Invasion
Invasion Description
1st Record: Port Aransas Pass, Patricio County/TX/Gulf of Mexico (2/1990, Hicks and Tunnell 1993; Hicks and Tunnell 1995). An email from David Hicks (3/2/2017, indicates that P. perna might be rare or absent in Texas since ~2000. He attributes the decline to hot summer weather (Kim Holzer, personal communication).
Geographic Extent
Freeport/TX/Gulf of Mexico (1995, Hicks and Tunnell 1995, N 28 55.792', W 95 17.329'); Matagorda County/TX/Colorado River mouth (1993, Hicks and Tunnell 1995); Kennedy County/TX/Laguna Madre (1995, Hicks and Tunnell 1995, N 26 4.544' W 97 11.907'); Port Aransas Pass, Patricio County/TX/Gulf of Mexico (1990, Hicks and Tunnell 1993; Hicks and Tunnell 1995); Nueces County/TX/South Corpus Christi Bay (1995, Hicks and Tunnell 1995); Cameron County/TX/Brazos Santiago Pass (1992, Hicks and Tunnell 1995); Willacy County/TX/Port Mansfield Pass (1991, Hicks and Tunnell 1993; Hicks and Tunnell 1995); Cameron County/TX/Brazos Santiago Pass (1992, Hicks and Tunnell 1995); La Pesca/Mexico/Gulf of Mexico (1993, Hicks and Tunnell 1995, 26 7'N); Veracruz/Mexico/Gulf of Mexico (1995, Hicks and Tunnell 1995); Playa Escondida/Mexico/Gulf of Mexico (1993, Hicks and Tunnell 1995, 18 35'N); Tamaulipas coast/Mexico/Gulf of Mexico (2013,
Vectors
| Level | Vector |
|---|---|
| Alternate | Ballast Water |
| Alternate | Hull Fouling |
Regional Impacts
| Economic Impact | Shipping/Boating | |
| Fouling of buoys by P. perna, causing them to sink, or requiring increased cleaning, is a concern in Texas waters. This mussel is causing heavy fouling on offshore oil platforms (Hicks and Tunnell 1995). | ||
| Ecological Impact | Habitat Change | |
| Perna perna has created extensive mussel beds on jetties in Texas and Mexico, composed of several layers of mussels connected by byssal threads, creating a complex habitat. Further south in Mexico (below 24ºN), P. perna is creating extensive beds on rocky shores (Hicks and Tunnell 1995). | ||