Cordylophora Caspia Research Articles

Evidence of cryptic speciation in the invasive hydroid Cordylophora caspia (Pallas, 1771) (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa) supported by new records

Evidence of cryptic speciation in the invasive hydroid Cordylophora caspia (Pallas, 1771) (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa) supported by new records

First Record of the Nudibranch Tenellia adspersa (Nordmann, 1845) in Portugal, Associated with the Invasive Hydrozoan Cordylophora caspia (Pallas, 1771)

The estuarine nudibranch Tenellia adspersa (Nordmann, 1845) was recorded for the first time in Portugal, while sampling for fouling fauna of artificial structures along the salinity gradient of the Guadiana estuary (SW Iberian Peninsula). Two specimens were found in association with the invasive hydrozoan Cordylophora caspia (Pallas, 1771) and kept in the laboratory for taxonomy purposes. After two days, batches of eggs were seen in C. caspia branches, while the nudibranchs were also actively feeding on the hydrozoan polyps. The fast generation times of T. adspersa, along with its food preference for C. caspia, might suggest a positive role of the nudibranch on controlling this invasive hydrozoan in the Guadiana estuary. Introduction routes and facilitation interactions are discussed.

Phenotypic Plasticity in Animals Exposed to Osmotic Stress - Is it Always Adaptive?

Hyperplasia and hypertrophy are elements of phenotypic plasticity adjusting organ size and function. Because they are costly, we assume that they are beneficial. In this review, the authors discuss examples of tissue and organ systems that respond with plastic changes to osmotic stress to raise awareness that we do not always have sufficient experimental evidence to conclude that such processes provide fitness advantages. Changes in hydranth architecture in the hydroid Cordylophora caspia or variations in size in the anal papillae of insect larvae upon changes in medium salinity may be adaptive or not. The restructuring of salt glands in ducklings upon salt-loading is an example of phenotypic plasticity which indeed seems beneficial. As the genomes of model species are recently sequenced and the animals are easy to rear, these species are suitable study objects to investigate the biological significance of phenotypic plasticity and to study potential epigenetic and other mechanisms underlying phenotypic changes.

On the presence of the Ponto-Caspian hydrozoan Cordylophora caspia (Pallas, 1771) in an Iberian estuary: highlights on the introduction vectors and invasion routes

On the presence of the Ponto-Caspian hydrozoan Cordylophora caspia (Pallas, 1771) in an Iberian estuary: highlights on the introduction vectors and invasion routes

Nutrient removal by biomass accumulation on artificial substrata in the northern Baltic Sea

We studied the potential of utilizing non-seeded artificial substrata in growing macrofauna and macroalgae to remove excess nutrients from seawater in the northern Baltic Sea. Succession, species composition, and biomass on two different substratum types were studied. Organic carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) as well as heavy metal (As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) contents were measured from the algal species and the invertebrate fraction. The invertebrate fraction formed more than 94% of the total biomass and consisted of blue mussels (Mytilus trossulus), bay barnacles (Amphibalanus improvisus), and hydroids (Cordylophora caspia and Gonothyraea loveni). Major algal species consisted of green algae Ulva spp. and Cladophora glomerata, red algae Ceramium tenuicorne and Polysiphonia fibrillosa, and filamentous brown algae Pylaiella littoralis and Ectocarpus siliculosus. The highest biomasses were measured at the end of the experiment, after 14.5 months of exposure in the sea, when the total biomass was on average 2.4 kg dry weight (DW) m−2 substratum, containing approximately 50 g N and 5 g P. The heavy metal concentrations were site and species dependent and on average lower in the invertebrate fraction compared with the macroalgal fraction. In some cases especially, Cd may limit biomass use as fertilizers. According to these results, annual N and P emissions from small-sized point sources could be reduced by using artificial substrata to remove sessile organisms, but this would require extensive cultivations. Furthermore, the utilization of the marine macroalgal and invertebrate biomass in biogas production requires adding more carbon-rich feedstock to obtain optimal results.

