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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…

Trieres chinensis

Algae

diatom

Diatoms look like jewels under the microscope but are a type of algae, and one of the most common types of phytoplankton (microscopic floating aquatic plants and algae). Diatoms have cell walls made of silica (silicon dioxide as in sand or quartz), which makes them hard and shimmery, but they also contain chloroplasts for photosynthesis like plants. The species Trieres chinensis is from Asia (China, India, etc.). It was discovered near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay during a survey in 1961, and along the Atlantic Coast between Cape Henry, VA and Cape May, NJ in surveys conducted between 1971 and 1981. They were likely transported in ballast water. Currently, they are a small part of the Bay’s phytoplankton community and no problems have been associated with them.

Description Taxonomy Invasion History Ecology Impacts References

Description

Classifications of the planktonic algae vary enormously among authors. Diatoms are often treated as either a phylum of their own (e.g. Bacillariophyta, Rounds 1981), or as members of phylum or a division ['Chromophyta' of Hasle and Syvertsen (1996); 'Chrysophycophyta' of Bold and Wynne (1978)]. Divisions within the diatoms also vary, the order here called Biddulphiales (Hasle and Syvertsen 1996) is frequently called 'Centrales', and referred to as 'centric diatoms'.

Synonymy - The diatoms now in the genus Trieres were separated from the genus Biddulphia, and later from Odontella on the basis of the ultrastructural features visible with the scanning electron microscope. There still seems to be controversy about which species belong to Odontella and which should be retained in Biddulphia or Trieres (Hasle and Syvertsen 1996; Ashworth et al. 2015; Lavigne et al. 2015).


Taxonomy

Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Protista Bacillariophyta Bacillariophyceae Biddulphiales Eupoodiscaeae Odontella

Synonyms

Biddulphia sinensis

Invasion History

Chesapeake Bay Status

First Record Population Range Introduction Residency Source Region Native Region Vectors
1961 Established Stable Introduced Regular Resident Eastern Atlantic Western Pacific Shipping(Ballast Water)

History of Spread

The diatom Trieres chinensis (as Biddulphia chinensis, 'corrected' by later authors to B. sinensis) was described from Hong Kong Harbor by Greville in 1866. It was subsequently found in the Red Sea, coastal waters of India, Gulf of Siam (Thailand), Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and so appears to have a broad Indo-Pacific distribution (Guillard and Killham 1977; Ostenfeld 1909).

Trieres chinensis was first found in the Atlantic Ocean in Danish waters of the Skaggerak in 1903, and spread sporadically into the adjacent North Sea (Ostenfeld 1908; Ostenfeld 1909). It was first recorded off Plymouth, England in 1909, and in the same year was found off the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea by Lebour (Johnstone et al. 1924). Trieres chinensis became well-established in European coastal waters, primarily the western Baltic and southern North Sea (Jahnke and Bauman 1983; Johnstone et al. 1924; Robinson 1961). Hasle and Syvertsen (1996) describe the current distribution of T. chinensis as 'cosmopolitan?'.

Trieres chinensis apparently had also become established in the southwest Atlantic, off Uruguay, by 1952 (Mueller-Melchers 1952, cited by Jahnke and Bauman 1983). This diatom was absent from a number of phytoplankton studies for the East Coast of the United States, including early Chesapeake Bay studies (Wolfe et al. 1926; Cowles 1930), and Hustedt's study (1955) of diatoms of Beaufort NC. The earliest records which we have found in the Northwest Atlantic are for Chesapeake Bay in 1960-1962 (Mulford 1962; Mulford 1963; Patten et al. 1963). Trieres chinensis was reported from the Gulf Coast of Florida in 1964-66 (Saunders and Wahlquist 1966), in shelf waters off the southeast coast of the United States (Cape Hatteras-Cape Sable FL (Marshall 1971), in the Cape Fear Estuary NC (Carpenter 1971), and shelf waters between Cape Charles VA, and Cape May NJ (Marshall 1982; Marshall and Cohn 1987a). It is present in Narragansett Bay RI and on Georges Bank (Hargraves 1998). While T. chinensis is a well-defined species, the variation of taxonomic skills of different workers is a source of uncertainty in its history and distribution ( Hargraves 1998 personal communication).

