First records of Bolinopsis vitrea (L. Agassiz, 1860) (Ctenophora: Lobata) in the Black Sea

Abstract

The ctenophore Bolinopsis vitrea is first reported from the Turkish and Bulgarian regions of the Black Sea. In Turkish waters, a considerable aggregation was found in Sile on the Asian side and at Kilyos on the European side in 2007. This appears to be the first record of this species in the Black Sea, which is known in the Mediterranean Sea including the Aegean Sea. Bolinopsis vitrea most likely penetrated with currents from the Aegean Sea via the Sea of Marmara into the Black Sea. In 2010 individuals of this species were recorded at two locations in Bulgarian waters where it may have entered with currents or else was released with ballast water.