Mass mortality of the dirty cowrie, Naria spurca (Linnaeus, 1758), in the Strait of Messina, Italy

[...]their most relevant threat is represented by habitat depletion and fragmentation, in particular concerning marine caves and dark habitats (Ouerghi et al. 2019), where cowries play a recognized role of focal species in “identifying the conservation state of marine rocky habitats” (Giménez-Casalduero et al. 2018). [...]the distribution of some vulnerable species, such as the Mediterranean cowries, is highly patchy. In the same area, field observations carried out in the framework of the program “PO FEAMP SICILIA 2014–2020, Mis. 2.51” have revealed a stable population of N. spurca in the Capo Peloro Lagoon Reserve, with individuals scattered in shaded portions of the three canals connecting the lagoon to the sea. Afterwards, the rapid lowering of atmospheric pressure, dropping from 1030 to 1002 hPa (https://www.woitalia.it/weather/maps/city), in the lagoon caused the ascent of anoxic bottom water, followed by sudden mortality of fish and clams.