Volume 5, Issue 2
published June 2010
Contents | |
Research articles |
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Joseph M. Caffrey, Michael Millane, Stephanie Evers, Helen Moran and Martin Butler
A novel approach to aquatic weed control and habitat restoration using biodegradable jute matting
(pp 123-129)
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This technical paper presents results from pilot field trials conducted on the novel use of a biodegradable jute
material to eradicate the highly invasive aquatic macrophyte Lagarosiphon major Ridley from Lough Corrib,
Ireland. The results demonstrate the ability of the jute material to comprehensively kill L. major and
to restore native macrophyte communities to areas of the lake that were previously overgrown with this priority
invasive species. To date, eight indigenous plant species (four charophytes and four angiosperms) have been
recorded growing through the loose-weave jute fabric. However, no Lagarosiphon has been recorded as
doing so. This material has the potential for broader application in the management of nuisance aquatic weeds
and in the restoration of native flora extirpated by these alien species.
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Paul W. Sammarco, Scott A. Porter and Stephen D. Cairns
A new coral species introduced into the Atlantic Ocean - Tubastraea micranthus (Ehrenberg, 1834) (Cnidaria, Anthozoa, Scleractinia): An invasive threat?
(pp 131-140)
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Over the past 60-70 years, the invasive Indo-Pacific coral Tubastraea coccinea Lesson, 1829 (Cnidaria, Scleractinia) has colonized the western tropical Atlantic Ocean - the Americas,
the Antilles, northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM), and many of its 3,600 oil/gas platforms. It is now
the single, most abundant coral on artificial substrata in the GOM, with hundreds of thousands
of colonies on a single platform. Here, we report for the first time the observation of a closely
related congener in the western Atlantic – the Indo-Pacific azooxanthellate
Tubastraea micranthus (Ehrenberg, 1834) – and suggest that it may pose a threat similar
to T. coccinea. A total of 83 platforms, including deep-water, toppled, Rigs-to-Reefs
structures, were surveyed in the northern Gulf of Mexico between 2000 and 2009, from Matagorda Island,
Texas to Mobile, Alabama, USA, between the depths of 7 and 37 m, by SCUBA divers. Five platforms
were surveyed by Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to depths of up to 117 m. T. micranthus
was found on only one platform – Grand Isle 93 (GI-93), off Port Fourchon, Louisiana, near
the Mississippi River mouth, at the cross-roads of two major safety fairways/shipping lanes transited
by large international commercial ships. The introduction appears to be recent, probably derived from
the ballast water or hull of a vessel from the Indo-Pacific. If the growth and reproductive rates
of T. micranthus, both sexual and asexual, are similar to those of T. coccinea, this
species could dominate this region like its congener. It is not known whether this species is
an opportunist/pioneer species, like T. coccinea, a trait protecting benthic communities
from its dominance. The question of rapid-response eradication is raised.
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Christopher W. Hoagstrom, Nikolas D. Zymonas, Stephen R. Davenport, David L. Propst and James E. Brooks
Rapid species replacements between fishes of the North American plains: a case history from the Pecos River
(pp 141-153)
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A non-native population of plains minnow Hybognathus placitus in the Pecos River, New Mexico, USA,
replaced the endemic, ecologically similar Rio Grande silvery minnow Hybognathus amarus in less than
10 years. Competitive exclusion is hypothesized as a mechanism of replacement. The following evidence was
examined for potential support: (1) the historical population trend of H. amarus versus H. placitus;
(2) relative suitability of the modified flow regime for H. amarus versus H. placitus; (3) potential
for habitat overlap; and (4) spawning periodicity and body length in the non-native population of H. placitus.
Historical data indicate H. amarus did not decline until H. placitus was present, after which it
disappeared rapidly and H. placitus proliferated. The natural flow regime of the Pecos River was changed
via base-flow reductions and capture of spring-snowmelt runoff, making it similar to flow regimes associated
with likely source populations of non-native H. placitus. Spring runoff is an important spawning cue
for H. amarus, but not H. placitus and H. placitus appears to be naturally more tolerant
of diminished streamflow. Extant H. placitus were associated with a relatively pristine river reach that
was most likely the stronghold for the replaced H. amarus population. Given high ecological similarity,
habitat overlap was likely high during the period of replacement. Hybognathus placitus in the Pecos River
had a protracted spawning season (April through September), whereas extant H. amarus in the Rio Grande
had a short spawning season (a few days in May or June during snowmelt runoff). Most H. amarus die after
their first spawning season and few exceed 60 mm standard length (SL), whereas quite a few H. placitus
survive at least until their second spawning season and exceed 60 mm SL. Co-occurrence of multiple spawning
cohorts may stabilize annual reproductive output of H. placitus and larger individuals may be more
fecund and produce larger eggs that survive better. Spawning flexibility, greater size, and higher environmental
tolerance likely gave H. placitus a reproductive and survival advantage over H. amarus, consistent
with a deterministic pattern of rapid species replacements in the plains, in which tolerant, competitive species
from the Red River drainage or Gulf of Mexico coast rapidly replace more sensitive, endemic congeners in disturbed,
remnant habitats.
