Notes and News

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Notes and News NOTES AND NEWS EXTENSIONOF THEKNOWN DISTRIBUTION OF CHARYBDISHELLERII (A.MILNE-EDW ARDS,1867) (DECAPODA, POR TUNIDAE) ALONGTHE WESTERN TROPICAL SOUTH A TLANTIC BY FERNANDO LUIS MEDINA MANTELATTO 1;2;3)andLUCIANO LUIZ DIAS 1) 1)Depto.de Biologia, Faculdade de Filoso a, Ci^enciase Letrasde Ribeir ao~ Preto (FFCLRP), Universidadede S ao~ Paulo (USP), Av.Bandeirantes 3900, CEP 14040-901Ribeir ao~ Preto, SP, Brazil 2)NEBECC (Groupof Studies on Crustacean Biology, Ecology and Culture) Charybdishellerii (A.Milne-Edwards, 1867), a species ofIndo-W est Paci c origin,has migrated to several areas ofthe MediterraneanSea throughthe Suez Canal,and has also beenfound in the western Atlantic Ocean.Detailed informa- tion aboutits occurrenceon the east coast ofNorth America (IndianRiver near Fort Pierce, Florida),its routeof distribution in the western Atlantic Ocean,and data onits biologycan be found in Lemaitre (1995),who also referredto the captureof this species in Colombia(Campos & T urkay, 1989), Cuba (G omez´ & Mart´onez-Iglesias, 1990),and V enezuela(Hern andez´ & Bolanos,~ 1995). Accordingto Melo (1996),twenty portunid species havebeen recorded in Brazilian waters. Recently C. hellerii was addedto the species foundin this area. The rst tworecords of young specimens wereprovided by Carqueija & Gouv^ea (1996)who reported them fromBahia State andby Calado(1996) from AlagoasState; Negreiros-Fransozo(1996) described the morphologyof the rst zoeafrom an ovigerous female collected in UbatubaBay, northern coast ofS ao~ Paulo,and Mantelatto &Souza-Carey(1998) reported the presenceof immature individuals onbryozoan colonies of Schizoporellaunicornis (Johnston,1847) sampled in this bay;Tavares & Mendonc¸a(1996)documented the presenceof this species in Rio deJaneiro State. Atotal of45males (mean,and minimum to maximumcarapace width (CW), notincluding the lateral spine: 45 :4 13:2mm,7.5 to 64.9mm), 31 females § (35:5 10:8mm,15.3 to 51.6mm), and 39 ovigerousfemales (43 :6 5:0 mm, § § 3) e-mail: [email protected] Ó KoninklijkeBrill NV ,Leiden,1999 Crustaceana 72(6) 618 NOTESAND NEWS 35.2to 59.3mm) werecollected duringa monthlysurvey with twootter-trawls, fromMarch to August1996 in UbatubaBay (23 ¯260S 45¯020W),especially at a site with calm water nearthe coastline, onanon-consolidatedsublittoral bottom consisting ofgraveland very coarse sand,at adepthof 9meters. Thepopulation studied,characterized byhigh densities ofadult, young, and ovigerous females specimens, con rms the hypothesisof Negreiros-Fransozo(1996) that C. hellerii is well established in this bay,and will represent aformcompeting with native species. Inthis sense, wehavebeen studying the populationcharacteristics and reproductiveaspects ofthis species to acquiremore information that will facilitate the futurediscovery and monitoring of populations of this portunidcrab. InApril 1998,six adult males (CW = 63:3 5:9mm,58.5 to 72.7mm) of § C. hellerii werecaught in baited traps onthe rockyshore of South Caieira da Barra (27¯480S 48¯380W), Florianopolis,´ Santa Catarina State, at adepthfrom 0.5to 2m.The present communicationis the rst reportof this species in Santa Catarina State andextends the rangeof this species in the western Atlantic farther to the southin the Brazilian region.Once a populationis successfully established in this region,further dispersal to otherareas