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The current article presents 18 new records from seven Mediterranean countries. These records include one rhodophyte, fournudibranchs, two crustaceans, one stingray and 10 bony fishes. They are grouped by country as follows: Lebanon - first record ofthe Striped bass Morone saxatilis, the stingray Himantura leoparda, the Areolate grouper Epinephelus areolatus and the Spot-finporcupinefish Diodon hystrix from various parts of the country; Turkey - first record of the invasive red alga Grateloupia turuturufrom the sea of Marmara (region of Bandırma), the sea slug Goniobranchus obsoletus and the crab Arcania brevifrons from theGulf of Antalya and the cladoceran Pleopis schmackeri from several locations along the Aegean Sea; Cyprus - first record of thealien sea slug Berthellina citrina from the region of Cape Greco and an observation of a butterflyfish Heniochus sp. from the northeasternside of the island; Greece - first record of the alien sea slug Anteaeolidiella lurana from the region of Heraklion in Creteand the record of the Atlantic spadefish Chaetodipterus faber and the Black surgeonfish Acanthurus cfr gahhm from SalaminaIsland; Slovenia - first record of the alien sea slug Thecacera pennigera from Izola; Italy - first record of the hybrid Striped bass(Morone saxatilis × Morone chrysops) from the northern Tyrrhenian Sea and a first record of the goldfish Carassius auratus fromthe region of Apulia; Libya - first record of the Red Sea goatfish Parupeneus forsskali and the African surgeonfish Acanthurusmonroviae, respectively from the eastern (Al-Tamimi area) and the western shore (Al-Khums area).

The Collective Article on "New Mediterranean Biodiversity Records" offers the means to publish biodiversity records in the Mediterranean Sea. The current article presents new biodiversity data information on 18 taxa (14 alien, 3 native and 1 cryptogenic species) belonging to 5 Phyla that are reported for 11 different countries listed according to their geographic position from the western to the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Algeria: the alien green alga Caulerpa taxifolia var. distichophylla and the heterobranchs Aplysia dactylomeda and Aplysia punctata are first reported from the entire country. France: a new record of the alien hydroid Porpita porpita is reported from the Corsican Sea, representing the second record of the species in the western Mediterranean Sea. Tunisia: the alien fish Scatophagus argus is reported from the Gulf of Gabes, probably representing an aquarium release. Italy: the well-established Mediterranean alien bivalve Malleus regula is first reported from the entire country. Slovenia: the alien marine bivalve Xenostrobus securis is reported for the first time from the entire country. Croatia: the alien gastropod Biuve fulvipunctata is reported for the first time from the country but also from the entire Adriatic Sea. Montenegro: the alien bivalve Rapana venosa is reported for the first time from the Montenegrin waters. Albania: the well-established alien fish Lagocephalus sceleratus and the rare native shark Rhizoprionodon acutus are reported for the first from the entire country. Greece: the rare native ray Leucoraja circularis is reported for the first time from the Argolikos Gulf and for the first time for the entire country its identification is confirmed morphologically and molecularly; additional records of the alien nomad jellyfish Rhopilema nomadic document its expanding distribution, while the occurrence and the alien fishes Sillago suezensis and Pomadasys stridens are reported for the first time from Hellenic waters. Turkey: additional records of the Egyptian Prawn Metapenaeopsis aegyptia are reported with some biological information. Cyprus: the alien fish Variola louti is reported for the first time for the entire Mediterranean Sea, probably released from an aquarium, while the alien moon crab Matuta victor is reported for the first time from the entire country.

