es ▁ph ara on is ▁can ▁dis place ▁the ▁native ▁muss el ▁My til aster ▁minim us ▁by ▁inter fer ing ▁with ▁the ▁rec ruit ment ▁of ▁M . ▁minim us . ▁The ▁presence ▁of ▁B . ▁ph ara on is ▁also ▁has ▁det r iment al ▁effects ▁on ▁the ▁surv ival ▁and ▁growth ▁of ▁the ▁native ▁muss el . ▁By ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 9 0 s ▁Isra eli ▁surve ys ▁were ▁showing ▁that ▁there ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁rapid ▁shift ▁in ▁domin ance , ▁demonstr ating ▁that ▁some ▁populations ▁of ▁B . ▁ph ara on is ▁had ▁reached ▁dens ities ▁of ▁up ▁to ▁ 3 0 0 ▁spec im ens ▁per ▁ 1 0 0   cm ², ▁while ▁M . ▁minim us ▁was ▁very ▁inf re qu ently ▁encountered . ▁Even ▁higher ▁dens ities ▁have ▁been ▁reached ▁in ▁the ▁salt p ans ▁of ▁western ▁Sic ily , ▁where ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁spec im ens ▁per ▁m ² ▁have ▁been ▁counted . ▁ ▁Tax onomy ▁There ▁is ▁some ▁controvers y ▁about ▁the ▁species ▁limits ▁of ▁Bra ch id ont es ▁ph ara on is ▁and ▁further ▁gen etic ▁studies ▁are ▁required . ▁The ▁current ▁thinking ▁is ▁that ▁the ▁name ▁B . ▁ph ara on is ▁is ▁best ▁applied ▁to ▁the ▁Mediter rane an ▁and ▁Red ▁Sea . ▁Other ▁species ▁within ▁the ▁complex ▁are ▁Bra ch id ont es ▁ex ust us , ▁Bra ch id ont es ▁sem ist ri atus ▁and ▁Bra ch id ont es