becomespossible, with consequentadaptation to coexistence with others members ofthat community. Assuggestedby G omez´ & Mart´onez-Iglesias (1990),it is also possible that this species was introducedat oneor moresites andsubsequently dispersed via larval stages to variousother coastal areas. Thepresence of Charybdishellerii in the Ubatubaand Florian opolis´ regions, suggests that the arrival ofthis species, certainly asalarval stage, mayhave oc- curredin recent times, probably1993-1994. Despite the lack ofaccurate analysis ofthis population,this evidenceis basedon (1)chronological order and locations ofcapture in the western Atlantic, principally in Brazilian waters (see Brazilian reports mentionedpreviously and Tavares & Mendonc¸a,1996). According to these last authors,the transport oflarval stages occursby the Brazilian current (north-southdirection) andresults in subsequentcolonization of sheltered sites farther south; and(2) the estimate that the size atsexual maturity in C. hellerii mayoccur close to 35.0mm CW,judgingby the smallest ovigerousfemale cap- tured.This conditionis verysimilar to the onedescribed for Callinectes ornatus Ordway,1863, a portunidcrab of similar size studied in the Ubatubaregion, that attains maturity at 45.0mm CWin 1.5years (Mantelatto &Fransozo,1996). It is still tooearly to infer the true size andtime forattaining maturity in the present population.The size ofmature specimens in ourcollection is in accordanceto the supposedtime ofarrival, consideringthat suchindividuals took1-2 years to develop,and attain amature condition..
Recommended publications
  • Charybdis Hellerii Global Invasive
    FULL ACCOUNT FOR: Charybdis hellerii Charybdis hellerii System: Marine_terrestrial Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Animalia Arthropoda Malacostraca Decapoda Portunidae Common name Indo-Pacific swimming crab (English), spiny hands (English), Ishigani New Caledonia (Japanese), New Caledonia-íshigani (Japanese) Synonym Goniosoma hellerii , (A. Milne-Edwards, 1867) Goniosoma merguiense , (DeMan, 1888) Charybdis merguiensis , (Sakai, 1934; Barnard, 1950; Guinot, 1962) Charybdis (Goniosoma) merguiense , (Alcock, 1899; Nobili, 1906, Chopra, 1935; Leene, 1973; Shen, 1937) Goniosoma sexdentatum , (De Man, 1879) Charybdis amboinensis , (Leene, 1938) Goniosoma spiniferum Charybdis vannamei , Ward 1941 Similar species Summary Charybdis hellerii is an Indo-Pacific, portunid crab that has invaded several locations in the Mediterranean Sea, by Erythrean invasion through the Suez Canal, and the South Atlantic in the Caribbean and United States via ballast water fouling. Charybdis hellerii is a potential threat to native crab populations and benthic communities and its introduction should be avoided by adhering to ballast water management guidelines. view this species on IUCN Red List Species Description Charybdis hellerii is a small crab measuring from about 5-8 cm wide. It is dark green with a light purple on the upper inner surface of palm and dark purple on dorsal surfaces of distal 4 segments of walking and swimming legs. The carapace has pale green to whitish areas on frontal, hepatic, and epibranchial regions. It is most easily identifiable by the spine on the posterior of the carpus on the fifth leg which bears its chela, or claws giving it one of its common names: spiny hands. Its dorsal carapace is naked and its anterolateral margin has 6 prominent black-tipped teeth.
