Ben Souissi Souilah Jamila

Institut national agronomique de Tunisie (INAT) | INAT · Laboratoire de Biodiversité

The impacts of marine species are underestimated or still completely unexplored because their negative effects on recipient ecosystems remain inadequately assessed. This is particularly true in the Mediterranean Sea where IAS management is often weak or absent: a clear example is the invasion of the Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus (Rathbun 1...

The latest report from the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) expresses concern over the global proliferation of non-native species (NIS) driven by increasing temperatures. In 2023, the invasive blue crab Portunus segnis in the Mediterranean experienced a significant range expansion due to warmer waters in nor...

A single Blue swimming crab Portunus segnis was captured on November 5 th 2022 close to the harbor of Ancona, off the central Adriatic coast (Italy) by artisanal fishers. Taxonomic comparisons were performed with collection materials, which also included two unreported specimens of the species from the Ionian coast of Calabria, Italy. The large dis...

Reproduction is a key feature in the dynamics and establishment of non-indigenous species in new areas. Thus, reproductive biology studies are particularly important for predicting whether alien species can become invasive and to pinpoint the most effective time to implement management options and mitigation actions. Here, we report the reproductiv...

Three decades ago, worldwide biodiversity hotspots were founded on the distributions of continental plants and vertebrates. Here, we question the timeliness of refining the geography of hotspots by basing their definition on more taxa, thanks to the molecular data available for hyper-diverse organisms such as insects, fungi and marine biota. To do...

Exploitée pour ses ressources halieutiques depuis l’Antiquité, la lagune de Bahiret El Bibane (Tunisie) passe au début du Protectorat français sous le contrôle de concessionnaires privés, liés à l’administration coloniale. Ce changement de statut s’accompagne d’une perte de contrôle des populations locales sur la lagune. Leurs pêcheries artisanales...

To enrich spatio-temporal information on the distribution of alien, cryptogenic, and neonative species in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, a collective effort by 173 marine scientists was made to provide unpublished records and make them open access to the scientific community. Through this effort, we collected and harmonized a dataset of 12,64...

All three species of angelsharks that inhabit the Mediterranean Sea, Squatina aculeata Cuvier, 1829; Squatina oculata Bonaparte, 1840; and Squatina squatina (Linnaeus, 1758), are classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, since their populations have suffered severe decline and range reduction, mainly due to fis...

Climate change is causing an increase in the frequency and intensity of marine heatwaves (MHWs) and mass mortality events (MMEs) of marine organisms are one of their main ecological impacts. Here, we show that during the 2015–2019 period, the Mediterranean Sea has experienced exceptional thermal conditions resulting in the onset of five consecutive...

The Atlantic crab Callinectes sapidus was recently recorded in Tunisia and presents an invasive behavior. This study aims to evaluate its socioeconomic impacts on small-scale fisheries and to analyze variations in chemical composition, fatty acids profile, and nutritive value according to sex and edible tissues. Face-to-face surveys revealed a decl...

– A total of 2103 specimens of an alien species Paracerceis sculpta (Holmes, 1904) was collected between November 2016 and July 2017 in Tunis Southern Lagoon, brack¬ish area located in northern eastern Tunisia. The species is a native from southern California and invaded the Mediterranean Sea during the late seventies. P. sculpta was found below st...

The ClimateFish database collates abundance data of 15 fish species proposed as candidate indicators of climate change in the Mediterranean Sea. An initial group of eight Mediterranean indigenous species (Epinephelus marginatus, Thalassoma pavo, Sparisoma cretense, Coris julis, Sarpa salpa, Serranus scriba, Serranus cabrilla and Caranx crysos) with...

On 14th October 2021, a single specimen of Sargocentron caudimaculatum was captured in the locality of Cape Bon, Eastern Tunisia, by a local fisher using gillnets at 60 m depth, on rocky bottom. This observation represents the first record of this species in the Mediterranean Sea. General information on the squirrelfishes and the importance of mole...

