Inventory of Non-indigenous and Cryptogenic Marine Benthic Species of the South-East Adriatic Sea, Montenegro

We reviewed all available data on non-indigenous and cryptogenic marine benthic species of the SouthEast Adriatic Sea. Compilation of published literature and unpublished data revealed the presence of 23 species: five macroalgae and 18 zoobenthic species. Three species are considered as cryptogenic and 20 recognised as alien. The majority of the recorded species (16 taxa) were firstly recorded in the bay of Boka Kotorska (Kotor, Tivat, Herceg Novi). The lower number of species reported in the study region with respect to the neighbouring areas could be explained by differences in environmental conditions, the present migratory pathways, as well as the lack of experts and research efforts.