Chesapeake Bay records of T. chinensis are summarized below:

Adjacent Atlantic waters - In 1979-1981 cruises, O. chinensis was found in near-shore (within 35 km) and far-shore stations (85-130 km offshore) stations between Cape Henry VA and Cape May NJ (Marshall and Cohn 1987a). In 1980, T. chinensis was absent in the Chesapeake Bay plume, but present in adjacent Continental shelf waters (Marshall 1982).

Lower Bay - In a sampling program run between January 1960, and December 1961, T. chinensis was collected in the lower Bay from the mouth to 7 miles (12 km) upstream (Mulford 1962; Mulford 1963; Patten et al. 1963). In 1977-1978, this diatom was collected just inside Cape Charles VA, in Old Plantation Creek and adjacent Bay waters (Marshall 1980). Griffith (1961) mentioned unpublished records of Richard C. Whaley, Chesapeake Bay Institute, for this species, but gave no location.

History References - Carpenter 1971; Cowles 1930; Griffith 1961; Guillard and Kilham 1977; Hasle and Syvertsen 1996; Hargraves 1998 personal communication; Hustedt 1955; Jahnke and Bauman 1983; Marshall 1971; Marshall 1982; Marshall and Cohn 1987a; Mulford 1962; Mulford 1963; Ostenfeld 1908; Ostenfeld 1909; Patten et al. 1963; Robinson 1965; Saunders and Wahlquist 1966; Wolfe et al. 1926

Invasion Comments

Vector(s) of Introduction - Ballast water seems the likeliest vector for introduction of O. sinensis into Atlantic waters. Living cells of Trieres spp. are commonly seen in ballast water samples (Hallegraeff and Bolch 1992; Kelly 1993; Ruiz et al. unpublished).

Invasion Status - Coscinodiscus wailesii and Trieres chinensis seem to have appeared in several well-studied areas in the northwest Atlantic, including Narragansett Bay, Chesapeake Bay and the Gulf of Maine, since World War II, although accuracy of identification by different workers is a source of uncertainty (Hargraves personal communication 1998).

Ecology

Environmental Tolerances

For SurvivalFor Reproduction
Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum
Temperature (ºC) 1.0 27.2
Salinity (‰) 2.0 35.3
Oxygen
pH
Salinity Range oligo-eu

Age and Growth

Male Female
Minimum Adult Size (mm) 0.1 0.1
Typical Adult Size (mm) 0.2 0.2
Maximum Adult Size (mm) 0.2 0.2
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

Trieres chinensis appears to be a small component of the phytoplankton community in Chesapeake Bay, and no problems appear to have been associated with it.


Economic Impacts Outside of Chesapeake Bay

The invasion of Trieres chinensis in European coastal waters is well-documented (Johnstone 1924; Ostenfeld 1909) but does not appear to have been associated with significant economic costs.

References - Johnstone 1924; Ostenfeld 1909


Ecological Impacts on Chesapeake Native Species

Impacts of the invasion of Trieres chinensis in Chesapeake Bay and the northwest Atlantic have not been studied. The generally low abundance of this species suggests that impacts have not been significant.

In European coastal waters, Trieres chinensis rapidly became an important component of the phytoplankton community (Johnstone et al. 1924; Ostenfeld 1909; Robinson 1965). Johnstone et al. (1924) documented changes in phytoplankton composition during the T. chinensis invasion and concluded that the new diatom had little effect on the phytoplankton community, since it reached maximum density in November, when other species were in a seasonal decline. However, Williamson (1986; 1987) performed a statistical (principal components) analysis of these data and found that T. chinensis had significant effects on the whole plankton community composition. The effect of competition with T. chinensis was smaller than the components which described the seasonal cycle of temperature and nutrients, but was the most significant interaction among species expressed in the variance of the data. These effects were weak and indirect, increasing the abundance of some species and decreasing others (Williamson 1987).

