Invasion
Invasion Description
1st Record: Avery Point (Groton)/CT/Long Island Sound (1980, Whitlatch and Osman 1995)
Geographic Extent
Brewer Yacht Haven Marine Center, Stamford/CT/Long Island Sound (2003, MIT Sea Grant 2003;Pederson et al. 2021); Milford Yacht Club/CT/Long Island Sound (2003, MIT Sea Grant 2003); Bridgeport/CT/Long Island Sound (1997, Whitlatch and Osman 2000); Niantic/CT/Long Island Sound (1997, Whitlatch and Osman 2000); Brewer Yacht Yard, Mystic/CT/Mystic River (2003, MIT Sea Grant 2003; Pederson et al. 2021); Avery Point (Groton)/CT/Long Island Sound (1980, Whitlatch et al. 1995; 1997, Whitlach and Osman 2000); Sterling Harbor Shipyard, Greenport/NW/Long Island Sound (2019, Pederson et al. 2021)
Vectors
| Level | Vector |
|---|---|
| Probable | Hull Fouling |
Regional Impacts
| Ecological Impact | Competition | |
| Botrylloides violaceus is a strong competitor for space with other fouling organisms (Osman and Whitlatch 1995; Stachowicz et al. 1999; Stachowicz et al. 2002a; Stachowicz et al. 2002b; Bullard et al. 2004; Altman and Whitlatch 2007). | ||
| Ecological Impact | Food/Prey | |
| Newly setteld (less than one week old) Botrylloides violaceus is preyed on by gastropods (Costanachis avara, C. translirata) and by fishes (Tautogolabrus adspersa, Tautoga onitis), which may restrict the tunicate's distribution, especially in open coast areas (Osman and Whitlatch 2000). | ||