Site 2 - U Pirtuso

The route begins on the wall at about 7 m, along which an extensive algal cover is encountered, especially on the less inclined rocky portions with Dictyopteris membranacea, Padina pavonica, Codium bursa, Dictyotales sp. and the black urchin Arbacia lixula. The more inclined slabs of rock are characterised by the presence of orange sponges (Crambe crambe), the sponge Petrosia ficiformis with the nudibranch Discodoris atromaculata, and the vermocane (Hermodice carunculata). Descending on a bottom with a stepped morphology, one encounters swarms of damselfish (Chromis chromis), several specimens of shark (Serranus scriba), and the black-tailed wrasse (Symphodus melanocercus), while at 12 m, near islands of Posidonia oceanica, swim the peeper (Oblada melanura), the banded seabream (Diplodus vulgaris) and the parrotfish (Sparisoma cretense). Deeper down, outside small ravines, at the base of colonies of the yellow gorgonian Eunicella cavolinii, the algae Caulerpa racemosa and C. prolifera, Palmophyllum crassum and Flabellia petiolata can be observed. Brown grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) may be encountered within the ravines. At 25 m, a few specimens of Pinna nobilis can be found among the algae C. racemosa, Dictyotales spp. and Codium bursa. The sub-vertical walls and crevices are colonised by sponges (Spirastrella cunctatrix, Hexadella racovitzai, Agelas oroides), algae (Peyssonnelia rubra), ascidians (Halocynthia papillosa, Aplidium elegans), madrepores (Caryophyllia inornata, Astroides calycularis, Leptopsammia pruvoti) among which holothurians (Holoturia tubulosa) and orange stars (Hacelia attenuata, Ophidiaster ophidianus) move slowly. It is worth mentioning the presence of the mollusc Umbraculum umbraculum. Encounters with barracudas (Spyraena viridensis) standing out in the blue are not uncommon, while at shallower depths it is common to see moray eels (Muraena helena), the chili pepper (Tripterygion melanurus) and the peacock damsel (Thalassoma pavo).

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