Invasion History

First Non-native Panama (Pacific) Tidal Record: 1950
First Non-native Panama (Caribbean) Tidal Record: 2004

Panama Invasion History:


Invasion history elsewhere in the world:

Arbopercula bengalensis was collected near Balboa, on the Pacific side of the Panama Canal by Osburn before 1950 (Osburn 1950; Osburn 1953), and by Powell (1971). It was not collected by the 'St. George' expedition of 1924 (Powell 1971). Powell described it as 'one of the two dominant fouling bryozoans in Balboa Harbor and Panama Bay, the colonies forming large bushy lumps on the navigation buoys' (Powell 1971). He found it only on the Pacific side of the canal. During SERC fouling plate collections in 2004, Ruiz et al. (unpublished data), found this species at most stations sampled on the Caribbean side of the canal, as well as on the Pacific side. The Panama Canal seems a likely route for the transport of A. bengalensis into the Atlantic.

In West Africa, it was collected in Lagos, Nigeria, in 1959 (Cook 1968). In Australia, A. bengalensis has been collected at Townsville Harbor (Hall 1984), and the Calliope River (Saenger et al. 1979).


Description

Arbopercula bengalensis forms encrusting colonies. Its zooids are moderately large, about 0.60 mm long by 0.25-0.30 mm wide, and elongate-rectangular in shape, with an elongate ovoid membranous area that covers most of the frontal surface and is edged by smooth gymnocrystal calcification (calcification deposited on the outside of the body wall). From the lateral and proximal margins of zooids, 11-14 slender, flattened spines arch over the frontal membrane. A distinct proximal spine, sometimes forked, may be present. A pair of distal spines occurs on either side of the operculum. They may bifurcate at the tips, and may overlap, but do not fuse. The most striking feature of the species is the pair of long, branching, chitinous spines which project outward from the outer surface of the D-shaped operculum. The zooids have no avicularia and no specialized ovicells (Description from McCann et al. 2007; Nikulina 2010).


Taxonomy

Taxonomic Tree

Kingdom:   Animalia
Phylum:   Bryozoa
Class:   Gymnolaemata
Order:   Cheilostomata
Suborder:   Anasca
Family:   Electridae
Genus:   Arbopercula
Species:   bengalensis

Synonyms

Electra anomala (Osburn, 1950)
Electra anormata (Huang et al., 1990)
Membranipora bengalensis (Stoliczka, 1860)
Electra bengalensis ((Stoliczka), 1860)

Potentially Misidentified Species

Ecology

General:

Life History- Arbopercula bengalensis is an encrusting, calcified bryozoan colony composed of many individual zooids. The zooids feed by extending the ciliated tentacles of the lophophore as a funnel, creating a current, and driving food particles into their mouths. The food is guided along the tentacles and through the pharynx by the cilia. Larger food particles can be moved or captured by flicking or contracting the tentacles (Barnes 1983). Larvae of A. bengalensis have a planktotrophic cyphonautes larva, but may have a fairly short planktonic period. Fouling plates placed in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida, in September, had developing colonies after two weeks in the water (McCann et al. 2007). Larvae settle on a substrate and metamorphose into the first zooid of a colony, an ancestrula. (Barnes 1983).

Ecology- Arbopercula bengalensis is known from mangroves, rocky areas, pilings, and buoys (Powell 1971; McCann et al. 2007). It is characteristic of brackish water, but also occurs at marine salinities (Menon and Nair 1972; Rao and Ganapati 1978; McCann et al. 2007).

Trophic Status:

Suspension Feeder

SusFed

Habitats

General HabitatCoarse Woody DebrisNone
General HabitatMarinas & DocksNone
General HabitatRockyNone
General HabitatMangrovesNone
Salinity RangeMesohaline5-18 PSU
Salinity RangePolyhaline18-30 PSU
Salinity RangeEuhaline30-40 PSU
Tidal RangeSubtidalNone
Vertical HabitatEpibenthicNone


Tolerances and Life History Parameters

Minimum Depth (m)0None
Maximum Depth (m)10None
Maximum Temperature (ºC)31.6Cochin Backwater (Menon and Nair 1972)
Minimum Salinity (‰)7Type locality "only 1/5 as saline as sea-water" (Stoliiczka 1869, cited by Rao and Ganapati (1978)
Maximum Salinity (‰)33.6Cochin Backwater (Menon and Nair 1972)
Broad Temperature RangeNoneWarm temperate-Tropical
Broad Salinity RangeNoneMesohaline-Euhaline

General Impacts

Economic Impacts 

Shipping- Arbopercula bengalensis is an abundant fouling organism in its native and introduced waters and a frequent fouler of ships and buoys (Powell 1971; Menon and Nair 1972; Rao and Ganapati 1974; Rao and Ganapati 1978). 'Electra' spp. in Mumbai Harbor were resistant to copper antifouling compounds (Rao and Ganapati 1975). However, the economic importance of A. bengalensis as a fouling organism has not been studied.