References - Johnstone et al. 1924; Ostenfeld 1909; Robinson 1965; Williamson 1986; Williamson 1987


Ecological Impacts on Other Chesapeake Non-Native Species

Impacts of the invasion of Trireres chinensis on introduced species in Chesapeake Bay have not been studied. The low abundance of this diatom suggests that its interactions with suspension-feeding invertebrates or other phytoplankton would be rare.


References

Ashworth, Matt P.; Nakov, Teofil; Theriot, Edward C. (2015) Revisiting Ross and Sims (1971): toward a molecular phylogeny of the Biddulphiaceae and Eupodiscaceae (Bacillariophyceae), Journal of Phycology 49: 1207-1222

Boalch, Gerald T. (1984) Changes in the phytoplankton of the western English Channel in recent years, British Phycological Journal 22: 225-235

Boudouresque, Charles F. (1994) Les espèces introduites dans les eaux côtières d'Europe et de Méditerranée: Etat de la question et conséquences, In: Boudouresque, C. F.//Briand, F.//Nolan, C.(Eds.) Introduced Species in European Coastal Waters. , Brussels. Pp. 8-27

Carpenter, Edward J. (1971) Annual phytoplankton cycle of the Cape Fear River estuary, North Carolina., Chesapeake Science 12: 95-104

Chandrasekera, W. U.; Fernando, M. A. S. T. (2009) Accidental introduction of alien plankton into the Sri Lankan coastal zone through ballast water of cargo ships, Sri Lanka Journal of Aquatic Science 14: 87-103

DAISIE (Delivering Alien Invasive Species Inventories to Europe) (2009) Species accounts of 100 of the most invasive alien species in Europe, None , Dordrecht, Netherlands. Pp. 269-374

Dudley, Tom, Collins, Beth (1995) Biological invasions in California wetlands: The impacts and control of non-indigenous species (NIS) in natural areas., , Oakland, California. Pp.

Ferrario, Martha E.; Sar, Eugenia A.; Codina, Raul G. (1986) Diatomeas marinas de la provincia de Chubut (Republica Argentina). Centrales. I., Darwiniana 27: 89-106

Gomez, Fernando (2008) Phytoplankton invasions: Comments on the validity of categorizing the non-indigenous dinoflagellates and diatoms in European seas., Marine Pollution Bulletin 56: 620-628

Griffith, Ruth E. (1961) Phytoplankton of Chesapeake Bay, Chesapeake Biological Laboratory Contributions 172: 1-79

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

Hallegraeff, G. M.; Bolch, C. J.; Bryan, J.; Koerbin, B. (1990) Microalgal spores in ship's ballast water: a danger to aquaculture., In: Graneli, E.(Eds.) Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Toxic Marine Phytoplankton. , Lund, Sweden. Pp. 475-480

Hallegraeff, G.; Gollasch, S. (2006) 29.1. Potential transport vectors for microalgae., None , Berlin Heidelberg. Pp. 379-390

Hallegraeff, G.; Gollasch, S. (2006) Anthropogenic introductions of microalgae., None , Berlin. Pp. None

Hargraves, Paul E. (2002) Diatoms of the Indian River Lagoon, Florida: An annotated account., Florida Scientist 65: 225-244

Harvey, Michel, Gilbert, Michel, Gauthier, Daniel, Reid, Donald M. (1999) A preliminary assessment of risks for the ballast water-mediated introduction of nonindigenous marine organisms in the estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence., Canadian Technical Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 2268: 1-35

Hasle, Grethe R.; Syvertsen, Erik E. (1997) Marine diatoms., In: Tomas, Carmelo M.(Eds.) Identifying Marine Diatoms and Dinoflagellates.. , San Diego. Pp. 3-385

Jahnke, J.; Baumann, M. (1983) Chemical and physical effects on the shape and growth of the diatom Biddulphia sinensis Greville in batch cultures: A contribution to bioindication in plankton ecology., Hydrobiological Bulletin 17: 5-20

Johnstone, James; Scott, Andrew; Chadwick, Herbert C. (1924) The Marine Plankton, , London. Pp.

