Exploring the Nudibranchia diversity, a specialized group of gastropods, from ports and marinas revealed a powerful way to early detect Mediterranean non-indigenous species and to uncover overlooked endemic diversity. During a survey in the Port of Civitavecchia, Rome, Italy (Tyrrhenian Sea), one specimen belonging to the neglected genus Vayssierea Risbec, 1928 was detected. Morphological and molecular analyses, based on the C...

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 introduce...

This Collective Article compiles information on nineteen (19) species recorded in seven (7) Mediterranean countries (Croatia, Cyprus, Italy, Malta, Slovenia, Syria, and Türkiye) and across four major sub-basins (Adriatic, Western, Central, and Eastern Mediterranean). The documented taxa represent eight (8) phyla: Annelida (four species), Arthropoda (three), Bryozoa (one), Chordata (two), Cnidaria (two), Mollusca (five), Chloro...

In this work, the monitoring and characterization of large microplastics (1–5 mm) collected from sandy beaches of Vulcano Island (Aeolian Islands, Sicily, Italy) were carried out for the first time. Microplastics were sampled from two beaches, “Gelso” and “Sabbie Nere,” in three different time periods. The following characteristics of microplastic samples were assessed: quantity, distribution, categories, color, polymer type,...

Studies of non-indigenous species (NIS) often tend to focus on medium and large-sized taxa with potential for remarkable ecological and/or economic impact, whereas the early detection of small invertebrates is often delayed due to taxonomic challenge, lack of consistent, standardised monitoring efforts and limited funding. This study represents the first records of the marine amphipod Laticorophium baconi (Shoemaker, 1934) in...