in ities , ▁where ▁it ▁establish es ▁dense ▁muss el ▁b eds ▁on ▁hard ▁substr ates , ▁especially ▁where ▁it ▁is ▁shelter ed ▁from ▁waves . ▁ ▁Distribution ▁ ▁Native ▁Bra ch id ont es ▁ph ara on is ▁is ▁native ▁only ▁to ▁the ▁Red ▁Sea ▁and ▁adjacent ▁Indian ▁Ocean ▁( see ▁Tax onomy ). ▁ ▁In vas ive ▁Bra ch id ont es ▁ph ara on is ▁was ▁first ▁recorded ▁in ▁the ▁Mediter rane an ▁Sea ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 6 ▁off ▁Port ▁Sa id ▁in ▁Egypt , ▁reaching ▁Leb anon ▁and ▁Palest ine ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ; ▁Sic ily ▁by ▁ 1 9 7 1 ; ▁Greece ▁by ▁ 1 9 7 9 ; ▁Sy ria ▁and ▁Turkey ▁by ▁ 1 9 8 5 , ▁Rh odes ▁by ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁Cy pr us ▁by ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁and ▁the ▁northern ▁Adri atic ▁coast ▁of ▁Cro atia ▁by ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁ ▁The ▁populations ▁in ▁the ▁Lev antine ▁Sea ▁most ▁likely ▁arose ▁from ▁lar va e ▁that ▁entered ▁the ▁Mediter rane an ▁through ▁the ▁S uez ▁Canal . ▁This ▁is ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁earliest ▁example ▁of ▁a ▁Les se ps ian ▁migration . ▁The ▁colon isation ▁of ▁the ▁central ▁Mediter rane an ▁is ▁probably ▁due ▁to ▁transport ation ▁by ▁ships . ▁ ▁Bi ology ▁ ▁Fe eding ▁Bra ch id ont es ▁ph ara on is ▁is ▁a ▁filter ▁fe eder , ▁filtering ▁susp ended