This Collective Article presents information on 37 taxa belonging to 6 Phyla and extending from the western Mediterranean to the Levantine Sea. The new records were found in 10 countries as follows: Algeria: first reports on the presence of the fish species Lesueurigobius sanzi, L. friesii, L. suerii and Luvarus imperiali; France: first record of the alien nudibranch Godiva quadricolor; Italy: first record of an adult-sized red emperor snapper Lutjanus sebae from the southern Tyrrhenian Sea; first record of the pantropical rhodophyte Chondria curvilineata and the Lessepsian fish Siganus luridus from southern Sicily; record of a large pregnant female Dusky shark Carcharhinus obscurus off Sicily; Albania: first record of the fish Ruvettus pretiosus, new records of the alien molluscs Conomurex persicus, Bursatella leachii, Dendostrea cf. folium, Fulvia fragilis and Ruditapes philippinarum and additional report of the alien bivalve Pinctada imbricata radiata; Montenegro: first record of the sea slug Thecacera pennigera in the Adriatic Sea; Greece: first record of the invasive calcarean sponge Paraleucilla magna in Greek waters; occupancy estimation of the established cryptogenic rhodophyte Ganonema farinosum, the alien crustacean Percnon gibbesi and the alien fish species Fistularia commersonii, Siganus luridus, and S. rivulatus along the Cretan coastline; first record of the alien mollusc Sticteulimalentiginosa in Greek waters suggesting a westward unintentional expansion of this species; Turkey:photographic evidence of interactions of the monk seal Monachus monachus with sea-cage farms in the Turkish Aegean Sea and first record of the yellow boxfish Ostracion cubicus in the Turkish Mediterranean; Cyprus: first records of the rare speleophilic fish Thorogobius ephippiatus and Grammonus ater in Cyprus, extending the known distribution of the latter Mediterranean endemic species eastwards; first records of the alien fish Kyphosus vaigiensis and the alien crustacean species Macrophthalmus indicusand Carupa tenuipes as well as additional records of the alien echinoderm Diadema setosum and the alien ascidian Symplegma brakenhielmi in the country; Lebanon: first report on the presence of the four alien fish species Cephalopholis taeniops, Equulites popei, Pseudupeneus prayensis and Sphoeroides pachygaster; Egypt: first record of the Lessepsian fish Synchiropus sechellensisin the Egyptian Mediterranean waters.

