Assessing the risks of invasions of aquatic invertebrates in the Shatt Al-Arab River

Invasive Hepu mitten crab, Eriocheir hepuensis (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Varunidae) from the Iranian marshland in the northern Persian Gulf estuarine system

“…Consequently this crab should be carefully monitored and consideration should be given to beginning an eradication programme before it becomes fully established. Eriocheir is a catadromous species living (mostly) in fresh water but migrating to marine waters to breed Hashim, 2010;Naser et al, 2011Naser et al, , 2012. The present sampling from Iranian waters shows this species occurring in the upper reaches of the rivers.…”

“…Unfortunately, because of the paucity of detailed faunistic studies and regular biodiversity monitoring projects in the Persian Gulf ecosystem, there is no referable data on the exotic species in the area. Naser et al (2011) listed five exotic invertebrates in the Shat Al-Arab marshes of Iraq. During the recent expedition to Bahmanshir, southern Iran, a further five crustacean species were found at the same habitat with E. hepuensis including Chiromantes boulengeri (Calman, 1910) (Decapoda), Neorhynchoplax kempi (Chopra & Das, 1930) (Decapoda), Palaemon elegans (Rathke, 1837) (Decapoda), Amphibalanus amphitrite (Darwin, 1854) (Cirripedia) and Sphaeroma ananndalei Stebbing, 1911 (Isopoda).…”

“…During the 'Gulf I congress' held in Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates in 2006, the occurrence of the Chinese mitten crab E. sinensis in the northern Persian Gulf was announced in an oral presentation by M. Apel and J. Bishop. Since then there have been more reports of E. sinensis from the region (Hashim, 2010;Naser et al, 2011). Naser et al (2012, based on detailed morphological comparison and CO1 analysis, assigned Iraqi specimens to E. hepuensis, Dai, 1991.…”

First record of the North American cryptic invaderFerrissia fragilis(Tryon, 1863) (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Planorbidae) in the Middle East

“…In the Iraqi sampling sites, as an example, Ferrissia fragilis is part of a molluscan community dominated by the alien gastropods Melanoides tuberculata (Müller, 1774) and Physella acuta (Draparnaud, 1805), whose impact on the indigenous taxa is well documented (e.g. Albrecht et al, 2009;Ladd & Rogowski, 2012;Naser et al, 2011). It is thus desirable that the autochthonous freshwater fauna of the Middle East is further studied, mapped and described before it is completely lost or adulterated.…”

“…Bößneck, 2011;Naser et al, 2011Naser et al, , 2012, which is often already significantly impaired by habitat alteration. This process is still in progress and is characterised by an accelerating pace, possibly due to ongoing globalisation processes.…”