The current study attempts to investigate the distribution of ascidian species collected from eight stations located along the eastern coasts of Aegean Sea, Turkey. For this purpose, field studies were conducted in July 2016. This study revealed the occurrence of ascidian species belonging to 7 families and 12 genera. The invasive species Polyclinum constellatum Savigny, 1816 is reported for the first time from Turkish waters and for the second time in the Mediterranean Sea. Furthermore, Symplegma brakenhielmi (Michaelsen, 1904) is found as a new record for the Turkish Aegean Sea fauna. Knowledge about the ascidian diversity of the Turkish Seas is still incomplete and large-scale surveys, additional taxonomic and molecular studies are needed. |
