Invasion
Invasion Description
1st Record: Sete/France/Etang de Thau. Mediterranean Sea (1964, Raimbault 1964, cited by Zenetos et al. 2003), excluding much earlier introductions of C. angulata)
Geographic Extent
Sete/France/Etang de Thau, Mediterranean Sea (1964, Raimbault 1964, cited by Zenetos et al. 2003; Lagarde et al. 2017); Spain/Mediterranean Sea (Zenetos et al. 2003); Algeria/Mediterranean Sea (1984, Ruesink et al. 2005, aquaculture); Italy/Ligurian Sea (Crocetta 2012)
Vectors
| Level | Vector |
|---|---|
| Probable | Oyster Intentional |
Regional Impacts
| Economic Impact | Fisheries | |
| Magallanaa gigas (Pacific Oyster) is intensively cultivated in lagoons on the Languedoc coast of France, particularly the Thau lagoon (Grizel and Hèral 1991). Aquaculture is also reported on the coasts of Algeria, Spain, and Italy (Ruesink et al. 2005). | ||
| Ecological Impact | Parasite/Predator Vector | |
| Parasite-Predator vector- The introduction and transfer of M. gigas has been a possible/probable vector for a number of oyster foulers or predators in lagoons of the western Mediterranean, including the seaweed Sargassum muticum, many other macroalgal species, the parasitic copepod Mytilicola orientalis, and the tunicate Styela clava. The culture of M. gigas has introduced 45+ species of macoalgae to the Thau lagoon (Galil 2000; Verlaque 2001; Davis and Davis 2008). | ||
| Ecological Impact | Habitat Change | |
| Increased filtration by Magallana gigas has improved water quality, enabling Zostera marina to grow in deeper water (Deslous-Paoli et al. 1998. cited by Herbert et al. 2016). | ||