Volume 8, Issue 1 (2013)
published March 2013
This issue of Aquatic Invasions is dedicated in memory of Francesca Gherardi
(November 12, 1955 – February 14, 2013)
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Elena Tricarico
Tribute to Francesca Gherardi, scientist and editor
(pp 1-2)
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Research articles |
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Dan Minchin, Elizabeth J. Cook and Paul F. Clark
Alien species in British brackish and marine waters
(pp 3-19)
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Ninety alien species have been identified from British marine and brackish environments; of which 58 are established. Their arrival has been principally due to shipping and imported consignments of cultured species. The majority of alien species were initially reported from the English Channel, with many subsequently spreading northwards to the North or Celtic Seas. The majority of aliens in Britain originate from the North Pacific (N=35), followed by the North-west Atlantic (N=22). Additional alien species may be expected as a result of continued trade, port, and marina developments. Alterations in climate and extreme weather events are likely to result in future changes to the distribution of marine and brackish water alien species around the British coast..
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Stephen J. Beatty, David L. Morgan, James Keleher, Mark G. Allen and Gavin A. Sarre
The tropical South American cichlid, Geophagus brasiliensis in Mediterranean climatic south-western Australia
(pp 21-36)
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The highly endemic (82%) freshwater fishes of south-western Australia are imperiled due to severe habitat and water quality declines and impacts of introduced species.
As a case study of the recent tropical aquarium fish introductions, the biology and ecology of the pearl cichlid Geophagus brasiliensis was determined in the Swan River
catchment south-western Australia. Unlike endemic freshwater fish species of this Mediterranean climatic region, Geophagus brasiliensis underwent a protracted spawning
period during the warmer period from December to May. It appeared that recruitment only occurred in lentic habitats; however the species also persists in downstream lotic habitats.
Growth rate and maximum size (245 mm TL) of the species exceed all but one of the region’s native freshwater fishes. Whilst minimum water temperature may help limit its establishment
in many aquatic ecosystems, its salinity tolerance and omnivorous diet would facilitate its colonisation in this region, including freshwaters and estuaries. Past and future habitat
and climatic change is predicted to continue to favour species from sub-tropical and tropical regions.
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Jan Soors, Ton van Haaren, Tarmo Timm and Jeroen Speybroeck
Bratislavia dadayi (Michaelsen, 1905) (Annelida: Clitellata: Naididae): a new non-indigenous species for Europe, and other non-native annelids in the Schelde estuary
(pp 37-44)
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For the first time, the freshwater oligochaete species Bratislavia dadayi (Michaelsen, 1905) is recorded in Europe.
The species was found at three subtidal stations in the Schelde estuary in Belgium, where it was probably introduced from the Americas.
We provide an overview of the species’ nomenclature, diagnostics, distribution, and ecology. Bratislavia dadayi is one of 11 non-indigenous
annelids currently known to occur in the Schelde estuary.
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Lynn Schwaebe, Kumud Acharya and Michael J. Nicholl
Comparative efficacy of Dreissena rostriformis bugensis (Bivalvia: Dreissenidae) spawning techniques
(pp 45-52)
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Spawning of Dreissena rostriformis bugensis, commonly known as the quagga mussel, under laboratory conditions has received relatively little attention.
A comprehensive understanding of spawning is necessary to better predict the implications that introduction of quagga mussels will have on an ecosystem.
We evaluated three methods to induce spawning in quagga mussels: external application of serotonin, temperature shock (TS), and temperature shock with
the addition of gonad slurry (TS+GS). Mussels were individually exposed to the spawning treatments, and success or failure to produce gametes was observed.
We also examined the relationship between shell length, time to spawn, and gamete production. We found that TS produced a maximum of 22 % spawning success.
The addition of gonad slurry showed a slight increase over TS at 32 %. Serotonin was found to produce the highest percent spawning at 77.3% success.
Our results show that a clear dose response relationship exists between serotonin concentration and spawning response, and that consistent spawning
of both males and females is observed following exposure to serotonin at concentrations at or above 5×10-4 M. We found no correlation between mussel
size and clutch size or time to spawn; however the time delay between serotonin exposure and spawning onset was found to be greater in females than males.
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Katharina C. M. Heiler, Abraham bij de Vaate, Klemens Ekschmitt, Parm V. von Oheimb, Christian Albrecht and Thomas Wilke
Reconstruction of the early invasion history of the quagga mussel (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) in Western Europe
(pp 53-57)
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The recent introduction of the quagga mussel into Western European freshwaters marked the beginning of one of the most successful biological invasions during the past years in this region.
