First Gulf of Mexico Coast Record of Manayunkia speciosa (Polychaete: Sabellidae)

An introduced Polychaete in South America - Ecologic Affinities of Manayunkia speciosa (Polychaeta, Sabellidae) and the Oligochaetes of Uruguay River, Argentina

“…Furthermore, the only record of this polychaete on the South American Uruguay River highlights that it goes unnoticed due to its small size, infaunal lifestyle and low abundances. According to Brehm (1978), who reported that most records are based on a few individuals, we found ca. 500 ind./m 2 .…”

“…speciosa is a small polychaete strictly from freshwater, first recorded in Schuylkill River (USA) in 1858. Some decades later its distribution extended through the whole Nearctic Region, being recorded in the eastern and western lotic systems of North America (Brehm, 1978;Hazel, 1966;Holmquist, 1967;Krecker, 1939;Leidy, 1883;Mackie & Qadri, 1971;Meehean, 1929;Spencer, 1976). A hundred and fifty years after its first record, it is found for the first time in the Neotropical Region, enlarging its limit distribution from the United States of America to Argentina.…”

“…Some of these characteristics would have allowed M. speciosa the settlement in the Lower Uruguay River. As regards its ecological requirements, Brehm (1978) found this polychaete associated to silt-clay sediments, scarce sands, abundant organic matter, salinities up to 11 ‰, and temperatures between 7 to 31 ºC. Besides, Margalef (1983) mentioned M. speciosa as a resistant species to polluted water.…”

Manayunkia speciosa Leidy (Polychaeta: Sabellidae): introduction of this nonindigenous species in the Neotropical Region (Uruguay river, South America)

“…As stated above, to date this species has only been recorded in freshwater habitats of the Nearctic Region, from Alaska to the coast of the Gulf of Mexico (Spencer 1976;Brehm 1978;Rouse 1996;Stocking and Bartholomew 2007;Glasby and Timm 2008;Glasby et al 2009). The purpose of this report is to document the first record for M. speciosa in the Neotropical Region, thus extending the limit of its distribution from the United States to Argentina and as such representing the southernmost localization of this species within the Americas.…”

“…The species was then recorded in new localities, such as Lake St. Clair (Ontario, Michigan), St. Marys River (Ontario, Michigan), the Sevenmile Canal (Oregon), two lakes in northern Alaska, the Ottawa River, Cayuga Lake (New York), Simmon's Bayou (Mississippi), besides being collected again in Lake Erie (Hiltunen 1965;Britt 1965;Hazel 1966;Holmquist 1967;Mackie and Qadri 1971;Spencer 1976;Croskery 1978;Brehm 1978). Its distribution by that time covered the east-and west-coast river systems of North America, the Great Lakes region, and the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.…”