Nereididae are similar to Serpulidae in the number of successful
Lessepsian migrant taxa. However, other families may be of equal interest
as concerns Lessepsian migrants, and I may not have yet become aware of
that due to my particular interest in the nereids and serpulids.
There is no doing any Mediterranean polychaete fauna without
reference to the Levant biota, which is interesting for several reasons:
(1) the extent to which western Mediterranean species do not inhabit the
Levant Basin (presumably due to the higher temperature and salinity, among
other factors). (2) The presence and the relative abundance of the
Lessepsian migrants (Red Sea species which have migrated through the Suez
Canal into the eastern Mediterranean). The numbers and importance of these
taxa appear to be increasing, but "blooms" of some species which have
later become less important by number are also known.
I want to strongly urge all polychaete taxonomists working on the Mediterranean fauna to take advantage of the Scientific Collections at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem which are still presently available for loan to qualified scientists. NBE