First molecular barcoding and record of the Indo-Pacific punctuated flatworm Maritigrella fuscopunctata (Newman & Cannon 2000), (Polycladida: Euryleptidae) from the Mediterranean Sea

Adriana Vella, Noel Vella, Mathilde Maslin, Linda Bichlmaier

Conservation Biology Research Group, Department of Biology, University of Malta, Msida MSD2080, MALTA

Abstract

A first record of the punctuated flatworm Maritigrella fuscopunctata (Newman & Cannon 2000) from Maltese waters in the Mediterranean Sea during marine research surveys in summer 2015 is reported in detail. This platyhelminth species is alien to the Mediterranean, as it is native to the Indo-Pacific region. The abundance of this non-indigenous flatworm was observed to be highest in Exiles Bay followed by Spinola Bay (St. Julians) and St. George’s Bay with a few others found elsewhere along the North eastern coast of Malta between the Valletta Harbour and St. George’s Bay. A sample of these specimens observed were photographed and measured (n=40). A few (n=5) were collected to undertake a first molecular barcode for this euryleptid flatworm. Total body length of the specimens observed in the field varied from 20 to 60 mm. Observations in the field indicate that a growing population has been established especially in the presence of the colonial ascidian Ecteinascidia turbinata, found among the various fouling organisms. Molecular genetics of euryleptid flatworm species is still scarce and was missing for this species. The present study also contributed toward filling this gap.

Keywords: Maritigrella fuscopunctata, alien species, DNA barcoding, Mediterranean, Malta

References

Bolanos, D.M., Quiroga, S.Y., Litvaitis, M.K. (2007) Five new species of cotylean flatworms (Platyhelminthes: Polycladida) from the wider Caribbean. Zootaxa 1650:1-23.

Carlton, J.T., Geller, J.B. (1993) Ecological roulette: the global transport of nonindigenous marine organisms. Science 261: 78-82.

Kearse, M., Moir, R., Wilson, A., Stones-Havas, S., Cheung, M., Sturrock, S., Buxton, S., Cooper, A., Markowitz, S., Duran, C., Thierer, T., Ashton, B., Mentjies, P., Drummond, A. (2012) Geneious Basic: an integrated and extendable desktop software platform for the organization and analysis of sequence data. Bioinform 28(12): 1647-1649.

Lang, A. (1884) Fauna und Flora des Golfes von Neapel. Monogr. 11. Die Polycladen (Seeplanarien) des Golfes von Neapelund der angrenzenden Meeresabschnitte. Engelmann, Leipzig, 668 pp.

Maghsoudlou, A., Rahimian, H. (2014) Contribution to the knowledge of cotylean flatworms (Turbellaria, Polycladida) from Iranian coasts: Introducing a new species, with remarks on new records. Zootaxa 3860(4): 325–342.

Nentwig, M.R. (1978) Comparative morphological studies of head development after fission in the planarian Dugesia dorotocephala. Trans. Amer. Micros. Soc. 97:297-309.

Newman, L.J., Cannon, L.R.G. (2000) A new genus of euryleptid flatworm (Platyhelminthes, Polycladida) from the IndoPacific. Journal of Natural History 34: 191-205.

Newman, L.J., Cannon, L.R.G. (2003) Marine Flatworms: the World of Polyclads. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne, Australia, 97 pp.

Newman, L.J., Cannon, L.R.G. (2005) Fabulous Flatworms: A Guide to Marine Polyclads. ABRS and CSIRO Publishing, Canberra and Melbourne, Australia. CD-ROM interactive guide.

Newman, L.J., Norenburg, J.L., Reed, S. (2000) Taxonomic and biological observations on the tiger flatworm, Maritigrella crozieri (Hyman, 1939), new combination (Platyhelminthes, Polycladida, Euryleptidae) from Florida waters.
Journal of Natural History 34:799-808.

Newman, L.J., Schupp, P. (2002) A new species of pseudocerotid flatworm (Platyhelminthes, Poly cladida) from the IndoPacific. Micronesica, 34(2):177-184.

Otero, M., Cebrian, E., Francour, P., Galil, B., Savini, D. (2013) Monitoring Marine Invasive Species in Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas (MPAs): A strategy and practical guide for managers. Malaga, Spain: IUCN. 136 pp.

Portelli, P., Agius, D., Mifsud, C., Deidun, A. (2015) New Mediterranean Biodiversity Records (October 2015) Mediterranean Marine Science Collective Article A. Medit. Mar. Sci., 16(3):689.

Rawlinson, K.A. (2008) Biodiversity of coastal polyclad flatworm assemblages in the wider Caribbean. Marine Biology 153:769-778.

Rawlinson, K.A., Gillis, J.A., Billings, R.E., Borneman, E. (2011) Taxonomy and life history of the Acropora-eating flatworm Amakusaplana acroporae nov. sp. (Polycladida: Prosthiostomidae). Coral Reefs 30 (3):693-705.

Ruppert, E.E., Fox, R.S. (1988) Seashore Animals of the Southeast: A Guide to Common Shallow-water Invertebrates of the Southeastern Atlantic Coast. Univ. South Carolina Press, Columbia, 429 pp.

Sonnenberg, R., Nolte, A., Tautz. D. (2007) An evaluation of LSU rDNA D1-D2 sequences for their use in species identification. Front. Zool. 4 (6): 1-12.

Vella, A. (2015a) Indo-pacific marine flatworm species spotted in Maltese waters. The Maritime directory Malta website news. 15 September 2015. (http://www.maritimedirectory.com.mt/newsread.asp? l=e&ID=3613 (accessed date : 15.09.2015).

Vella, A. (2015b) Dark Spotted Flatworm’ fl-ibħra Maltin. iNEWS Malta 17 September 2015. (http://inewsmalta.com/dart/20150916-dark-spotted-flatwormfl-ib-ra-maltin). (accessed date:17.09.2015).

Vella, A. (2015c) An Indo-pacific marine flatworm species found in Maltese waters: a first scientific record for the Mediterranean in University Webpage and on Newspoint – University of Malta, 15 and 22 September 2015.
(https://www.um.edu.mt/news_on_campus/researchinitiatives/archive/an_indopacific_marine_flatworm_species_spotted_in_maltese_waters, www.um.edu.mt/newspoint/news/features/2015/09/flatwormmaltesewaters) (accessed date 22.09.2015).

Vella, A. (2015d) Indo-pacific marine flatworm species spotted in Maltese waters. The Malta Independent, 23 September 2015. (http://www.independent. com.mt/articles/2015-09-23/newspaper-lifestyleculture/Indo-pacific-marineflatworm-species-spotted-in-Maltese-waters-6736142473) (accessed date: 23.09. 2015).

Young, C.M., Bingham, B.L. (1987) Chemical defense and aposematic coloration in larvae of the ascidian Ecteinascidia turbinata. Mar. Biol. 96: 539-544.