Marine organisms that enter the Mediterranean from the Red Sea via the Suez Canal are known as Lessepsian bioinvaders. In general, genetic studies of Lessepsian fishes have shown little structure between Red Sea and Mediterranean populations. Yet notable exceptions suggest the importance of life-history factors that may influence patterns of spatia...

In January 2021 during a scientific survey to assess the economic impacts of a Mass Mortality Event, a single individual of the Gracile lizardfish Saurida gracilis (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824) was caught out of Korbous (Northern Tunisia). This observation, confirmed by genetic analysis, provides evidence on the occurrence of a new non-indigenous species...

Marine organisms that enter the Mediter-ranean from the Red Sea via the Suez Canal are known as Lessepsian bioinvaders. In general, genetic studies of Lessepsian fishes have shown little structure between Red Sea and Mediterranean populations. Yet notable exceptions suggest the importance of life-history factors that may influence patterns of spati...

This Collective Article includes records of 29 alien and cryptogenic species in the Mediterranean Sea, belonging to eight Phyla (Rhodophyta, Ochrophyta, Cnidaria, Annelida, Mollusca, Arthropoda, Echinodermata, and Chordata) and coming from 11 countries. Notes published here can be divided into three different categories: occupancy estimation for wi...

Aim How historical and contemporary eco-evolutionary processes shape the patterns of genetic diversity and differentiation across species’ distribution range remains an open question with strong conservation implications. Focusing on the orange stony coral, Astroides calycularis, we (a) characterized the pattern of neutral genetic diversity across...

The silver-cheeked toadfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus, from the pufferfish family Tetraodontidae) and the Pacific red lionfish (Pterois miles, family Scorpaenidae) have recently invaded the Mediterranean Sea. Lagocephalus sceleratus has spread throughout this entire sea with the highest concentrations in the eastern basin, while more recently, Ptero...

Lessepsian fishes, entering the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal, have showed so far little genetic structure, but notable exceptions suggest the importance of life-history factors that may influence their patterns of spatial genetic variation. In this study, by sampling two invasive fishes with different life histories (the rabbitfish Siganus...

This article includes twenty (20) new records of alien and cryptogenic species in the Mediterranean Sea, belonging to six (6) Phyla (Rhodophyta, Tracheophyta, Mollusca, Arthropoda, Bryozoa, and Chordata) distributed from the Eastern Mediterranean to the Sea of Alboran. The records are reported from nine (9) countries and can be classified into two...

The white gorgonian, Eunicella singularis, is thriving in Mediterranean hard-bottom communities; however, data regarding its distribution and ecology remain absent and insufficient, particularly in the southern Mediterranean Sea.In this study, the population structure and disturbance levels of the most common gorgonian in Tunisia were assessed for...

On March 2020, the Soldierbream Argyrops filamentosus (Valenciennes, 1830) was spotted in the Specially Protected Areas of Zembra island (eastern Tunisia) during the implementation of regular monitoring activities. One single individual was later captured nearby by gillnets at 60 m depth. This record stands for the second reported observation of th...

Fishes of the genus Abudefduf are increasingly being recorded in Mediterranean waters, with most of these occurrences being based on the sole inspection of underwater images or video footage. Here we present a critical review of these occurrences, taking into account the uncertainties related to the identification of the congeneric A. vaigiensis an...

The present paper deals with recent records of the blue crabs Portunus segnis (Forskål, 1775) and Callinectes sapidus (Rathbun, 1896) from the northeastern coast of Tunisia during September 2019. A total of 10 brachyura individuals including 4 blue swimming crabs and 6 Atlantic blue crabs were collected in shallow waters on sandy and muddy bottom b...

Depuis son occurrence en 2014, le crabe bleu Portunus segnis (Forskål, 1775) originaire de l'Indo Pacifique est devenu l'une des pires espèces invasives des côtes tunisiennes. Il a connu une expansion fulgurante avec des impacts socio-économiques et écologiques désastreux. Une seconde invasion biologique, celle par, Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 189...

