First documented record of the invasive cockle Fulvia fragilis (Forsskal in Niebuhr, 1775) (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Cardiidae) in Libya

Abstract

The occurrence of the fragile cockle Fulvia fragilis (Forsskål in Niebuhr, 1775) in Libyan coastal waters (south-eastern Mediterranean Sea) is reported here for the first time based on the collection of twenty-nine live specimens from the shoreline in close vicinity to Tripoli Harbour, situated to the west of the country. The present record fills a gap in the geographic range of F. fragilis – its occurrence is already documented from the neighbouring territories of Egypt, Italy, Malta, and Tunisia. Although there are no certainties regarding the precise arrival date of this non-native bivalve in Libyan coastal waters, its presence within the environs of Tripoli Harbour might allude to its facilitated spread through ballast water from commercial shipping activity.