Abstract
The calcareous reef building Polychaeta Ficopomatus enigmaticus is considered an invader species in Argentina. First mentioned in 1943, it has shown an important expansion up to date. At present, living parts of reefs are the most important refuge to grapsid crab Cyrtograpsus angulatus juveniles in Mar Chiquita, a brackish coastal lagoon in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. This work assessed the reef|00E2|??s role in C. angulatus recruitment, by estimating the total volume of living reef and the number and biomass of recruits and juveniles that can inhabit it. Total volume of living reef estimated in 1999 was 353,849 m3, 50% more than the estimate made in 1975. The maximum number of juvenile crabs that reefs can host yearly was estimated from the juvenile density in reefs, the number of massive recruitment peaks and the total volume of living reef, in 1.68 |00C3|? 1010, or 1,946 t, expressed as biomass. It is shown that the presence of F. enigmaticus has a high impact on the populational biology of C. angulatus by increasing refuge availability and recruitment success. This impact is extended to the whole community being this crab a key species in the Mar Chiquita Lagoon.
Highlights
Las especies invasoras y sus efectos sobre poblaciones y comunidades nativas han interesado a los investigadores por décadas
We evaluated the role played by F. enigmaticus, in the recruitment of C. angulatus
Mar Chiquita is a coastal lagoon of about 46 km2 (37o32’– 37o45’S; 57o19’– 57o26’W) that runs parallel to the coast from north to south
Summary
Las especies invasoras y sus efectos sobre poblaciones y comunidades nativas han interesado a los investigadores por décadas. Y el aumento del numero de invasiones mediadas por el ser humano, han aumentado nuestro. Invasive species and their effect on native populations and communities have interested researchers for decades. Las especies invasoras son cada vez más conspicuas también en los ambientes marinos, especialmente en los estuarios (e.g., Cohen y Carlton (1996) reportaron 230 especies foráneas conocidas en la Bahía de San Fransisco), y el número, variedad y efectos de estas especies continúan en crecimiento. A pesar del incremento en número e importancia de estas especies, los reportes cuantitativos sobre sus impactos son escasos (Ruíz et al, 1999). Tambien pueden afectar la tridimensionalidad del sistema bentónico, aumentar la base alimentaria, incrementar la retención de nutrientes particulados y disueltos, y alterar la diversidad genética tanto dentro como entre las poblaciones (Ruíz et al, 1997; Olenin y Leppäkoski, 1999)
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