Fabio Bettini Pitombo

Use of artificial substrata by introduced and cryptogenic marine species in Paranaguá Bay, southern Brazil

Abstract Ports are important locations for the introduction of marine species, while marinas and pontoons often serve as secondary habitats for these species. In a marina near Paranaguá Port, a major international port in southern Brazil, the encrusting community was studied to (i) identify possibly introduced species, and (ii) examine the use of artificial substrata by these species. Samples (20 × 20 cm) were taken from fibreglass floats (boardwalks and boat hulls) and concrete columns. A total of 85 species were found of which 50 were classified into three categories: four introduced, 33 cryptogenic and 13 native. The introduced species were the hydrozoan Garveia franciscana (on floats, boats and submerged concrete), the polychaete Polydora cornuta (more abundant on floats and submerged concrete) and the barnacles Amphibalanus reticulatus (equally abundant on the three substrata) and Striatobalanus amaryllis (only on floats and submerged concrete). Organisms were most abundant on floating boardwalks, while species richness and composition were similar to that on boat hulls (32 and 37, respectively), which are an important vector for intraregional transport. All substrata supported at least three of the four introduced, and many of the cryptogenic species. The proportion of introduced to the total number of species was greater than observed in other ports. This demonstrates that the introduction potential is great in Paranaguá Bay, especially considering that this study was restricted to one site and sampled only hard substrata. None of the introduced species has yet been identified as invasive, but all are generalists with respect to substratum, indicating their invasive potential. The ability to colonise stable concrete walls shows that they could also colonise the natural granite rocky substrata in the bay, and the ability to colonise floating surfaces indicate their capability of spreading in the region on the hulls of recreational boats.

Barnacle Invasions: Introduced, Cryptogenic, and Range Expanding Cirripedia of North and South America

Barnacles are some of the most conspicuous and well-known ship fouling organisms in the world and thus many species no doubt owe parts of their modern distribution to human-mediated translocations over the past several centuries. Reviewed here, as a window into global patterns, are the introduced, cryptogenic, and range expanding barnacles of the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of North and South America. Five species of thoracic barnacles have invaded the Pacific coasts of the Americas: Amphibalanus improvisus, A. eburneus, and A. subalbidus, all from the Atlantic, and A. amphitrite and A. reticulatus from the Indo-West Pacific. Seven species have invaded the Atlantic coasts of the Americas; six of these are from the Pacific: A. amphitrite and A. reticulatus (shared as invaders with the Pacific coast) , and Balanus trigonus, B. glandula, Striatobalanus amaryllis, and Megabalanus coccopoma. The Western North Atlantic A. subalbidus has invaded the Western South Atlantic. Striking are the few barnacle invasions that have occurred on the Pacific coast of South America and these species (A. improvisus, A. amphitrite and A. reticulatus) are reported only from northernmost locations (Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru) . For the first 100 years (1853–1955) two species, A. amphitrite and A. improvisus, constituted the majority of invasion events in the Americas, the sole exception being the arrival of the Pacific Balanus trigonus in the 1860s and 1870s in the Atlantic. After 1955, the first records of invasions of A. reticulatus, A. eburneus, B. glandula, M. coccopoma, and S. amaryllis appear, an increased diversity of introductions in close concert with general observations of increasing invasions globally of marine organisms after World War II. Known since the 1970s in Brazil, M. coccopoma appears to be responding to warming northern latitudes and has expanded to North Carolina as of 2005. The native Western Atlantic barnacle Chthamalus fragilis arrived in New England in the 1890s, a range expansion perhaps facilitated by an earlier coastal warming period concomitant with the decline in abundance of its colder-water competitor Semibalanus balanoides, although the latter also appears to have expanded south on the North American Atlantic coast in the twentieth century due to increased habitat availability. Chthamalus is predicted to move north, and Semibalanus is predicted to return to its historical range, both due to continued warming. In turn, the native Eastern North Pacific barnacle Tetraclita rubescens is expanding north due to coastal warming as well. Future invasion scenarios include increased introductions facilitated through a newly expanded Panama Canal, the potential arrival of Austrominius modestus on the North American Atlantic coast (despite its failure to do so throughout the last half of the twentieth century) , and the arrival on the warmer North and Central American Pacific coasts of Chthamalus proteus.

