Abstract:Epibiotic associations can result in co-introductions of non-indigenous species, which may affect ecosystems in several ways. In fouling communities of three estuaries in southern Brazil, a number of amphipods was found to harbour a dense coverage of epibionts. Three different species, the two globally widespread caprellids Caprella equilibra and Paracaprella pusilla, as well as the ischyrocerid Jassa valida, had been colonised by diatoms. Further scanning electron microscope analyses assigned these diatoms to… Show more
“…Pathogens and parasites are the next aspects connected with species movement. Associated life, e.g., bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other organisms, as well as different epibionts and endobionts, may be consequences of alien species introduction because alien species may carry new organisms [78,79], with unpredictable consequences for humans and other biota.…”
Due to globalisation and anthropopressure (intensification of shipping, creation of water corridors connecting seas, cultivation of commercial species), the movement of aquatic species has increased in recent years. The determination of trends in the movement of aquatic species in their geographical distribution over time is important because it may help in the management of a species in aquatic ecosystems. There are also knowledge gaps on the long-term trends in the movements of Southern European aquatic alien invertebrates. The study provides the first evidence of both northward and southward movements of these species based on available observations from 1940 to 2021, using meta-analyses and GAM modelling. To date, the majority (98%) of analysed Southern European aquatic alien invertebrates of Mediterranean and Ponto-Caspian origin have moved to the north. Among them, 61% are Ponto-Caspian aquatic alien invertebrates that moved only to the north, and 4% are Mediterranean aquatic alien invertebrates that moved only to the north; the rest include species that moved to the north and south: 27% are Ponto-Caspian aquatic alien invertebrates, and 6% are Mediterranean aquatic alien invertebrates. The one-way movement to the south was observed only in 2% of Mediterranean aquatic alien species. The study will help in understanding the movement patterns of Southern European aquatic alien invertebrates and in the effective management of aquatic ecosystems that allow for the co-existence of people and the rest of biodiversity.
“…Pathogens and parasites are the next aspects connected with species movement. Associated life, e.g., bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other organisms, as well as different epibionts and endobionts, may be consequences of alien species introduction because alien species may carry new organisms [78,79], with unpredictable consequences for humans and other biota.…”
Due to globalisation and anthropopressure (intensification of shipping, creation of water corridors connecting seas, cultivation of commercial species), the movement of aquatic species has increased in recent years. The determination of trends in the movement of aquatic species in their geographical distribution over time is important because it may help in the management of a species in aquatic ecosystems. There are also knowledge gaps on the long-term trends in the movements of Southern European aquatic alien invertebrates. The study provides the first evidence of both northward and southward movements of these species based on available observations from 1940 to 2021, using meta-analyses and GAM modelling. To date, the majority (98%) of analysed Southern European aquatic alien invertebrates of Mediterranean and Ponto-Caspian origin have moved to the north. Among them, 61% are Ponto-Caspian aquatic alien invertebrates that moved only to the north, and 4% are Mediterranean aquatic alien invertebrates that moved only to the north; the rest include species that moved to the north and south: 27% are Ponto-Caspian aquatic alien invertebrates, and 6% are Mediterranean aquatic alien invertebrates. The one-way movement to the south was observed only in 2% of Mediterranean aquatic alien species. The study will help in understanding the movement patterns of Southern European aquatic alien invertebrates and in the effective management of aquatic ecosystems that allow for the co-existence of people and the rest of biodiversity.
A major challenge in invasion science is detecting overlooked introductions, their pathways of introduction and spread. One of the most successful introduced taxa in aquatic ecosystems are peracarid crustaceans. There are a growing number of reports of accidental introductions of peracarids worldwide, mostly related to human transport hubs (e.g., ports and marinas). Tanaidaceans are especially abundant in these communities. Most frequently given examples of natural and anthropogenic passive dispersers belong to the family Tanaididae. However, their wide distribution requires confirmation. Most records come from 70–80’ of last century, when identification of the species relied only on morphological characters. The small size and large intraspecific variation of tanaidids generate a high taxonomic uncertainty, as in the case of Zeuxo turkensis. Population of this species was previously known from Turkish, Japanese, and Australian coasts. In the two last places this tanaidid was identified as Hexapleomera sasuke, despite there were some premises that it should be synonymized with Z. turkensis. Here we investigate specimens that resembled both Hexapleomera sasuke and Zeuxo turkensis collected in marinas around the Iberian and Moroccan coasts. Integrating morphological and molecular methods (barcoding) we confirmed: (1) the first record and presence of well-structured populations of Z. turkensis in Spain, Portugal and Morocco, representing the first record of the species for Atlantic waters; (2) the conspecificity between H. sasuke and Z. turkensis, which should be synonymized; and (3) the wide distribution of Z. turkensis associated with human transport hubs (i.e. marinas) in the study area, showing its potential for introduction and spread. Integrated approaches and greater taxonomic support are key to advancing knowledge on the origin and invasion patterns of this and other small and poorly known human-mediated widespread species.
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