Pseudobranchiomma schizogenica

Invasion History

First Non-native North American Tidal Record:
First Non-native West Coast Tidal Record:
First Non-native East/Gulf Coast Tidal Record:

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General Invasion History:

The tube-dwelling fanworm Pseudobranchiomma schizogenica was first collected in 2011 from La Paz in the Gulf of California and formally described (Tovar-Hernandez and Dean 2014).  However, the occurrence of a new, prominent species in a well-studied area is suggestive of an introduced species. Apparently conspecific Pseudobranchiomma cf. schizogenica have been collected in Hawaii and Australia (Capa and Murray 2016). The native region of this sabellid worm is unknown. 

North American Invasion History:

Invasion History Elsewhere in the World:

Invasion history elsewhere in the world is not summarized for this species at this time.

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Description

Pseudobranchiomma schizogenica is a tube-dwelling polychaete of the family Sabellidae. Sabellid tubes are constructed of sand, silt, or detritus cemented by mucus, and freely extending crowns of fan-like radioles capture particles from the plankton (Barnes 1983). In the genus Pseudobranchiomma the tube is composed of muddy sediment, embedded in a mucous matrix, attached to a solid surface, so these worms comprise part of the fouling community (Capa and Murray 2016). Pseudobranchiomma schizogenica is notable for its dominant form of reproduction, architomy, a form of fission followed by regeneration of the divided body parts (Tovar-Hernandez and Dean 2014). Pseudobranchiomma schizogenica was described from the Gulf of California (Mexico). This species, or very similar species (P. cf. schizogenica), are known From Australia, Hawaii, and the Galapagos (Capa and Murray (2016). 

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Taxonomy

Ecology

General:

Pseudobranchiomma schizogenica can reproduce sexually, but its predominant form of reproduction is the form of fission known as architomy, involving splitting from the posterior end, followed by regeneration of the oral and posterior and oral regions of the scissiparous worms (Tovar-Hernandez et al. 2014). At least 6 of 17 species in the genus Pseudobranchiomma reproduce by fission. 

Food:

Phytoplankton, detritus

Trophic Status:

Suspension Feeder

SusFed

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Habitats

General Habitat	Marinas & Docks	None
General Habitat	Coral reef	None
Salinity Range	Polyhaline	18-30 PSU
Tidal Range	Subtidal	None
Vertical Habitat	Epibenthic	None

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Life History

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Tolerances and Life History Parameters

Minimum Length (mm)	4	Tovar-Hernandez and Dean 2014
Maximum Length (mm)	23	Tovar-Hernandez and Dean 2014
Broad Temperature Range	None	Tropical
Broad Salinity Range	None	Polyhaline-Euhaline

General Impacts

Imapcts are unknown.

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References

Capa, María; Murray, Anna (2016) Combined morphological and molecular data unveils relationships of Pseudobranchiomma (Sabellidae, Annelida) and reveals higher diversity of this intriguing group of fan worms in Australia, including potentially introduced species, ZooKeys 622: 1-36

Capa, Maria; Pons, Joan; Hutchings, Pat (2013) Cryptic diversity, intraspecific phenetic plasticity and recent geographical translocations in Branchiomma (Sabellidae, Annelida), Zoologica Scripta 42(6): 637-655

Keppel, Erica; , Keith, Inti; Ruiz, Gregory M.; Carlton, James T. (2019) New records of native and non-indigenous polychaetes (Annelida: Polychaeta) in the Galapagos Islands, Aquatic Invasions 14(1): 59-84

Tovar-Hernandez, Maria Ana; Dean, Harlan (2014) A new gregarious sabellid worm from the Gulf of California reproducing by spontaneous fission (Polychaeta, Sabellidae), Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 94(5): 935–946.

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