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You are viewing an archived site. The Chesapeake Bay Introduced Species Database project ended in 2020 and the database is no longer receiving updates. Learn more…

Bryopsis maxima

Algae

None

Bryopsis maxima is a bushy, fern-like green seaweed. It's similar to the native B. hypnoides and B. plumosa, but genetic studies show that it is actually an introduced species from Japan. So far, on the Atlantic Coast, it is known from Viriginia Beach and Long Island Sound.

Description Taxonomy Invasion History Ecology Impacts References

Description

Some Bryopsis plants from Rudees Inlet, Virginia Beach, and Indian River Inlet, Delaware (Clade B, of Krellwitz et al. 2001) were found to be molecularly identical, or closely related to Bryopsis maxima from Japan. The Clade B plants had different growth patterns from the presumably native Clade A. (Krellwitz et al. 2001).


Taxonomy

Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Plantae Chlorophycota Chlorophyceae Bryopsidales Bryopsidaceae Bryopsis

Synonyms

None

Invasion History

Chesapeake Bay Status

First Record Population Range Introduction Residency Source Region Native Region Vectors
1995 Established Unknown Introduced Regular Resident Western Pacific Western Pacific Shipping(Ballast Water,Fouling Community)

History of Spread

Bryopsis maxima is a bushy, fern-like green seaweed naitve to the Northwest Pacific. It is known from Japan and Korea (Guiry and Guiry 2019). Some Bryopsis plants from Rudees Inlet, Virginia Beach, and Indian River Inlet, Delaware (Clade B, of Krellwitz et al. 2001) were found to be molecularly identical, or closely related to Bryopsis maxima from Japan. The Clade B plants had different growth patterns from the presumably native Clade A. (Krellwitz et al. 2001). Established populations od B. maxima were found in Waterford CT, on Long Island Sound (Augyte and Yarish 2013), and in Queens NY, on the East River (Augyte and Yarish 2013). This seaweed apparently has an established population of in Oman, on the Arabian Sea (Wynne 1999, cited by Guiry and Guiry 2019). A single plant from the Netherlands was identified as B. maxima (Krellwitz et al. 2001). Although the photosynthesis, growth, and reproduction of this seaweed has been extensively studied in Japan (Guiry and Guiry 2019), its distribution outside Japan is poorly known.

Invasion Comments

None

Ecology

Environmental Tolerances

For SurvivalFor Reproduction
Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum
Temperature (ºC)
Salinity (‰)
Oxygen None
pH
Salinity Range poly-eu

Age and Growth

Male Female
Minimum Adult Size (mm)
Typical Adult Size (mm)
Maximum Adult Size (mm) 200.0 200.0
Maximum Longevity (yrs)
Typical Longevity (yrs

Reproduction

Start Peak End
Reproductive Season
Typical Number of Young
Per Reproductive Event
Sexuality Mode(s)
Mode(s) of Asexual
Reproduction
Fertilization Type(s)
More than One Reproduction
Event per Year
Reproductive Startegy
Egg/Seed Form

Impacts

Economic Impacts in Chesapeake Bay

The abundance and impacts of Bryopsis maxima in Chesapeake Bay are unknown.


Economic Impacts Outside of Chesapeake Bay

The abundance and impacts of Bryopsis maxima in its introduced range are unknown.


Ecological Impacts on Chesapeake Native Species

Impacts of Bryopsis maxima in the Chesapeake Bay region are unknown.


Ecological Impacts on Other Chesapeake Non-Native Species

Impacts of Bryopsis maxima in the Chesapeake Bay region are unknown.


References

Augyte, S.; Lewis, L. A.; Yarish, C. (2013) Non-native Bryopsis maxima (Ulvophyceae, Chlorophyta) introduction to Long Island Sound, Phycologia 56S: 4-6

2004-2023 AlgaeBase. National University of Ireland Galway--http://algaebase.org

Humm, Harold J. (1979) The Marine Algae of Virginia, , Charlottesville. Pp.

Krellwitz, Erin C.; Kowallik, Klaus V.; Manos, Paul S. (2001) Molecular and morphological analyses of Bryopsis (Bryopsidales, Chlorophyta) from the western North Atlantic and Caribbean, Phycologia 40: 330-339

Mathieson, Arthur C.; Dawes, Clinton J. (2017) Seaweeds of the northwest Atlantic, None , Amherst MA. Pp. None


Direct questions and comments to chesnemo@si.edu.

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