The rich and rare biodiversity in Cyprus. The Cyprus biodiversity includes 1908 plants, 780 seashells, 250 fishes, more than 7.000 insects, 410 birds including migratory, 31 mammals, 9 snakes, 11 lizards,three amphibians, 120 land snails, fungi estimated 5-8 thousandand and three turtles.These numbers continually increase as a result of researc. Also see All about Cyprus.
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Το υλικό της ιστοσελίδας αποτελεί πνευματική ιδιοκτησία.
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Showing posts with label Alien species of cyprus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alien species of cyprus. Show all posts
Goniobranchus annulatus is a species of sea slug, a very colourful dorid nudibranch, a shell-less marinegastropodmollusc in the family Chromodorididae. Goniobranchus annulatus is a large smooth pale-bodied nudibranch with many vivid yellow spots, though these may be absent in some individuals. It has one purple ring around the gills and another ring around the rhinophores. The mantle usually has a purple border. It may grow to 100mm in total length. The gills are triangular in cross-section This nudibranch was described from Zanzibar. It occurs in the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, from the East Coast of South Africa toThailand.It is a Lessepsian migrant and has recently invaded the Mediterranean Sea, presumably through the Suez Canal. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Underwater photo and video Protaras 30m 20.06.2013by Costas Constantinou
Sargocentron rubrum, also known as redcoat, is a member of the family Holocentridae of the order Beryciformes. Squirrelfish in general are large, active, nocturnal fish which are usually red in color.
It is found in the Indian Ocean, from the Red Sea to the West Pacific, where it ranges from southern Japan to New Caledonia and New South Wales, Australia. Recently recorded also in Tonga. It invaded the eastern Mediterranean via the Suez Canal. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Diadema antillarum, also known as the lime urchin, black sea urchin, Grabaskey's bane or the long-spined sea urchin, is aspecies of sea urchin in the Family Diadematidae.
This sea urchin is characterized by its exceptionally long black spines.
It is the most abundant and important herbivore on the coral reefs of the western Atlantic and Caribbean basin. When the population of these sea urchins is at a healthy level, they are the main grazers which prevent algae overgrowth of the reef.
Diadema antillarum has a test, or "shell," similar to most other sea urchins. What distinguishes the Diadema is the length of its spines. Most sea urchin spines are 1–3 cm, but the spines in this species are usually 10–12 cm in length, and can grow as long as 30 cm in very large individuals.
This species usually lives at 1–10 metres in depth on coral reefs. They will often lodge themselves in a crevice, so that only their spines can be seen, but individual urchins who can't find a suitable crevice will live in more exposed situations. Individuals that have been able to find a crevice usually will roam about one metre from their crevice at night during feeding. Diadema is very sensitive to light, and will often pick its crevice or resting place based on how much shade there is.
Diadema mostly eat algae, and sometimes seagrass. Starving urchins have been known to become carnivorous.
Diadema antillarum is still, in some tropical areas, one of the most abundant, widespread, and ecologically-important shallow-water sea urchins. It is found in the tropical Western Atlantic Ocean, including the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico and the northern and eastern coasts of South America (as far south as Brazil). It is also found in the East Atlantic at the Canary Islands. This species is ecologically important because it consumes algae that can otherwise grow to such an extent that they can smother coral reefs. They live in holes that are in the reef.From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Underwater photoLiopetri area 6th of July 2014 5mts deepby Costas Constantinou
Chama is a genus of cemented saltwater clams, marinebivalvemolluscs in the familyChamidae, the jewel boxes. Underwater photoAyia Napa, 07.06.2015 by Costas Constantinou
The Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin, 1789), known as the silver-cheeked toadfish, is an extremely poisonous marine bony fish in the family Tetraodontidae (puffer fishes)
The species is common in the tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans. It is a recent Lessepsian migrant into the eastern Mediterranean Sea, which it reached through the Suez Canal. It has been caught off the coasts of Israel, the south of Turkey, in Cyprus, the south coasts of mainland Greece, Crete and Rhodes. Recently, in 2013, it has been reported off the waters off Lampedusa Island in the central Mediterranean,[1] and in 2015 off Malta and also in waters near the town of Bečići, Montenegro, on the southeastern Adriatic Sea. Since 2015, they have been reported in large numbers off the coast of Crete.
