Species Regional Summary
Schizoporella variabilis
Northern California to Mid Channel Islands ( NEP-V )

Invasion History Vectors Impacts References

Invasion

Invasion Description

1st record: Port of Redwood, Redwood City/CA/San Francisco Bay (2000, Ruiz et al., unpublished data); East Harbour Marina, Gas House Cove, San Francisco/CA/San Francisco Bay (2000, Ruiz et al., unpublished data); Corinthian Yacht Harbor, Ferry Dock, Tiburon/CA/San Francisco Bay (2000, Ruiz et al., unpublished data). The occurrence of Schizoporella errata in California waters has long been suspected (Powell 1970, Carlton 1979), but the identity of West Coast Schizoporella has been uncertain. Taxonomists working with the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) invasion group feel that one type of Schizoporella in San Francisco Bay matches European type specimens sufficiently well to be identified as this species. We are uncertain of the occurrence of S. errata outside San Francisco Bay (Linda McCann, personal communication). The date of invasion is unknown at this time. The identification of this species as S. errata is supported by genetic analysis (Zabin et a. 2010).

Geographic Extent

CA/Bodega Harbor (Ryland 2014; Ruiz and Geller 2021)); Port of Redwood, Redwood City/CA/San Francisco Bay (2000, Ruiz et al., unpublished data); East Harbour Marina, Gas House Cove, San Francisco/CA/San Francisco Bay (2000, Ruiz et al., unpublished data); Corinthian Yacht Harbor, Ferry Dock, Tiburon/CA/San Francisco Bay (2000, Ruiz et al., unpublished data); San Mateo Bridge-Dumbarton Bridge/CA/South San Francisco Bay (Zabin et al. 2010, on mudflats and soft bottoms)

Vectors

Level Vector
Probable Hull Fouling

Regional Impacts

Ecological ImpactHabitat Change
Schizoporella errata forms bryoliths (large, rounded, mulilaminar, unattached nodules), creating hard reef-like structures, colonized by at least 34 species, 25 of them non-indigenous (Zabin et al. 2010).
 

References

Full Reference List for Schizoporella variabilis

  • CalNEMO (current)
  • Marine Invasions Lab
  • Partner Portals
    Nemesis California Panama Galapagos Cocos Island NP JTMD
    Archived Projects
    Chesapeake
  • Browse Species
    Taxonomic Groups All Species
  • Browse Regions
  • News
  • login

Direct questions and comments to calnemo@si.edu.

©