mediterranean representative of a fish family very abundant in tropical seas.

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thc • Squaretail rabbitfish Siganus luridus [Dusky spinefoot] Invasive species from the Red Sea, it feeds on algae and has a noteworthy impact on marine vegetation. Likely to spread as the climate warms.

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• Rivulated rabbitfish

Siganus rivulatus

thc

[Marbled spinefoot] Invasive species from the Red Sea, it feeds on small turf algae, removing vegetated cover. Schooling fish, similar to the native fish salema.

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62

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triggerfish, sunfish and others fish

• Grey triggerfish t Balistes capriscus

Mouth small but strong, with very fierce teeth. Nests in the sand. Inquisitive and aggressive, mainly when protecting its eggs.

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thc • Stephanolepis diapros Native to the Red Sea, it is an introduced species belonging to an essentially tropical family of fish. Occurs on shallow bottoms, only in the eastern basin.

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• Ocean sunfish k Mola mola

A large, bulky fish that lives in the water column, although it can also be seen close to the bottom, which it visits to be “cleaned” by small benthic fish. It is usually very shy around divers, but can sometimes be approached. Easily seen in calm seas, resting on the water surface, from where it can be easily caught.

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• Silverstripe blaasop Lagocephalus sceleratus thc Invasive fish, native to the Red Sea. Can be easily confused with other species of the same family, also Mediterranean invaders.

Voracious predator, with a strong bite. Its meat is toxic to humans.

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• Remora k Remora remora

Has a cephalic sucker that it uses to attach to large marine vertebrates such as sharks, rays and turtles. There are other similar species.

Remora attached to shark.

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40

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fish gobies and similar

tj • Leopard-spotted goby

Thorogobius ephippiatus

Has black spots on a grey to white body. It inhabits caves and holes on coralligenous outcrops.

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• Large-scaled goby tj

Thorogobius macrolepis

Brown to yellow spots on its body and head. Inhabits deep bottoms, mainly edges between coralligenous outcrops and sandy bottoms.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 m

• Coralline goby Odondebuenia balearica tj Small reddish goby, with blue vertical stripes on the body. Very difficult to spot, but common in maërl beds.

Fries’s goby Lesueurigobius friesii Inhabits deep, muddy and gravel bottoms, together with other similar species. Its body and fins have yellow spots.

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• Black-faced blenny t

Tripterygion delaisi

Sexually-active males have a yellow body and a black head.

Females distinguished by a black spot at the start of the caudal fin.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 m

Common goby Pomatoschistus microps Found mainly in estuarine conditions, shallow bays and coastal lagoons. It belongs to a genus of similar small gobies, very common on sandy and muddy bottoms.

t • Tripterygion tripteronotus

Sexually-active males reddish, with black head.

Females do not have a black spot at the start of the caudal fin.

Restricted to shallow waters.

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• Tripterygion melanurum t

Small. Reddish body and a head covered with black spots.

Similar to Microlipophrys nigriceps and coexists with it.

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• Clinitrachus argentatus t Common but difficult to spot amongst the seaweeds, in shallow waters. Moves slowly and can be easily caught.

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flat fish fish

• Scaldfish Arnoglossus laterna j One of several Mediterranean scaldfish.

All of them are expert mimics and lie camouflaged in the sediment.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 m

• Four spot megrim j Lepidorhombus boscii

Medium sized flatfish with a big mouth, often caught in trawl nets. The megrim (L. whiffiagonis) is similar but without dark spots on the dorsal and anal fins.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 1000 m

• Spotted flounder j Citharus linguatula

Has large mouth and scales. It can be recognised by the presence of black spots on the base of the dorsal and anal fins. Frequently caught in trawl nets.

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• Wide-eye flounder j Bothus podas

The most common flatfish encountered while diving. It buries into the sand but hides a meter behind its burial location.

Turbot Scophthalmus maximus Similar to the brill but wider, almost rectangular in shape, and with a continuous dorsal fin.

