Not so Lessepsian migrants of the Spirobranchus tetraceros complex (Serpulidae, Annelida)

• DOI: 10.3391/ai.2025.20.1.136400
• Publication Date: 2025-04-15T12:28:56Z
• Authors: Elena K. Kupriyanova; Guillemine Daffe; Samaneh Pazoki; Manal Al-Kandari

Spirobranchus tetraceros (Schmarda, 1861), originally described from New South Wales, Australia, was later reported as a widely distributed succesful species of Indo-Pacific origin, including Lessepsian migrant to the Mediterranean, until evidence has accumulated that nominal taxon is large complex morphologically similar species. Specimens cf. recently discovered in Western Mediterranean (Valencia, Spain) resembled those S. multicornis Red Sea rather than sensu stricto Australia. However, genetic studies proved sequences introduced specimens match neither morphotype warm temperate Australia (NSW) nor Sea. Subsequently, Kupriyanova et al. (2022) designated neotype Wales supported by DNA sequence data and demonstrated several exist alone. This study examined populations world-wide search source population for invader its identity with arabicus Persian (Arabian) Gulf.