Invasion

Invasion Description

1st Established Records: Lynnhaven, Virginia Beach/VA/Lynnhaven Bay (2002, Ruiz et al., unpublished data) 1st Record, Type Locality: Philadelphia/PA/Delaware River (1823) (Van Name 1945) This specimen, taken from the hull of a ship, was probably dead or moribund. Its orgin is unknown.

Geographic Extent

Mystic/CT/Mystic River, Long Island Sound (10/16/2001, J.T. Carlton, personal communication, one live specimen on bottom of local resident boat but not seen again until 2022); Mystic/CT/Mystic River, Long Island Sound (09/20/2022, J.T. Carlton, personal communication 2025)*;  Chincoteague Island/VA/Chincoteague Bay (1999, O'Beirn and Luckenbach 2004, on oyster-culture floats); Lynnhaven, Virginia Beach/VA/Lynnhaven Bay (2002, Ruiz et al., unpublished data) 

*Thousands of individuals ranging from juveniles to adults were found attached to many different substrates in the Mystic River Estuary in Mystic, Connecticut in 2022. The population did not overwinter into 2023, and no further specimens have been found in 2023 or 2024.