Reared in fish farms, common in fish markets.

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j • Brill

Scophthalmus rhombus

[Kite] Large flatfish, wide, with the first spines of the dorsal fin free, giving the appearance of a beard.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 m

• Sole Solea solea jo There are several Mediterranean soles, often difficult to differentiate. All of them inhabit sandy and muddy bottoms, usually in deep waters but also in the shallow waters of bays, estuaries, lagoons and harbours. The common sole is one of the most appreciated table fish.

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12

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crustaceans shrimps and norway lobster

j • Scarlet shrimp Aristaeopsis edwardsiana A large scarlet shrimp with spines on the back of its abdominal segments. Found only in areas near the Atlantic Ocean.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 1000 m

• Red shrimp j

Aristeus antennatus

A deliciously tasty shrimp, it inhabits the deepest bottoms and is caught by trawls in submarine canyons, where it lays its eggs.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 1000 m

• Giant red shrimp j

Food delicacies Shrimps and lobsters are the quintessence of Mediterranean gastronomy.

With a pleasant and distinctive taste, they can attain very high prices in the fish market.

Aristaeomorpha foliacea

Bright red, its forehead has a thin extension (rostrum) with several small teeth. Populations decreasing.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 1000 m

• Striped shrimp Melicertus kerathurus jo Inhabits shallow waters, also in coastal lagoons and bays. Buries into the sediment during the day and is active at night. Can be reared in aquaculture farms.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 1000 m

• Deep-water rose shrimp j

Parapenaeus longirostris

Has a thick, pale abdomen, similar to the striped shrimp.

Inhabits deep muddy bottoms, with other shrimps.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 1000 m

• White glass shrimp Pasiphaea sivado j

Translucent body with red hues on the back and belly. Principal prey of hake and blue whiting.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 1000 m

• Norway lobster j

Nephrops norvegicus

[Scampi] Digs burrows in the sand, where it spends the day, emerging at dusk and night to patrol and feed.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 1000 m

88

0

cm

5

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lobsters crustaceans

• Lobster Homarus gammarus jt Has huge claws, weighs up to 6 kg. Inhabits muddy bottoms with rocks. The species usually found in markets is its relative, the American lobster (Homarus americanus).

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 1000 m

th • Small slipper lobster Scyllarus arctus

Hides during the day inside caves, under boulders and among seagrass rhizomes, but is active at night.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 1000 m

• Slipper lobster Scyllarides latus t Gathers on the ceilings of shallow water caves in spring to lay its eggs. For the rest of the year it probably lives deeper and is active only at night.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 1000 m

t • Pink spiny

lobster

Palinurus mauritanicus

Similar to the common spiny lobster, it is paler, its head carapace has two conspicuous lateral rows of spines, and lives at greater depths than its relative.

Fish markets often stock the royal spiny lobster (Panulirus regius), with green and purple hues, sourced from abroad.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 1000 m

t • Spiny lobster Palinurus elephas

[Crawfish] An important target for fishermen, its populations have decreased sharply due of overharvesting. Has long larval stage –up to five months in the plankton– that allows larvae to spread widely; new recruits at a site may often have come from very distant locations.

Caught with nets and basket traps.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 1000 m

0

cm

15

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crustaceans crabs

• Calappa granulata j Claws very wide and cover the front of the body. Inhabits gravel and maërl bottoms, where it is caught in nets.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 1000 m

t • Sponge crab

Dromia personata

This crab grips sponges, sometimes tunicates, with its rear legs to cover its velvet body. Moves slowly and can be seen mainly in submerged caves while diving.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 1000 m

• Warty crab Eriphia verrucosa it

Oyster crab Nepinnotheres pinnotheres Can occasionally be found as a commensal inside fan mussels, also inside tunicates. Forays occasionally outside its host, but returns quickly when it senses danger.

