The Teuthoidea (Cephalopoda, Mollusca) fauna of the Aegean Sea: comparison with the neighbouring seas and notes on their diet composition

Abstract

Sampling carried out at 47 stations in the Aegean Sea revealed the presence of 10 teuthoid species. A checklist of the Mediterranean and Black Sea teuthoid species, as well as their distribution in the Mediterranean territorial areas and the Black Sea, is presented. The comparison of the faunas of the Mediterranean territorial areas showed that the number of species decreases as follows: Western Mediterranean, Central Mediterranean, Aegean Sea, Adriatic Sea, Levantine Sea, while in the Black Sea no teuthoid species exist. Species with a cosmopolitan distribution dominate in all Mediterranean areas followed in numbers by the Atlanto-Mediterranean species. One species is characterized as a lessepsian migrant while no endemic species exist. The examination of the diet composition of the 10 teuthoid species showed that they mainly feed on Crustacea followed by Pisces.