Species Regional Summary
Perna perna
Northern Yucatan, Gulf of Mexico, Florida Straits, to Middle Eastern Florida ( CAR-I )

Invasion History Vectors Impacts References

Invasion

Invasion Description

1st Record: Port Aransas Pass, Patricio County/TX/Gulf of Mexico (2/1990, Hicks and Tunnell 1993; Hicks and Tunnell 1995). An email from David Hicks (3/2/2017, indicates that P. perna might be rare or absent in Texas since ~2000. He attributes the decline to hot summer weather (Kim Holzer, personal communication).

Geographic Extent

Freeport/TX/Gulf of Mexico (1995, Hicks and Tunnell 1995, N 28 55.792', W 95 17.329'); Matagorda County/TX/Colorado River mouth (1993, Hicks and Tunnell 1995); Kennedy County/TX/Laguna Madre (1995, Hicks and Tunnell 1995, N 26 4.544' W 97 11.907'); Port Aransas Pass, Patricio County/TX/Gulf of Mexico (1990, Hicks and Tunnell 1993; Hicks and Tunnell 1995); Nueces County/TX/South Corpus Christi Bay (1995, Hicks and Tunnell 1995); Cameron County/TX/Brazos Santiago Pass (1992, Hicks and Tunnell 1995); Willacy County/TX/Port Mansfield Pass (1991, Hicks and Tunnell 1993; Hicks and Tunnell 1995); Cameron County/TX/Brazos Santiago Pass (1992, Hicks and Tunnell 1995); La Pesca/Mexico/Gulf of Mexico (1993, Hicks and Tunnell 1995, 26 7'N); Veracruz/Mexico/Gulf of Mexico (1995, Hicks and Tunnell 1995); Playa Escondida/Mexico/Gulf of Mexico (1993, Hicks and Tunnell 1995, 18 35'N); Tamaulipas coast/Mexico/Gulf of Mexico (2013,

Vectors

Level Vector
Alternate Ballast Water
Alternate Hull Fouling

Regional Impacts

Economic ImpactShipping/Boating
Fouling of buoys by P. perna, causing them to sink, or requiring increased cleaning, is a concern in Texas waters. This mussel is causing heavy fouling on offshore oil platforms (Hicks and Tunnell 1995).
 
Ecological ImpactHabitat Change
Perna perna has created extensive mussel beds on jetties in Texas and Mexico, composed of several layers of mussels connected by byssal threads, creating a complex habitat. Further south in Mexico (below 24ºN), P. perna is creating extensive beds on rocky shores (Hicks and Tunnell 1995).
 

References

Full Reference List for Perna perna

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