A "shallow phylogeny" of shallow barnacles (chthamalus).

Background We present a multi-locus phylogenetic analysis of the shallow water (high intertidal) barnacle genus Chthamalus, focusing on member species in the western hemisphere. Understanding the phylogeny of this group improves interpretation of classical ecological work on competition, distributional changes associated with climate change, and the morphological evolution of complex cirripede phenotypes. Methodology and Findings We use traditional and Bayesian phylogenetic and ‘deep coalescent’ approaches to identify a phylogeny that supports the monophyly of the mostly American ‘fissus group’ of Chthamalus, but that also supports a need for taxonomic revision of Chthamalus and Microeuraphia. Two deep phylogeographic breaks were also found within the range of two tropical American taxa (C. angustitergum and C. southwardorum) as well. Conclusions Our data, which include two novel gene regions for phylogenetic analysis of cirripedes, suggest that much more evaluation of the morphological evolutionary history and taxonomy of Chthamalid barnacles is necessary. These data and associated analyses also indicate that the radiation of species in the late Pliocene and Pleistocene was very rapid, and may provide new insights toward speciation via transient allopatry or ecological barriers.

A tale of three seas: consistency of natural history traits in a Caribbean-Atlantic barnacle introduced to Hawaii

Predictive models in invasion biology rely on knowledge of the life history and ecological role of invading species. However, species may change in key traits as they invade a new region, making prediction difficult. For marine invertebrate invaders there have been too few comparative studies to determine whether change in key traits is the exception or the rule. Here we examined populations of the intertidal barnacle Chthamalus proteus in three locations in its native range in the Caribbean and Atlantic, and in the Hawaiian Islands, where it has recently invaded, as a model system for such comparative studies. We measured body size, fecundity, population density and vertical distribution, compared habitat use and investigated aspects of the barnacle’s ecological role in Curaçao, Panama and Brazil and the main Hawaiian Islands. In terms of these measures, the barnacle has undergone little change in its invasion of Hawaii. Thus, if this barnacle had been studied in its native range, predictions about its spread in Hawaii could have been made. As little was known about this barnacle in either its native range or Hawaii, we also carried out studies of its larval life history, fecundity, growth, and mortality. Based on this work, we predict that this barnacle will continue to spread, aided by vessel traffic, throughout the Hawaiian Islands and elsewhere in the Pacific.

The population biology of the exploited crab Ucides cordatus (Linnaeus, 1763) in a southeastern Atlantic Coast mangrove area, Brazil

Ucides cordatus (Linnaeus, 1763), found in mangroves along the Brazilian coast, is an artisanal fishery resource harvested as a source of income and for subsistence. A 12 month study of U. cordatus was conducted in a mangrove area of the southeastern Brazilian coast to estimate the growth, longevity, sex ratio and population density of the crabs. A total of 1024 crabs (505 males and 519 females) were sampled. Carapace width (CW) ranged from 49 to 90 mm (mean ± SD: 71.2 mm ± 6.0) for males and from 52 to 83 mm (69.3 mm ± 4.9) for females. Males dominated the largest CW classes. The asymptotic size (CW∞) and the asymptotic weight (WW∞) were estimated as 93.4 mm and 305.5 g, respectively, for males and as 87.1 mm and 221.5 g, respectively, for females. The estimated maximum longevities were 17.6 years for males and 15.7 years for females. The males (k = 0.17, Φ = 1.171) and females (k = 0.19, Φ = 1.159) showed similar growth rates. The mean density was 0.41 ± 0.19 burrows m−2. Of this total mean density, 85.8% corresponded to the immediate harvesting potential and 14.2% to the future harvesting potential. Given that U. cordatus is a long-lived species that grows slowly, an appropriate strategy for the management is crucial to ensure the sustainable exploitation of this resource.

