Status of alien species in the Mediterranean and Black Sea

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Turkey and Greece. Tzomos et al. (2010) reported 38 mollusc species from Cyprus and Sepioteuthis
lessoniana, a lessepsian cephalopod species, is well established and found in Cypriot fish markets.
Besides the conch, Strombus persicus, however, is served in seafood restaurants in Israel and Greece.
Pinctata radiata, Strombus persicus and Crasostrea gigas have minor commercial value in Greece
(Katsanevakis et al., 2008). In Tunisia, P. radiata occurs occasionally with bottom trawls and dredges.
It is comsumed in Tunisia, mainly in Kerkennah and Djerba. The market is growing as well.
3.3.5 Lessepsian marine mammal species
Only one marine mammal species can be considered in the Eastern Mediterranean as a lessepsian
migrant, which is a cetacean species, the rough toothed dolphin, Steno bredanensis. This species is
known to distribute widely in the tropical and temperate waters around the world, generally inhabiting
deep oceanic waters (IUCN, 2009). Although it is known to occur only as visitors in the
Mediterranean Sea, either through the Strait of Gibraltar from the Atlantic or through the Suez Canal
from the Red Sea, multiple sightings have been reported from the Mediterranean coast of Israel
(Reeves and Notarbartolo Di Sciara, 2006), which implies that these dolphins are migrating from the
Red Sea. Since mammals are slow reporducers compared to other organisms, their population may not
increase much compared to other lessepsian migrants. However, some recent observations (Tim
Lewis, Pers.comm.) confirm the presense of a calf, which implies that they are in the process of
establishing a self-sustainable population in the Mediterranean Sea.