First occurrence of the family Botryllophilidae Sars G.O., 1921 (Copepoda, Cyclopoida) in Sicily, central Mediterranean Sea

Abstract

A female copepod specimen belonging to the family Botryllophilidae Sars G.O., 1921 was retrieved for the first time in December 2023 from nautical ropes of the tourist marina in Palermo (Cala Marina), near the commercial port of the city. The individual lacks many of the distinctive morpho-anatomical characteristics of the class Copepoda, as usual in cyclopoid parasites. In this group, females typically carry paired multiseriate egg sacs, which are extruded from the genital openings and lead to taxonomic identification. The family is commonly associated with tunicates. There are few reports of commensal and/or parasitic copepods associated with sea squirts in the Mediterranean Sea. This record cannot be treated as a new non-indigenous species for the Italian coasts yet, as there are no extensive studies on the distribution of the taxon.