Non-Native Freshwater Cladoceran Bosmina Coregoni (Baird, 1857) Established on the Pacific Coast of North America

BioInvasions Records (2013) Volume 2, Issue 4: 281–286 Open Access doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3391/bir.2013.2.4.03 © 2013 The Author(s). Journal compilation © 2013 REABIC Rapid Communication Non-native freshwater cladoceran Bosmina coregoni (Baird, 1857) established on the Pacific coast of North America Adrianne P. Smits1*, Arni Litt1, Jeffery R. Cordell1, Olga Kalata1,2 and Stephen M. Bollens2 1 School of Aquatic and Fisheries Science, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA 2 School of the Environment, Washington State University, 14204 NE Salmon Creek Avenue, Vancouver, WA 98686-9600, USA E-mail: [email protected] (APS), [email protected] (AL), [email protected] (JRC), [email protected] (OK), [email protected] (SMB) *Corresponding author Received: 26 July 2013 / Accepted: 10 October 2013 / Published online: 30 October 2013 Handling editor: Ian Duggan Abstract The freshwater cladoceran Bosmina coregoni (Baird, 1857), native to Eurasia, has established and spread in the Great Lakes region of North America since the 1960s. Here we report the first detection of B. coregoni on the Pacific coast of North America, in three geographically distinct locations: the Lower Columbia River Estuary (LCRE), Lake Washington in western Washington state, and the Columbia River Basin in south eastern Washington state. Bosmina coregoni was detected on multiple sampling dates in Lake Washington and the LCRE between 2008 and 2012. Key words: zooplankton; invasive; Washington; freshwater; range expansion Introduction and Hebert 1994). Until now this species has not been reported on the Pacific coast of North Non-indigenous zooplankton have successfully America, but has been detected as far west as invaded coastal and inland freshwater bodies Lake Winnipeg and Missouri (Suchy et al. 2010; throughout North America, sometimes with Mabee 1998). substantial effects on native zooplankton assem- Bosmina coregoni’s effects on native blages. For example, zooplankton communities zooplankton and freshwater food webs have not declined in overall taxa richness and abundance been explicitly studied. Bosmina coregoni’s life after introduction of the predatory cladoceran history traits and herbivorous feeding mode are Bythotrephes longimanus to the Laurentian Great likely to be similar to other bosminids, though Lakes and Canadian Shield lakes (Barbiero and species-level differences have not been examined. Tuchman 1994; Strecker et al. 2006), and several Here we report the presence of B. coregoni in introduced Asian copepods have impacted northeast three geographically distinct freshwater locations Pacific estuaries (Bollens et al. 2002; Cordell et al. on the west coast: the Lower Columbia River 2007; Cordell et al. 2008; Bollens et al. 2012). Estuary (LCRE), Lake Washington in western The cladoceran Bosmina coregoni, common in Washington state, and the Columbia River Basin its native Eurasia, has invaded and established in in south-eastern Washington state. freshwater lakes throughout eastern North America since the 1960s (Deevey and Deevey 1971; Lieder 1991; Suchy et al. 2010). Genetic Methods comparisons of endemic European and invasive North American populations reveal multiple Bosmina coregoni specimens were collected founding events within the Great Lakes, likely via through three separate monitoring and research ship ballast water (Lieder 1991), and subsequent projects (see Figure 1 for locations). The first dispersal to surrounding inland lakes (Demelo was a multi-year field study of the planktonic 281 A.P. Smits et al. Figure 1. Recorded locations for Bosmina coregoni in the Pacific Northwest of the United States (2008–2012) (See Appendix 1 for details). community in the LCRE. Zooplankton were sampled and Bosmina species, as well as the copepods monthly from a dock near Astoria, Oregon, USA, Diacyclops thomasi (Forbes) and Skistodiaptomus beginning in January 2005. The dock is located reighardi (Litt, unpublished data). Zooplankton 20 km upstream of the river’s mouth and extends sampling and processing were done at three 40 m from shore. Triplicate vertical tows with a representative stations in the lake: Madison Park 0.5-m mouth diameter, 73-µm mesh net equipped (MP), Arrowhead Point (AHP), and South of with a flow meter were used to collect zooplankton Southend (SSE), according to the methods of samples. Water column depth during sampling Edmondson and Litt (1982). Zooplankton were varied between 4.0 and 6.5 m, and tows were sampled every 1–3 weeks by taking oblique tows made from 0.5 m above the bottom to the water using a closing Clarke-Bumpus sampler equipped surface. Samples were preserved in 5% buffered with a 73 and 130 µm nylon mesh net and flow formalin. Zooplankton were counted and meter. Zooplankton samples were preserved in identified using a dissecting microscope at 25 95% ethanol and counted (Edmondson and Litt magnification. The LCRE zooplankton community 1982). The body lengths of three Bosmina and is currently dominated by a mix of native and three Daphnia species from five 2011 