Invasion History

First Non-native North American Tidal Record: 1929
First Non-native West Coast Tidal Record: 1929
First Non-native East/Gulf Coast Tidal Record: 1977

General Invasion History:

The entoproct (or kamptozoan) Barentsia benedeni was first described from Ostende, Belgium in 1887, but its origin is unknown. It was found to be widespread in European waters, from the Baltic to the Mediterranean, Black and Caspian Seas, and later found on the coasts of Japan, Australia, and the East and West coasts of North America (Nielsen 1989; Wasson 1997). Because of this organism's small size, and the scarcity of people with taxonomic knowledge of this group, B. benedeni is likely to be overlooked at many sites, and may not have been recorded until long after its invasion.

North American Invasion History:

Invasion History on the West Coast:

On the U.S. Pacific coast, B. benedeni was first found in Lake Merritt, San Francisco Bay in 1929 (Cohen and Carlton 1995; Wasson 1997), and subsequently in Coos Bay, Oregon in 1988 (Carlton 1989); Elkhorn Slough, California in 1998 (Wasson et al. 2001); Puget Sound, Washington in 1998 (Cohen et al. 1998); and Humboldt Bay, California in 2000 (Boyd et al. 2002).

Invasion History on the East Coast:

Barentsia benedeni was collected in Vineyard Haven, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts in 1977 (Jebram and Everitt 1982), and also reported from 'Cape Cod' (possibly referring to the Martha's Vineyard record) (Nielsen 1989). It was not collected in previous studies of entoprocts in the Chesapeake Bay (Osburn 1944) or other historical East Coast sampling sites (Woods Hole, MA; North Carolina; South Carolina) (Wasson et al. 2000). In the Chesapeake Bay, B. benedeni was first identified on settling plates in 1994, in sites in the upper and lower Bay. In 1994-1996, it was collected in Baltimore Harbor and the Severn River, in Mobjack Bay, and Norfolk Harbor (Wasson et al. 2000). More recently, it has been collected in Long Island Sound (Canning and Carlton 2000; MIT Sea Grant 2003); Peconic Bay, Long Island (MIT Sea Grant 2003); and Narragansett Bay (MIT Sea Grant 2003).


Description

Barentsia benedeni, like other entoprocts (also called kamptozoans) are colonial animals consisting of many zooids connected by a stolon. A zooid consists of a stalk, which is topped by the body of the animal, in a cup-shaped structure, called the calyx. The upper edge of the calyx bears 10-20 tentacles, surrounding the mouth, which faces upward. The upper surface of the body, surrounded by tentacles, includes both the mouth and the anus, leading to the term 'entoproct' (Barnes 1983).

In B. benedeni, the stalks are composed of segments, which consist of nodes, which are conical at each end and cylindrical in the middle portion, and are linked by rods. Animals from San Francisco Bay and Coos Bay typically had 3-5 nodes, but some specimens have up to 20 nodes in the stalk. The segments tend to be compressed and squat near the base, and more elongate and urn-like toward the calyx. The stalk narrows at the base of the calyx. The calyx is small (250-500 µm long) and compressed laterally, while the stalk is about 2-8 mm tall. This kamptozoan produces small yellowish hibernacula at the ends of short branches of the stolons- these are modified zooids for survival under adverse conditions (Nielsen 1989; Wasson 1997).

The colonies consist of a thick fuzz or fur of zooids, spreading over substrates. Budding can occur from the upper nodes, resulting in stolons which grow down to the substrate. This kamptozoan is typical of estuaries and harbors, often in brackish waters. It grows on and among other fouling organisms, such as barnacles, bryozoans, tube-dwelling polychaetes, and tunicates (Wasson 1997; Wasson et al. 2000).


Taxonomy

Taxonomic Tree

Kingdom:   Animalia
Phylum:   Entoprocta
Order:   Pedicellinida
Family:   Pedicellinidae
Genus:   Barentsia
Species:   benedeni

Synonyms

Ascopodaria gracilis (Craig, 1929)
Barentsia gracilis (Hedgepeth, 1964)
Pedicellina benedeni (Foettinger, 1887)

Potentially Misidentified Species

Barentsia gracilis
None

Ecology

General:

The entoproct (or kamptozoan) Barentsia benedeni forms large, fuzzy colonies, reproducing asexually by budding new zooids from stolons. The zooids are hermaphroditic, and reproduce sexually on a seasonal basis, in winter and spring (February-July), in San Francisco Bay (Wasson 1997), or spring-fall, in Japan (Nielsen 1989). The eggs are brooded externally in the vestibule (inside the ring of tentacles) and hatch into lecithotrophic larvae which spend a few hours in the plankton (Marsical 1965). Barentsia benedeni is typical of harbors and estuaries, often in brackish waters (Neilsen 1989; Wasson 1997; Wasson et al. 2000).