    [Show full text]
  • Brachyuran Community in Ubatuba Bay, Northern Coast of Sao Paulo State, Brazil
    Journal of Shellfish Research, Vol. 19, No. 2, 701-709, 2000. BRACHYURAN COMMUNITY IN UBATUBA BAY, NORTHERN COAST OF SAO PAULO STATE, BRAZIL FERNANDO LUIS MEDINA MANTELATTO1 AND ADILSON FRANSOZO2 1 Departamento de Biologia, FFCLRP Universidade de Sao Paulo, Cep. 14040-901 Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brasil Departamento de Zoologia Institute de Biociincias, UNESP Botucatu, Cep. 18618-000 Botucatu, SP, Brasil ABSTRACT A brachyuran crab assemblage from eight transects at a non-consolidated sublittoral site in Ubatuba Bay was studied on a monthly basis from September 1995 to August 1996. Data about number of individuals of 50 species found and other information such as distribution of the dominant crabs are reported. The family Majidae was represented by 13 species, followed by Xanthidae (13), Portunidae (10), Leucosiidae (5), Calappidae (2), Dromiidae (2), Parthenopidae (2), Goneplacidae (1), Pinnotheridae (1), and Ocy- podidae (1). The brachyuran taxocoenosis was dominated by Callinectes ornatus (60.4%), Callinectes danae (18.8%), and Hepatus pudibundus (7.7%), representing together 86.9% of the total number of collected brachyurans. The Shannon-Weaver diversity index ranged from 1.10 to 2.06 between transects, and from 1.34 to 2.22 between months, depending more on equitability than on richness. KEY WORDS: Biodiversity, Brachyura, crabs, Crustacea, Ubatuba, Brazil INTRODUCTION C. Agarth, 1820 from three different Ubatuba beaches; Pinheiro et al. (1997) studied the composition and the relative abundance of With approximately 5,000 species described worldwide, the crabs associated with sand reefs created by Phragmatopoma lapi- Brachyura is a highly significant group of marine crustaceans play­ dosa Kimberg, 1867, and Mantelatto and Souza-Carey (1998) re­ ing an important role in the marine trophic chain (Melo 1996).
    [Show full text]
  • Charybdis Hellerii (A. Milne Edwards , 1867) (Brachyura: Portunidae
    CRUSTACEAN RESEARCH,NO .25: 151-157 ,1996 Charybdis hellerii (A. Milne Edwards,1867) (Brachyura: Portunidae),eighth nonindigenous marine decapod recorded 仕omBrazil Marcos Tavares and Joel Braga de Mendonca Jr. Abstract. - In the western Atlantic (Lemaitre,1995). C. hellerii has now Charybdis hellerii was first discovered as reached the Brazilian coast. Nineteen an e玄otic species in the Caribbean Sea crabs,including adults,an ovigerous fe- (1987 and 1988),northeastern Venezuela male and juveniles,were obtained by (1987) and eastern Florida (1 995). The snorkel dive in Guanabara Bay,Rio de species is now recorded 仕 omthe south・ J回目iro ,仕 omNovember 1995 to January eastern Brazilian coast (Rio de Janeiro). 1996,at depths ranging from 0.5 to 3m. It soccurrence in Brazil and the introduc- The circumstances of the occuπence ofC. tion of seven other exotic marine deca- hellerii along with comments on previous pods in Brazil 町 edi舵 us艶 d. records of seven other exotic marine deca- pods introduced to Brazil are presented Introduction herein. The specimens studied have been de- Chαrybdis hellerii (A. Milne Edwards, posited in the Carcinological collection of 1867) is aportunid native to the Indo- Universidade Santa Ursula,Rio de West Pacific ocean. However its geo・ , Janeiro (USU),and in the Museu Nacio・ graphical range has been expanded west- nal do Rio de Janeiro (MNRJ). Measure- ward as aresult of recent human activi- ments are given in millimeters (mm),as ties: invasion of the eastern part of the C 訂 apace length and carapace width. Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Ca- nal (Steinitz,1929; Crosnier,1962; Por, 1971); and ballast-mediated invasion of Chαη Ibdis hellerii (A.