The silver-cheeked toadfish lives in open waters on rocky bottoms, from shallow coastal waters down to a 250m depth (in the Red Sea).
The silver-cheeked toadfish is very similar to the oceanic pufferfish but more elongated and with a symmetrical caudal (tail) fin. Its back is grey or brown with darker spots and it has a white belly. A characteristic silver band runs along the sides of the fish. The silver-cheeked toadfish can measure up to 40 centimetres (16 in).
The silver-cheeked toadfish preys upon benthic invertebrates.
Eggs and larvae are found in the pelagic zone.
Similar to other puffer fishes, the silver-cheeked toadfish is extremely poisonous if eaten because it contains tetrodotoxin in its ovaries and to a lesser extent its skin, muscles and liver, which protects it from voracious predators. It becomes toxic as it eats bacteria that contain the toxin.[4] This deadly substance causes paralysis of voluntary muscles, which may cause its victims to stop breathing or induce heart failure. Fatal intoxications have been reported in Egypt and Israel.
Ο λαγοκέφαλος Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin, 1789), είναι είδος ψαριού ευρείας εξάπλωσης στον τροπικό Ινδο-Ειρηνικό Ωκεανό, καθώς και στη Μεσόγειο Θάλασσα τα τελευταία χρόνια ως «λεσσεψιανός μετανάστης». Είναι ένα από τα μεγαλύτερα μέλη της οικογένειας Tetraodontidae, φθάνοντας τουλάχιστον τα 110 εκ. σε σταθερό μήκος και τα 7 κιλά σε βάρος. Στη Μεσόγειο, ο λαγοκέφαλος θεωρείται είδος εισβολέας (invasive species), αφού έχει διαταράξει σε μεγάλο βαθμό την οικολογική ισορροπία του θαλάσσιου οικοσυστήματος, έχει επηρεάσει τις οικονομικές δραστηριότητες που εξαρτώνται από αυτό το οικοσύστημα και αποτελεί, ως τοξικό είδος, απειλή για τη δημόσια υγεία. Φύση του προβλήματος Ο λαγοκέφαλος άρχισε να εμφανίζεται στα νερά της Κύπρου τουλάχιστον από το 2000, ενώ μέσα στο 2006 παρατηρήθηκε μια ραγδαία αύξηση και εξάπλωση του πληθυσμού του. Αυτό, σε συνδυασμό με την ικανότητα του να προκαλεί με τα ισχυρά του δόντια ζημιές στα αλιευτικά εργαλεία και τα αλιεύματα των αλιέων, είχε ως φυσικό επακόλουθο την όλο και μεγαλύτερη πίεση στον ευαίσθητο τομέα της παράκτιας αλιείας της Κύπρου, αλλά και στο παράκτιο θαλάσσιο οικοσύστημα. Σήμερα, ο λαγοκέφαλος θεωρείται από πολλούς το μεγαλύτερο πρόβλημα που αντιμετωπίζει η Κυπριακή παράκτια αλιεία. Σύμφωνα με επίσημα στατιστικά στοιχεία του ΤΑΘΕ, αν και ο λαγοκέφαλος δεν αποτελεί είδος στόχο για την αλιεία, οι εκφορτώσεις του είδους αυτού αποτέλεσαν γύρω στο 4% των συνολικών εκφορτώσεων της παράκτιας αλιείας της Κύπρου τα έτη 2009 και 2010. Εκτός από τους αλιείς, ο λαγοκέφαλος είναι αρκετά γνωστός και στο ευρύ κοινό της Κύπρου, κυρίως λόγω της έγκαιρης ενημέρωσης που έτυχε από το Τμήμα Αλιείας και