test First record of the ascidian Ecteinascidia turbinata from Cyprus and its comparative morphology and genetics with Ecteinascidia thurstoni|Mediterranean Marine Science

First record of the ascidian Ecteinascidia turbinata from Cyprus and its comparative morphology and genetics with Ecteinascidia thurstoni

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Published: Dec 15, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.42181
Keywords:
Tunicata bioinvasions fouling Levant basin Mediterranean Sea
CHRISTINA MICHAIL
Marine and Environmental Research Lab, 4533, Limassol, Cyprus
ANDREAS C. DIMITRIOU
School of Veterinary Medicine, European University Cyprus, 2404, Nicosia Cyprus & Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, 2109, Nicosia, Cyprus
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7889-509X
DOROTHÉE HUCHON
School of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel & The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History and Israel National Center for Biodiversity Studies, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5047-244X
PERIKLIS KLEITOU
Marine and Environmental Research Lab, 4533, Limassol, Cyprus
NOA SHENKAR
School of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel & The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History and Israel National Center for Biodiversity Studies, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
Abstract

The genus Ecteinascidia (family Perophoridae) comprises colonial ascidians typically found in warm seas, known for their biomedical significance. Four species have been recorded to date in the Mediterranean, but the records remain patchy due to the similar external morphology of these species and limited taxonomic data. This study presents the first record of the ascidian Ecteinascidia turbinata from Cyprus, extending its Mediterranean range, where it is currently regarded as cryptogenic. Here, we combine morphological and genetic data to compare E. turbinata from Cyprus with congeneric Ecteinascidia thurstoni specimens from Israel, an Indo-Pacific species introduced into the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal, highlighting the key diagnostic features and genetic divergence between the two species. Although the two species resemble each other in external appearance, E. turbinata and E. thurstoni differ in key diagnostic traits, including gut loop shape (open C vs. compact C), zooid length (15-22 mm vs. 4-7 mm), and the number of stigmata rows (17-20 vs. 12-14), respectively. Genetic data from Cypriot specimens indicate close affinity with both neighboring Mediterranean and Atlantic populations, suggesting these areas as possible sources of introduction. Based on the literature, the two species contend with similar environmental conditions, suggesting a potential niche overlap. Future monitoring of Mediterranean ascidian fauna may help to clarify this, especially in the context of global change an its influence on marine biodiversity and species distribution. Our findings also resolve past misidentifications and underscore the value of integrative taxonomy for reliable tracking of ascidian bioinvasions.

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