Photis longicaudata (Spence Bate & Westwood, 1862)

Photis longicaudata (Spence Bate & Westwood, 1862) View in CoL

Photis longicaudata View in CoL is considered Atlantic-Indo-Mediterranean species and its distribution extends to the Indian Ocean, Barents Sea, South Africa, India, China, Korean Peninsula, Caribbean Sea, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Gulf of Mexico, Indonesia, Philippine, and New Zealand ( Bellan-Santini, 1990). In the Mediterranean Basin and European waters this species is recorded in France, Ireland, Scotland, Spain, Israel, Italy, Portugal, England and Algeria ( Falconetti, 1970; Bellan-Santini and Ledoyer, 1973; Parker, 1984; Falciai and Spadini, 1985; Dauvin, 1987; Dauvin, 1999; Moore and Cameron, 1999; Sorbe et al., 2002; Miloslavich et al., 2010; de-la-Ossa-Carretero et al., 2012; Lo Brutto et al., 2016; Plicanti et al., 2017; Navarro-Barranco et al., 2017).

This photid can be observed on several types of substrates such as fine sands ( Dauvin, 1987), muddy sands and mud ( Falciai and Spadini, 1985), detritic substrates and coralline algae, hard and artificial substrates ( Flynn and Valèrio-Berardo, 2009, 2012; de-la-Ossa-Carretero et al., 2012) and Sabellaria alveolata View in CoL biocostructions ( Plicanti et al., 2017). Photis longicaudata View in CoL is also abundant in the photophilic and intertidal algae epifaunal community and is founded in association with some species of Sargassum View in CoL (e.g. Sargassum stenophyllum ) ( Tanaka and Leite, 2003; Ortiz et al., 2005). Moore and Cameron (1999) observed some specimens of P. longicaudata View in CoL among the tentacles of the anthozoan Cerianthus lloydii Gosse, 1859 View in CoL and hypothesized that this amphipod exploits this cnidarian to gain protection and defence from predators. Moreover, P. longicaudata View in CoL is also considered resistant to pollution and has been found in areas affected by anthropogenic impact and sewage pollution ( Flynn and Valèrio-Berardo, 2009, 2012; de-la-Ossa-Carretero et al., 2012).

This species is most abundant between 0 and 50 m but it can also exploit deep substrates located at depths of about 200 m ( Ortiz et al., 2005).

Photis longicaudata View in CoL is considered a tube dweller opportunistic suspension feeder as it builds small muddy tubes that can form dense aggregations in fouling communities ( Moore and Cameron, 1999; Flynn and Valério-Berardo, 2009).

Our analyses revealed the presence of 988 individuals of this species which was distributed at depths between 7.8 and 11.7 m. Photis longicaudata View in CoL was recorded mainly at the site HM2.1 where an increase in abundance was exhibited in 2014 (751 individuals). A single observation was recorded in 2011 at the Haifa Port site (HM27 station; 118 individuals), while the species was present with occasional occurrences along the southernmost portion of the Israel coasts (H19-H28).