Θαλασσίων Ερευνών (ΤΑΘΕ), για τους πιθανούς κινδύνους που εγκυμονεί η κατανάλωσή του, αλλά και λόγω της απαγόρευσης στην εμπορία του (Κανονισμός (ΕΚ) 853/2004), λόγω μιας ισχυρής νευροτοξίνης που περιέχει στους ιστούς του. Για τους πιο πάνω λόγους, ο λαγοκέφαλος είναι ίσως το μόνο ξενικό είδος που, εκτός από τα συνήθη περιβαλλοντικά προβλήματα, είναι πηγή και σοβαρών κοινωνικοοικονομικών προβλημάτων και απασχολεί έντονα, εκτός από τον αλιευτικό τομέα, την κοινωνία γενικότερα. Έκταση του προβλήματος Σύμφωνα με στοιχεία του ΤΑΘΕ, η παρουσία του λαγοκέφαλου είναι πλέον έντονη σε όλη την παράκτια ζώνη της Κυπριακής Δημοκρατίας. Οι κοινωνικοοικονομικές επιπτώσεις της παρουσίας αυτής στην παράκτια αλιεία, όπως επίσης και ο αντίκτυπος της στο θαλάσσιο οικοσύστημα, είναι δύσκολο να προσδιοριστούν με ακρίβεια. Για παράδειγμα, σύμφωνα με αδημοσίευτα στοιχεία του ΤΑΘΕ και αναφορές από αλιείς, φαίνεται να υπάρχει μια άμεση σχέση μεταξύ της ραγδαίας αύξησης των πληθυσμών του λαγοκέφαλου τα τελευταία χρόνια και της μείωσης στις εκφορτώσεις κεφαλόποδων, κυρίως χταποδιών και σουπιών, από την παράκτια αλιεία. Αν αυτό αληθεύει, τότε πολλά εμπορικά είδη ψαριών τα οποία τρέφονται με τα κεφαλόποδα αυτά, επηρεάζονται έμμεσα από την παρουσία του λαγοκέφαλου, και αυτό με τη σειρά του επηρεάζει το αλίευμα και το εισόδημα των αλιέων.
The bluespotted cornetfish, smooth cornetfish, or smooth flutemouth, Fistularia commersonii, is a marine fish which belongs to the family Fistulariidae. This very long and slender reef-dweller belongs to the same order as the pipefishes and seahorses, called Syngnathiformes. It is widespread in the tropical and sub-tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific, including the Red Sea. In 2000 its presence was reported in the Mediterranean Sea, since then it has continued to disperse and is now well-established in some areas. This speciesis considered as part of the Lessepsian migration.
The fish is of minor importance commercially, mostly being sold as fish meal but also fresh and preserved. It is also sold as an aquarium fish.
The bluespotted cornetfish is notable for its unusually long, slender body shape. It has a tubular snout, large eyes and a long tail filament lined with sensory pores which may help with detecting prey. Its body is greenish-grey to brown with two thin blue stripes or lines of dots on the back and lighter on the front.
It grows to a length of 1.6 m (5.2 ft), but the average is around 1 m (3.3 ft).
The bluespotted cornetfish is usually a solitary predator, stalking and feeding on small fishes, crustaceans and squid. Sometimes they feed in small groups along the bottom on small bottom-dwelling fish which their long snouts are very efficient at sucking up.
