IUBio

Sabella spallanzanii

Geoff Read g.read at niwa.cri.nz
Mon Nov 17 18:48:59 EST 1997


Daniel McGowan wrote:
> Can anyone please tell me what effect this worm has had in Port Phillip
> Bay, Melbourne where it has been introduced. I have found plenty of
> reports describing various aspects of its biology, but nothing which says
> why it is so bad. 

I am just looking at Bruce Hayward's paper* on introduced organisms in
Waitemata (Auckland) Harbour. He lists potential 'bad' impacts as
ecological displacement and predation, disease, environmental alterations.
He also lists economic, and tourism and recreation impacts.

At a guess monoculture carpets of Sabella spallanzanii, like carpets of the
Asian mussel Musculista senhousia in Daniel's local harbour, are ecological
displacers and environmental changers with economic and recreation impacts.
Robin Wilson sent me a newspaper article some time ago in which the main
thrust was the effect on the scallop industry in Port Phillip Bay as 'worm
weed' clogs the dredges. 

*BW Hayward (1997) 'Introduced marine organisms in New Zealand and their 
impact in the Waitemata Harbour, Auckland.' Tane 36:197-223.

--
  Geoff Read <g.read at niwa.cri.nz>

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