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Grzegorz Zięba, Gordon H. Copp, Gareth D. Davies, Paul Stebbing, Keith J. Wesley and J. Robert Britton
Recent releases and dispersal of non-native fishes in England and Wales, with emphasis on sunbleak Leucaspius delineatus (Heckel, 1843)
(pp 155-161)
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The introduced range of the European cyprinid, sunbleak Leucaspius delineatus, in England was previously
limited to parts of southwest England but has now expanded across Southern England. Natural dispersal mechanisms
cannot explain their increased distribution and fish stocking was not a factor. Thus, the accidental movement
of either their eggs or larvae via anglers’ nets was believed to be the mechanism by which these fish were
accidentally moved between waters over 100 km apart. This dispersal pathway is difficult to regulate, as is
the release of unwanted non-native aquarium and pond fish into open waters by the public. This latter pathway
has resulted in the recent releases of species including walking catfish Clarias batrachus, Asian
weatherfish Misgurnus mizolepis and white catfish Ameiurus catus.
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Mark E. Torchin
Native fish grows faster in the presence of a potential introduced competitor
(pp 163-167)
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Biotic resistance, through competition from native species, can limit the success of invasive species.
Similarly, invasive species can impact natives when they reduce shared resources. Alternatively, some
invaders may benefit natives if they either directly or indirectly increase resource acquisition by
natives. I predicted that the native California killifish, Fundulus parvipinnis would reduce
the fitness of the morphologically similar introduced sailfin molly, Poecilia latipinna in
a California estuary. A field experiment found no effect of competition; increasing the density
of the native killifish did not affect sailfin molly growth. However, there was an unanticipated
positive association of female sailfin molly density on growth of native killifish. Unlike any other
native fish in the estuary, the introduced molly is a live bearer and I hypothesize that the presence
of female mollies may have generated a novel food source (newborn fish) for the native competitor.
This potential food source could have overcompensated for any potential competition for other resources.
The positive effect was not mutual, i.e., the presence of killifish did not increase the growth of
adult mollies (killifish are oviparous and lay eggs on the substrate). While killifish may not
limit mollies through competitive effects, they could provide partial resistance to invasion
by preying on juvenile mollies. Additional experiments designed specifically to test whether juvenile
mollies increase killifish growth would confirm the mechanism and potentially reveal the importance
of this in nature. Considering the role of all life stages of an invader is a key step when
evaluating interactions with natives and determining the success and impacts of introduced species.
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Short communications |
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Aliya El Nagar, Rony Huys and John D. D. Bishop
Widespread occurrence of the Southern Hemisphere ascidian Corella eumyota Traustedt, 1882 on the Atlantic coast of Iberia
(pp 169-173)
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The Southern Hemisphere unitary ascidian Corella eumyota was discovered in 2002 in France and
is now widespread on the southern coast of England and in Ireland. It has also been reported from
seabed surveys in Ría de Vigo, north-west Spain. Surveys of marinas in February 2008 and June-July 2009
identified additional localities in Ría de Vigo and revealed widespread occurrence of C. eumyota
on the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The species was very abundant on some structures built
less than two years before the surveys, indicating a capacity for very rapid colonization and population
increase. This suggests that the species is a potential threat to biodiversity and aquaculture interests.
Records of the non-native ascidians Styela clava, S. plicata, Perophora japonica,
Botrylloides violaceus, and Didemnum vexillum are also reported.
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Samuel B. Collin, Judith A. Oakley, Jack Sewell and John D. D. Bishop
Widespread occurrence of the non-indigenous ascidian Corella eumyota Traustedt, 1882 on the shores
of Plymouth Sound and Estuaries Special Area of Conservation, UK
(pp 175-179)
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The ascidian Corella eumyota, originally from the Southern Hemisphere, was first reported
in the Northern Hemisphere in Brittany, France, in 2002. Since then, it has been recorded in Spain,
Ireland, the south coast of England and South Wales. Most European records to date have been from
artificial habitats such as marinas. In Plymouth, England, C. eumyota was first found in two
marinas in 2005 but individuals were soon also detected in small numbers on nearby shores. Shore
surveys in March and August of 2008 indicated that C. eumyota has established reproductive
populations on natural and semi-natural shores of Plymouth Sound and the adjacent coastline, largely
restricted to relatively sheltered sites in the lower reaches of estuaries. At these sites it is
generally the most abundant non-colonial ascidian. The species clearly has the capacity to become
a significant component of the biota of sheltered shores in the Northern Hemisphere.