Reproduction is oviparous- the large eggs hatch and develop outside of the body. Larvae hatch at 6-7mm.From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Underwater photoCavo Greco by Costas Constantinou
Unexpected alien species in Cyprus waters Acanthurus coeruleus is a surgeonfish found commonly in the Atlantic Ocean. It can grow up to 16 inches (41 cm) long. Common names include Atlantic blue tang, blue barber, blue doctor, blue doctorfish, blue tang, blue tang surgeonfish, yellow barber, and yellow doctorfish. Acanthurus coeruleus is common off the coast of Florida, The Bahamas, and other places in the Caribbean Sea, including Bonaire. Blue Tangs are very common in Belize and especially Ambergris Caye. They are also common in the Gulf of Mexico. They are also found south to Brazil and north to New York. .Although the body of the reef fish can vary in shade from light to dark blue, the dorsal, anal and caudal fins are golden blue. As juveniles, the edges on their dorsal and anal fins and the rings around their eyes are purple-blue, blue or blue-green. Their colors change during growth from a yellow juvenile, yellow tailed blue subadult and the blue adult phase.
Atlantic blue tangs inhabit coral reefs and inshore grassy and rocky areas, where there is a high prevalence of algae. They are herbivorous, and their diet consists only of algae. They eat the algae from the reefs in which they reside, as well as off the bodies of surrounding fish. By eating the algae off of other fish, the blue tang serve as cleaners for them. With the decline in the Diadema antillarum (sea urchin) population, the blue tang population increased since the algal resources that the two animals usually competed for were more abundant.
Juvenile blue tangs eat continuously and feed heavily. This heavy feeding requirement is due to their poor utilization of food resources. The blue tang's stomach and intestinal lining are proficient at absorbing crushed cellular content, but are not very effective at processing cellulose. This digestive system inefficiency leads blue tangs to spend more time and resources on foraging on a very abundant and fast-growing food source in close proximity. This close proximity to an abundant food source allows for continuous foraging.
Food distribution, density, and accessibility can determine population density and territory size in blue tangs. Territories with low biogenic structure are larger than those of higher biogenic structure. Since the algal food resources are less dense in low-biogenic structured areas, these territories would have to be larger in order to include the necessary amount of food. This is in accordance with the Ideal free distribution model. This model states that competitors should adjust their distribution in accordance with habitat quality such that each individual will gain the same amount of resources.
According to this model, there should be a lower density of blue tangs on low-biogenic structured territories compared to higher-biogenic structured territories where there is a higher abundance of food. In both territories, each individual will receive similar amounts of resources due to competition. There is no significant difference in feeding rates of blue tangs on each type of territory, meaning that those in larger, uncolonized, and low density territories can match the resources of those in smaller high density territories.Από τη Βικιπαίδεια, την ελεύθερη εγκυκλοπαίδεια
Photos and video Mandria, Akrotiri Gata and Akrotiri Zevgari by Kostas Aristeidou
Marine Biodiversity Records, page 1 of 3. # Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 2012
doi:10.1017/S1755267212001042; Vol. 5; e116; 2012 Published online
Unexpected alien species in Cyprus waters:
Acanthurus coeruleus (Actinopterygii:
Acanthuridae)
joachim langeneck1
, massimiliano marcelli2 and helmut carl simak3
1
Universita` di Pisa, Dipartimento di Biologia, Unita` di Biologia Marina e Ecologia, Via Derna 1, I-56126 Pisa, Italy, 2
Universita` di
Roma ‘La Sapienza’, Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie ‘Charles Darwin’, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 9–00185, Rome, Italy,
3
Waidmannsforferstrasse 16/7 A-9020 Klagenfurt, Austria
In December 2011 a specimen of the blue tang surgeonfish Acanthurus coeruleus was observed in the waters of Cyprus. As this