Lives in very shallow waters, usually in the surf zone, where it hides inside crevices. Has a tough body, and can run suprisingly fast.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 1000 m

• Nut crab Ilia nucleus jh Inhabits muddy bottoms and seagrass meadows, where it buries itself in the sediment to hunt.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 1000 m

• Hairy crab t

Pilumnus hirtellus

Resembles a miniature warty crab.

Very common at shallow and medium depths, were it is often unnoticed because of its small size.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 1000 m

ht • Broad-clawed porcelain crab Porcellana platycheles

Easy to identify by its hairy body, it always hides in shallow waters, under rocks, inside holes or among seagrass rhizomes.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 1000 m

92

0

cm

4

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crabs crustaceans

• Common shore crab Carcinus aestuarii jho Found in estuaries, in seagrass beds and on the sediment.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 1000 m

j • Harbour crab

Liocarcinus depurator

Carrion feeder, it inhabits muddy and sandy bottoms. Caught in trawl nets, it is sold in fish markets.

Sea urchin crab Percnon gibbesi Originally from the Atlantic Ocean, it has recently spread all over the Mediterranean. Hides in crevices, at shallow depths.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 1000 m

• Portunid crab j Macropipus tuberculatus

Head with two pointed lateral extensions. It is sold in fish markets.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 1000 m

• Runner crab i

Pachygrapsus marmoratus

The most abundant crab found outside the water, scampering on littoral rocks.

Pennant’s swimming crab Portumnus latipes Inhabits shallow sandy bottoms. Some populations are now extinct because of human activities.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 1000 m

• Velvet swimming crab

Necora puber

jt

Very tasty and considered a delicacy, most velvet swimming crabs in fish markets come from the Atlantic Ocean. This species is rare in the Mediterranean, where it inhabits shallow, highly sedimented rocky bottoms.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 1000 m

t • Edible crab

Cancer pagurus

Large and pulpy, this nocturnal crab inhabits both rocky and sedimentary bottoms. It is very rare in the Mediterranean and all crabs found in fish markets come from the Atlantic Ocean, where it is very abundant.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 1000 m

0

cm

4

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molluscs cockles, venus and clams

j • Rough cockle

j • Spiny cockle

Acanthocardia tuberculata

Acanthocardia aculeata

[Warty cockle] Thick valves, with radial ribs, without spines.

Valves with radial ribs covered in rows of sharp spines.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 500 m

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 500 m

• Smooth clam j

• Prickly cockle j

[Brown venus] Shell smooth, bright, striped.

Valves with radial ribs covered with rows of wide, scaly spines.

Callista chione

Acanthocardia echinata

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 500 m

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 m

j • Striped venus

jo • Golden carpet clam

Chamelea gallina

Polititapes aureus

Shell small, with concentric ridges.

Valves with thin concentric ridges. Colour variable.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 500 m

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 500 m

• Flask shell t

o • Lagoon cockle

Rocellaria dubia Holes carved by Rocellaria dubia on rocks indicate its presence.

Inside rocks. Possible to locate only by the presence of two small holes carved on rocks.

Valves with radial ribs and concentric stripes.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 500 m

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 500 m

Cerastoderma glaucum

oc • Manila clam Venerupis philippinarum [ Japanese calico clam] Invasive, differs from the calico clam by its rougher shell and by having its siphons largely joined together.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 500 m

• Calico clam o

j • Oxheart

Venerupis decussata

[Checkerboard] Valves with thin concentric ridges and radial rays. Siphons separate for their entire length.

clam

Glossus humanus

Shell heart shaped when viewed from the side.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 500 m

j • Warty venus

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 m

j • Venus casina

Venus verrucosa

Valves thick, large, and with wide and prominent concentric ridges.

Less thick than the warty venus.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 500 m

108

0

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 m

cm

4

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wedge shells and razor-shells molluscs

j • Wedge shell

o • Flat tellin

Other similar Mediterranean species but this is the most common on beaches, close to the surf zone.