Ecological Impacts 

Competition- Arbopercula bengalensis is considered to be a competitive, fast-growing member of the fouling community in Indian waters, owing to its year-round breeding, early maturity, and tolerance of varied salinity and pollution, although it rarely overgrows or displaces colonies of other species (Udhayakumar and Karande 1989; Karande and Udhayakumar 1992). It was considered one of two dominant fouling species in Balboa Harbor and Panama Bay, by 1971 (Powell 1971). In many areas it is the dominant bryozoan, occupying more than 70% of the space covered by bryozoans and most of the available substrate (Udhayakumar and Karande 1989; Ruiz, unpublished data). However, experimental studies of its effects on other fouling species have not been conducted in invaded waters.

Regional Distribution Map

Bioregion Region Name Year Invasion Status Population Status
PAN_CAR Panama Caribbean Coast 2004 Def Estab
PAN_PAC Panama Pacific Coast 1950 Def Estab

Occurrence Map

OCC_ID Author Year Date Locality Status Latitude Longitude
6122 Osburn 1950, Powell 1971 None 9999-01-01 Balboa Def 8.9500 -79.5667
6159 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data 2004 2004-01-01 Colon Container Terminal Def 9.3733 -79.8837
6160 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Colon Container Terminal Def 9.3723 -79.8854
6161 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Colon Container Terminal Def 9.3712 -79.8871
6162 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Manzanillo Internacional Terminal Def 9.3734 -79.8840
6163 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Manzanillo Internacional Terminal Def 9.3734 -79.8840
6164 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Manzanillo Internacional Terminal Def 9.3734 -79.8840
6165 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Manzanillo Internacional Terminal Def 9.3734 -79.8840
6166 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Manzanillo Internacional Terminal Def 9.3734 -79.8840
6167 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Ocean Pollution and Club Nautico Def 9.3642 -79.8940
6168 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Ocean Pollution and Club Nautico Def 9.3641 -79.8940
6169 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Ocean Pollution and Club Nautico Def 9.3636 -79.8943
6170 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Ocean Pollution and Club Nautico Def 9.3637 -79.8943
6171 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Servicio Maritimo Nacional Sherman Def 9.3702 -79.9497
6172 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Servicio Maritimo Nacional Sherman Def 9.3535 -79.9498
6173 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Servicio Maritimo Nacional Sherman Def 9.3636 -79.8943
6174 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Servicio Maritimo Nacional Sherman Def 9.3702 -79.9497
6175 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Servicio Maritimo Nacional Sherman Def 9.3702 -79.9494
6176 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Colon Port Terminal Def 9.3702 -79.9493
6177 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Colon Port Terminal Def 9.3715 -79.8837
6178 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Cristobal Yacht Club Def 9.3495 -79.9035
6179 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Cristobal Yacht Club Def 9.3491 -79.9028
6180 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Cristobal Yacht Club Def 9.3496 -79.9034
6181 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Cristobal Yacht Club Def 9.3491 -79.9028
6182 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Embarcadero Davis Def 9.2899 -79.9194
6183 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Embarcadero Davis Def 9.2897 -79.9194
6184 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Embarcadero Davis Def 9.2898 -79.9193
6185 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Embarcadero Davis Def 9.2899 -79.9193
6186 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Embarcadero Davis Def 9.2896 -79.9195
6187 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Riviera de los astilleros industria del ACP Def 9.3421 -79.9009
6188 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Riviera de los astilleros industria del ACP Def 9.3422 -79.9009
6189 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Riviera de los astilleros industria del ACP Def 9.3422 -79.9009
6190 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Riviera de los astilleros industria del ACP Def 9.3437 -79.9003
6191 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Puerto de Cristobal Def 9.3527 -79.9131
6192 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Puerto de Cristobal Def 9.3530 -79.9127
6193 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 STRI NAOS Dock Def 8.9175 -79.5327
6194 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 STRI NAOS Dock Def 8.9175 -79.5327
6195 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 STRI NAOS Dock Def 8.9174 -79.5326
6196 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 STRI NAOS Dock Def 8.9174 -79.5326
6197 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Port of Balboa Def 8.9553 -79.5658
6198 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Rodman Def 8.9527 -79.5749
6199 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Rodman Def 8.9529 -79.5748
6200 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Rodman Def 8.9500 -79.5730
6201 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Rodman Def 8.9508 -79.5733
6202 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Rodman Def 8.9502 -79.5731
6203 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 ACP Diablo Def 8.9655 -79.5730
6204 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 ACP Diablo Def 8.9654 -79.5730
6205 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Balboa Yacht Club Def 8.9385 -79.5556
6206 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 Balboa Yacht Club Def 8.9386 -79.5555
6207 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 ACP Dock NAOS Def 8.9174 -79.5349
6208 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 ACP Dock NAOS Def 8.9174 -79.5349
6209 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 ACP Dock NAOS Def 8.9174 -79.5349
6210 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 ACP Dock NAOS Def 8.9173 -79.5349
6211 Ruiz et al. Unpublished Data None 9999-01-01 ACP Dock NAOS Def 8.9173 -79.5349

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