Some characteristics of epibiotic macroinvertebrates in Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) reared in a mariculture of Butrint Lagoon (Albanian coast of Ionian Sea)

The taxonomic analysis of the macroinvertebrates, which represents the association of biofouling on the mussels cultivated in the Butrint Lagoon, has identified 29 taxa that were included in 7 major taxonomic groups. The most significant number of taxa belonged to chordates (7) and molluscs (6). The seasonal average values of species diversity index ( D ) for the epibiotic macrofauna were: 0.596±0.056 (in summer); 0.638±0.078 (in autumn); 0.474±0.045 (in winter), and 0.682±0.069 (in spring). The evaluations according to seasonal averages gave the following values for the abundances ( A ,ind/0.1 m²) of epibiotic macrofauna in different parts of the mussel’s strings: A =63.46±52.132 (upper part); A =49.62±42.485 (middle part) and A =30.49±22.004 (lower part). In the period August-October, 2023, the average values of the numerical abundance of the macroinvertebrates according to the three areas in which the mussel cultivation system is situated were: in the Manastir area, 67.3±17.085 ind/0.1m²; in “Mussel’s House” area, 51.2±12.157 ind/0.1m² and in the Ksamil village area, 62.7±11.988 ind/0.1m². The analysis of variance did not confirm the significant differences between three areas ( t <1.812;n=10; P>0.05).