Volume 8, Issue 3 (2013)
published September 2013
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Research articles |
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John W. Chapman, Ralph A. Breitenstein and James T. Carlton
Port-by-port accumulations and dispersal of hull fouling invertebrates between the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean
(pp 249-260)
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The R/V Oceanus completed a 9,789 km, 28 day passage from Woods Hole, Massachusetts, in the Atlantic Ocean, through the Panama Canal to Yaquina Bay, Oregon, in the Pacific Ocean on 21 February 2012.
The Oceanus had previously operated in the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean (including the Caribbean Sea). We document the sequential acquisition of the barnacles Balanus trigonus and
Amphibalanus venustus and the oyster Ostrea equestris on the Oceanus on its high and low latitude transoceanic, intra-oceanic, and inter-oceanic travels before she was surveyed
in Yaquina Bay. The close correspondence between hull fouling accumulations and the detailed two year Oceanus working history reveals B. trigonus settlement occurred in every tropical
port visited by the Oceanus, that some populations survived through two of three Woods Hole winters, and that some of these populations passed through the freshwater Panama Canal. These results
suggest that marine hull-fouling species are continuously transported globally between most ports of call by most ship passages.
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João Canning-Clode, Paul Fofonoff, Linda McCann, James T. Carlton and Gregory Ruiz
Marine invasions on a subtropical island: fouling studies and new records in a recent marina on Madeira Island (Eastern Atlantic Ocean)
(pp 261-270)
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In recent years, several marine non-indigenous species (NIS) lists have been produced for many European countries but little is known
about the diversity and distribution of fouling NIS in Portugal (mainland and islands). We conducted a six-year survey of a marina
located on the south coast of Madeira island, Portugal to assess NIS diversity on the island, constituting the first NIS inventory
for the archipelago. We found 16 NIS, of which 9 are new records. Both species richness and abundance changed during the course of
colonization whether total, NIS, or native diversity were considered. The number of native species decreased with colonization while
the number of NIS significantly increased. More importantly, we demonstrated that the number of NIS detections in the marina
was correlated with increasing ship traffic over the years.
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Mamiko Hirose and Euichi Hirose
Photosymbiotic ascidians from oceanic islands in the tropical Pacific as candidates of long-dispersal species: morphological and genetic identification of the species
(pp 271-280)
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Following the increase in seawater temperatures due to global warming, tropical species may expand their geographic ranges toward higher latitudes, and thus are noteworthy as potential
introduced species. Among photosymbiotic ascidians, Trididemnum cyclops Michaelsen, 1921 and Diplosoma simile (Sluiter, 1909) have broad ranges in the tropical Pacific,
including oceanic islands. Considering the taxonomic difficulties in identifying didemnid species, it is important to verify the species identification of specimens from oceanic islands
and to examine genetic differences between them and conspecifics from continental islands. We examined zooid morphologies and partial sequences of the mitochondrial COI gene of
T. cyclops and D. simile from oceanic islands in the Pacific (Bonin Islands and Hawai'i) to compare with those from the Ryukyu Archipelago (Japan), continental islands,
and Caribbean Panama. The specimens from the oceanic islands were confirmed to be T. cyclops and D. simile. We assume that the colonies in oceanic islands were originally
derived from the tropical western Pacific region, where the species richness is much higher than that in oceanic islands. The wide geographic range of these species suggests that
T. cyclops and D. simile have long-range dispersal capabilities and broad environmental tolerances and may expand their distributions toward higher latitudes as seawater
temperature increases due to global warming.
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Elizabeth J. Cook, Jiřina Stehlíková, Christine M. Beveridge, Michael T. Burrows, Hans De Blauwe and Marco Faasse
Distribution of the invasive bryozoan Tricellaria inopinata in Scotland and a review of its European expansion
(pp 281-288)
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The invasive bryozoan, Tricellaria inopinata d’Hondt & Occhipinti Ambrogi, 1985 was first recorded in European waters in the early 1980’s and has since been reported from 167 locations
from the Mediterranean Sea to the north-east Atlantic coastline and from the island of Madeira, off north-west Africa, to the north-east coast of Scotland. This species is typically associated
with human activity, including commercial and recreational vessels and aquaculture, where it has been found in abundance on boat hulls and propellers, floating pontoons and structures associated
with shellfish cultivation. Tricellaria inopinata has a high tolerance to a wide range of salinities and temperatures, although following the harsh winter of 2010, populations disappeared
in Germany suggesting that this species is near the northern limit of its range under current climatic conditions. It is expected to continue to disperse though, throughout the Mediterranean,
English Channel, North and Celtic Seas.
