Exotic crustaceans of the Turkish coast

• Main Authors: A. Suat Ates, Tuncer Katagan, Murat Sezgin, et al.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: International Academy of Ecology and Environmental Sciences 2013-03-01
• Series: Arthropods
• Subjects: exotic crustaceans; Turkish Seas
• Online Access: http://www.iaees.org/publications/journals/arthropods/articles/2013-2(1)/exotic-crustaceans-of-the-Turkish-coast.pdf

A total of 50 exotic species (19 Brachyura, 19 Natantia, 2 Stomatopoda ,6 Amphipoda, 1 Cumacea, 2 Isopoda, and 1 Cirripedia) of crustaceans are reported from the Turkish coast. Exotic crustaceans of the Turkish Seas comprises of approximately 48% of the fauna constituted by invasive species, introduced from the Levantine basin of the Mediterranean. About 34% of invasive crustaceans found on the Turkish coast are Indo-west Pacific origin. Decapods constitute majority of the species with a dominance of 38%. Lowest dominace (2%) was related to orders, Cumacea and Cirripedia a being that were represented by single species. When Levantine basin was compared to the Turkey coast, the shrimp species reported on the Turkish coast were 70% of the shrimp species of all Levantine basin. The exotic migrant crab of Indo-West Pacific, Charybdis helleri was found abundant on the entire Turkish coast of the Mediterranean. Brachyuran crab, Eurycarcinus integrifrons and the oisk shrimp, Palaemonella rotumana are the latest records of exotics for the Turkish Seas.