    [Show full text]
  • Marine Bioinvasions in the Brazilian Coast: Brief Report on History of Events, Vectors, Ecology, Impacts and Management of Non-Indigenous Species
    Chapter 27 Marine Bioinvasions in the Brazilian Coast: Brief Report on History of Events, Vectors, Ecology, Impacts and Management of Non-indigenous Species Carlos Eduardo Leite Ferreira, Andrea de Oliveira Ribeiro Junqueira, Maria Célia Villac, and Rubens Mendes Lopes 27.1 Introduction The Brazilian coast extends for about 8000 km from Cape Orange (4°N) to Chui (34°S) (Fig. 27.1). This long coastline comprises a variety of ecosystems under the influence of oligotrophic waters transported by two western boundary currents, the Brazil and North Brazil currents (Stramma and England 1999), together with con- tinental influences related to a wide spectrum of river inputs, the largest of which being the massive Amazon River plume in the north and the combination of the La Plata and Patos Lagoon outflows in the south (Castro Filho and Miranda 1998). Seasonal or intermittent intrusions of cold and nutrient-rich oceanic waters carried underneath the Brazil and North Brazil currents (the so-called South Atlantic Central Water) is another important physical forcing on regional shelf ecosystems of Brazil, particularly on the Southern Brazilian Bight and more southern areas (Lopes et al. 2006). Regionally important coastal ecosystems are (1) sandy beaches, occurring from north to south, with the largest ones in southernmost areas of the state of Rio Grande do Sul; (2) mangrove forests, which occur from the northern tip of the country to the state of Santa Catarina in the south, (3) coral reefs, ranging from Maranhão to Bahia including the largest coral reef system of the South Atlantic, the Abrolhos Reefs (Leão et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Issue Number 111 January 2006 ISSN 0839-7708 in THIS ISSUE
    Issue Number 111 January 2006 Leatherback turtle fitted with harness, Tortuguero Beach, Costa Rica (Troëng et al. pp. 6-7). IN THIS ISSUE: Editorial: Does the Mediterranean Green Turtle Exist?...............................................................................................N. Mrosovsky Comment on the Guest Editorial by Paul J. Ferraro...............................................................................P.C.H. Pritchard Response to Comment by Peter C.H. Pritchard..............................................................................................P.J. Ferraro Articles: Report on Long-Term Transmitter Harness Retention by a Leatherback Turtle.........................................S.Troëng et al. Marine Turtles on the Southern Coast of Bioko Island (Gulf of Guinea, Africa), 2001-2005....................H. Rader et al. Incidental Capture of Marine Turtles in Marine Fisheries of Southern Spain...........................................J. C. Báez et al. First Evidence of Leatherback Movement from Africa to South America...................................................A. Billes et al. Notes: Charybdis hellerii, a Non-indigenous Portunid Crab from the Gastrointestinal Contents of a Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys kempi) in Georgia, USA..................................................................................... M. Frick & K. Williams An Update on Eritrea’s Marine Turtle Programme and First Record of Olive Ridley Turtle Nesting in the Red Sea......... ..................................................................................................................................................................N.
    [Show full text]
  • Discovery of an Alien Crab, Scylla Serrata (Forsskål, 1775) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Portunidae), from the Caribbean Coast of Colombia
    BioInvasions Records (2013) Volume 2, Issue 4: 311–315 Open Access doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3391/bir.2013.2.4.08 © 2013 The Author(s). Journal compilation © 2013 REABIC Rapid Communication Discovery of an alien crab, Scylla serrata (Forsskål, 1775) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Portunidae), from the Caribbean coast of Colombia Rafael Lemaitre1*, Néstor H. Campos2, Efraín A. Viloria Maestre3 and Amanda M. Windsor1 1 Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 4210 Silver Hill Road, Suitland, MD 20746 USA 2 Sede Caribe, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, c/o INVEMAR, Calle 25 # 2 - 55, Rodadero sur, Playa Salguero, Santa Marta, Colombia 3 Efraín A. Viloria Maestre, Programa Valoración y Aprovechamiento de Recursos Marinos, INVEMAR, Calle 25 # 2 - 55, Rodadero sur, Playa Salguero, Santa Marta, Colombia E-mail: [email protected] (RL), [email protected] (NHC), [email protected] (EAVM), [email protected] (AMW) *Corresponding author Received: 13 September 2013 / Accepted: 14 November 2013 / Published online: 19 November 2013 Handling editor: Vadim Panov Abstract A specimen of the swimming crab Scylla serrata, a species native to the tropical Indo-West and South Pacific, is reported from Cartagena Bay, Colombia, in the southern Caribbean. It is the third alien decapod crustacean documented from the Caribbean coast of Colombia. Analyses of genetic sequences points to a northern Indian Ocean origin of this specimen. Presence of this specimen is considered an isolated case, most likely kept alive for human consumption on board ship and discarded in the Bay. Key words: Scylla serrata; “giant mud crab”; alien marine species; Crustacea; Brachyura; Indo-West Pacific; western Atlantic; southern Caribbean; Colombia Introduction was collected in the Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean, from a depth of 82 m.
