Rapana venosa

History of Spread

Rapana venosa (Veined Rapa Whelk) is native to the Northeast Pacific, from the southern Pacific coast of Russia, to the Sea of Japan, Yellow Sea, and East China Sea (Golikov et al. 1976; Mann and Harding 2000). In 1947, it was first collected from the Black Sea, in Novorossiyski Bay, where it was probably transported by ships, or with Crassostrea gigas (Pacific Oysters). Within a decade, it dispersed widely in the Black Sea and entered the sea of Azov (Chukhchin 1984; Zolotarev 1996; Mann and Harding 2000). Between 1977 and 1984, it colonized the westernmost Black Sea, and the Sea of Marmara (Turkey) (Kinzelbach 1986).

The spread of R. venosa into the Mediterranean is patchy, suggestive of jumps involving long-range ship dispersal, followed by larval dispersal over shorter distances. In 1974, Rapana venosa was first collected in the Adriatic Sea, where it was probably transported by ship, reaching Venice by 1983 (Cezari and Pelizzato 1985). In in 1980, it was collected off Alba, on the West side of Italy, and in 1986, the Aegean Sea to the East (Koutsoubas and Voultsiadou-Koukoura 1990).

A single specimen of Rapana venosa has been collected from England in 1992 (Eno et al. 1997), as well as several specimens from Brittany, France (Mann and Harding 2000). Two specimens were collected in North Sea in the UK and Netherlands offshore waters 2005 (Kerckhoff et al. 2006). Rapana venosa has had scattered occurrences on the Atlantic coast of Europe, and has at least one established population. A single specimen of Rapana venosa has been collected from England in 1992 (Eno et al. 1997; (Mann and Harding 2000). One specimen was found in the Gulf of Morbihan, Brittany in 1998, and a small but stable population is established in the Bay of Quiberon (Goulletquer et al. 2002; Kerckhof et al. 2006; Chandler et al. 2008). A single specimen was collected in the Ría de Arousa, Galicia, Spain in 2007 (Rolan and Banon-Diaz 2007; Banon et al. 2008). Two specimens were collected in the North Sea in UK and Netherlands offshore waters in 2005 (Kerckhoff et al. 2006). A few specimens were found on transplanted Crassostrea gigas in Puget Sound and Willapa Bay, but these populations did not become established (Hanna 1966; Carlton 1979) populations did not become established. In 1999, an adult R. venosa and egg capsules were collected at the mouth of the La Plata estuary in Argentina. This whelk is established and abundanr on this part of the South American coast (Pastorino et al. 2000). Giberto et al. 2006; Lanfranconi et al. 2009; Carranza et al. 2010).

In June 1998, 2 specimens of R. venosa were collected in the lower James River. Portsmouth VA. Collection notes are given below:

'Specimens collected in the lower James River: Date: June 5 1998 Method of collection: 30' otter trawl Collected by: Patrick Geer and Michael Land, VIMS Trawl Survey Group. Location: Latitude 36o 57.12' N, Longitude 76o 24.86' W. VIMS Trawl survey cruise number JA 980605 station #6. This is below the I-664 bridge tunnel in Hampton Roads, south west of the coal terminal piers, on the south side of the river channel. Two specimens, one is in alcohol, went to the Smithsonian and back, and is in the invert collection at VIMS.' (Roger Mann 1998).

Subsequently, Rapana venosa was found to have a well-established population in lower western Chesapeake Bay, occurring from the Bay Bridge-Tunnel to the mouth of the Rappahannock River and the opposite Eastern Shore. More than 1000 individuals have been collected, as well as numerous egg-cases (Harding and Mannn 1999; Mann and Harding 2000). The expected range of R. venosa within the Bay extends at least to the northern mouth of the Rappahannock River (1 specimen, 1998) (Mann and Harding 2000), and perhaps further up the Bay, since adults tolerate salinities of 9-12 ppt in the Sea of Azov (Chukhchin 1984). Since 2003, three range extensions of R. venosa have been reported with the Bay: (1) seaward along the southern edge of the Bay to Cape Henry (2): upstream in the James River about 10 km, from the VA 258 bridge to Thomas Rock and Brown Shoal (oysterbeds); (3) northward
; northward in the Bay to Tangier Light (Harding and Mann 2005)
Based on temperature tolerance, Rapana venosa's future Atlantic coast range could extend from Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras NC or Charleston SC. The long planktonic period of larvae (14-17 days), and the potential for coastwise ship transport suggest that rapid coastal range expansion is possible (Mann and Harding 2000). Juvenile R. venosa have been found attached to Loggerhead Sea Turtles (Caretta caretta) in Wassaw Sound GA, so populations may exist outside the Chesapeake Bay (Harding et al. 2011).

History References- Carlton 1979; Cezari and Pelizzato 1985; Chukhchin 1984; Eno et al. 1997; Golikov 1976; Hanna 1966; Harding and Mann 1999; Harding and Mann 2005; Kerckhoff et al. 2006; Kinzelbach 1986; Koutsoubas and Voultsiadou-Koukoura 1990; Mann and Harding 2000; Roger Mann 1998; Pastorino et al. 2000; Virginia Institute of Marine Science 1998; Zolotarev 1996

Invasion Comments