that occur in marine habitats also has an influence, since each species requires certain
conditions of temperature, salinity etc. The presence of tropical and subtropical fish
in the western Mediterranean has almost tripled in the last three decades, going from
the 12 or 15 species that scientists reported in the 1980s to the 38 catalogued in 2010.
Almost all of these species come from the subtropical and tropical Atlantic, and
entered the Mediterranean through the Strait of Gibraltar. It is difficult to know if any
of these new species have formed stable populations, although they do seem to be
expanding towards the north and east of the Mediterranean, reaching its eastern
basin. Such is the case of the fish species of Atlantic origin Carcharhinus altimus,
Acanthurus monroviae, Pisodonophis semicinctus, Sphoeroides pachygaster,
Pagellus bellottii, and Seriola fasciata, which have recently entered the Mediterranean through the Strait of Gibraltar, and have already reached the coasts of the
Eastern Mediterranean.
An example of progressive advance from Africa for crustaceans is the hermit
P. mbizi, which was captured in 2006, 2007, and 2009 in the westernmost area of the
Alboran Sea (Málaga: Estepona, Marbella), later in 2010–2011 in the central zone
(coast of Granada) and later, from 2010 to 2013, specimens were already captured in
the eastern sector (Almería: Adra, Almerimar near Roquetas de Mar).
Consequently, the biota of the region keeps changing and the Alboran Sea stands
as a critical area for monitoring changes in species distribution.
References
Altamirano M, Andreakis N, Souza-Egipsy V et al (2014) First record of Caulerpa cylindracea
(Caulerpaceae, Chlorophyta) in Andalusia (Southern Spain). Anales Jard Bot Madrid 71(2).
https://doi.org/10.3989/ajbm.2381
Altamirano M, De La Rosa J, Martínez FJ et al (2017) Prolifera en el Estrecho un alga nunca citada
en nuestro litoral. Quercus 373:32–33
Altamirano M, Muñoz AR, De La Rosa J et al (2008) The invasive species Asparagopsis taxiformis
(Bonnemaisoniales, Rhodophyta) on Andalusian coasts (Southern Spain): reproductive stages,
new records and invaded communities. Acta Bot Malac 33:5–15
Azzurro E, Soto S, Garofalo G et al (2013) Fistularia commersonii in the Mediterranean Sea:
invasion history and distribution modeling based on presence-only records. Biol Invasions 15
(5):977–990
Báez JC, Gimeno L, Gómez-Gesteira M et al (2013) Combined effects of the North Atlantic
Oscillation and the Arctic Oscillation on Sea Surface Temperature in the Alboran Sea. PLoS
One 8(4):e62201. https://doi.org/10.1371/journalpone0062201
Báez JC, Macías D, de Castro M et al (2013) Analysis of the effect of atmospheric oscillations on
physical condition of pre–reproductive bluefin tuna from the Strait of Gibraltar. Anim Biodivers
Conserv 36:225–233
Báez JC, Macías D, De Castro M et al (2014) Assessing the response of exploited marine
populations in a context of rapid climate change: the case of blackspot seabream from the Strait
of Gibraltar. Anim Biodivers Conserv 37:35–47
Báez JC, Bellido JJ, Real R et al (2020) Primer registro de nidificación de tortuga boba (Caretta
caretta) en el mar de Alborán: significado biológico e implicaciones del manejo en la
conservación. Boletín de la Asociación Herpetológica Española, 31:157–162
11 Biogeographical and Macroecological Context of the Alboran Sea
451
conditions of temperature, salinity etc. The presence of tropical and subtropical fish
in the western Mediterranean has almost tripled in the last three decades, going from
the 12 or 15 species that scientists reported in the 1980s to the 38 catalogued in 2010.
Almost all of these species come from the subtropical and tropical Atlantic, and
entered the Mediterranean through the Strait of Gibraltar. It is difficult to know if any
of these new species have formed stable populations, although they do seem to be
expanding towards the north and east of the Mediterranean, reaching its eastern
basin. Such is the case of the fish species of Atlantic origin Carcharhinus altimus,
Acanthurus monroviae, Pisodonophis semicinctus, Sphoeroides pachygaster,
Pagellus bellottii, and Seriola fasciata, which have recently entered the Mediterranean through the Strait of Gibraltar, and have already reached the coasts of the
Eastern Mediterranean.
An example of progressive advance from Africa for crustaceans is the hermit
P. mbizi, which was captured in 2006, 2007, and 2009 in the westernmost area of the
Alboran Sea (Málaga: Estepona, Marbella), later in 2010–2011 in the central zone
(coast of Granada) and later, from 2010 to 2013, specimens were already captured in
the eastern sector (Almería: Adra, Almerimar near Roquetas de Mar).
Consequently, the biota of the region keeps changing and the Alboran Sea stands
as a critical area for monitoring changes in species distribution.
References
Altamirano M, Andreakis N, Souza-Egipsy V et al (2014) First record of Caulerpa cylindracea
(Caulerpaceae, Chlorophyta) in Andalusia (Southern Spain). Anales Jard Bot Madrid 71(2).
https://doi.org/10.3989/ajbm.2381
Altamirano M, De La Rosa J, Martínez FJ et al (2017) Prolifera en el Estrecho un alga nunca citada
en nuestro litoral. Quercus 373:32–33
Altamirano M, Muñoz AR, De La Rosa J et al (2008) The invasive species Asparagopsis taxiformis
(Bonnemaisoniales, Rhodophyta) on Andalusian coasts (Southern Spain): reproductive stages,
new records and invaded communities. Acta Bot Malac 33:5–15
Azzurro E, Soto S, Garofalo G et al (2013) Fistularia commersonii in the Mediterranean Sea:
invasion history and distribution modeling based on presence-only records. Biol Invasions 15
(5):977–990
Báez JC, Gimeno L, Gómez-Gesteira M et al (2013) Combined effects of the North Atlantic
Oscillation and the Arctic Oscillation on Sea Surface Temperature in the Alboran Sea. PLoS
One 8(4):e62201. https://doi.org/10.1371/journalpone0062201
Báez JC, Macías D, de Castro M et al (2013) Analysis of the effect of atmospheric oscillations on
physical condition of pre–reproductive bluefin tuna from the Strait of Gibraltar. Anim Biodivers
Conserv 36:225–233
Báez JC, Macías D, De Castro M et al (2014) Assessing the response of exploited marine
populations in a context of rapid climate change: the case of blackspot seabream from the Strait
of Gibraltar. Anim Biodivers Conserv 37:35–47
Báez JC, Bellido JJ, Real R et al (2020) Primer registro de nidificación de tortuga boba (Caretta
caretta) en el mar de Alborán: significado biológico e implicaciones del manejo en la
conservación. Boletín de la Asociación Herpetológica Española, 31:157–162
11 Biogeographical and Macroecological Context of the Alboran Sea
451