WOS: 000408538000014, This Collective Article presents information on 37 taxa belonging to 6 Phyla and extending from the western Mediterranean to the Levantine Sea. The new records were found in 10 countries as follows: Algeria: first reports on the presence of the fish species Lesueurigobius sanzi, L. friesii, L. suerii and Luvarus imperiali; France: first record of the alien nudibranch Godiva quadricolor; Italy: first record of an adult-sized red emperor snapper Lutjanus sebae from the southern Tyrrhenian Sea; first record of the pantropical rhodophyte Chondria curvilineata and the Lessepsian fish Siganus luridus from southern Sicily; record of a large pregnant female Dusky shark Carcharhinus obscurus off Sicily; Albania: first record of the fish Ruvettus pretiosus, new records of the alien molluscs Conomurex persicus, Bursatella leachii, Dendostrea cf. folium, Fulvia fragilis and Ruditapes philippinarum and additional report of the alien bivalve Pinctada imbricata radiata; Montenegro: first record of the sea slug Thecacera pennigera in the Adriatic Sea; Greece: first record of the invasive calcarean sponge Paraleucilla magna in Greek waters; occupancy estimation of the established cryptogenic rhodophyte Ganonema farinosum, the alien crustacean Percnon gibbesi and the alien fish species Fistularia commersonii, Siganus luridus, and S. rivulatus along the Cretan coastline; first record of the alien mollusc Sticteulima lentiginosa in Greek waters suggesting a westward unintentional expansion of this species; Turkey: photographic evidence of interactions of the monk seal Monachus monachus with sea-cage farms in the Turkish Aegean Sea and first record of the yellow boxfish Ostracion cubicus in the Turkish Mediterranean; Cyprus: first records of the rare speleophilic fish Thorogobius ephippiatus and Grammonus ater in Cyprus, extending the known distribution of the latter Mediterranean endemic species eastwards; first records of the alien fish Kyphosus vaigiensis and the alien crustacean species Macrophthalmus indicus and Carupa tenuipes as well as additional records of the alien echinoderm Diadema setosum and the alien ascidian Symplegma brakenhielmi in the country; Lebanon: first report on the presence of the four alien fish species Cephalopholis taeniops, Equulites popei, Pseudupeneus prayensis and Sphoeroides pachygaster; Egypt: first record of the Lessepsian fish Synchiropus sechellensis in the Egyptian Mediterranean waters., East and South European Network for Invasive Alien Species - a tool to support the management of alien species in Bulgaria (ESENIAS-TOOLS); EEA [-33-51/30.06.2015]; Turkish Scientific and Technological Research Council (TUBITAK)Turkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [114Y584]; Research Promotion Foundation of Cyprus; European Regional Development FundEuropean Union (EU) [SMES/Product/0609/74]; Department of Fisheries and Marine Research (DFMR) [33/2016], N. Babali would like to thank Mohamed Bouaicha and Wahid Refes for providing valuable data. The authors A. Mouzai Tifoura and A. Bennoui are grateful to the DPRH (Direction de la Peche et des Ressources Halieutiques) of Algiers for its collaboration and providing photos. The authors F. Crocetta and M. Malegue are grateful to Pascal Zani for providing further data regarding the presence of Godiva quadricolor in France. A. Deidun and S. Piraino wish to thank Andrea Crisafi, who caught the red emperor snapper off Palermo for providing information and the photo, and Giuseppe Scafidi, who brought the finding of Lutjanus sebae to the attention of the scientific community. L. Castriota and A. Spinelli are grateful to Marco Spinelli who caught, measured and photographed the Siganus luridus specimen studied. G. Insacco and B. Zava are grateful to the fishermen Orazio and Lorenzo Casaurano, owner of the vessel "La Bella del Mare", 1 PO 882, for the prompt information; these authors also warmly thank Maria Corsini-Foka (HCMR, Hydrobiological Station of Rhodes) for useful comments, which improved a previous draft of this note. I. Giovos and R. Bakiu would like to thank the Head of Radhime Fishing Organisation and Marko Cakalli for their help and assistance on the measurements. The authors E. Xharahi, F. Crocetta, A. Golemaj acknowledge the study of the alien species recorded in Albania that was partially funded by the East and South European Network for Invasive Alien Species - a tool to support the management of alien species in Bulgaria (ESENIAS-TOOLS) (EEA funded - Contract No. -33-51/30.06.2015) (FC). F. Azevedo, S. Galinou-Mitsoudi and V. Gerovasileiou would like to thank Dr. Michelle Klautau and Dr. Eleni Voultsiadou for their valuable help as well as the mussel farmer Spyros Tsiaras for providing the mussel socks of the study material. P. Ovalis and A. Zenetos thank Theodoros Kondrafouris, the fisherman who provided the material. O. Akyol and H. Sen acknowledge that the reporting the sightings of Monachus monachus was funded by the Turkish Scientific and Technological Research Council (TUBITAK Project No. 114Y584). The authors N. Michailidis and M. Rousou thank the professional fisherman Stephanos Sarris for providing the Kyphosus vaigiensis specimen. M. Rousou and C.C. Chintiroglou acknowledge that the Macrophthalmus indicus specimens were collected by MER Lab as part of: (a) the environmental monitoring surveys of the fish farms EMAT Ltd, Telia Vasilko Ltd and Seawave Fisheries Ltd, and (b) the project "A holistic approach for the evaluation of ecological status of coastal areas: the case of Vasiliko Bay" (co-funded by the Research Promotion Foundation of Cyprus and the European Regional Development Fund, grant agreement SMES/Product/0609/74); these authors would also like to thank MER's staff for the sampling and laboratory analysis, and Dr. Davie and Mrs. Corsini Foka for their reviews and feedback. I. Savva and P. Kleitou are grateful to Dr. Fabio Crocetta for his taxonomic revision and contribution to the text, Demetri Kletou (Cyprus) for assisting in field expeditions and providing his photo of the Diadema setosum, as well as Dr. Noa Shenkar (Israel) for confirming the Symplegma brakenhielmi identification; these authors acknowledge that the species Carupa tenuipes and S. brakenhielmi were found as part of a project funded by the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research (DFMR) (Contract No. 33/2016).