    [Show full text]
  • Charybdis Hellerii (Milne Edwards, 1867), a Nonindigenous Portunid Crab (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura) Discovered in the Indian River Lagoon System of Florida
    28 December 1995 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BIOLOGICAI. SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 108(4):643-648. 1995 Charybdis hellerii (Milne Edwards, 1867), a nonindigenous portunid crab (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura) discovered in the Indian River lagoon system of Florida Rafael Lemaitre Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20560, U.S.A. Abstract.—The portunid crab Charybdis hellerii (Milne Edwards, 1867), a species of Indo-Pacilic origin, is reported from the Indian River lagoon system of Florida. Although this species was reported in 1987-1988 from Cuba, Co- lombia, and Venezuela, this is the fii^t subsequent record in the western At- lantic, and the first in the continental United States. The specimens found in the Indian River include adults of both sexes (one female ovigerous), and juveniles, indicating that the population is reproducing and that this nonindig- enous species has become established in the region. This species must now be considered present in the tropical western Atlantic at least across the entire Caribbean region. Recognition characters of C. hellerii are provided, as well as a summary of what is known about its distribution, biology, and probable method of arrival. Comments on other marine decapods introduced in eastern North America are included. On 20 April 1995, two adult specimens, kay (1989) where it was also collected in a male and an ovigerous female of Charyb- 1988. Although there have been no subse- dis hellerii (Milne Edwards, 1867), a species quent published reports of this species, it has of Indo-Pacific origin, were caught in baited been found repeatedly since 1988 in the traps in the Indian River lagoon system of Santa Marta area of Colombia (N.
    [Show full text]
  • Obvious Invaders and Overlooked Infauna: Unexpected Constituents of the Decapod Crustacean Fauna at Twin Cays, Belize Darryl L
    Obvious Invaders and Overlooked Infauna: Unexpected Constituents of the Decapod Crustacean Fauna at Twin Cays, Belize Darryl L. Felder, Peter C. Dworschak, Rafael Robles, Heather D. Bracken, Amanda M. Windsor, Jennifer M. Felder, and Rafael Lemaitre ABSTRACT. Decapod crustaceans in the vicinity of Carrie Bow Cay and Twin Cays, Belize, have been under study for more than 25 years. Large collections have been as- sembled, and new species have been discovered. The effort has included photographic documentation of coloration, yielding characters of value in identifi cation of problematic tropical taxa. Measurements of diversity have been markedly enhanced by extraction corer (yabby pump) sampling in shallow subtidal sediments, especially at Twin Cays. This technique revealed species, genera, and families of thalassinidean decapods not pre- viously known from the region. Studies continue on the ecological roles of these burrow- ers, dominant bioturbators in seagrass beds where they produce conspicuous mounds of sediment and constitute a major infaunal biomass at Twin Cays. By contrast, famil- iar large reptant decapods typically dominate shallow rocky substrates. Within the past four years, however, the nonindigenous portunid crab Charybdis hellerii has extensively invaded large portions of hard substrates at Twin Cays. In 2007, it was found to domi- nate cavities under coral heads in survey areas along the northeastern and southwestern shorelines, possibly displacing populations of large Mithrax, Menippe, Callinectes, and Panulirus previously found there in abundance. INTRODUCTION Fieldwork centered on Carrie Bow Cay and surrounding habitats, including Darryl L. Felder, Rafael Robles, Heather D. a variety of settings at Twin Cays. The effort continues work by the fi rst author Bracken, Amanda M.
