Seagrass Maedows

Four species of seagrass

There are four types of seagrass in the Adriatic and throughout the Mediterranean: Neptune grass, little Neptune grass, dwarf eelgrass, and eelgrass, all of which are legally protected. Dense and expansive seagrass meadows are the most productive habitats in the Adriatic, ranging from the surface to depths of 40 meters. In our exhibition you can get to know their most common inhabitants, such as fishes of the wrasse family (such as rainbow wrasse, peacock wrasse and green wrasse), damselfish, fishes of the sparid family (such as salema porgy, common two-banded seabream and gilthead seabream) and the once very common endemic bivalve, the noble pen shell.

(Posidonia oceanica, (L.) Delile)

Neptune grass

Neptune grass is a Mediterranean endemic that forms extensive meadows on sandy or muddy seabeds, providing a habitat for over 20% of marine species. Over the last 50 years, a 34% decline in its growth has been recorded throughout the Mediterranean. Human activities such as anchoring contribute to the degradation of seagrass meadows and it takes up to 100 years to restore just 1 m². These meadows are an important source of oxygen, with healthy and well-developed meadows estimated to produce more than 14 litres of oxygen per square metre in 24 hours.

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Did you know that the organism with the longest lifespan in the Mediterranean is Neptune grass? It has been determined that its leaf bases are more than 2000 and up to 3000 years old. In addition, Neptune grass is the only seagrass whose rhizomes (roots) also grow vertically. In this way, they avoid growing into the sediment, thereby forming bioconstructions – submarine terraces (mattes) – which slowly and consistently rise: up to 1 m every 100 years.

(Pinna nobilis, Linnaeus, 1758)

Noble pen shell

The noble pen shell is the largest endemic bivalve of the Mediterranean, with shells that can grow over one meter long. It filters more than 4,000 litres of seawater every day. Since 2016, the devastating effects of the parasite Haplosporidium pinnae have caused mass mortality across the Mediterranean. In an effort to preserve the noble clam, Aquarium Pula established the "Noble Sanctuary" rescue centre in 2019.

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Critically endangered noble pen shells are representatives of a group of keystone species, vital species of marine ecosystems. Their shells are known to provide a habitat for nearly 40 species of animals and algae that require a solid substrate for growth and development, allowing them to inhabit sandy and muddy areas.

(Sarpa salpa, Linnaeus, 1758)

Salema porgy

Salema porgy belongs to the Sparidae family and is characterised by the golden-yellow horizontal stripes along its body. Of interest is that grown individuals are plant eaters, while young individuals feed mainly on shrimp (crustaceans). Salema porgy is a hermaphroditic species that changes its sex from male to female during its lifetime (known as protandric hermaphroditism).

(Chromis chromis, Linne, 1758)

Mediterranean chromis

The Mediterranean chromis has an oval and laterally compressed body with recognisably large eyes and inhabits the sea at a depth of 2 to 40 m. The youngest individuals are blue, while the bodies of adults are dark brown. The type of rocky seabed is key, as it plays an important part in the transfer of nutrients (carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous), and nano-minerals from the open sea to the coastal area.

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They are considered a biological indicator of clean seas; they are found in significantly fewer numbers in seawater of lower quality and in very noisy environments.

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