In the present article, new records are given for 18 species (6 native, 9 alien and 3 cryptogenic), belonging to 5 Phyla (i.e. Chlorophyta, Cnidaria, Annelida, Mollusca and Chordata), from 8 Mediterranean countries: Spain: A large population of Polycerella emertoni reported from the Ebro Delta, the presence of Spinimuricea klavereni is confirmed for the first time in the Catalan coast; Italy: the new record of Cryptonome turcica extends its distribution to the western Mediterranean Sea, the findings of Mawia benovici constitute the southernmost record of this species in the Adriatic Sea; Slovenia: second record of the alien seaslug Cuthona perca in the Mediterranean Sea; Montenegro: Styela plicata communities were recorded in Boka Kotorska Bay; Albania: the native great torpedo ray Tetronarce nobiliana recorded for the first time in Albanian waters; Greece: first record of Lagocephalus sceleratus in the Greek side of the Adriatic, the records of Cassiopea andromeda and Pterois miles are first records of these species from the Ionian Sea, the colonial ascidians Aplidium coeruleum and Didemnum protectum are recorded for the first time in the Eastern Mediterranean, an extremely abundant population of Melibe viridis is found in Messolonghi lagoon, the record of Synchiropus sechellensis is the range expansion of this species in Greek Seas, Acetabularia caliculus is recorded for the first time from Greece; Cyprus: first records of Callionymus filamentosus and Haminoea cyanomarginata from the island; Turkey: the presence of Berthellina citrina in the Mediterranean is confirmed. © 2018 Mediterranean Marine Science.

Background. The blackspotted smooth-hound, Mustelus punctulatus Risso, 1826, has been regularly caught in the northern Adriatic Sea, although a decreasing trend in its catches was observed off the coast of Slovenia within the last decade. The knowledge of feeding behaviour of elasmobranch fish species, through understanding of the local food web structure, contributes to better and more efficient fish stock assessment and ecosystem modelling. This study is a first step in determining the prey consumption by the blackspotted smooth-hound in the area. Materials and methods. A total of 151 blackspotted smooth-hounds caught by commercial fishermen in the Gulf of Trieste from 4 June 2002 to 4 June 2003 were examined in this study. The stomach contents were removed, sorted and identified to the lowest possible taxon using identification keys. Preys were counted and weighed. Frequency of occurrence (F%), relative abundance (N%), the percentage by weight (W%), the Index of Relative Importance (IRI), and its standardized value (%IRI) were calculated following standard procedures. For compar - ing the diet between four different size classes we calculate average prey weight, dietary diversity, average meal, and trophic level for each size class. Results. A total 130 fish stomachs contained prey items. Crustaceans were the most important prey items (IRI% = 56.14), whereas cephalopods were the second mostly preyed animals (IRI% = 20.2). Teleost fish and bivalves were also found in the stomachs. The most important prey species was Solecurtus strigillatus . Larger sharks consumed larg - er preys. Male and female sharks consumed similar food. Juvenile individuals consumed predominantly crus - taceans, while cephalopods were more important in the diet of adult individuals. The calculated trophic index (TROPH) of M. punctulatus from northern Adriatic Sea was 3.7, showing that it is a highly carnivorous species. Conclusion. This study is a first step in determining prey consumption by Mustelus punctulatus which is, despite the fact that is still common in the area, a rather poorly known species. For elucidating the role of benthic sharks in the study area the further step would be to study the diet of a closely related common smooth-hound M. mustelus.

