The introduction to Japan of the Titan barnacle, Megabalanus coccopoma (Darwin, 1854) (Cirripedia: Balanomorpha) and the role of shipping in its translocation

Abstract

The Titan Acorn barnacle, Megabalanus coccopoma, a native of the tropical eastern Pacific, has become established in the western Atlantic (Brazil and the northern Gulf of Mexico to the Carolinas), northwestern Europe and the western Indian Ocean (Mauritius), and therefore its dispersal capabilities are well known. This study reports its introduction to Japan and confirms its occurrence in Australia. In an attempt to determine the source of this introduction, phylogeographic techniques, involving cytochrome c oxidase I sequences of various widely separate populations of M. rosa and M. volcano, were utilized. No significant genetic differentiation or haplotype patterns between widely separated populations of each of the three species were found. Lack of such differentiation indicates recent geographical isolation and thus negates a null hypothesis predicting that the occurrence of one of more of these species in Australia was natural.

The effectiveness of rotating brush devices for management of vessel hull fouling

“…The role of hull fouling in the inadvertent spread of non-indigenous species (NIS) has also been recognised for over a century (Chilton 1910;Bishop 1951). However, it is only in more recent times that attention by scientists has been given to the transport of NIS (both historical and contemporary), accompanied by a ground-swell of interest in the role of hull fouling on modern-day vessels as a pathway for their spread (Hewitt et al 1999;Gollasch 2002;Lewis et al 2003;Ruiz and Carlton 2003;Coutts and Taylor 2004;Dafforn et al 2008;Piola and Johnston 2008;Yamaguchi et al 2009).…”

Phylogenetic analysis for detection of multiple fouling events: a pilot study of barnacles at Moorea Island (French Polynesia)

“…This pathway involves several potential vectors-transport of organisms in ballast water and ballast tank sediments, and fouling of hull, sea chests, anchors and anchor chains, etc. (Hewitt et al, 2009), depending on adult or larval biology status of the species (Farrapeira et al, 2007;Yamaguchi et al, 2009;Tøttrup et al, 2010). Ballast water (BW) is recognized as the most significant of these vectors (Molnar et al, 2008).…”

Morphometric and molecular identification of individual barnacle cyprids from wild plankton: an approach to detecting fouling and invasive barnacle species

“…coccopoma, regarded as native to the tropical eastern Pacific, was also collected in the plankton samples. This barnacle was often considered to be a major fouler that has now invaded the western Atlantic, northwestern Europe, the western Indian Ocean, and it was even introduced to Japan in 2007 (Yamaguchi et al 2009). International shipping routes contribute very effectively to the natural dispersal capability of fouling species (Carlton 1985;Otani et al 2007;Yamaguchi et al 2009).…”

“…This barnacle was often considered to be a major fouler that has now invaded the western Atlantic, northwestern Europe, the western Indian Ocean, and it was even introduced to Japan in 2007 (Yamaguchi et al 2009). International shipping routes contribute very effectively to the natural dispersal capability of fouling species (Carlton 1985;Otani et al 2007;Yamaguchi et al 2009). The sampling site of this study was near the Keelung harbor, where ships may possibly account for the presence of these non-native cypris larvae, thus explaining the mismatch of OTUs to known adult references and thus supporting the non-native origin of these larvae.…”

“…Due both to global climate change and increased shipping activity, barnacles are increasingly appearing as invasive species that can pose new problems as biofoulers (Southward et al 1998;Yamaguchi et al 2009). In this study, one identified, but non-native species (M. coccopoma), and 10 unidentified OTUs were spotted from the wild plankton samples of cypris larvae.…”