Food:

Phytoplankton

Trophic Status:

Suspension Feeder

SusFed

Habitats

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


Tolerances and Life History Parameters

Minimum Temperature (ºC)0Field data, based on occurrence of ice in northern localities (Nielsen 1989; Wasson 1997a; Wasson et al. 2000; Ruiz et al. unpublished data;)
Maximum Temperature (ºC)30Field data, Ruiz et al. unpublished data.
Minimum Salinity (‰)7Nielsen 1989; Wasson 1997a; Ruiz et al. unpublished data;
Maximum Salinity (‰)35Field data, probably occurs at higher salinities
Minimum Duration0.2Larval Period - In the one case where settlement of lab-reared larvae was observed, it took place 5 hours after expulsion from the brood pouch (Mariscal 1965). For most barentsiids, the planktonic period of the larvae is less than a day (Nielsen 1989).
Maximum Duration0.2Larval Period - In the one case where settlement of lab-reared larvae was observed, it took place 5 hours after expulsion from the brood pouch (Mariscal 1965). For most barentsiids, the planktonic period of the larvae is less than a day (Nielsen 1989).
Maximum Height (mm)8(Nielsen 1989; Wasson 1997).
Broad Temperature RangeNoneCold temperate-Warm temperate
Broad Salinity RangeNoneMesohaline-Euhaline

General Impacts

Barentsia benedeni is an abundant, but easily overlooked fouling organism in its native and introduced ranges. No economic or ecological impacts have been reported.

Regional Distribution Map

Bioregion Region Name Year Invasion Status Population Status
NEP-VI Pt. Conception to Southern Baja California 2011 Non-native Established
P030 Mission Bay 2011 Non-native Established
P130 Humboldt Bay 2000 Non-native Established
P080 Monterey Bay 1998 Non-native Established
NEP-IV Puget Sound to Northern California 1988 Non-native Established
NEP-V Northern California to Mid Channel Islands 1929 Non-native Established
P090 San Francisco Bay 1929 Non-native Established

