Invasion
Invasion Description
1st Record: Panama City/Panama/Panama Bay (2008, Ruiz et al., unpublished data)
Geographic Extent
Northern Pacific coast of Costa Rica/Costa Rica/Gulf of Papagayo (2013, Roth et al. 2017, as D. cf. perlucidum); Panama City/Panama/Panama Bay (2008, Ruiz et al., unpublished data; Carman et al. 2011)
Vectors
| Level | Vector |
|---|---|
| Probable | Hull Fouling |
Regional Impacts
| Ecological Impact | Competition | |
| Predator exclusion and natural (upwelling) eutrophication allowed D. cf. perlucidum to overgrow corals, polychaetes, and barnacles (Roth et al. 2017). | ||
| Ecological Impact | Habitat Change | |
| Rapid overgrowth of fouling communities by D. cf. perlucidum can potentially affecting the composition of the coral reef community (Roth et al. 2017). | ||