[Peppery furrow shell] Large shell, white or pale grey, growing buried in the mud in estuarine environments.

Donax trunculus

Scrobicularia plana

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 m

• Short razor shell j

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 m

Cut through shell Spisula subtruncata Very abundant in fine sands in front of beaches. Often unnoticed because of its small size.

Solecurtus strigilatus

[Stout clam] Common but never abundant in fine sands and muddy bottoms.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 m

• Rayed through shell Mactra stultorum jo Large shell, white or with concentric and radial stripes.

Inhabits shallow fine sands.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 m

• Common piddock Pholas dactylus j Whitish, long-ribbed shells that dig out galleries in compact muddy bottoms.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 m

jo • Sword razor-shell

j • Otter

Ensis minor

shell

Shell very long and straight, adorned on the outside with dark and pale stripes.

Commercially important.

Lutraria lutraria

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 m

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 m

[Lutraria clam] Can be abundant on beaches of fine sands.

jo • Grooved razor-shell Solen marginatus

Straight, long and wide shell.

Digs out vertical burrows in the sediment.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 m

j • Curvate razor-shell Ensis ensis

Common shipworm Teredo navalis Worm-shaped, it has two small valves on one side.

Burrows in all kinds of wood, capable of eventually destroying any man-made wooden structure.

Differs form other razor shells by its curved shape. Most razor shells we buy in fish markets and seafood shops come from the Atlantic Ocean, where they are far more abundant.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 m

0

cm

3

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cnidarians anemones

• Actinia cari t Green, with dark concentric lines and short and abundant stinging tentacles that can retract completely.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 m

ti • Beadlet anemone Actinia equina Dark bright red, with stinging tentacles that can be completely retracted. Lives always at the sea level, both in sheltered and exposed areas.

Cylinder anemone Cerianthus membranaceus Long retractable tubes, fixed in the sediment.

More than 100 variouslycoloured tentacles emerge from the tops of the tubes. Ubiquitous, including in harbours.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 m

• Trumpet anemone t

Aiptasia mutabilis

Large and with grey, apparently fragile, marbled tentacles. Usually hides in small rock crevices.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 m

t • Snakelocks anemone Anemonia viridis

Very abundant at some sheltered locations. Although tentacles sting, it is considered a delicacy in some areas, where it is eaten fried.

Berried anemone Alicia mirabilis Forms a bulky cone-shaped violet mass when retracted. When extended, the tube measures up to 40 cm long, is bulky, grey, and with long, curled tentacles at the end.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 m

jt • Parasitic anemone

Calliactis parasitica

Typical, although not exclusive, of dead snail shells occupied by hermit crabs.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 m

j • Golden anemone Condylactis aurantiaca Large anemone of sandy sedimentary bottoms. Has grey tentacles with violet tips. Used as a refuge by different species of crab and small shrimp.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 500 m

• Fat anemone Cribrinopsis crassa t Usually found on rocky bottoms, it has a colour pattern similar to the golden anemone but its tentacles are shorter and thicker.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 500 m

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cm

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star corals, cup-corals and jewel anemones cnidarians

• Yellow star coral Astroides calycularis t Large, bright yellow, calcified colonies that mainly inhabit shallow and exposed rocky bottoms. Distribution restricted to the southernmost part of the western basin and to the Adriatic Sea. 0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 m

• Sunset cup-coral t Leptopsammia pruvoti

Calcified, bright yellow solitary coral.

Especially abundant in coralligenous outcrops and at cave entrances, always in low-light conditions.

Hidden cup-coral Phyllangia americana mouchezii Small calcified colonies with large polyps. Very attractive, transparent, marbled tentacles covered with white dots and with bright white tips.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 m

• Pig tooth coral t Balanophyllia europaea

Calcified brownish solitary coral, hosts symbiotic algae. Inhabits well-illuminated rocky bottoms.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 m

• Golden star coral Balanophyllia regia t Calcified, orange solitary coral, very small, present among algae, on shallow rocky bottoms.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 m

• Caryophyllia inornata t Calcified coral, both solitary or in small colonies, white to pinkish. Has transparent tentacles with white dots concentrated at the tips.

