Invasion
Invasion Description
1st Record: Isles of Shoals/NH/Gulf of Maine (1993, Dijkstra et al. 2007)
Geographic Extent
Isles of Shoals/NH/Gulf of Maine (1993, Dijkstra et al. 2007)
Vectors
Level | Vector |
---|---|
Probable | Hull Fouling |
Regional Impacts
Ecological Impact | Food/Prey | |
Increasing abundance of the introduced colonial tunicates Didemnum vexillum and Diplosoma listerianum has resulted in population growth of the native Bloodstar starfish Henricia sanguinolenta (Dijkstra et al. 2012). | ||
Ecological Impact | Trophic Cascade | |
Increased abundance of the Bloodstar starfish (Henricia sanguinolenta), supported by growing populations of Didemnum vexillum and Diplosoma listerianum, has resulted in increased predation and near-disapearance of the cryptogenic sponge Halichondria panicea (Dijkstra et al. 2012). | ||