Feeding habits of the invasive spider crab Libinia dubia from the Mediterranean Sea were studied in the Gulf of Gabès (Tunisia) using the frequency of occurrence and points methods. The population was sampled at least monthly between November 2015 and October 2016. Stomach contents of 384 specimens were analysed. Results indicate that L. dubia is a...

Good datasets of geo-referenced records of alien species are a prerequisite for assessing the spatio-temporal dynamics of biological invasions, their invasive potential, and the magnitude of their impacts. However, with the exception of first records on a country level or wider regions, observations of species presence tend to remain unpublished, b...

Macroalgal forests are one of the most productive and valuable marine ecosystems, but yet strongly exposed to fragmentation and loss. Detailed large-scale information on their distribution is largely lacking, hindering conservation initiatives. In this study, a systematic effort to combine spatial data on Cystoseira C. Agardh canopies (Fucales, Pha...

Anthropogenic climate change, and global warming in particular, has strong and increasing impacts on marine ecosystems (Poloczanska et al., 2013; Halpern et al., 2015; Smale et al., 2019). The Mediterranean Sea is considered a marine biodiversity hotspot contributing to more than 7% of world’s marine biodiversity including a high percentage of ende...

Traffic vessels is considered the most important pathway of introduction of Non-Indigenous species (NIS). The spread of organisms and propagules occurs mainly through ballast water and biofouling. Artificial structures in harbors and marinas, provide suitable habitat for the settlement of NIS. Investigations carried out in the marinas of the easter...

Connectivity between populations shapes the genetic structure of species being crucial for an effective management of environmental resources. Genetic approaches can provide indirect measures of connectivity, allowing the identification of genetically differentiated – unconnected – populations. In this study, we applied a 2b-RAD approach based on h...

Tunisia occupies a strategic biogeographic position in the Mediterranean Sea and the Strait of Sicily is considered a biogeographical boundary that separates the eastern and western basins. Despite the importance of marine biodiversity in Tunisia, the few studies of Echinodermata fauna in this region data from long ago. In order to update and produ...

Climate change and biological invasions are rapidly reshuffling species distribution, restructuring the biological communities of many ecosystems worldwide. Tracking these transformations in the marine environment is crucial, but our understanding of climate change effects and invasive species dynamics is often hampered by the practical challenge o...

This work is the first study on biology and biochemistry of Libinia dubia on the Mediterranean Sea as well as socio-economic impacts of this spider crab proliferation on artisanal fishing activities along the Tunisian coasts. Morphometric characteristics of 913 spider crabs collected in 2016 within the Gulf of Gabès in Tunisia were examined. A sexu...

Surveys conducted for updating marine biodiversity in Tunisian lagoons showed that 18% of non indigenous Tunisian fauna was firstly recorded in these confined areas: 18 species in Tunis Lagoon, 2 in Bizerte Lagoon, 3 in Boughrara and 2 in Bahiret El Bibane. Most of these species are now established in their new environment and we argue to consider...

Des investigations effectuées à des profondeurs allant de 600 à 1200 mètres , devant la côte septentrionale de Tunisie ont permis de capturer au chalut benthique, cinq espèces de poissons considérées comme rares ou peu connues, localement. Il s’agit d’un Chondrichtyen holocéphale, Chimaera monstrosa (Linnaeus, 1758), et de quatre téléostéens, Netta...

ABSTRACT This paper reports additional records of Sloane’s viperfi sh Chauliodus sloani Bloch & Schneider, 1801, and the fi rst substantiated record of blackfi n sorcerer Nettastoma melanurum Rafi nesque, 1810, from the Tunisian coast. All specimens were collected by trawl during a commercial survey carried out in the northern area of the country....

The authors report an additional record of tripletail Lobotes surinamensis off Ras Jebel in northern Tunisia. The specimen was caught with a trammel net at a depth of 6 m, measuring 430 mm in total length and weighing 1206 g. To date, 9 specimens of this species have been recorded in Tunisian waters, with 35 records documented in the entire Mediter...

