Ericaria bosphorica (Sauvageau) Serio & G. Furnari, 2021

Serio, Donatella & Furnari, Giovanni, 2021, Ericaria giacconei sp. nov. (Sargassaceae, Fucophyceae), the species to which the invalidly published Cystoseira hyblaea Giaccone should be referred, Cryptogamie, Algologie 20 (10), pp. 141-151 : 148

Ericaria bosphorica (Sauvageau) Serio & G. Furnari comb. nov.

Cystoseira bosphorica Sauvageau , Bulletin de la Station biologique d’Arcachon 14: 413, 529 ( Sauvageau 1912).

Finally, the particular habitat of the Porto Palo population of E. giacconei is noteworthy. As stated, that species was found in association with a bioconstruction of Sabellaria alveolata (Linnaeus, 1767) (Annelida, Polychaeta) ( Fig. 5A, B ), first observed in 2018 ( Sanfilippo et al. 2020).

Periodic observations conducted in the last few years showed that the E. giacconei community is expanding (it currently covers an area of about 100 m 2 with a specific coverage of 80%). The relationship between S. alveolata and E. giacconei seems to be not casual but synergistic, and the two species intergrow, with the perennial portion of E. giacconei thalli seemingly protected by the surrounding permeable agglutinated worm structure ( Fig. 5B ). Further studies are underway to follow the evolution of the bioconstruction and E. giacconei population, ascertain the nature of main species relationships and assess the biodiversity of this distinctive association.

Figures

FIG. 5. — Ericaria giacconei sp. nov. and Sabellaria alveolata (Linnaeus, 1767) from “Porto Palo di Capo Passero” (Sicily): A, overview of the bottom covered by a E. giacconei and S. alveolata biocostructions; B, A thallus of E. giacconei encircled by S. alveolata.