Invasion
Invasion Description
1st Record: Tunisia/Lac de Tunis (1927, Vuiellemin 1965)
Geographic Extent
Italy/Tyrhennian Sea (ten Hove and Weerdenburg 1978); Italy/Lagune Orbetello, Tyrehnnian Sea (Bianchi and Morri 2001); Tunisia/Lac de Tunis (1927, Vuiellemin 1965; Amor et al. 2016)
Vectors
| Level | Vector |
|---|---|
| Alternate | Hull Fouling |
| Alternate | Ballast Water |
Regional Impacts
| Ecological Impact | Competition | |
| In the Orbetello lagoon, Italy, Ficopomatus enigmaticus tubes outnumbered and outgrew those of another introduced serpulid (Hydroides dianthus), which produces thicker and stronger tubes, but with slower growth (Bianchi and Morri 2001). | ||
| Ecological Impact | Habitat Change | |
| In the Lac du Tunis, Tunisia, F. enignmaticus constructed extensive reefs on formerly bare sediments, filling in the basin and reducing circulation. Filtration increased water clarity, stimulating growth of macroalgae. Decaying macroalgae can result in hypoxic conditions (Keene 1980). | ||
| Ecological Impact | Trophic Cascade | |
| Filtration by F. enigmaticus shifts biomass from the water column to the benthos. Filtration increases water clarity, stimulating growth of macroalgae (Keene 1980). | ||