samples non-native copepods, including Eurytemora affinis, (June-October) were measured, and differences Diacyclops thomasi, Pseudodiaptomus forbesi, in mean body lengths among taxa were tested for Limnoithona tetraspina, and Sinocalanus doerrii statistical significance using Welch’s t-test for (Bollens et al. 2012). unequal variances. Bosmina coregoni specimens were also Finally, B. coregoni was detected in samples collected as part of the long-term monitoring of collected in August 2012 as part of a limnological Lake Washington that began in 1960 and survey of 35 lakes in the Columbia River Basin in continues to the present. Lake Washington is a south-east Washington state. Bosmina coregoni was large urban lake located at the eastern edge of detected in Potholes Reservoir (maximum depth Seattle, Washington, USA. The lake is 32.2 km 9.7 m) and the adjacent Canal #1, and Moses Lake long, an average of 2.5 km wide, and has a (10.2 m). Zooplankton sampling consisted of one maximum depth of 64 m. It is used for various open vertical net haul at the deepest attainable recreational purposes, and has two tributaries, point in the water body using an 80 µm, 30 cm the Cedar River at the southern end, and the diameter zooplankton net. All zooplankton smaller Sammamish River at the northern end. samples were preserved in 70% ethanol. Samples Lake Washington has been sampled bimonthly or were examined under a dissecting microscope for monthly since 1960. The lake’s zooplankton species identification and counted for relative fauna is currently dominated by several Daphnia species abundances. 282 Bosmina coregoni established in Pacific Northwest Figure 2. Bosmina coregoni collected from Lake Washington in 2011: A - female; B – male. Photograph by JRC. Figure 3. Densities of B. coregoni and co-occuring cladoceran species (organisms L-1) in samples collected from Lake Washington (2009–2013). Samples were collected from MP station, at 0–10 m depth. Zooplankton were identified as Bosmina Results coregoni from morphological characters by Arni Litt. Distinguishing morphological features of LCRE B. coregoni include the complete lack of a mucron, extremely long antennules, the presence Bosmina coregoni was first detected in LCRE of only proximal pecten on the post abdominal samples on November 22, 2008 and occurred claw, and the location of the sensory bristle near regularly in samples through 2011. Maximum the tip of the rostrum (Kotov et al. 2009; see density occurred on July 21, 2009 at 0.123 Figure 2). However, the carapace and rostrum organisms L-1. Bosmina coregoni was present at may vary in form, therefore male morphology low density relative to other cladocerans in and genetic markers are required for final LCRE samples (Bollens, unpublished data). taxonomic confirmation (Kotov et al. 2009). Genetic analysis of males collected in Lake Lake Washington Washington was performed by Dr. Alexey A. Kotov of the A. N. Severtsov Institute of Bosmina coregoni was not detected in monthly Ecology and Evolution, Moscow, Russia and by samples collected between 1960 and 2010 in Derek Taylor of the State University of New Lake Washington. Bosmina coregoni was first York at Buffalo, to confirm species identification. detected in June 2011 and was present on each of 283 A.P. Smits et al. Discussion While we documented the presence of B. coregoni only in three freshwater locations along the west coast of North America, this species’ prolific invasion history in the Great Lakes region suggests its current range may extend far beyond our sampling area. An exact invasion mechanism for this species in our study area may never be established, since cladocerans and their resting eggs can be transported in a Figure 4. Mean body lengths (mm) of Bosmina and Daphnia spp. collected from Lake Washington between June and October variety of ways, including migratory birds, 2011. Multiple bars per species correspond to samples collected recreational boats, and direct hydrological on different dates. Error bars denote standard deviations. connections (Figuerola and Green 2002; Havel and Medley 2006). The presence of this species 13 sampling dates from June 8, 2011 to December in non-coastal eastern Washington suggests 2, 2011 (see Figure 3), occurring with a maximum between-lake dispersal mechanisms such as density of 10.52 organisms L-1 at AHP on July recreational boating or migrating waterfowl, and suggests the possibility that B. coregoni’s range 19, 2011 (0–10 meters depth). Males were present in samples from MP on two dates in October has expanded across the continent in this fashion. No studies from the Great Lakes region have 2011, at densities between 0.0–0.039 organisms L-1, and at depths below 10 meters. Bosmina directly addressed the ecological impacts of B. coregoni introduction to new aquatic habitats. In coregoni was not detected in samples collected in 2012 except for one female present in an April sporadically monitored lakes, realization of its presence can trail initial invasion by decades sample and a few individuals in November and December at densities of less than 0.03 organisms (Suchy and Hann 2007).

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