The Collective Article 'New Mediterranean Biodiversity Records' of the Mediterranean Marine Science journal offers the means to publish biodiversity records in the Mediterranean Sea. The current article is divided in two parts, for records of native and alien species respectively. The new records of native fish species include: the slender sunfish Ranzania laevis and the scalloped ribbonfish Zu cristatus in Calabria; the Azores rockling Gaidropsarus granti in Calabria and Sicily; the agujon needlefish Tylosurus acus imperialis in the Northern Aegean; and the amphibious behaviour of Gouania willdenowi in Southern Turkey. As regards molluscs, the interesting findings include Ischnochiton usticensis in Calabria and Thordisa filix in the bay of Piran (Slovenia). The stomatopod Parasquilla ferussaci was collected from Lesvos island (Greece); the isopod Anilocra frontalis was observed parasitizing the alien Pteragogus trispilus in the Rhodes area. The asteroid Tethyaster subinermis and the butterfly ray Gymnura altavela were reported from several localities in the Greek Ionian and Aegean Seas. The new records of alien species include: the antenna codlet Bregmaceros atlanticus in Saronikos Gulf; three new fish records and two decapods from Egypt; the establishment of the two spot cardinal fish Cheilodipterus novemstriatus and the first record of the marble shrimp Saron marmoratus in semi-dark caves along the Lebanese coastline; the finding of Lagocephalus sceleratus, Sargocentron rubrum, Fistularia commersonii and Stephanolepis diaspros around Lipsi island (Aegean Sea, Greece); the decapod Penaeus hathor in Aegean waters; the decapod Penaeus aztecus and the nudibranch Melibe viridis in the Dodecanese islands; the finding of Pinctada imbricata radiata in the Mar Grande of Taranto (Ionian Sea, Italy) and the Maliakos Gulf (Greece).

The Collective Article "New Mediterranean Biodiversity Records" of the Mediterranean Marine Science journal offers the means to publish biodiversity records in the Mediterranean Sea. The current article has adopted a country-based classification and the countries are listed according to their geographic position, from west to east. New biodiversity data are reported for 7 different countries, although one species reported from Malta is new for the entire Mediterranean basin, and is presumably also present in Israel and Lebanon (see below, under Malta). Italy: the rare native fish Gobius kolombatovici is first reported from the Ionian Sea, whilst the alien jellyfish Rhopilema nomadica and the alien fish Oplegnathus fasciatus are first reported from the entire country. The presence of O. fasciatus from Trieste is concomitantly the first for the entire Adriatic Sea. Finally, the alien bivalve Arcuatula senhousia is reported for the first time from Campania (Tyrrhenian Sea). Tunisia: a bloom of the alien crab Portunus segnis is first reported from the Gulf of Gabes, where it was considered as casual. Malta: the alien flatworm Maritigrella fuscopunctata is recorded in the Mediterranean Sea for the first time, on the basis of 25 specimens. At the same time, web searches include possible unpublished records from Israel and Lebanon. The alien crab P. segnis, already mentioned above, is first formally reported from Malta based on specimens collected in 1972. Concomitantly, the presence of Callinectes sapidus in Maltese waters is excluded since based on misidentifications. Greece: the Atlantic northern brown shrimp Penaeus atzecus, previously known from the Ionian Sea from sporadic records only, is now well established in Greek and international Ionian waters. The alien sea urchin Diadema setosum is reported for the second time from Greece, and its first record from the country is backdated to 2010 in Rhodes Island. The alien lionfish Pterois miles is first reported from Greece and concomitantly from the entire Aegean Sea. Turkey: the alien rhodophyte Antithamnion hubbsii is first reported from Turkey and the entire eastern Mediterranean. New distribution data are also provided for the native fishes Alectis alexandrina and Heptranchias perlo. In particular, the former record consists of a juvenile measuring 21.38 mm total length, whilst the latter by a mature male. Cyprus: the rare native cephalopod Macrotritopus defilippi, and the alien crab Atergatis roseus, sea slug Plocamopherus ocellatus and fish Cheilodipterus novemstriatus are first recorded from the entire country. Lebanon: the alien crabs Actaea savignii and Matuta victor, as well as the alien fish Synanceia verrucosa, are first recorded from the entire country. In addition, the first Mediterranean record of A. savignii is backdated to 2006, whilst the high number of M. victor specimens observed in Lebanon suggest its establishment in the Basin. The Atlantic fishes Paranthias furcifer and Seriola fasciata, and the circumtropical Rachycentron canadum, are also first reported from the country. The P. furcifer record backdates its presence in the Mediterranean to 2007, whilst S. fasciata records backdate its presence in the eastern Mediterranean to 2005. Finally, two of these latter species have been recently ascribed to alien species, but all three species may fit the cryptogenic category, if not a new one, better.

