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Coastal environments can be influenced by water body masses with particular physical, chemical and biological properties that create favourable conditions for the development of unique planktonic communities. In this study we investigated a coastal upwelling system at Ponza Island (Tyrrhenian Sea) and discussed its diversity and complexity in relation to major environmental parameters. Moon phase and current direction were found to play a significant role, shaping species abundance and behaviour. During in situ observations, we also provided the first data on the behaviour of juveniles of a rare mesopelagic species, Trachipterus trachypterus, suggesting the occurrence of Batesian mimics.

WOS: 000504749700017, This paper is a collection of novel distributional records of 20 species belonging to 8 phyla (Chlorophyta, Rhodophyta, Cnidaria, Ctenophora, Annelida, Mollusca, Arthropoda and Chordata) from 11 Mediterranean countries, namely, Spain: an additional record of the Canary dentex Dentex canariensis is reported from Spain (Valencia), this is the northernmost record of this species in the Mediterranean; Algeria: the first documented record of Caulerpa chemnitzia is reported from the Algerian coast; France: the first record of the Spotted sea hare Aplysia dactylomela is reported from the eastern coast of Corsica; Italy: the first records of the Lessepsian polychaete Dorvillea similis and the alien bivalve Isognomon legumen are reported from Italian waters while additional records of Mnemiopsis leidyi in the south Adriatic are provided; Libya: the first record of an alien mollusc Crepidula fornicata is reported from Libyan waters; Malta: multiple sightings of gelatinous species Apolemia uvaria, Phacellophora camtschatica and Physophora hydrostatica are reported for the first time from Maltese waters, as well as the first tentative record of the Orange-spotted grouper Epinephelus cfr. coioides; Greece: an occurrence of a rare Bigeye thresher shark Alopias superciliosus is reported from Hellenic Ionian waters, while the first records of the alien Mertens' prawn-goby Vanderhorstia mertensi, the recently described cyclopoid copepod Oithona davisae and the alien red seaweed Asparagopsis armata are reported from the Aegean Sea. The presence of the micromollusc Euthymella colzumensis is confirmed for Greece; Cyprus: the first record of the red cornetfish Fistularia petimba is reported from Cyprus; Turkey: the first record of the alien jellyfish Marivagia stellata is reported from south-eastern Turkey; Israel: the first records of the sea nettle Chrysaora sp. in the Levant are reported., International Ocean Institute (IOI); Croatian Science Foundation (HRZZ) [IP-2016-06-5251]; Regione Autonoma Friuli Venezia Giulia; Israel Society of Ecology and Environmental Sciences; GoJelly project-EU Horizon 2020 [774499], Langeneck J. and Tempesti J. are grateful to M. El-Metwally and J. Ferrario for providing Red Sea specimens of D. similis, and to M. Lezzi for his support in the preparation of permanent slides. Deidun A. and Piraino S. wish to thank Mr. Pete Bullen (www.oceanfoto.co.uk), Roy Davidson, Hans Messler, Alexander Ferrante and Lyndsey Bee for making their photographs of the three gelatinous species in caption available to the authors, as well as to the International Ocean Institute (IOI) for sponsoring the Spot the Jellyfish campaign since 2010. Thanks are also due to Andre C. Morandini (Brasil) for supporting advice on P. camtschatica identification. Deidun A. and Zava B. are indebted to the angler Romario Pace for donating the photo of the fish individual reported hereunder. Dragicevic B. and Dulcic J. are thankful to Mr. Nikola Cvitan who provided photographs and videos of the specimen as well as additional information. Their work was partly supported by the Croatian Science Foundation (HRZZ) under project IP-2016-06-5251. Tirelli V. and Goruppi A. wish to thank the citizen scientists for providing sightings and photographic material through avvistAPP (Michele Cravati, V. D., Vincenzo Frezza, S. I., R. M., S. M., I. T. and C. V.) and the Regione Autonoma Friuli Venezia Giulia for funding the NOCE di MARE project. Michailidis N. and Manitaras I. thank fishmonger George Karamanos and fisher Christos Efrem for providing the specimen and information on its catch. Edelist D., Kuplik Z., Guy-Haim T. and Angel D. thank Dror Gilat and Inbar Margulis for recording and sharing their observations, and Mark J Gibbons, Andre C Morandini and Stefano Piraino for their useful taxonomic contributions. "Medusot Baam" is funded by the Israel Society of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, as well as the GoJelly project -EU Horizon 2020 grant No 774499.

