Invasion of Eurytemora sibling species (Copepoda: Temoridae) from north America into the Baltic Sea and European Atlantic coast estuaries

Abstract

The Baltic Sea is one of the world's most intensive centres for maritime traffic. This sea has become an important recipient of alien species transported with ballast water from all over the world. Sibling species are a special group of invasive animals that are hardly distinguishable from relative but often ecologically different local species. In this study, a molecular genetic diagnosis was performed, based on the analysis of DNA nucleotide sequences (barcoding) in the populations of a dominant circumpolar species Eurytemora affinis (Poppe, 1880) from the Gulf of Finland and the Atlantic coast of European estuaries and of Eurytemora carolleeae Alekseev and Souissi, 2011, a new North American suspected invasive form. The results of the diagnosis were completed by morphological analyses. Considering the key role of E. affinis in the Baltic Sea zooplankton community, the invasion of E. carolleeae might have consequences for biodiversity, biogeography, conservation and ecosystem management in this area.