Polycyathus muellerae Flat calcified colonies with several separate polyps variable in colour.

Inhabits ceilings and projections, in relatively shallow waters.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 m

t • Pillow coral

Cladocora caespitosa

Hemispheric calcified colonies of hundreds of brown polyps, with symbiotic microalgae.

Can aggregate in favourable places.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 200 500 m

0

cm

2

Jewel anemone Corynactis viridis Soft, colonial or individual animals with an irregular geographical distribution. Colour pattern very variable, with the apical parts of the tentacles rounded. Also found in harbours.

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seagrasses and lichens

Seagrasses: flowering plants Seagrasses evolved from terrestrial plants, and all species still produce flowers that bear fruit after fertilization. This is the main feature distinguishing flowering plants from the rest of marine photosynthetic organisms. They can form huge meadows on sedimentary bottoms but some species can also thrive on rocks.

• Neptune grass htj

Posidonia oceanica

Lichens

Mediterranean endemic, it is made up by shoots composed of several ribbon-like leaves up to 1 meter long, bunches of enduring rhizomes that grow upwards and creates long lasting reefs, and small thick roots. Flowers in autumn. Floating fruits are released in May and are known as sea olives.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 500 m

ho • Zostera noltii Verrucaria amphibia Enduring, hard, black crusts that grow several meters above the surface, mainly on northoriented rocks.

Very thin leaves, up to 2 mm wide; mainly in estuaries and bays.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 500 m

• Tape grass hjc

Halophila stipulacea

Invasive species from the Red Sea. Eastern basin.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 500 m

hjo • Little Neptune grass Cymodocea nodosa

Rhizomes pink with annular scars, the upper margins of the leaves are finely dentate.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 500 m

122

ho • Eelgrass Zostera marina Almost completely restricted to coastal lagoons and bays with estuarine conditions, its rhizomes are thin and not enduring. Flowers enclosed in the sheaths of the leaf bases.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 500 m

0

cm

10

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green seaweeds

Seaweeds Seaweeds do not strictly exist as a distinct group in the pure evolutionary sense since they share no common ancestor. The organisms presented here have three common features: they all have cells with a well-differentiated nucleus, they process light to grow (and therefore have chlorophyll) and they never produce flowers or fruits. They are the main elements in welllit, rocky seascapes and are therefore omnipresent in the most human-accessible marine environments.

green

brown

red

• Cladophora pellucida t Has a very long basal cell. Bright green, it inhabits dark exposed locations.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 500 m

• Cladophora prolifera t Dark green, the basal cell is covered by annular rhizoids, which originate above. Mainly found in sheltered locations.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 500 m

• Cladophora vagabunda toi

Ulva compressa Green sheets, shaped like an elongated bag.

This and other similar species proliferate in nutrient-rich locations.

Long, branched filaments aggregated in masses, very common in pools, bays and coastal lagoons.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 500 m

• Chaetomorpha aerea t Unbranched filaments resembling stiff strands of hair. Lives on littoral rock, mainly in sheltered places and rockpools.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 500 m

Ulva fasciata Green, lobed flat sheets, irregularly shaped.

Usually submerged, seldom above the water level, proliferate in nutrient-rich locations.

• Chaetomorpha linum o Bundles of entangled unbranched filaments, not attached to the bottom.

Found in bays and coastal lagoons.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 500 m

i • Chaetomorpha mediterranea Clumps of unbranched, slender, entangled filaments, on littoral rock.

0 1 2 5 10 25 50 100 500 m

0

cm

5

Sea lettuce Ulva rigida Dark green, lobed flat sheets irregularly shaped, with a thick base. This and other similar species are found in nutrient-rich locations.

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