Μake us preferred on Google A crab species native to the Indian Ocean has been recorded for the first time in Greek waters, after researchers identified a male Liomera rugipes off the island of Rhodes.
The specimen was collected in the Ladiko area at a depth of 50 to 55 meters. According to the Rhodes Hydrobiological Station, the discovery is particularly significant because it represents the westernmost record of Liomera rugipes documented so far in the Mediterranean.
Morphological and genetic identification
Researchers conducted a detailed morphological examination to confirm the specimen’s identity. Particular attention was paid to the characteristics of the male’s first gonopod, a morphological feature that played a key role in the reliable identification of the species.
The researchers also carried out a molecular analysis of the specimen, resulting in the first DNA barcode sequence recorded for Liomera rugipes.
The genetic information could provide an important tool for future research, allowing scientists to identify additional specimens and monitor the crab’s geographic spread across the Mediterranean.
From the Indian Ocean to the Eastern Mediterranean
Liomera rugipes is naturally distributed in the Indian Ocean. Its appearance in Rhodes adds to records of non-native marine organisms spreading through the Eastern Mediterranean.
One of the main routes by which non-native species are considered to reach the Mediterranean is through movement from the Red Sea via the Suez Canal.
The new record also highlights Rhodes’ role in monitoring marine biological invasions. Located at the southeastern edge of the Aegean Sea, the island is a key location for the early detection of new non-native species and for tracking their spread in Greek waters.
Greek research institutions collaborate
The study was conducted by scientific staff from the Rhodes Hydrobiological Station and the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research’s Institutes of Oceanography, Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, in collaboration with scientists from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
The findings were published in the scientific journal BioInvasions Records in a study titled “First record and DNA barcoding of Liomera rugipes (Heller, 1861) (Brachyura: Xanthidae) in Hellenic waters.”
The scientific paper was authored by Konstantinos Kalaentzis, Gerasimos Kondylatos, Paraskevi Louizidou, Styliani Minoudi.