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Sergii Snigirov, Volodymyr Medinets, Volodymyr Chichkin and Sergiy Sylantyev
Rapa whelk controls demersal community structure off Zmiinyi Island, Black Sea
(pp 289-297)
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Between 2004 and 2012, populations of Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) and rapa whelk (Rapana venosa)
from the coastal waters of Zmiinyi Island (Black Sea) were assessed for distribution, abundance, size, and age characteristics.
Compared to 2004–2005, the mussel bed cover in 2012 decreased by 75.6%, the maximum depth of occurrence reduced from 22–25 m to 10–12 m,
and total biomass declined by 44.6%. There was a concurrent decrease in abundance of demersal fishes dependent upon mussels as prey.
We concluded that the invasive rapa whelk has had a detrimental impact on this demersal ecosystem. The possible influence of the introduced
ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi on the two mollusc’s populations has also been discussed.
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Katherine McFarland, Ludovic Donaghy and Aswani K. Volety
Effect of acute salinity changes on hemolymph osmolality and clearance rate of the non-native mussel, Perna viridis, and the native oyster, Crassostrea virginica,
in Southwest Florida
(pp 299-310)
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The green mussel Perna viridis is a recent invader to Southwest Florida and, though it is currently found only in high salinity areas, concerns abound that it may threaten native oysters.
The objective of this study was to compare the responses of P. viridis and the native eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, to acute salinity changes by measuring hemolymph
osmolality and clearance rate of algal cells over time. The osmolality of hemolymph in vivo and surrounding water were assessed regularly over a one-week period at seven test salinities ranging
from 5 to 35. While oysters reached osmotic equilibrium at all salinities within 144 hours, hemolymph of green mussels remained hyperosmotic at salinities ≤ 10. Clearance rates of algae by
P. viridis and C. virginica held in static tanks at four salinities (10, 15, 25, and 35) were measured, employing flow cytometry. At salinities of 25 and 35, green mussel
clearance rates were approximately double those of oysters. Unlike native oysters, green mussel clearance rates decreased by an order of magnitude at salinities of 10 and 15. Further,
at salinities of 10 and 15, P. viridis tended to close their valves. In a specific test of this behavior, 100% of mussels remained open at salinities of 25 and 35. At salinities
of 10 and 15, mussels increasingly closed their valves over time, and within 120 hours of exposure all were either closed or dead. The chief concern about P. viridis is that it might
compete with native bivalves for food and space. However, our results suggest that this recent invader may be salinity-limited, providing C. virginica with a refuge from competition
in estuaries that experience acute periods of low salinity.
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Alexander V. Zhulidov, Alexander V. Kozhara, Thomas F. Nalepa, Tatiana Yu. Gurtovaya and Daniel A. Zhulidov
Relative abundance of two dreissenid species, Dreissena polymorpha and Dreissena rostriformis bugensis in the Lower Don River system, Russia
(pp 311-318)
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Relative abundance of two dreissenid species, Dreissena rostriformis bugensis and Dreissena polymorpha, in the total dreissenid community was calculated
for 15 sites in the lower Don River system, Russia, between 1977 and 2010 to determine relative trends in their sympatric occurrence. The proportion of D. r. bugensis
first increased at most stations reaching a maximum by 1999. However, after 1999, this species consistently decreased at 14 of the 15 sites. Degree of decline seems
to correlate strongly to calcium content and total mineral content of the water. At sites in the Manych River with a higher Ca2+ and total mineral content, the proportion
of D. r. bugensis in the total dreissenid population declined from 65–75% in 1999 to 14–22% by 2009-2010, whereas at sites in the Don River with lower Ca2+ and total
mineral content its proportion declined from 25–50% to only 1 %. However, Ca2+ and total mineral content cannot explain the synchronous and consistent long-term decrease
in relative numbers as observed. D. r. bugensis normally displaces D. polymorpha over time due to superior physiological characteristics. Reasons for the decline
of D. r. bugensis in the total dreissenid community are unclear, but given its synchronicity despite different times of invasion and hence species interactions we assume
a macroregional factor affecting all the populations examined.
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Jonne Kotta, Merli Pärnoja, Tarja Katajisto, Maiju Lehtiniemi, Stanislaw A. Malavin, Greta Reisalu and Vadim E. Panov
Is a rapid expansion of the invasive amphipod Gammarus tigrinus Sexton, 1939 associated with its niche selection: a case study in the Gulf of Finland, the Baltic Sea
(pp 319-332)
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Among the recent non-indigenous species the gammarid amphipod Gammarus tigrinus is one of the more aggressive invaders in the Baltic Sea.
