Apherusa chiereghinii Giordani-Soika, 1950

Rousou, Maria, Plaiti, Wanda, Lowry, Jim, Charalambous, Stephanos & Chintiroglou, Chariton Charles, 2020, Amphipoda species (Suborders: Amphilochidea and Senticaudata) from Vasiliko Bay, Cyprus: New records, information on their biogeography and an annotated checklist from the coasts of Cyprus, Zootaxa 4896 (3), pp. 373-408 : 390

34. Apherusa chiereghinii Giordani-Soika, 1950

Materials examined. 25 individuals; Stations Vas. 2(2), 5(5), 7(1), 9(1), 12(2), 13(2), 14(2), 17(2), 18(1), 21(2), 24(2), 36(1), 39(1), 41(1).

Distribution. Mediterranean ( Bellan-Santini & Ruffo 2003), Black Sea (WoRMS). The species was reported from Cyprus by Kocatas et al. (2001). In Vasiliko Bay (current study), it is considered as a common species (FI: 33.3 %).

Ecology. Apherusa chiereghinii was found in association with algae and on soft sediments (mud, mud and sand mixture) at 0–45 m depth ( Kocatas et al. 2001). In Vasiliko Bay it was found at 4–58 m depth (30 + 18 m), in sandy and muddy sand substrates with organic matter ranging between 2.2–6–11.119 % (5.543 + 2.826 %) and in association with C. prolifera , C. cylindracea , C. nodosa , Dictyota spp . and H. stipulacea . It was found in stations classified according to the Bentix Index as in: “high” (2 stations, 4 individuals), “good” (7 stations, 14 individuals) and “moderate” (5 stations, 7 individuals). It was recorded at the power station outlet (2 individuals) and fish farm stations (8 individuals).