species typically lives in the tropical western Atlantic Ocean, its presence in the Mediterranean Sea is very likely to be related to
human activities. Speculated ways of introduction in the Mediterranean Sea are discussed. Keywords: alien species, blue tang surgeonfish, Acanthurus coeruleus, climatic changes
Submitted 30 September 2012; accepted 25 October 2012 INTRODUCTION
Among the family Acanthuridae only one species has been
recorded from the Mediterranean Sea so far, namely
Acanthurus monroviae Steindachner, 1876, which was
reported first from southern Spain (Crespo et al., 1987) and
later from Israel’s Mediterranean coast (Golani & Sonin,
1996). In the years 2001–2002 it was observed quite regularly
along the Algerian coast (Hemida et al., 2004). Here we report
the first occurrence of the blue tang surgeonfish Acanthurus
coeruleus Bloch & Schneider, 1801 in the Mediterranean Sea
and some ways the species may have been introduced are
discussed.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
On 1 December 2011, during a SCUBA dive in the vicinity of
Xilofagou (south-eastern Cyprus: 34857′
41′′N 33849′
48′′E), a
single juvenile specimen of Acanthurus coeruleus (Figure 1)
was observed, and several photographs were taken. The specimen
(approximately 8 cm total length) showed up at a depth
of 4–5 m over rocky bottom covered by calcareous algae
among some individuals of Thalassoma pavo (Linnaeus,
1758), Sparisoma cretense (Linnaeus, 1758), Chromis
chromis (Linnaeus, 1758) and Sargocentron rubrum
(Forsska˚l, 1775). The morphological characters match those
of a juvenile specimen of A. coeruleus: although many surgeonfishes
have yellow juvenile phases, only A. coeruleus
and Acanthurus pyroferus Kittlitz, 1834 show electric blue
fin edges and a blue ring around both eyes (Lieske & Myers,
1995). However, the two species can be easily distinguished,
as A. coeruleus shows 9 dorsal spines, whereas A. pyroferus
shows only 8. As the observed specimen has 9 dorsal spines
it should be clearly identified as A. coeruleus.
A second observation of a conspecific specimen took place
two days later on the 3 December 2011 near Ayia Napa, about
12 km from the first sighting (34859′
11′′N 33857′
53′′E).
Although the photographs taken at this time are not so
clear, the fish in the photograph appears to be A. coeruleus
as well.
DISCUSSION
Acanthurus coeruleus usually lives in the western Atlantic
Ocean, mainly in tropical waters; it has been recorded from
islands of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge too, especially from
Ascension Island (Cadenat & Marchal, 1963; Lubbock,
1980). The present record reports for the first time the presence
of this species in the Mediterranean Sea; it is not clear
whether the specimen observed on the 3 December is the
same as the one observed on the 1 December 2011. The presence
of at least one juvenile specimen in the Mediterranean
Sea could be explained by three processes: (i) arrival in the
Mediterranean Sea through the Atlantic Ocean unrelated to
human activities; (ii) introduction by shipping of eggs or
larvae; and (iii) release of a captive specimen. The establishment
of a tropical Atlantic fish first in the eastern
Mediterranean, and its subsequent westward spreading, is
already known for the fangtooth moray eel Enchelycore
anatina (Lowe, 1839) (Ben Tuvia & Golani, 1984; Bitar
et al., 2003; Guidetti et al., 2012)—probably due to the
warmer waters of the eastern basin; however, this possibility
seems to be unlikely for Acanthurus coeruleus because of the
huge distance to travel, although the larval phase of this
species has a planktonic life span of 45 –70 days (Rocha
et al., 2002) which seems to be sufficient for crossing the
Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea from west to east.
The second possibility is the introduction by shipping
within ballast water containing larval and juvenile specimens.
This kind of introduction of species with a distribution range
very far from the Mediterranean Sea is already known
(Rodrı`guez & Sua`rez, 2001; Galil, 2006) for bony fishes
(Goren et al., 2009; Schembri et al., 2010); the long pelagic
life of the larval stage accords with this hypothesis. The colonization
via ballast water is known for western Atlantic
species, for example Pinguipes brasilianus (Cuvier &
Valenciennes, 1829) (Orsi Relini, 2002) and the hermatypic
coral Oculina patagonica De Angelis, 1908 (Zibrowius, 1974;
Fine et al., 2001).
