Invasion
Invasion Description
Victoria/Hobsons Bay, Port Phillip Bay (as Tubularia ralphii, Bale 1884, cited by Watson 1999)
Geographic Extent
Victoria/Hobsons Bay, Port Phillip Bay (as Tubularia ralphii, Bale 1884, cited by Watson 1999); Launceston/Tasmania/Bass Strait (Huisman et al. 2008)
Vectors
| Level | Vector |
|---|---|
| Probable | Hull Fouling |
Regional Impacts
| Economic Impact | Fisheries | |
| Fisheries- Ectopleura crocea was fouling cultured mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) in Port Phillip Bay, Australia, reducing their condition index, particularly for younger mussels. Competition for food may be affecting mussel growth. The hydroid's predation on larval mussels, especially settling larvae, may be reducing recruitment. However, the stalks of the hydroids, especially when degenerating, provide a surface for the settlement of mussel larvae (Fitridge 2011; Fitridge and Keough 2013). | ||