Page 6 - Mannino_Balistreri_2017

226 Mannino & Balistreri: An updated overview of invasive Caulerpa taxa ...

Fig. 1. Known sites of occurrence of Caulerpa cylindracea in Sicily and circum-Sicilian Islands (see
Table 1 for the site codes).

nous and introduced macrophytes, such as Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile (on matte as
well as along the borders), Cymodocea nodosa (Ucria) Ascherson, Ruppia cirrhosa
(Petagna) Grande, Halophila stipulacea (Forsskål) Ascherson, Cystoseira species,
Asparagopsis taxiformis (Delile) Trevisan, Ulva rigida C. Agardh, Dictyota spiralis
Montagne, Caulerpa prolifera (Forsskål) J.V. Lamouroux, C. taxifolia and C. taxifolia var.
distichophylla.

Caulerpa taxifolia (invasive aquarium strain)
Distribution (Table 2 and Fig. 4): Caulerpa taxifolia was first observed in Sicily (off the
coast of the Strait of Messina in 1993) ten years after its first Mediterranean record. In
2004 it was recorded along the coasts of Favignana Island. After that we have not had any
further records till now.
Colonisation level: the level of colonisation ranged from patches to meadows (ranging
from 0.5 mq to 1 ha).
Habitat (Fig. 2B, 3C): this alga was mainly found from 0 to 30 m depth, on rocky and
sandy substrates, on dead matte of P. oceanica, intermingled with macroalgae or associated
to A. taxiformis, C. nodosa and C. cylindracea.