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Gerasimos Kondilatos, Maria Corsini-Foka and Maria-Antonietta Pancucci-Papadopoulou
Occurrence of the first non-indigenous ascidian Phallusia nigra Savigny, 1816 (Tunicata: Ascidiacea) in Greek waters
(pp 181-184)
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The ascidian Phallusia nigra is listed among the non-indigenous species of the Mediterranean Sea
and its first occurrence in Hellenic waters is noted here. The westward expansion of the black sea squirt
from the north Levantine coast, up to the Aegean Sea has been revealed by scuba diving, as established
populations were recorded offshore and in one of the harbours of Rhodes Island. Maintenance conditions
of the species in captivity are briefly discussed.
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James F. Reinhardt, Lauren M. Stefaniak, David M. Hudson, Joseph Mangiafico, Rebecca Gladych and Robert B. Whitlatch
First record of the non-native light bulb tunicate Clavelina lepadiformis (Müller, 1776) in the northwest Atlantic
(pp 185-190)
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We report the first record of the colonial tunicate Clavelina lepadiformis (Müller, 1776) in
the northwest Atlantic. Populations were found along the eastern Connecticut shoreline in October 2009.
At one site C. lepadiformis had a mean percent cover of 19.95% (±4.16 S.E.). A regional survey
suggests that the invasion is relatively localized. Genetic analysis confirms our morphological identification
and places the introduced population in the previously described ‘Atlantic clade’. While it appears
Clavelina lepadiformis is currently in the incipient stage of introduction in eastern Connecticut
waters, its spread to other areas in the region could lead to competition with resident members of shallow
water epifaunal assemblages and shellfish species.
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Engin Meriç, M. Baki Yokeş, Niyazi Avşar and Cüneyt Bircan
An oasis for alien benthic Foraminifera in the Aegean Sea
(pp 191-195)
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The benthic foraminiferal fauna in Pamucak Cove (NW Kuşadası, Turkey) was investigated. A rich foraminiferal
assemblage was observed around submarine springs, which were located 200 m off the coast. This foraminiferal
assemblage is typical Mediterranean. However, the abundance of alien species is noteworthy. Fourteen alien
foraminifera were found. Indo-pacific originated species; Quinqueloculina sp. C, Triloculina sp.
A, Pyramidulina catesbyi (d’Orbigny), Brizalina simpsoni (Heron-Allen and Earland) and
Amphistegina lessonii d’Orbigny were observed for the first time on the Turkish coastline. Specimens
of Haddonia sp. and Cymbaloporetta plana (Cushman), abundantly observed in SW Antalya and
Nodopthalmidium antillarum (Cushman), previously recorded from Iskenderun were also found in the study
area, these are the first records for these species in the Aegean Sea. In addition, seven individuals of
Euthymonacha polita (Chapman) were found around the springs, and this constitutes the first record
of this species in the entire Mediterranean Sea.
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Rachel Collin, Alfonso A. Ramos-Esplá and Andrés Izquierdo
Identification of the South Atlantic spiny slipper limpet Bostrycapulus odites Collin, 2005 (Caenogastropoda: Calyptraeidae) on the Spanish Mediterranean coast
(pp 197-200)
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Calyptraeid gastropods are common fouling organisms in some areas, and have been introduced frequently into
bays and ports in the northern hemisphere. In some cases, introduced calyptraeids have spread extensively,
while several other calyptraeid introductions have persisted but failed to expand geographically. Calyptraeid
species are often difficult to identify to species making it difficult to identify the origin of many
introductions. Here we use DNA sequence data to confirm that a Mediterranean population of the spiny slipper
snail Bostrycapulus, previously referred to as B. aculeatus and B. calyptraeformis, is
in fact B. odites from the South Atlantic, and that this population probably originated in South America.