A rose by any other name: systematics and diversity in the Chilean giant barnacle Austromegabalanus psittacus (Molina, 1782) (Cirripedia)

We analyzed the population structure of the edible barnacle Austromegabalanus psittacus (Molina, 1782) along most of the coast of Chile. The analysis of population structure was based on nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene region. We also tested for differences between the regions to the north and south of 30-33°S, as these latitudes represent a recognized biogeographic break and important oceanographic transitions occur in that area. No geographic differentiation was evident when using Hudson’s nearest-neighbor ( S nn ) statistic to analyze genetic differences between all populations. F st values nevertheless showed overall genetic structure among sites. Significant geographic structure was found using S nn and analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) when locations were separated into northern and southern regions, with a stronger signal when the geographic division is set at 33°S. Our results support the idea that oceanographic transitions can affect the genetic structure in species with pelagic larvae. We also discuss observations on size structure differences within the natural range of A. psittacus and this barnacle’s sympatric occurrence with another barnacle, Megabalanus concinnus (Darwin, 1854) in its northern range.

Erratum : Systematics and biogeography of Tropical Eastern Pacific Chthamalus with descriptions of two new species (Cirripedia, Thoracica). Zootaxa 1574: 1–30 (2007)

We report a lapsus calami in our explanation of the etymology of the name Chthamalus southwardorum sp. nov. in Pitombo Burton 2007.

Seabather’s eruption in Ipanema Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

In January 2017, a 28-year-old man presented with a 1-day history of burning and itching cutaneous lesions. He was concerned about the possibility of having acquired a communicable disease. The patient bathed and swam at Ipanema Beach (22°59′01′′S; 43°12′16′′W), Rio de Janeiro, the previous 4 consecutive days. On examination, around 30 erythematous papules and macules were distributed in a male swimwear pattern (Figure 1). No systemic symptoms were observed. A topical corticosteroid cream was prescribed, with complete remission of the lesions 1 week later. The rash was consistent with seabather’s eruption, a pruritic dermatitis occurring after contact with larvae of some marine animals, such as the thimble jellyfish Linuche unguiculata1. The planula larvae of this cnidarian are small enough (approximately 0.5mm) to pass through the fabric weaves of most swimwear and become trapped against the skin. External pressure or osmotic changes, including contact with freshwater, triggers the discharge of toxins by organelles called nematocysts. The diagnosis is established based on history of exposure to seawater followed by the appearance of rash in the peculiar topography of the areas covered by the bathing suit1. Possible preventive measures include the use of sunscreen under the swimwear, tight-weave (instead of open-weave) fabric, a female two-piece instead of one-piece swimsuit, and avoidance of T-shirts and showering with fresh water while wearing a contaminated suit. In Brazil, this marine envenomation is mainly reported in the coastal areas of São Paulo2 and Santa Catarina3 states. We are unaware of previous reports from the State of Rio de Janeiro.

A Cryptic Invasion in the Western Atlantic: Presence of the Fouling Barnacle Megabalanus zebra (Darwin, 1854) (Crustacea, Cirripedia) in the Caribbean Sea

The barnacle Megabalanus zebra is largely known from ship hulls, with little information on its biology, ecology, and natural range. We identify M. zebra here from the southern Caribbean, based upon specimens collected as early as 2002. Challenges associated with identifying megabalinine species have delayed recognition of this species as distinct from other Caribbean Megabalanus. Sequenced material of M. zebra from Curaçao did not match M. zebra GenBank sequences that could be verified by descriptions or vouchered material. The presence of young M. zebra on vessels that have not left the Caribbean, as well as on pier pilings and resident buoys, indicate that this species is established in the tropical Western Atlantic Ocean, but the timing of its invasion remains unknown.

The Anatomy of a Proposed Name Change Involving Chthamalussouthwardorum (Cirripedia, Balanomorpha, Chthamalidae), A Critique

This critique concerns the correct name for a species, itself a relatively trivial matter of little immediate consequence to science other than evidently complicating our understanding of diversity and this is contrary to the goal of the Binomial or Linnaean System of Nomenclature [1]. This system is presently governed by the “International Code of Zoological Nomenclature” authored by the ”International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature” and first published in 1961. There are two relatively recent editions of the Code [2,3] and they often differ in subtle and sometimes confusing ways whereby some commissioners as well as practicing taxonomists may read parts of an old rule into its current counterpart, as seems apparent in the present case.