The Collective Article 'New Mediterranean Biodiversity Records' of the Mediterranean Marine Science journal offers the means to publish biodiversity records in the Mediterranean Sea. The current article is divided in two parts, for records of native and alien species respectively. The new records of native fish species include: the slender sunfish Ranzania laevis and the scalloped ribbonfish Zu cristatus in Calabria; the Azores rockling Gaidropsarus granti in Calabria and Sicily; the agujon needlefish Tylosurus acus imperialis in the Northern Aegean; and the amphibious behaviour of Gouania willdenowi in Southern Turkey. As regards molluscs, the interesting findings include Ischnochiton usticensis in Calabria and Thordisa filix in the bay of Piran (Slovenia). The stomatopod Parasquilla ferussaci was collected from Lesvos island (Greece); the isopod Anilocra frontalis was observed parasitizing the alien Pteragogus trispilus in the Rhodes area. The asteroid Tethyaster subinermis and the butterfly ray Gymnura altavela were reported from several localities in the Greek Ionian and Aegean Seas.

Authors present new data on the coralline algal flora from Slovenia. They come from recent inspection of the Slovenian part of the Gulf of Trieste where peculiar communities, such as the biocoenosis of the coastal detritic bottom, the agglomeration of bioconcretions known in the area under the name of "trezze" or "tengue", and the bank of Mediterranean stony coral Cladocora caespitosa, occur. In such communities 11 coralligenous red algae were found. Five of them, Hydrolithon boreale, Lithothamnion minervae, L. philippii, L. sonderi and Neogoniolithon brassica-florida are newly recorded for Slovenia.

According to reports, the following 16 species have extended their distribution to other Mediterranean areas or have made a new appearance in other regions. The first category includes the following organisms: The rare and common Indo-Pacific seaweed Codium arabicum (Lebanese coasts), the acari Thalassarachna affinis (Marmara Sea), and the non-indigenous nudibranch Flabellina rubrolineata, which has been found in several areas of the Aegean Sea. In addition, the rare sea slug Thecacera pennigera (Mar Piccolo of Taranto), the fangtooth moray Enchelycore anatina (National Marine Park of Zakynthos, Ionian Sea), the carangid Seriola fasciata (Gulf of Antalya), Lagocephalus sceleratus (SE Ionian Sea), the reticulated leatherjacket Stephanolepis diaspros (Slovenia, N. Adriatic Sea), the marbled stingray, Dasyatis marmorata (NE Levantine), the starry smooth-hound Mustelus asterias (Iskenderun Bay, NE Mediterranean), the cephalopod Ommastrephes bartramii (Ionian Sea) have also been reported. The Atlantic crab Dyspanopeus sayi has expanded to many Italian areas and the blue crab Callinectes sapidus to a lake in N. Greece and in the S. Adriatic Sea. Finally, Farfantepenaeus aztecus has been found in the Ionian Sea, thus showing its wide expansion in the Mediterranean. The larval stages of Faccionella oxyrhyncha have been found, after many years, in the Aegean Sea and the first report of an existence on intersexual acari Litarachna duboscqi in Split (Adriatic Sea) was reported.

On 12 May 2013, a specimen of Lobotes surinamensis of 342 mm of total length was captured in the Raša Bay (Luka cove) on the southern coast of the Istra peninsula in the North Adriatic Sea. This capture would be the most northerly occurrence for the Adriatic and the Mediterranean Sea.

Arsenic’s occurrence in the environment could be due to human activities as well as to natural sources. In this study, Posidonia oceanica and Cymodocea nodosa are collected in 84 sites around the Mediterranean basin. In addition, both seagrass are collected monthly, in two sites (Calvi in Corsica and Salammbô in Tunisia). Arsenic concentrations in C. nodosa present seasonal variations in relation with spring phytoplankton blooms. For both species arsenic concentration is higher in the vicinity of geological sources (mining), lagoon outlets and industrial activities. Moreover, Mediterranean islands (Balearic, Sardinia, Corsica, Malta, Crete and Cyprus) and the Southern basin coastline exhibit lower concentrations in Arsenic than the rest of the Mediterranean basin. The wide spread distribution of these two species would encourage their use in a global monitoring network devoted to Arsenic contamination.