A large female sandbar shark Carcharhinus plumbeus (Nardo, 1827), measuring 3 m in total length and weighing 70 kg, was caught in the waters surrounding La Galite Island and the Cani Rocks located 100 km off Tabarka, a city in northern Tunisia. The specimen of C. plumbeus presented in this article is probably the largest and heaviest recorded to da...

A total of 4665 specimens of Sphaeroma venustissimum Monod, 1931 were collected between February 2012 and January 2013, in Tunis Southern Lagoon, brackish area located in northern Tunisia. This species was mainly recorded in the Atlantic Ocean and recently extended its natural range toward southern Mediterranean Sea. Biological and ecological trait...

Gorgonian species play an important ecological role in the structure and function of marine communities. Human activities are negatively affecting the conservation status of gorgonian populations in the Mediterranean. Acquiring knowledge of gorgonian distribution is therefore a key step required to promote efficient management and conservation acti...

This volume contains the main results of the EC FP7 “The Ocean of Tomorrow” Project CoCoNet, divided in two sections: 1) a set of guidelines to design networks of Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean and the Black Seas; 2) a smart wind chart that will allow evaluating the possibility of installing Offshore Wind Farms in both seas. The concep...

Connectivity between populations influences both their dynamics and the genetic structuring of species. In this study, we explored connectivity patterns of a marine species with long-distance dispersal, the edible common sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus, focusing mainly on the Adriatic–Ionian basins (Central Mediterranean). We applied a multidiscip...

Following the heightened damage of marine ecosystems, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been created for the protection and the conservation of species and habitats. However, their implementation requires accurate data availability used by decision makers to enable their boundaries and zoning. Thus, for this purpose of management, a new method of...

Abstract: Regular surveys, conducted in the Tunis Southern Lagoon from June 2014 to May 2015 in 10 stations, allowed us to sample 44 crustacean species: 31 are autochthonous and 13 allochthonous. These new settlements are the consequences of the successfully environmental restoration of the area, which enhanced the presence of species locally unkno...

The record of bluemouth rockfish Helicolenus dactylopterus (Delaroche, 1809) at low depth suggests that the species is prone to large vertical migrations. This capture confirms the occurrence of the species in the Tunisian waters where it is known as very rare. It confirms also the success of ecological restoration of Tunis Southern Lagoon and the...

The present paper reports on the captures of two female specimens of tripletail Lobotes surinamensis (Bloch, 1790) in a peri-Mediterranean lagoon, the Tunis Southern Lagoon, located in north-eastern Tunisia. Both specimens are herein described and their intrusion in such brackish area is explained. It appears that in the past decade, captures of L....

During investigations conducted after the environmental restoration of the Tunis Southern Lagoon, a total of 44 crustacean species belonging to 27 families were recorded, including 19 decapods, 11 isopods, 10 amphipods, 3 cirripeds and a single stomatopod. Of these 44 species, 31 were autochthonous and 13 allochthonous. Six species were recorded in...

An updated inventory of alien marine fauna in coastal and offshore Tunisian waters is presented. Records were compiled from scientific and ‘grey’ publications, presentations at scientific meetings, theses presented in fulfillment of requirements towards MSc and PhD degrees, websites and personal observations. 136 alien species were recorded in Tuni...

The Red Sea macroalga Palisada maris-rubri has already been reported from the Mediterranean Sea: Mar Minor Lagoon (Murcia, Spain) and Lachea Island (Italy). Here, we describe a specimen from a third locality, the hypersaline El-Biban Lagoon (Tunisia) and confirm its occurrence in the Mediterranean.

Information gained through Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) was used to tackle some emerging changes in Mediterranean fish diversity. A transnational team of scientists from six Mediterranean countries cooperated to build a collective dataset, providing new perspectives in the use of LEK for large-scale studies and periodical monitoring.