However, the spatial and temporal origin of the first invasive population(s) in Western Europe as well as subsequent spreading routes still remain under discussion. In this study,
we therefore aim at reconstructing the early invasion history of the quagga mussel in Western Europe based on an age-corrected temporally and spatially explicit spread model.
Data were derived from time-series studies at selected sites as well as from a broad spatial survey in Western Europe. According to our spread model, the first successful introduction
into Western Europe occurred in the Main-Danube Canal in early 2004, probably via inland navigation. Once populations were established, subsequent spread of the quagga mussel was
characterized by a combination of jump dispersal and diffusive spread. This study gives insights into the very early invasion history of the quagga mussel and stresses the importance
of the Main-Danube Canal for the introduction of non-native freshwater species into Western Europe.
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Timothy L. Fuller and Jeffery R. Hughey
Molecular investigation of the invasive sponge Hymeniacidon sinapium (de Laubenfels, 1930) in Elkhorn Slough, California
(pp 59-66)
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A large number of invasive marine invertebrates are recognized from Elkhorn Slough (ES), California. One of these species in the slough is treated as Hymeniacidon sinapium
(Family Halichondriidae) but its species identity is in doubt pending molecular confirmation. The purpose of this investigation was to confirm the presence of H. sinapium in ES,
determine its distribution in the slough, and compare its genetic diversity to others in California and worldwide. To address these goals, 23 specimens of Hymeniacidon were analyzed
using DNA sequences of the nuclear rDNA internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 + ITS2) and the 5.8S exon. The sequences were compared against those of H. sinapium from: San Diego and
Tomales Bay in California; Japan; and South Korea. All ES sequences were found to be nearly identical to the other H. sinapium sequences, differing by only 1-3 nucleotides.
ES specimens displayed five unique genotypes: three showed intragenomic polymorphisms (IGPs) in the ITS1 region (positions 155, 181, and 195). These data conclusively document the presence
of H. sinapium in ES as well as define the species to a relatively narrow portion of its eastern shores (~4 km long). Since the genetic diversity of H. sinapium in ES is higher
than that reported worldwide, its presence in ES is likely the result of multiple introductions. One of the IGPs in ES was found to be the most abundant and was widely distributed in the slough:
an indication that it may be spreading.
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Romain Scalone and Nicolas Rabet
Presence of Artemia franciscana (Branchiopoda, Anostraca) in France: morphological, genetic, and biometric evidence
(pp 67-76)
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New parthenogenetic and gonochoristic populations of Artemia were found along the French Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts. The taxonomic identity of these new populations
was determined based upon: i) an analysis of the variation in the caudal gene, ii) morphology of the penis and frontal knob of male specimens using scanning electronic microscopy
(SEM) and iii) a principal coordinate analysis of selected biometric traits. This analysis showed that all French gonochoristic populations of Artemia were comprised
of the New World species A. franciscana (Kellogg, 1906) and not the Mediterranean native species, A. salina. As well, the parthenogenetic populations of Artemia
in France are being rapidly replaced populations by the North America A. franciscana. This is a concern for all the European Atlantic and Mediterranean regions and is another
example of a New World invasive species potentially decreasing European biodiversity.
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Jannes Landschoff, Dagmar Lackschewitz, Katharina Kesy and Karsten Reise
Globalization pressure and habitat change: Pacific rocky shore crabs invade armored shorelines in the Atlantic Wadden Sea
(pp 77-87)
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Two Northwest Pacific crabs have almost simultaneously invaded Northeast Atlantic shores. In the Wadden Sea, Hemigrapsus sanguineus and H. takanoi have become established
on artificial-boulder shorelines. Peak densities of >100 crabs (>5 mm carapace width) per m² were attained within 2–3 years of arrival. The invaders segregated by microhabitat, with
H. sanguineus dominant on exposed shores and H. takanoi dominant on sheltered shores as well as colonizing beds of mussels and oysters on mudflats. A field experiment
indicated H. sanguineus displaced juvenile native shore crabs Carcinus maenas from beneath-boulder substrate. However, this displacement appeared restricted to armored
shorelines, with little to no effect on large populations of C. maenas that occur widely in shallow, soft bottom, habitats of the coastal zone of the North Sea.