Quantitative sampling of the shallow water habitats of the Gulf of Finland showed that G. tigrinus has become established in the whole coastal zone of the Gulf.
Boosted Regression Trees modelling indicated that the abundance and biomass of G. tigrinus varied as a function of wave exposure, water salinity and transparency,
with the invasive amphipod having higher abundance and biomass at less exposed, more dilute, and more turbid sites. Gammarus tigrinus appears to be competitively
superior to the native gammarids, possibly leading to further decline of the native gammarid populations in the Gulf of Finland.
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Short communication |
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Werner Klotz, Friedrich Wilhelm Miesen, Sebastian Hüllen and Fabian Herder
Two Asian fresh water shrimp species found in a thermally polluted stream system in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
(pp 333-339)
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The river Erft and its tributary Gillbach in western Germany are thermally polluted, and harbour exotic plant and animal species introduced by aquarium hobbyists.
Here, we report for the first time the occurrence of two species of fresh water shrimp, Neocaridina davidi (Bouvier, 1904) and Macrobrachium dayanum (Henderson, 1893),
from these heavily modified waters. We briefly discuss their taxonomy and provide characters for distinguishing the species. Due to its dependence on warm waters, it is unlikely
that M. dayanum populations will persist permanently beyond the range of the thermal pollution. In contrast, N. davidi is able to tolerate much colder temperature regimes,
and might disperse further into the Rhine drainage. Known parasites of N. davidi are however rather specific, and do most likely not pose a threat to native or other introduced
crustacean species.
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Nicolás Bonel, Pilar Alda and Sergio R. Martorelli
Larger and heavier individuals of the invasive shrimp Palaemon macrodactylus in the Salado River, Argentina
(pp 341-346)
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Different populations of caridean shrimp species exhibit intraspecific variation in their life-history traits as a response to environmental heterogeneity.
Although the invasive oriental shrimp Palaemon macrodactylus has been introduced worldwide relatively little is known of the basic biology of this species.
Here we tested whether some basic biological characteristics of a recently reported population in a low-salinity environment in the Salado River, Argentina,
differed from those reported elsewhere (including other invaded ecosystems). Individuals from the low-salinity Salado River were longer and heavier than those from
fully marine areas of Argentina as well as from other habitats worldwide. The between-location differences reported in this study provide useful information to better
understand the striking intraspecific variability of this invasive species.
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Aaren S. Freeman, April M. H. Blakeslee and Amy E. Fowler
Northward expansion of the rhizocephalan Loxothylacus panopaei (Gissler, 1884) in the northwest Atlantic
(pp 347-353)
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This report describes the first occurrence of the rhizocephalan Loxothylacus panopaei (Gissler, 1884) in North America, north of Virginia and the Chesapeake Bay.
Of the panopeid mud crabs suitable for infection by L. panopaei (Panopeus herbstii, Rhithropanopeus harrisii, etc.), the parasite only infected
Eurypanopeus depressus. In particular, L. panopaei disproportionately infected small E. depressus (20.5% of crabs with carapace width (CW)
of 5–10 mm and 11.8% of crabs with 10–15 mm CW) but did not infect any crabs over 15 mm CW. Analysis of genetic data (COI sequences) suggests this Long Island Sound
population could have derived from a range expansion from the mid-Atlantic, where the parasite is invasive. Given the parasite’s disjunct distribution, human-mediated dispersal
is the most likely vector for this northward range expansion.
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Frank Spikmans, Tomas van Tongeren, Theo A. van Alen, Gerard van der Velde and Huub J.M. Op den Camp
High prevalence of the parasite Sphaerothecum destruens in the invasive topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva in the Netherlands, a potential threat to native freshwater fish
(pp 355-360)
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The prevalence of Sphaerothecum destruens, a pathogenic parasite, was studied in two wild populations of topmouth gudgeon (Pseudorasbora parva),
an invasive freshwater fish non-native to the Netherlands. Using genetic markers and sequencing of the 18S rRNA gene, we showed the prevalence of this parasite
to be 67 to 74%. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated a high similarity with known sequences of S. destruens. The topmouth gudgeon, which functions
as a healthy carrier of the pathogen, is rapidly colonizing the Netherlands, its expansion showing no signs of saturation yet. Both the presence of S. destruens
and the rapid dispersal of the topmouth gudgeon are considered to constitute a high risk for native freshwater fish.
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Last update: 16 September 2013
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(c) 2013 Regional Euro-Asian Biological Invasions Centre (REABIC)
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