A likely possibility as well seems to be the escape of a young
specimen from captivity, as the species is commonly traded as
aquarium fish. This way of introduction in the Mediterranean
has been speculated for the exotic fishes Platax teira (Forsska˚l,
1775) (Bilecenoglu & Kaya, 2006) and Pterois miles (Bennett,
1803) (Golani & Sonin, 1992); the latter has been also introduced
through aquarium escapees along the western
Atlantic Coast, where it is currently considered as a highly
invasive species (Morris et al., 2009). However, as these
species commonly occur in the Red Sea, an arrival through
the Suez Canal cannot be excluded. For a third species,
Scatophagus argus (Linnaeus, 1766), whose native range
covers the Indian Ocean (excluding the Red Sea) and the
Pacific Ocean, the most likely explanation of the presence in
the Mediterranean Sea seems to be the aquarium escape
(Zammit & Schembri, 2011). Nevertheless, at present, no
documented introduction of bony fishes via aquarium trade
is known in the Mediterranean. Another two western
Atlantic species, namely Paranthias furcifer (Valenciennes,
1828) and Holacanthus ciliaris (Linnaeus, 1758), were recently
reported, on the basis of single specimens, from a little bay in
the central part of the eastern Adriatic Sea (Dragicˇevic´ &
Dulcˇic´, 2012); these authors considered their presence
related to the long rest of an oil platform coming from the
Gulf of Mexico in a Croatian shipyard. Such an explanation,
however, is not plausible for the present record.
Apart from the way of introduction, about which only suggestions
can be made, Acanthurus coeruleus is a highly thermophilic
species; its survival in late autumn in the eastern
part of the Mediterranean Sea is remarkable, probably
related to the trend of global warming and especially to the
warming of the Mediterranean waters (Francour et al.,
1994). This record of A. coeruleus in the Mediterranean Sea
is probably an accident: the establishment of this western Atlantic species in the Mediterranean seems unlikely
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We are very grateful to B. Dragicˇevic´ and J. Dulcˇic´ for providing
literature and to the anonymous referees for their valuable
comments and corrections.
Aμερικανική κόκκινη καραβίδα του
γλυκού νερού Procambarusclarkii – Freshwatercrayfish που
εισήχθη λανθασμένα στην Κύπρο την δεκαετία του ’80 από το Τμήμα Αλιείας για
εμπλουτισμό των φραγμάτων μας για σκοπούς αλιείας. Το είδος αυτό αν και
αποτελεί σημαντική τροφή για πολλά υδρόβια πουλιά αποτελεί μεγάλο κίνδυνο για
τα τρία αμφίβια (βατράχους) που έχουμε στην Κύπρο. Καθώς τρέφεται με τα αβγά
και τους γυρίνους των βατράχων, ήδη ο πληθυσμός και των τριών ειδών αμφιβίων
που υπάρχουν στις λίμνες έχουν μειωθεί δραματικά, και το πρόβλημα αυτό υπάρχει
παντού καθώς το είδος αυτό βρίσκεται σε όλες σχεδόν τις λίμνες και τα φράγματα
του τόπου μας.
Κείμενο, Γιώργος Κωνσταντίνου
Procambarus clarkii is a freshwater crayfishspecies, native to the Southeastern United States, but found also on other continents, where it is often an invasive pest. It is known variously as the red swamp crawfish, red swamp crayfish, Louisiana crawfish, Louisiana crayfish or mudbug The native range of P. clarkii is along the Gulf Coast from northern Mexico to the Florida panhandle, as well as inland, to southern Illinois and Ohio. It has also been introduced, sometimes deliberately, outside its natural range to countries in Asia, Africa, Europe and elsewhere in the Americas. In northern Europe, the populations are self maintaining but not expanding, while in southern Europe, P. clarkiiis multiplying and actively colonising new territory, at the expense of the native crayfish, Astacus astacus and Austropotamobius spp. Individuals are reported to be able to cross many miles of relatively dry ground, especially in wet seasons, although the aquarium trade and anglers may have hastened the spread in some areas (it is believed that anglers using P. clarkii as bait introduced it to the American state of Washington). Attempts have also been made to use P. clarkii as a biological control organism, to reduce levels of the snails involved in the life cycle of schistosomiasis, leading to the dispersal of P. clarkii in, for instance, Kenya.