Lang, Imke; Kaczmarska, Irena (2012) Morphological and molecular identity of diatom cells retrieved from ship ballast tanks destined fro Vancouver, Canada, Nova Hedwigia Beiheft 141: 515-534

Lebour, Marie Victoria (1930.) The planktonic diatoms of northern seas., , London. Pp.

Mahoney, R.K., Gibson, R.A. (1983) A check-list of the phytoplankton of the Indian River near Vero Beach, Florida, Florida Scientist 46: 206-211

Marshall, H. G. (1976) Phytoplankton distribution along the eastern coast of the USA. I. Phytoplankton composition, Marine Biology 38: 81-89

Marshall, Harold G. (1971) Composition of phytoplankton off the southeastern coast of the United States, Bulletin of Marine Science 21: 806-825

Marshall, Harold G. (1980) Seasonal phytoplankton composition in the lower Chesapeake Bay and Old Plantation Creek, Cape Charles, Virginia, Estuaries 3: 207-216

Marshall, Harold G. (1982) Composition of phytoplankton within the Chesapeake Bay plume and adjacent waters off the Virginia coast, U.S.A., Estuarine, Coastal, and Shelf Science 15: 29-42

Marshall, Harold G. (1994) Chesapeake Bay Phytoplankton: I. Composition., Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 107: 573-585

Marshall, Harold G. (1996) Toxin producing phytoplankton in Chesapeake Bay, Virginia Journal of Science 47: 29-37

Marshall, Harold G.; Cohn, Myra S. (1987) Phytoplankton distribution along the eastern coast of the USA. Part IV. Shelf waters between Cape Henry and Cape May, Journal of Plankton Research 9: 139-149

Martin, Jennifer L.; LeGresley, Murielle (2008) New phytoplankton species in the Gulf of Maine since 1995., ICES Journal of Marine Science 65: 759-764

Mulford, R. A. (1963) Diatoms from Virginia tidal waters., Virginia Institute of Marine Science Special Scientific Report 30: 1-33

Mulford, Richard A. (1963) Net phytoplankton taken in Virginia tidal waters., Virginia Institute of Marine Science Special Scientific Report 43: 1-22

Nehring, Stefan (1998) Non-indigenous phytoplankton species in the North Sea: supposed region of origin and possible transport vector, Archive of Fishery and Marine Research 46: 181-194

Nikolaev, I. N. (1951) [On new additions to the fauna and flora of the North sea and Baltic from distant regions], Zoologicheskii Zhurnal 30: 556-561

Osorio Tafall, E. F. (1943) Hallazazgo de la diatomea Biddulphia sinensis greville en aguas del golfo de Mexico., Ciencia 4: 225-230

Ostenfeld, C. H. (1909) Immigration of a plankton diatom into a quite new area within recent years: Biddulphia sinensis in the North Sea waters, Internationale Revue der Gesamten Hydrobiologie 2: 362-374

Robinson, G. A. (1961) Contribution towards a plankton atlas of the north-eastern Atlantic and the North Sea, Bulletin of Marine Ecology 5: 81-89

Saunders, Richard P.; Wahlquist, Carol L. (1966) Diatoms and their relationship to Gymnodinium breve Davis, Florida Board of Conservation Marine Laboratory, Professional Papers Series 8: 20-25

Stosch, H. A. V. (1965) Manipulierung der zellgrosse von diatomeen in experiment, Phycologia 5: 21-44

Vanormelingen, Pieter; Verleyen, Elie; Vyverman, Wim (2008) The diversity and distribution of diatoms: from cosmopolitanism to narrow endemism., Biodiversity and Conservation 17: 393-405

Williamson, M. H.; Brown, K. C. (1986) Analysis and modelling of British invasions, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London 314: 505-522

Williamson, Mark (1987) Are communities ever stable?, Symposium of the British Ecological Society 26: 353-371


Direct questions and comments to chesnemo@si.edu.

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