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Amy E. Fowler, Tiia Forsström, Mikael von Numers and Outi Vesakoski
The North American mud crab Rhithropanopeus harrisii (Gould, 1841) in newly colonized Northern Baltic Sea: distribution and ecology
(pp 89-96)
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Here we present the known distribution and population demography of the most northern known population of the North American white-fingered mud crab, Rhithropanopeus harrisii,
from southwest Finland in the Baltic Sea. This species was first reported in Finland in 2009 from the archipelago close to Turku and has been found from 82 locations within a 30 km radius
since then. Due to the presence of young of year, juveniles, and gravid females observed at three sites in Finland, R. harrisii has established successful populations that are able
to overwinter under ice and can opportunistically occupy diverse habitats, such as shafts of dead marsh plants, self-made burrows in muddy bottoms, and the brown algae Fucus vesiculosus
in hard bottoms. In its native range, a rhizocephalan barnacle parasitizes R. harrisii, but this parasite was not found in the introduced Finnish population. While R. harrisii
is expected to expand its range along the coast of the northern Baltic Sea, the ultimate impact of this species on food web dynamics, both as a predator and prey item, remains to be seen.
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Short communications |
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Brahim Sabour, Abdeltif Reani, Hachem EL Magouri and Ricardo Haroun
Sargassum muticum (Yendo) Fensholt (Fucales, Phaeophyta) in Morocco, an invasive marine species new to the Atlantic coast of Africa
(pp 97-102)
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The Japanese brown seaweed Sargassum muticum (Yendo) Fensholt (Fucales, Phaeophyta) is reported for the first time in Atlantic Morocco,
along the shoreline of Doukkala (S of Casablanca). This record, the first in the African continent, represents a remarkable range expansion
of this invasive marine species. Indeed, it is the southern-most occurrence of the species in the Atlantic. Preliminary phenological and ecological
data of this non-native species were provided from the Doukkala coast. The major effects on benthic structure and composition of this invasive brown
macroalga were also evaluated from published data. Oyster transfers from the French coast were the most likely primary introduction vector, but maritime
vectors linked to shipping and navigation cannot be ruled out. Guidelines for prevention of further expansion of this highly invasive marine species along
the Moroccan coasts are described.
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Anne Schrimpf, Christoph Chucholl, Thomas Schmidt and Ralf Schulz
Crayfish plague agent detected in populations of the invasive North American crayfish Orconectes immunis (Hagen, 1870) in the Rhine River, Germany
(pp 103-109)
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Crayfish plague, caused by the parasitic oomycete Aphanomyces astaci, has driven indigenous European crayfish species to regional extinction in many parts of Europe
and is among the leading threats to the remaining populations. A. astaci is known to be carried by long-established invasive crayfish species of North American origin,
which are also the main vectors of the plague pathogen. In this study, we examined whether a new invasive crayfish of North American origin, the calico crayfish
(Orconectes immunis), also carries A. astaci. Orconectes immunis is a recent invader of the Upper Rhine plain, where it seems to displace its invasive
predecessor Orconectes limosus, which is a known carrier of the agent of the crayfish plague. Using real-time PCR, we identified the calico crayfish as the fourth invasive
crayfish species to be a carrier of the crayfish plague pathogen in Europe and we confirmed the infection with A. astaci in O. limosus. These findings support
the concern that all North American crayfish species in European waters are carriers of the crayfish plague pathogen. Such knowledge should prove useful for conservation efforts,
management, legislation, and public education about the spread of crayfish plague and non-indigenous crayfish species.
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Lyudmila Kamburska, Rosaria Lauceri and Nicoletta Riccardi
Establishment of a new alien species in Lake Maggiore (Northern Italy): Anodonta (Sinanodonta) woodiana (Lea, 1834) (Bivalvia: Unionidae)
(pp 111-116)
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This note is the first communication of the occurrence of the alien Anodonta (Sinanodonta) woodiana (Lea, 1834) (Bivalvia: Unionidae) in Lake Maggiore (Northern Italy).
We have found empty shells of the bivalve first in August 2010, and since then, this species is colonizing rapidly the second deepest subalpine lake in Italy.
Preliminary findings on morphometric features of A. woodiana in the Lake are provided.
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Vera Gonçalves, Rui Rebelo and Francesca Gherardi
Fouling of invasive red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852) by the zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha (Pallas, 1771) in Lake Trasimeno, Italy
(pp 117-120)
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Observations of Procambarus clarkii fouling, by alien zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) in Lake Trasimeno (and in the laboratory) are recorded.
Results agree with previous reports that zebra mussels can be found, if only occasionally, on most parts of the swamp crayfish body, with a general preference
for the ventral surface, and in this case, the pereopods. The frequency of colonization on P. clarkii in the wild varied from 0 to 4%; much lower than
other crayfish species (e.g. 65% in Orconectes limosus or 12-24% in O. rusticus). Adults of both sexes were colonized equally. Multiple zebra mussels
on individual crayfish were unexpectedly high; this may be related to poor crayfish condition and may also explain the only colonization of a live crayfish individual
recorded in the laboratory.
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Last update: 23 March 2013
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(c) 2013 Regional Euro-Asian Biological Invasions Centre (REABIC)
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