Occurrence Map

OCC_ID Author Year Date Locality Status Latitude Longitude
697196 Introduced Species Study 2005 2005-10-19 Mare Island Strait - Navy Non-native 38.1015 -122.2695
697300 Introduced Species Study 2005 2005-11-14 Cal Maritime Academy/Vallejo Non-native 38.0661 -122.2299
697438 Introduced Species Study 2006 2006-11-01 The Steelhead/MBARI Bridge Non-native 36.8005 -121.7877
697591 Introduced Species Study 2005 2005-10-07 Benicia Waterfront Non-native 38.0401 -122.1385
697692 Introduced Species Study 2005 2005-10-20 Port Sonoma/Petaluma R. Non-native 38.1157 -122.5026
697839 Introduced Species Study 2005 2005-10-04 Berkeley Marina Non-native 37.8676 -122.3172
697856 Introduced Species Study 2011 2011-05-04 Ski Islands Marina Non-native 32.7939 -117.2232
697955 Mariscal 1965 1965 Berkeley Yacht Harbor Non-native 37.8664 -122.3150
697990 Mariscal 1965 1965 Palo Alto Yacht Harbor Non-native 37.4584 -122.1052
698026 Wasson et al. 2001 (Elkhorn Slough Survey) 1998 Elkhorn Slough Station 10 (Hudson's Landing, W of Elkhorn Slough) Non-native 36.8578 -121.7572
698094 Introduced Species Study 2005 2005-09-09 San Mateo Bridge Non-native 37.5806 -122.2543
698281 Introduced Species Study 2005 2005-09-08 Pier 39 Non-native 37.8108 -122.4086
698566 Introduced Species Study 2006 2006-08-11 Slip In A Harbor Non-native 38.3295 -123.0565
698584 Introduced Species Study 2006 2006-07-28 Morro Bay Commercial Fishing Dock Non-native 35.3691 -120.8552
698652 Introduced Species Study 2006 2006-08-08 Humboldt Chevron Pier Non-native 40.7781 -124.1962
698903 Introduced Species Study 2006 2006-08-08 Giant Fisherman Non-native 40.8070 -124.1666
699252 Introduced Species Study 2006 2006-08-11 Marina Near Chevron Dock Non-native 38.3321 -123.0585
699283 Introduced Species Study 2005 2005-10-04 Oakland Inner Harbor - Shipping cranes Non-native 37.7947 -122.3095
699324 Introduced Species Study 2005 2005-10-20 San Pablo Bay Pumphouse Non-native 38.0446 -122.4326
699437 Introduced Species Study 2006 2006-08-11 NE Corner of Bay Non-native 38.3340 -123.0511
699574 Introduced Species Study 2010 2010-05-31 Redwood Creek - Shipping Non-native 37.5120 -122.2109
699784 Introduced Species Study 2005 2005-10-19 Mare Island Strait - Marina Non-native 38.1051 -122.2667
699945 Introduced Species Study 2005 2005-09-07 Dumbarton Bridge Non-native 37.5070 -122.1168
700012 Introduced Species Study 2006 2006-11-02 Breakwater Cove Marina Non-native 36.6090 -121.8936
700098 Introduced Species Study 2006 2006-08-09 Wooden Structure Debris Non-native 40.7233 -124.2232
700147 D. Jebram 1977, field observations, cited in Jebram and Everitt 1982 1977 Salton Sea Non-native 33.2525 -115.7437
700190 Introduced Species Study 2006 2006-11-01 MLML Small Boats Non-native 36.8041 -121.7860
700529 Introduced Species Study 2005 2005-10-05 Sea Plane Lagoon Non-native 37.7761 -122.2998
700569 Introduced Species Study 2006 2006-10-10 Casino Point/Fuel Dock Non-native 33.3483 -118.3265
700870 Introduced Species Study 2005 2005-10-18 Pacheco Creek Oil Pier Non-native 38.0489 -122.0903
701330 Introduced Species Study 2006 2006-08-09 Dilapidated Dock Area Non-native 40.7291 -124.2198
701449 Introduced Species Study 2005 2005-10-19 Hercules Wharf Non-native 38.0231 -122.2928
702087 Introduced Species Study 2005 2005-10-21 Corinthian Marina Non-native 37.8726 -122.4563
702212 Maloney et al. 2007 2005 2005-04-27 Chula Vista Marina Non-native 32.6225 -117.1023
702238 Introduced Species Study 2005 2005-08-25 Central Basin Non-native 37.7643 -122.3863
702317 Introduced Species Study 2005 2005-10-21 Ayala Cove Non-native 37.8680 -122.4350
702559 Introduced Species Study 2006 2006-08-09 Eureka Boat Launch Non-native 40.8040 -124.1766
702693 Introduced Species Study 2010 2010-07-12 Potrero Point Non-native 37.7521 -122.3790
703001 Introduced Species Study 2005 2005-08-25 China Basin Non-native 37.7780 -122.3881
703132 Boyd et al. 2002 (Humboldt Bay Report) 2002 North Bay Channel HB, St. 35 Non-native 40.7946 -124.1879
703161 Introduced Species Study 2006 2006-08-08 The Log Ride Non-native 40.7991 -124.1903
703274 Introduced Species Study 2005 2005-11-15 China Camp Non-native 38.0025 -122.4617
703309 Introduced Species Study 2005 2005-06-08 Yerba Buena Non-native 37.8146 -122.3712
703374 Introduced Species Study 2006 2006-08-10 Lawson's Landing Non-native 38.2314 -122.9680
703426 Introduced Species Study 2006 2006-08-09 Most Exposed Site/Channel Marker Non-native 40.7426 -124.2269
703564 Introduced Species Study 2006 2006-07-26 Wharf 5 Non-native 34.1516 -119.2072
703747 Craig 1929, cited in Carlton 1979 1929 Lake Merritt, Oakland, San Francisco Bay Non-native 37.8025 -122.2578
703983 Introduced Species Study 2005 2005-09-07 Railroad Bridge Non-native 37.4602 -121.9750
704009 Introduced Species Study 2006 2006-08-21 Slip D-50 Non-native 33.7165 -118.2801
704483 Introduced Species Study 2005 2005-10-07 Martinez Marina Non-native 38.0276 -122.1371
704611 Introduced Species Study 2010 2010-06-01 Sierra Point Marina Non-native 37.6740 -122.3792
758298 J.T. Carlton, field observations and collections, cited in Carlton 1979. 1960 Lake Merritt, Oakland, San Francisco Bay Non-native 37.8025 -122.2578
758299 J.T. Carlton, field observations and collections, cited in Carlton 1979. 1970 Lake Merritt, Oakland, San Francisco Bay Non-native 37.8025 -122.2578
758300 Haderlie 1968 1967 Monterey Municipal Wharf No. 2 Non-native 36.6053 -121.8895
758301 Haderlie 1968 1968 Monterey Municipal Wharf No. 2 Non-native 36.6053 -121.8895
758302 Wasson 1997a, 1997b 1993 1993-07-16 Lake Merritt Non-native 37.8025 -122.2578
758303 Wasson 1997a, 1997b 1971 1971-02-27 Lake Merritt Non-native 37.8025 -122.2578
758304 Wasson 1997a 1960 Palo Alto Yacht Harbor Non-native 37.4584 -122.1052
758305 Mariscal 1965 1956 Palo Alto Yacht Harbor Non-native 37.4584 -122.1052

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