Bratislavia dadayi (Michaelsen, 1905) (Annelida: Clitellata: Naididae): a new non-indigenous species for Europe, and other non-native annelids in the Schelde estuary

Jan Soors,Ton Van Haaren,Tarmo Timm,Jeroen Speybroeck

doi:10.3391/ai.2013.8.1.04

Abstract

For the first time, the freshwater oligochaete species Bratislavia dadayi (Michaelsen, 1905) is recorded in Europe. The species was found at three subtidal stations in the Schelde estuary in Belgium, where it was probably introduced from the Americas. We provide an overview of the species’ nomenclature, diagnostics, distribution, and ecology. Bratislavia dadayi is one of 11 non-indigenous annelids currently known to occur in the Schelde estuary.

Highlights

Over the last 150 years, the number of nonnative species turning up in areas far from their original range has increased significantly (Bax et al 2003), including in the North Sea region and its estuaries (Kerckhof et al 2007)
The species was found at three subtidal stations in the Schelde estuary in Belgium, where it was probably introduced from the Americas
Bratislava dadayi was detected at three stations, in three different years, in the freshwater tidal part of the Schelde estuary, near the town of Appels (Figure 1), at about 130 km from the river mouth and about 75 km from the DutchBelgian border, following the thalweg

Summary

Introduction

Over the last 150 years, the number of nonnative species turning up in areas far from their original range has increased significantly (Bax et al 2003), including in the North Sea region and its estuaries (Kerckhof et al 2007). The impact of these introductions is often not known, several are known to have high ecological impact, e.g., the American jack-knife clam Ensis directus (Conrad, 1843), the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg, 1793), the New Zealand barnacle Elminius modestus Darwin, 1854, and the slipper limpet Crepidula fornicata (Linnaeus, 1758). The best studied Annelid species, Lumbricus terrestris (L., 1758), is considered a widespread invasive species that has invaded ecosystems previously devoid of earthworms or has replaced species with a comparable ecology (Hendrix et al 2008)

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Conclusion