First record in the Tropical Eastern Pacific of the exotic species Ficopomatus uschakovi (Polychaeta, Serpulidae)

Abstract

The exotic Indo-West-Pacific species, Ficopomatus uschakovi (Polychaeta, Serpulidae) is recorded for the first time in the Tropical Eastern Pacific from two sites in La Encrucijada Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas, a coastal lagoon in the Pacific south of Mexico. The means of dispersal of this serpulid species still remains unclear, as the nearest port (Puerto Chiapas) is 70 km to the south, and there are no port installations or shrimp cultures in the lagoon. The record of this serpulid species, apparently widely distributed in this coastal lagoon, has implications regarding possible effects on the brackish-water ecosystem, since the invasion event very well may have occurred several years ago. It is recommended that an exhaustive study be carried out in the coastal lagoons of Chiapas to evaluate the real distribution and the effects of this invasive species on the ecosystem. A complete description, including photographs and drawings, is provided.

First record of the polychaete Ficopomatus uschakovi (Pillai, 1960) (Annelida, Serpulidae) in the Colombian Caribbean, South America

“…For polychaete identification, we followed the dichotomous, taxonomic keys for genera prepared by Fauchald (1977) , Bastida-Zavala and Salazar-Vallejo (2000) and Bastida-Zavala (2009) . For identification of the serpulid polychaete species, Ficopomatus uschakovi and Ficopomatus miamiensis , we followed taxonomic keys and/or descriptions from Hove and Weerdenburg (1978) , Bastida-Zavala (2009) and Bastida-Zavala and García-Madrigal (2012) .…”

“…However, it has been recorded also from the Caribbean region, in Venezuela (Liñero-Arana and Díaz-Díaz 2012) and north-eastern Brazil (de Assis et al 2008); and from the tropical Eastern Pacific, in Mexico (Bastida-Zavala and García-Madrigal 2012). …”

“… Ficopomatus uschakovi was described from Sri Lanka ( Pillai 1960 ), and is widely distributed across the Indo-West Pacific ( Hove and Weerdenburg 1978 ). It has been recorded in other regions, including the Mexican Pacific ( Bastida-Zavala and García-Madrigal 2012 ), the Western Atlantic, in Paraiba, Brazil ( de Assis et al 2008 ), in Venezuela ( Liñero-Arana and Díaz-Díaz 2012 ), and in the Eastern Atlantic, in the Gulf of Guinea ( Hartmann-Schröder 1971 ). Therefore, Ficopomatus uschakovi is thought to be an exotic, and possibly, an invasive species.…”

“…The genus Ficopomatus Southern, 1921 (subfamily Ficopomatinae Pillai, 1960) is characterized by having an opaque tube with or without keels, peristomes, and tabulae; a body that tapers in diameter from anterior to posterior; a conical or pear-shaped operculum inserted behind the left brachial lobe, uncovered or covered with either a chitinous, non-calcified endplate or with numerous chitinous spines in the distal tissue; the collar is non-lobed with “saw-edged” chaetae; the thorax may have free or fused thoracic membranes; there are seven chaetigers with limbate notochaetae, and six uncinigerous tori having uncini with 6 to 12 teeth; the abdomen contains numerous segments with capillary-toothed chaetae ( Day 1967 , Hove and Weerdenburg 1978 , Hove and Kupriyanova 2009 ). The genus comprises six species: Ficopomatus enigmaticus (Fauvel, 1923), Ficopomatus macrodon Southern, 1921, Ficopomatus miamiensis (Treadwell, 1934), Ficopomatus shenzhensis Li, Wang & Deng, 2012, Ficopomatus talehsapensis Pillai, 2008 ( Bastida-Zavala and García-Madrigal 2012 ) and Ficopomatus uschakovi (Pillai, 1960). According to Pillai (2008) , Ficopomatus uschakovi should be included in Neopomatus Pillai, 1960 due to the presence of one pair of fused thoracic membranes; nevertheless, several authors do not accept this genus ( Hove and Kupriyanova 2009 , Bastida-Zavala and García-Madrigal 2012 ).…”

“…The genus comprises six species: Ficopomatus enigmaticus (Fauvel, 1923), Ficopomatus macrodon Southern, 1921, Ficopomatus miamiensis (Treadwell, 1934), Ficopomatus shenzhensis Li, Wang & Deng, 2012, Ficopomatus talehsapensis Pillai, 2008 ( Bastida-Zavala and García-Madrigal 2012 ) and Ficopomatus uschakovi (Pillai, 1960). According to Pillai (2008) , Ficopomatus uschakovi should be included in Neopomatus Pillai, 1960 due to the presence of one pair of fused thoracic membranes; nevertheless, several authors do not accept this genus ( Hove and Kupriyanova 2009 , Bastida-Zavala and García-Madrigal 2012 ).…”