120(1) 34-:36. OQ(J6 TT.TE 1\AUTILUS Pab"e :34 Mytella charruana (Bivalvia: Mytilidae): a new, invasive bivalve in Mosquito Lagoon, Florida 1 Michelle L. BoudrealLx Linda J. Walters2 Department of' Binlo�')' Ulli,-ersit,·• of' Cent rnl Fkwicla !000 Central Floridfl HoniP\'<l rcl Orlando, FL :32Hl (.; USA 1 mI bou d re�u1� 03<g>1, otn ':1i l.cn m 2 [email protected] lNTHODUCTlO! \'t'Hl'Zlwla to A rgf'nl'ina (Kct�n, I �)71; Carlton, J 992; ' Szefer et al., l\-J9H: Boehs et al., 200·J). The> charm mnssel Biological invasions an:' recognized'- as one of the most ' also occurs 011 tlte eastern Pacific Oceau fro111 Guaymas, .seliOliS problelliS confroutiug the integrity ur llati\'t' spe- Sonora , \lkxico to El Salvador and the Calapagos Islands cies and ecos\'s, te m s aronnd the world (Carlto11 and Gel- (Cardella:; and Aranda. 2000). lar. I 9!)3). Inva�iw spe-cies often hm·<� no natural C'IH'rni<�s Jlytclla clwrnt<llta res<:-mhles the c:onn11on edible blue to I imit thcir re-production and sprcad; hcncc, thcv l'rc­ llliiSSvl M!Jlilu� cdulis (Linn at·n s. 1/.')R) i11 shape. Mm;i­ <-Juently become l'Slahlishe·cl at the c:�pensc or tilt• ll<ltive llllllllre-corded sl.cll le-ngth is .1.,') em (Szcfer ct al., '199R). species aud <:-utin:· <:-cusysten1s (Ellstr<\lld and Scl1iere11- 2000). lts e�termu shell color mav• \'aJY* rrom li'gh t \_gref'n to black. bec:k. ln aquatic eco;,·ystf:'111S. ext n:'llle t'X<llllpies and 111a;· be u11ifor111 or banded in a criss-cross pattern include estahli�llllll�nt of the zebra mussel DrcisS('II(/ Kt ·e , IH71) (Figure shc·ll color is deep polymOI]JI/(/ (Pallas, 1771) in the Cn·at Lakes rq:!;iOn or ( n l). Intend pnrpl<' ( 1 971). Thi� tropical ntnsscl is a lagoonal the Unitc·tl St<ttc·s in tl11.: J\:l80s nntl the introduction of Kvc•n, �pec:ies tktl 1:)11i all>· occurs the Asian ,green HIUSsel Perna oiridis ( Lillli<H·us. 17.Sk) to c on 11111dllats, in sltallow la­ Tanlp<l Ba�'· Flo1ida il1 HJ9tl ( G1iFriths et �11 .. I !:)9 I;] 11grao goolls a11d attached to 11�<1ngrovc roots. being able to ) wHhsta11cl s<:�li11itv ,· riatinns in th( 1·'--1· 17c(J range (Ru- et aL :20()]) . Botll or tlwst' tnussel species: ] hm't' spread . a · .... :2000: 200-0. extemivel)· fron1 the point of introdnc:tion 'ia di.spcrsal cla.s-J liZ IIlJa and Paez-Osuna, Bochs !'t al., lan·al .slage.s, 2) hm c cost millions to billions of' dollars Ln :\lytclla cltatTit(/1/(/ first appear<:-d in thl:' United States oJ' control. :3} have altcr<:-d hioc\i,·crsity. rril11nril� · b�· out­ i11 large 11111111WrS in the SC<1Walvr intak1:· pipp a power 19k6 C0111petillg or on: rgrowi11):'; 11atin:· species. and -4) ,,·ere so plant i11 Jacksomillf\ FL in (Lee, IHS/; Carlton, 1 abuHLhmt wl.1e11 discm·ered tl1at eraclicatio11 was not an 9!:!2). Tl1e pmhable source of itl\'<ision was ballast water ' optiou (Ludyan�kiy d al., J 998; Faja11s ancl Bakc•r. :wo:3; fro111 l<1nkers transporting 0il fro111 \'t'IWZLli:'Ja (Carlton. Diggins et al., 200-�). I 99�). Fo1i 11 natck, :H. clw rrttr11w lll'\'l'l' hcC'ame estab­ Knowing that <'ark dc·tcclion and rapid rl'.sponsc are lisl1ecl. us the fonmler popnlatiou was e'\l'il1)atecl dming critical to pre\'(' II ti ng cst<tl tl islm1cu t of 11011-1 wti \'l' species tl1e Wi11ter of 1!:)1)/; this I1<1S het•J1 atlrihlllCd to COld tem­ that· 111m cause ecolugical and econo111ic: l1m·nc. we ueeLl peratlll'l'S (fl. C:. Lee, pers. comm.). to I 1e pro-acti,·e when 11ew invasioll� are rt·ported. This is Sinct> the� I \-JH6-191:l7 arrival in northPrn Florida, "AI. ' especi<tlly tme \\·lten the 1111tnher uf i11di,iduals ol tlw r-lwrnw1w l1ad 11nt hee11 recordt·d in tl1is locutiou or anv• hl\·ash·e 'pvcies is persistent. sng,_�t·st·ing c·ithcr nndtiple otlwr in tlw Unilc·cl Statr·s 11ntil :'WO I. On A11g1.1st •?.(), i nlrodnctions or a n�sidc�n I. hrPecli ng pop11 Ld iu11. 1\ n l.'\­ :200-k [\I. Bondn-·am disC:Cl\·eretl a popnlatinn of "Jf. cf/{11'­ cllll[1lc· or this i� pn•scntl_, nccurrin,g al<mg tl1c: Atlantic rttaua in tl1e w�ilers of �lOSllllito Lagoon. tltc no rtheru­ !\ 11 ·. ! 'ella coast nl l\'nrtl1 111t ·rica i Florida. Tl1c: IJintln M I IIIOSL r cg in11 on tl1c Indian Hi' t•r La!!;oou' syskm al ong tl1c ' . I clwrnunw (d 'Orl•igll\·, 11):35). a Soutl1 AniLTil'aJl a11d t'<tSl cnasl of ct·ntn.J Florida ( l/0 km so11ll, oF J<tckson- rvlf·\icun Pacif'ic Coast n·ce 11 tly 11\'ell de- 11ativ<:-.. has ' ,·illd. 111 tl1is <'JI\'iron111l'11l, ,\/. cluiiTII(IIto wa� iuitiallv ' scril,cciiJI lnw 11t1111her� (9.r imlivid11als) i11 Lite ovsler rct' l 10nnd atlacltcd lei ch J�t(:' rs or tile c·usl.l'rll oyster c mssos­ . co11111111111tics of LIJL· IJOithcm I11c�a11 Hi,·er Lago1;11 �ystcm. ft'N/ cirgiuiw (C:111l'lin. 11!:!1) a� wdl as atlached to tlis­ •u·ticlllated 11\'sler sl1cll� in lhc i11tcrtidal �utd snhtidal ,\!tj/ 1'1111 r -/1(1rrtt rnw ( d'Orl •igll\, ].'):3.5) i 11 Plorida zont-.� ,,·il11i11 Cana' <:-ral latio11al Seashore' (2.'l0!:l0.(18' \\', Th<' 111clit�<·IIOIJs r<JIIgc· o[ tl1e 111;tilid ,\lytella clwrnunw ,')()'',):2.06' ' ). Thc�c waters ,,·en· tlteu Slll'\'l·'n·cl mollt!. k 1'\h'lllb aiOil\! tlll' L'<JStl'rll cuast or Sontll Alllerica frolll lor ll1v occu ITCIIl'c pt tl11� lllllSSt'l lor tl w 1w:-:l I:3 111ontlt�. 2006 i\!. L. BouclrL'<ILI\ and L. I· Walter�. 1.8 � 1 6 E u 1 4 - Q) N 1 2 (/) 1.0 Q) (/) (/) :::::l 08 E 06 c: ell Q) 04 2 02 00 Figure 2. i\-lt'atl le"gtJHslculdnrd crrur (<:111) qf .\/ttl ella char­ ru mto collected i11 i\ Io�q ui to Lagoon. F'lori cia. population that is still tl'lit!:' smalL Althongh individnal� up to .J.-!em in length hal'l' het'u recorded in its native range. tl1e sizes of i\1. c!JntTIIOIIO Fouud dn1ing one )·ear in .