P. clarkii is most commonly found in warm fresh water, such as slowly flowing rivers, marshes, reservoirs, irrigation systems and rice paddies. It is considered to be the most ecologically plastic species in the order Decapoda, and is able to grow quickly even in only seasonally present water, being able to tolerate dry spells of up to four months. P. clarkii grows quickly, and is capable of reaching weights in excess of 50 g (1.8 oz), and sizes of 5.5–12 cm (2.2–4.7 in) long. It is also able to tolerate slightly saline water, which is unusual for a crayfish. Additionally, P. clarkii are physiologically capable of tolerating relatively low dissolved oxygen concentrations.[5] The average lifetime of Procambarus clarkii is five years. Some individuals are known to have reached ages (in nature) of over six years.
The burrowing activities of P. clarkii can lead to damage to water courses and to crops, particularly rice, and its feeding can disrupt native ecosystems. It may out-compete the native crayfish species, and is a vector for the crayfish plague fungus Aphanomyces astaci, for crayfish virus vibriosis, and a number of worms parasitic on vertebrates.
Harvests of P. clarkii account for a large majority of the crayfish produced in the United States and elsewhere. Crayfish farming began in Louisiana in the 18th century, taking place in rice fields in a concurrent or alternate culture system. The concurrent culture of rice and crayfish makes good use of land, resources, equipment, and infrastructure already being used for rice production. However, crawfish production has decreased in recent years due to an increase of imports from China, which is now the world's leading producer of crawfish and is also using a rice-based system. A number of species of crustaceans were introduced to China to create markets for aquaculture and because they are better adapted to growing in a rice field than native fish species. Rice-fish farming originated in China and is once again growing as the yields from Green Revolution practices used to grow rice are no longer increasing, and resources such as land and water are becoming more limited.
P. clarkii has also been introduced elsewhere for cultivation, such as Spain, where its success is attributable to its ability to colonise disturbed habitats that would be unsuitable for the native crayfish Astacus astacus. P. clarkii is also marketed by biological supply companies for teaching and research. P. clarkii also exhibits different color morphs, including white, blue, and orange and are commonly sold in pet stores.
The introduction of P. clarkii has also resulted in economic losses in some regions. In the Baixo Mondego region of Portugal, it caused a decrease in 6.3% of profits in rice fields. However, this was on a wet-seeded field. All negative effects of crawfish can be avoided if adult crawfish are separated from the seed and seedlings
Procambarus clarkii is eaten in the United States, Cambodia, Europe, China, Africa, Australia, Thailand, Canada, New Zealand and the Caribbean. About 98% of the crayfish harvested in the United States come from Louisiana, where the standard culinary term is crawfish.
Louisiana in 1990 produced 90% of the crawfish in the world and consumed 70% locally.
Louisiana crawfish are usually boiled in a large pot with heavy seasoning (salt, cayenne pepper, lemon, garlic, bay leaves, etc.) and other items such as potatoes and corn on the cob. Many differing methods are used to season a crawfish boil, and an equal number of opinions on which one is correct. They are generally served at a gathering known as a crawfish boil.From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Goniobranchus annulatus is a species of sea slug, a very colourful dorid nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.
Goniobranchus annulatus is a large smooth pale-bodied nudibranch with many vivid yellow spots, though these may be absent in some individuals. It has one purple ring around the gills and another ring around the rhinophores. The mantle usually has a purple border. It may grow to 100mm in total length. The gills are triangular in cross-section
