A Novel Frontier in the Geographic Distribution of the Japanese Sea Cucumber Apostichopus japonicus (Selenka, 1867) (Stichopodidae: Holothuroidea) in the World

Year 2024, , 1 - 10, 31.03.2024

Mehmet Aydın , Uğur Karadurmuş , Selahattin Ünsal Karhan , Mehmet Baki Yokeş

https://doi.org/10.33714/masteb.1439845

Abstract

The natural distribution of the Japanese sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus Selenka, 1867), a sea cucumber species, is characterized by the Northwest Pacific. Long-term monitoring studies from 2020 to 2024 document a significant deviation from the known natural distribution of A. japonicus and its ability to extensively colonize the Gulf of Izmit, the easternmost part of the Sea of Marmara. This record is also the first documentation of the species from the Mediterranean Sea. Population data extracted from 67 samples allowed the determination of size and weight distribution, length-weight relationship, and condition factor. The study delves into the implications for fisheries management by evaluating the species’ dispersion beyond its natural range and its adaptation, shedding light on potential threats from illegal hookah diving fisheries. While its presence offers potential economic benefits through fishing income, its emergence as an invasive species can pose critical ecological risks to the receiving ecosystem.

Keywords

Holothurian, First record, Range expansion, Colonization, Population dynamics, Mediterranean Sea, Sea of Marmara

Ethical Statement

No ethics committee permissions are required for this study

Supporting Institution

TÜBİTAK

Project Number

ARDEB 1002 [grant number 122Y004]

Thanks

The authors extend their gratitude to the volunteer divers and fishing cooperatives for their essential role in long-term monitoring studies and data provision. Special thanks to the Kocaeli Port Authority for contributing maritime traffic data and enhancing the precision of our research.

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