\:Jo�t jiJ ito Lagoon \\·ere consistt-nth small. nmging f'rom 0 . .5 -·1 . 7 c11t (Mean + S.E.: .t.:3 + 0.1 em). The mean lc11glh of' illlli,·idnals cullectt-d from' August :200-l­ Fc·hntary :?,()().') ll'<tS 1.1:> ± 0.1 em, wberC"as the nwa11 Figul'€' l. ;\lytdlo clwrm(//11/ fn1111 i\losquitn Lago(ln, 'J()05 + Flmicla. left !top\ and right (bultoul) 1·akc�. ll.\IS.\'1 :3-10()1. length for the .' \ug•1st-Octoher collection \\'<IS l.l 0. lcu�>th 2.-1 c111. Sc;Lie har = I nn. J em . YVh('n compan ·d witl1 011e-way anal;·sis of ntri­ all(:e. the mean lvngth o[' Au� s '100-1--Ff:·bruatY � the �-n t � 200.5 = indiliduals ll'as sign. ilkantl.l' larger' (J\0!0\'i\: F 32 0.0001) 2). S1·�te111atic. Slll\'('\'S \l ('l'C l'On<Ju<:ted luok:iug at a wide Gl� p < (Fignre Lihwise. tlw weigl1b ol . ' ' nUiet;· of S\1 hstrates and placc•s wlwr<: li I USSeJS are k:n01111 li\'(' incU,;duals collectt>d h1 August-OctohN ·i005 Wt'rE' ' I s ' ' o thrin:·. indu e ling• blaciPs a11cl base·� of tlw curd!!rassp ignifkanth.· lower tlt<Ul wei�hts of Uve indil'idnals col- Spnrtina ultcmiflora ( Loisele11r. lF\01). �11hmerged 111HII- k·ctcd earlier (t\NO\';\: F = :3-+.69: p = 0.0003). This made sln•ctures ami delnis (e.g .. clock pilings. P\'C pipe. sugg<"sts nml ti pic in trotl11diom or an estabLished repro­ cinder hlocb). 11atural debris (e.g .. driftwood), rcd man­ dllctil't· popnlation. with us locating onh 11ewly recruited grm <" prop and nthlv root!>. hlcu:k IJHtngrove pnelllllatn­ imblidu ab. H f'cologic:al condition:, arc npti111al l'or con­ phore�. clusters of' m·�tt'I'S, am] disarticulated oyster tinued survival and (,Stablish nwnt or M. ('//(/ /'f'l/(1//(/. I I lis shells. For each colll'ctcd indi,·idllal. the following iJd�Jr- population l1as tl1e potential to greatly increasf' in nllm­ ' mation 11·a� recorded: CPS <:oordinntes. water telllpera- hers <111cl out-c:o•npete natil·e niUssds in the area. Adcli­ ) tional rcsl'arch on this species is II'<UTallted to dett'J'Inine ture (0U. water saU11iiY. (o/cc . m11�srl le11gth,' width and depth (em\. 11·eight (g) and s11hstratc. its e\len t of colon izatH lll, source of' introd11Ctiou. em'i­ Thilt' -nine lin:> imli1'idua. ls oJ' :\I rharrunnn II'Ne ronnwntal conditions nctl'SSetr) For cstahlislullellt, ami fo11n(l bct\\'cen .-\u�ust ·100-! and FehrmrY :wo.s and one i111pacts on biocUvt>rsil;. \'o11chcr �peci lilt'll:> arl' c<tta­ ��-:�� :20, 200.5. logu d at tbc Florida �1••�<'tll11 of' \Jatnral !Ii ton·. dead in<lhidnal collected on .\larch. Dc·­ ' e s . spite continued month!> �ur\'<:') ing. nu imli1iduals were Caines1ille. Florida (FLI'vil II :31261-i!::l, :372691) and Thf' found agaitl until A11�t1St :2S. "005. ll'hen JA lilt' indivi.dn­ 13aileY-i\1atthews Sl.ell i\Tuseun1. Sanihel. Florida ab 11ere collected. On our lasl ohst IYalinn ebb'.