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Tatiana Sitnikova, Elena Soldatenko, Ravil Kamaltynov and Frank Riedel
The finding of North American freshwater gastropods of the genus Planorbella Haldeman, 1842 (Pulmonata: Planorbidae) in East Siberia
(pp 201-205)
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Specimens belonging to North American representatives of the genus Planorbella Haldeman, 1842
of the gastropod family Planorbidae were found for the first time living at the inlet of a warm stream
running from the Ust-Ilimsk Pulp and Paper Plant into the Angara River along with the two common
indigenous species Galba truncatula (Pulmonata: Lymnaeidae) and Sibirenauta sibirica
(Pulmonata: Physidae). Morphological studies of the shell, the radula and the genitals showed that
the newly found Planorbella specimens can most likely be attributed to P. duryi duryi
(Wetherby, 1879) while it also contains morphological characters of other species in this genus.
It is assumed that the occurrence of Planorbella in East Siberian water bodies is a result
of unintentional release from aquarium tanks.
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Abraham bij de Vaate
Some evidence for ballast water transport being the vector of the quagga mussel (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis Andrusov, 1897) introduction into Western Europe and subsequent upstream dispersal in the River Rhine
(pp 207-209)
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Sampling in May 2008 by the author in the Main-Danube canal (Germany) as well as earlier sampling
by Van der Velde and Platvoet (2007) indicated that the quagga mussel introduction into Western Europe
was not the result of range expansion from its native range through the River Danube and subsequently
the Main-Danube canal and River Rhine, as previously suggested. Ballast water transport and release
in the Hollandsch Diep, a section of one of the distributaries in the Rhine delta (The Netherlands),
is now considered the most likely vector and dispersal source.
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Elena Tricarico, Giuseppe Mazza, Gabriele Orioli, Claudia Rossano, Felicita Scapini and Francesca Gherardi
The killer shrimp, Dikerogammarus villosus (Sowinsky, 1894), is spreading in Italy
(pp 211-214)
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In 2008, the killer shrimp, Dikerogammarus villosus, native to the Ponto-Caspian region,
was found for the first time in Central Italy, in Bilancino, an artificial lake situated in
the watershed of the River Arno (Tuscany). This new record shows that this species’ range
is expanding in Italy. It is thus imperative to identify the pathways and vectors of spread
of this species in order to halt this invasion process.
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Stefan Nehring and Uilke van der Meer
First record of a fertilized female blue crab, Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896
(Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura), from the German Wadden Sea and subsequent secondary prevention measures
(pp 215-218)
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A single female specimen of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 was captured
by a fisherman on 26 May 2008 in the East Frisian Wadden Sea, National Park of Lower Saxony, Germany.
The specimen was transferred to a public marine aquarium in Dorumersiel. On 9 June 2008 the female
extruded masses of fertilized eggs. Due to nature conservation efforts in this national park,
management instructions are implemented by the appropriate authority for further dealing with
the captured specimen and its potential offspring. This is the second record of a mature female
and the first record of a fertilized female blue crab from German coastal waters of the North Sea.
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Sajmir Beqiraj and Lefter Kashta
The establishment of blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 in the Lagoon of Patok, Albania (south-east Adriatic Sea)
(pp 219-221)
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The presence of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus has been recently recorded in the Lagoon
of Patok. Twelve individuals from this lagoon have been observed and measured during October 2009.
Based on carapace measurements most of these crabs can be considered as mature. The population of
the blue crab seems to be increasing and can be considered as established in Patok area.
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Éder André Gubiani, Vitor André Frana, Anderson Luis Maciel and Dirceu Baumgartner
Occurrence of the non-native fish Salminus brasiliensis (Cuvier, 1816), in a global biodiversity ecoregion, Iguaçu River, Paraná River basin, Brazil
(pp 223-227)
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We register here the first occurrence of the “dourado” Salminus brasiliensis
(family: Characidae) in Salto Santiago Reservoir in the Iguaçu River basin, Paraná State, Brazil,
a global biodiversity ecoregion with an extremely rich endemic ichthyofauna. The single specimen
captured, an adult female measuring 480-mm total length, was taken with gillnet in January 2008.
No additional S. brasiliensis were captured during general fish surveys conducted at four
sites in the reservoir even though multiple types of gear were used (gill and trammel nets and
long-line fishing) over a period of nearly two years (bimonthly from July 2006 to September 2008).
The presence of S. brasiliensis, a large, predacious freshwater species native to other parts
of Brazil, may be related to its use as a sport fish, and the single specimen taken from the reservoir
may have escaped from ponds built by aquaculturists for recreational angling. Before appropriate
management measures are taken, additional field work is needed to determine the status and
distribution of S. brasiliensis in the Iguaçu basin and to assess possible negative effects
of the introduction on native fishes.
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