    [Show full text]
  • Charybdis Hellerii Ordine Decapoda (A
    Identificazione e distribuzione nei mari italiani di specie non indigene Classe Malacostraca Charybdis hellerii Ordine Decapoda (A. Milne Edwards, 1867) Famiglia Portunidae SINONIMI RILEVANTI Charybdis (Goniosoma) merguiensis Charybdis hellery Zoea (z) DESCRIZIONE COROLOGIA / AFFINITA’ Indo-Pacifico temperato e sub-tropicale. Carapace esagonale, convesso. Linee trasversali granulate ben visibili nelle regioni frontale, protogastrica, mesogastrica e branchiale. Fronte DISTRIBUZIONE ATTUALE con sei denti triangolari di cui l’esterno molto più Dal Mar Rosso alle Hawaii, Atlantico occidentale, acuminato degli altri. Margine antero-laterale con Caraibi sei denti, separati da profonde incisioni. Margine posteriore diritto, angolo postero-laterale molto PRIMA SEGNALAZIONE IN MEDITERRANEO arcuato. Articolo antennale basale espanso. 1924 Israele (Steinitz, 1929) Chelipedi robusti, sub-eguali, ricoperti da una sottile peluria; margine anteriore del mero con tre robuste spine; carpo con una grossa spina nel PRIMA SEGNALAZIONE IN ITALIA margine interno e tre carene sulla superficie - esterna; chela con quattro spine sul lato superiore, superficie inferiore liscia. Mero e carpo del quinto pereopode con una spina nel margine posteriore; Identificazione e distribuzione nei mari italiani di specie non indigene propodio col margine posteriore denticolato, dattilo ORIGINE ovoidale. Oceano Indiano, Indo-Pacifico COLORAZIONE VIE DI DISPERSIONE PRIMARIE Carapace chiazzato di grigio-brunastro. Spine dei Probabile migrazione lessepsiana attraverso il chelipedi distalmente bruno scure, dita nere con Canale di Suez. apice bianco. VIE DI DISPERSIONE SECONDARIE FORMULA MERISTICA - - TAGLIA MASSIMA STATO DELL ’INVASIONE Lunghezza del carapace 74 mm Non nativo, comune nel Mediterraneo Orientale. STADI LARVALI MOTIVI DEL SUCCESSO Sconosciuti (ZOEA ) Z1. SD, curvata al’indietro, poco più lunga di SR, SPECIE IN COMPETIZIONE diritta.
    [Show full text]
  • The Indo-West Pacific Alpheid Shrimp Athanas Dimorphus Ortmann, 1894: First Record for Brazil and the Western Atlantic
    Nauplius 19(1): 87-96, 2011 87 The Indo-West Pacific alpheid shrimp Athanas dimorphus Ortmann, 1894: first record for Brazil and the western Atlantic Paulo P. G. Pachelle, Cecili B. Mendes and Arthur Anker* (PPGP, CBM) Laboratório de Invertebrados Marinhos do Ceará, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil (AA) Laboratório de Zoobentos, Instituto de Ciências do Mar (Labomar), Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. E-mail: [email protected] *to whom correspondence should be sent Abstract The alpheid shrimpAthanas dimorphus Ortmann, 1894, common and widespread throughout the Indo-West Pacific, is reported for the first time from Brazil, representing the first invasive alpheid species in Brazil, and the first species of the genus Athanas Leach, 1816 introduced to the western Atlantic. The present record is based on several specimens collected at two localities in Ceará, Pedra Rachada beach near the town of Paracuru, and Meireles beach in Fortaleza. Athanas dimorphus is very common at the second site, suggesting that a population of this species is now established in northwestern Brazil. An updated list of marine and freshwater decapods accidentally or voluntarily introduced to Brazil is provided. Key words: Decapoda, Caridea, Alpheidae, new record, invasive species Introduction Pacific and the western Atlantic. In April 2011, a single specimen The shrimp genusAthanas Leach, 1814 belonging to the genus Athanas was collected is distributed in tropical, subtropical and from an intertidal pool at Pedra Rachada warm-temperate areas of the Indo-West Pacific beach, near the town of Paracuru, Ceará, and eastern Atlantic, mostly in shallow waters Brazil (Fig.
