Occurrence of Paraleucilla magna (Porifera: Calcarea) in the eastern Adriatic Sea

Abstract

           The paper presents the first record of non-indigenous calcareous sponge Paraleucilla magna Klautau, Monteiro & Borojevic, 2004 in the area of the eastern Adriatic coast. The species was observed in the central Adriatic Sea in the area of Ploče harbour (international maritime transport) in 2011. It was present at depth from 0.5 m to 7 m in fouling community of photophilic algae and filter feeders. Maximal recorded abundance of this sponge was 4-5 N m^-2 in the autumn. Collected data are the base for future monitoring of sponge’s spreading in the area of the eastern Adriatic coast.