First record of the epibiont barnacle Platylepas coriacea Monroe & Limpus, 1979 (Cirripedia: Platylepadidae) in Tunisian’s waters
04/29/2025First record of the epibiont barnacle Platylepas coriacea Monroe & Limpus, 1979 (Cirripedia: Platylepadidae) in Tunisian’s waters
Sami Karaa, Sondes Marouani, Hedia Attia Hilli, Mohamed Nejmeddine Bradai, Imed Jribi
ORCID IDs: S.K. 0000-0001-5380-7295; S.M. 0000-0002-3840-9958; H.A.H. 0009-0002-7612-4045; M.N.B. 0000-0003-3235-4439; I.J: 0000-0002-2973-9568
University of Carthage, National Institute of Marine Sciences and Technologies, Marine Biodiversity Laboratory (R16INSTM02). P.O. Box. 6000 Gabès, TUNISIA
University of Carthage, National Institute of Marine Sciences and Technologies, Marine Living Resources Laboratory (LR16INSTM01). P.O. Box. 1035 Sfax 3018, TUNISIA
National Center of Zoosanitary Vigilance, Tunis, TUNISIA
Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity in the Gulf of Gabès (ASCOB-Syrtis), Sfax Route de la Soukra km 4, P.O. Box 171, Sfax 3000, TUNISIA
Laboratory of Marine Biodiversity and Environment (BIOME LR18ES30), Life Sciences Department, Sfax Faculty of Sciences, University of Sfax. P.O. Box. 1171, Sfax 3000, TUNISIA
Abstract
The barnacles of the family Platylepadidae are specialized crustaceans that live as obligate symbionts of motile marine animals, with some species occurring solely on sea turtles. In this note, we document the first record of Platylepas coriacea as a leatherback turtle epibiont in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Tunisia. The species was taken from two stranded leatherback turtles: on July 29, 2008, in Ghrannouch (Gabès, southern Tunisia), and on December 29, 2011, in Ras Angla (Bizerte, northern Tunisia).
Keywords: Platylepas coriacea, leatherback turtle, Tunisia, Mediterranean
Pages: 54-65
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