New species of fish and crustaceans in Montenegrin waters (South Adriatic Sea)

Abstract

        The structure and composition of Mediterranean biodiversity has changed significantly. So far, in Montenegrin coastal waters, nine new non-native species have been recorded: Tylosurus acus imperialis, Caranx crysos, Siganus luridus, Fistularia commersonii, Stephanolepis diaspros, Sphoeroides pachygaster, Lagocephalus sceleratus, Callinectes sapidus and Farfantepanaeus aztecus. Allochthonous species are starting to compete for food and space and leading to habitat degradation, socio-economic impacts and can hybridise with the native species. Natural factors and human activities have enabled the arrival of non-native species into the Adriatic Sea. Four of the species are Lessepsian immigrants, which arrived via the Suez Canal, but five others were introduced from the Atlantic Ocean, through the Strait of Gibraltar. Analysis using the Marine Fish Invasiveness Screening Kit (MFISK), Aquatic Invasiveness Screening Kit (AS-ISK) and Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) showed a calibration threshold of 22.5 for MFISK, a BRA (Basic Risk Assessment) score of 34 and a CCA (Climate Change Assessment) score of 46. A measure of the accuracy of the calibration analysis is the area under the ROC curve (AUC). Two species were characterised as non-invasive: Tylosurus acus imperialis and Caranx crysos, but five others were characterised as invasive and covered by the categories from moderate to high-risk.