Evolutionary transitions between marine and freshwater habitats are rare events that can have profound impacts on aquatic biodiversity. Marine–freshwater transitions are a particularly interesting aspect of the evolutionary biology of many fish groups. Within Mediterranean fish biodiversity, one of the most enigmatic group in terms of adaptive radiation on evolutionary time scale is represented by the Gobiidae family (Teleostei). Mediterranean representatives of Gobiidae are divided in three distinct evolutionary lineages: Pomatoschistus lineage, with marine and freshwater species; Aphia lineage, composed of exclusively marine species inhabiting the Mediterranean and North-East Atlantic; Gobius lineage, including a radiation in the inland Ponto-Caspian region (Benthophilines), as well as species inhabiting the Mediterranean, North-eastern Atlantic, and Atlantic coast of Africa. Within Gobius lineage, one intriguing open question is related to the origin of the genus Padogobius. Padogobius is represented by only two species: P. nigricans Canestrini, 1867, endemic to Central and Northern Italy, and P. bonelli (Bonaparte, 1846), known from the North-Eastern Italy and adjacent areas. Both species are pure freshwater inhabitants. Nevertheless, whether the adaptation to the freshwater habitats evolved only once or independently is still debated. In this dissertation I inferred a more comprehensive analysis of species-level relationships of the major representatives of Mediterranean gobies, linking evolutionary marine/freshwater ecological transitions to the paleohistory of the Mediterranean basin. I implemented a time calibrated species tree inference with ancestral state reconstruction encompassing the search for a sister group of Padogobius to test the monophyly of the freshwater habit. All the reconstruction proposed in this study converge in the definition of the polyphyletic origin of the genus Padogobius. The results provide strong support for a multiple independent origin of the freshwater habit in the two endemic Italian species P. bonelli and P. nigricans. Additionally, the results from species tree inference propose new insight in the relationships among members of Mediterranean Gobius lineage, previously not considered. Molecular dating of the radiation of Gobius species and Padogobius representatives are consistent with the oceanographic and tectonic history of the basin, enhancing of the role of the Messinian Salinity Crisis in shaping Mediterranean biodiversity. Dottorato di ricerca in Ecologia e gestione delle risorse biologiche

The evolution of the molluscan biota in Sabaudia Lake (Italy, central Tyrrhenian Sea) in the last century is hereby traced on the basis of bibliography, museum type materials, and field samplings carried out from April 2009 to September 2011. Biological assessments revealed clearly distinct phases, elucidating the definitive shift of this human-induced coastal lake from a freshwater to a marine-influenced lagoon ecosystem. Records of marine subfossil taxa suggest that previous accommodations to these environmental features have already occurred in the past, in agreement with historical evidence. Faunal and ecological insights are offered for its current malacofauna, and special emphasis is given to alien species. Within this framework, Mytilodonta Coen, 1936, Mytilodonta paulae Coen, 1936 and Rissoa paulae Coen in Brunelli and Cannicci, 1940 are also considered new synonyms of Mytilaster Monterosato, 1884, Mytilaster marioni (Locard, 1889) and Rissoa membranacea (J. Adams, 1800). Finally, human-driven environmental changes and cumulative anthropogenic pressures proved to be the whole driver of the constitution of the human-induced malacofauna studied, casting doubts on the correct use of the definition of “native fauna”., Se hizo un seguimiento de la evolución de la comunidad de moluscos en el lago Sabaudia (Italia, región central del mar Tirreno), considerando datos del siglo pasado y recurriendo a consultas bibliográficas, material tipo en museos y muestreos de campo realizados entre Abril de 2009 y Septiembre de 2011. Nuestro análisis biológico reveló la existencia de fases bien diferenciadas que muestran de modo claro el cambio definitivo de esta laguna inicialmente de aguas dulces que posteriormente se transformó en un ecosistema de influencia marina debido a la acción humana. El registro de taxones de subfósiles marinos sugiere un contexto ambiental similar en una época anterior, en concordancia con datos históricos. Este trabajo proporciona detalles faunísticos y ecológicos de la malacofauna del lago Sabaudia, dando especial importancia a las especies invasoras. Dentro de este amplio contexto Mytilodonta Coen, 1936, Mytilodonta paulae Coen, 1936 y Rissoa paulae Coen en Brunelli y Cannicci, 1940 son considerados nuevos sinónimos de Mytilaster Monterosato, 1884, Mytilaster marioni (Locard, 1889) y Rissoa membranacea (J. Adams, 1800). Por último, los cambios ambientales de génesis humana y la presión antropogénica a lo largo del tiempo determinaron la composición de la malacofauna estudiada, levantando dudas sobre el uso correcto del concepto “fauna nativa”.