    [Show full text]
  • Aquatic Invasive Species
    Aquatic Invasive Species A Guide to Non-native Species in Coastal Georgia Alan Power, Anna Rahn, Thomas Bliss The University of Georgia Marine Extension Service 1 Coastal Georgia Habitats Georgia has a relatively short coastline, but contains a significant propor- tion of the remaining salt marsh habitat on the East Coast. The salt marsh is characterized by expansive grasslands, mudflats, and meandering tidal creeks fringed with dense oyster reefs. These provide important ecological services including pollution, flooding, and erosion control and are essential habitat for a myriad of commercially important fish and shellfish species. There are thirteen major barrier islands which contain approximately 90 miles of sandy beaches that are being continually shaped and changed by ocean currents, waves, and wind. Sand dunes, beaches, sandbars, and shoals comprise a vital natural resource system that protects the coastline from the damaging effects of floods, winds, tides, and erosion. Important Native Species Salt Marsh Plants: smooth cordgrass, glasswort, saltwort, salt grass, needle rush, sea oxeye daisy, marsh elder, and eastern red cedar Salt Marsh Animals: oyster, fiddler crab, mud snail, periwinkle, blue crab, shrimp, clam, mussel, whelk, killifish, wading birds, waterfowl, and shore birds Beach Plants: sea oats, pennywort, yucca, camphorweed, and dune primrose Beach Animals: dolphin, sea turtle, ghost crab, sand dollar, horseshoe crab, sponge, bass, trout, stingray, shark, catfish, gulls, hermit crab, jellyfish, sea whip, olive shell, and moon snail 2 Aquatic Invasive Species Impacts An aquatic invasive species (AIS) is any freshwater or The southeastern United States has the largest number of marine species that is not native to an ecosystem and aquatic invasive species in the nation and the rate of new whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or introductions is increasing.
    [Show full text]
  • Genetic and Morphological Identification of Some Crabs from the Gulf of Suez, Northern Red Sea, Egypt
    Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Research (2016) 42, 319–329 HOSTED BY National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Research http://ees.elsevier.com/ejar www.sciencedirect.com Genetic and morphological identification of some crabs from the Gulf of Suez, Northern Red Sea, Egypt Eman M. Abbas a,*, Khaled M. Abdelsalam b, Khaled Mohammed-Geba c,*, Hamdy O. Ahmed a, Mikio Kato d a Aquaculture Division, National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Egypt b Marine Environment Division, National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Egypt c Genetic Engineering and Molecular Biology Division, Faculty of Science, Menoufia University, Egypt d Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science and Biology Laboratory of Faculty of Liberal Arts and Science, Osaka Prefecture University, Japan Received 14 April 2016; revised 1 August 2016; accepted 2 August 2016 Available online 27 August 2016 KEYWORDS Abstract Most crab species inhabiting the Red Sea have not been characterized morphologically Crabs; and genetically. In the current work, five different crab species were collected from the northern part DNA barcoding; of the Egyptian Red Sea. They were morphologically identified through description of colors, den- Morophological identifica- tations of the carapace and shapes of chelipeds and pereiopods. They were also genetically charac- tion; terized by the partial sequencing of the barcode region in the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase Cytochrome oxidase subunit subunit I (COI) gene, which is known to be hypervariable among different crab species. Morpho- I (COI) gene logical and genetic characterization identified the crab species as: Charybdis (Charybdis) hellerii (A. Milne-Edwards, 1867), Charybdis (Charybdis) natator (Herbst, 1794), Portunus (Portunus) pelagicus (Linnaeus, 1758), Liocarcinus corrugatus (Pennant, 1777), and Atergatis roseus (Ru¨ ppell, 1830).
    [Show full text]