The Norther Adriatic circalittoral is mostly characterized by monotonous seabeds, whose dominant biocoenosis ia the muddy detritic. They are interrupted by precoralligenous detritic bottoms and biogenic formations, such as the rocky outcrops called Tegnue and the reefs of Cladocora caespitosa. These habitats are severely endangered, due to intensive fishery and other environmental disturbances. To manage their protection, the knowledge of their extent and the classification of the habitat type, in agreement with the most recent Directives and International Protocols, is essential. No general consensus exsists on the criteria to categorize the coralligenous and a number of definitions is proposed based on noth-western Mediterranean evidences. The available list of species, as well as the main engineering species, are known from these areas, while they cannot be considered to be constant in the rest of the Mediterranean. This paper represents an up-to-date contribution to the knowledge of compoosition and distribution of circallitoral biocoenoses and to the understanding of coralligenous formations in the Northern Adriatic. The study is based on literature data and on most recent researches carried out on rocky outcrops off the Gulf of Venice and Trieste, and on the circallitoral detritic bottom off the Slovenian coast. Rocky outcrops display a wide range of morphologies that, together with environmental factors and human pressures, influence the habitat complexity and thus biodiversity. They are characterized by a rich biodiversity and different assemblages, not all referable to the coralligenous that distinguish the less disturbed off-shore areas. The contribution of different bioconstructors and a draft list of the main coralligenous taxa recognized are provided. The coralligenous biocoenoses of the Northern Adriatic seem to differ from the Mediterranean ones, mainly for a higher number os suspension feeders and for a lower morpho-functional complexity of the communities. Finally, long-term changes in assemblage composition and species abundances were highlighted.

The occurrence of an early life stage of the king of herrings, Regalecus glesne Ascanius, 1772, is reported for the first time from the Adriatic waters. A single larva (SL = 103.4 mm) was found alive in the waters of open Adriatic near a remote Island PalagruĹľa. Findings of early life stages of this species are very rare in the Mediterranean and have previously been reported only from the waters of the Strait of Sicily and Elba Island.

Temperate Labridi species are nest builders with nests usually made out of plant material or detritus. During the summer 2004, 131 nests of three wrasses (S. roissali, S. ocellatus and S. cinereus) were studied with SCUBA diving in the Slovenian coastal sea (Northern Adriatic) in order to compare nest parameters and microhabitat preferences among the species. For the description of the structure of each nest, algal species, benthic invertebrates and type of substrata within the nest were determined, as well as the features of each microhabitat. The presence of the male at the nest was also taken into consideration while sampling. A redundancy analysis (RDA) was performed in order to highlight the distribution of the three species in relation to environmental variables and their preferences for different biotic and abiotic variables in the construction of nests. Labrid species resulted to be more abundant on rocky bottoms, where the Cystoseiretum barbatae association is dominant. It seems that the studied species show a preference for some microhabitats, but are building their nests using the most abundant algal material in the environment. Only S. ocellatus seems to select shrub-forming algae as the main nest-forming material.

The stomach contents of Spondyliosoma cantharus and Diplodus puntazzo were analysed using three simple methods (numeric, gravimetric and frequency of occurrence) and a composite index (IRI - Index of relative importance). To compare the species, the Schoener index was used. The diet of S. cantharus consisted mainly of amphipods followed by polychaetes, ophiuroids and hydrozoans, while macrophyta, bivalves, spongids, polychaetes and ophiuroids dominated in the case of D. puntazzo. There were some size-related differences in S. cantharus and D. puntazzo feeding. Diet overlap was high and significant between species. Polychaetes were the dominant prey group in all seasons for S. cantharus, particularly from spring to autumn. Significant differences among seasons were found for polychaetes, amphipods, ophiuroids and decapods. Mean weight and mean number of prey significantly increased to spring-summer period. Macrophyta and bivalves were the dominant prey groups in all seasons for D. puntazzo, particularly from spring to summer. Significant differences among seasons were found for macrophyta, bivalves, ophiuroids and hydrozoans. Mean weight and mean number of prey significantly increased to spring-summer period.