Dark False Mussel,Mytilopsis leucophaeata(Bivalvia: Dreissenidae), in the Lower West River, New Haven, New Haven County, Connecticut

In October 2015, the dark false mussel, Mytilopsis leucophaeata, was encountered in the Duck Pond of the West River at Edgewood Park in New Haven, New Haven County, Connecticut, USA. The natural endemic range of Mytilopsis leucophaeata is the Gulf of Mexico and the temperate Atlantic coast of North America from Tampico, Mexico, northward to the Chesapeake Bay. In the late 1930s, Mytilopsis leucophaeata became established in the Hudson River basin in New York. The only previous reports of Mytilopsis leucophaeata from New England are from the Charles River near Boston, Massachusetts, in 1981 and from the Housatonic River in Fairfield County, Connecticut, in the 1990s. Mytilopsis leucophaeata has been characterized as the brackish-water equivalent to the zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha, and has been associated with severe fouling problems of water-cooling systems in Europe where it has been introduced. It is hypothesized that Mytilopsis leucophaeata was introduced by ballast water of ships from New Haven Harbor and established in the lower West River subsequent to the installation of two-way tidal gates in the course of a tidal marsh and channel restoration project completed in 2012. Other invertebrates collected were the hydrozoan Cordylophora caspia; the polychaetes Hobsonia florida and Polydora cf. ciliata; the amphipods Gammarus fasciatus and Apocorophium simile; the ivory barnacle, Amphibalanus eburneus; and Say's mud crab, Dyspanopeus sayi. The blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, was commonly observed. The freshwater leech, Helobdella modesta, which was once abundant in the Duck Pond, was not collected. Given the invasive potential of Mytilopsis leucophaeata, in conjunction with the paucity of knowledge of many aspects of its natural history, especially in introduced settings, it is important to monitor this population.

First record of occurrence of the invasive hydroid Cordylophora caspia (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa) in Missouri

Abstract The Ponto-Caspian Cordylophora caspia (Pallas, 1771) is a euryhaline, invasive hydroid reported to occur for the first time in Missouri. We collected a colony of C. caspia on 3 December 2013 from substrate exposed to flow at an inspection area of Bagnell Dam, which impounds Lake of the Ozarks (22,460 ha) in the Osage River drainage basin. Although the ultimate ecological consequences associated with C. caspia invasion of freshwaters in North America are unknown, C. caspia is capable of fouling water management infrastructures and, therefore, monitoring the occurrence and distribution of this invasive hydrozoan is warranted.

Range expansion of the invasive hydroid, Cordylophora caspia (Pallas, 1771), in Colorado River reservoirs

Range expansion of the invasive hydroid, Cordylophora caspia (Pallas, 1771), in Colorado River reservoirs

Invasive Ponto-Caspian hydrozoan Cordylophora caspia (hydrozoa: Cnidaria) in southern Baltic coastal lakes

Cordylophora caspia Pall. is a highly invasive Ponto-Caspian colonial hydroid with a worldwide distribution. It is a biofouling organism colonizing industrial water installations and causing serious economic problems. Here, we give the first report of its occurrence in southern Baltic coastal lakes, and analyze its distribution in relation to environmental factors and likely colonization routes. Samples were collected from the stalks of Phragmites australis at the total of 102 sites in 15 lakes and lagoons. The species was most numerous in lagoons, i.e. ß-oligohaline water bodies with a surface hydrological connection with the sea, where it reached mean densities of 1200–4800 hydranths m−2. In regression tree analysis, chloride concentration, followed by pH, were the strongest explanatory variables for its occurrence, with highest densities observed at chloride concentration above 1.18 g Cl L−1 and pH 8.05–9.26. At pH 5.77–8.04 higher densities were observed at temperatures above 20.3 °C. Generally, within the range of parameters observed in our study, high densities of C. caspia were associated with high chloride concentration, pH, temperature and electrical conductivity values. The species was also present in freshwater lakes; these colonies may have the highest capacity for future invasions of such habitats. Within lakes, high densities were observed at canals connecting these water bodies with the sea, and at sites close to the inflow of rivers. This distribution pattern can facilitate its further spread into inland waters.

New record for the distribution of the colonial hydroid Cordylophora caspia (Pallas, 1771) (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa) in Argentina

Cordylophora caspia is a colonial, athecate hydroid inhabiting both in freshwater and brackish habitats. Its global distribution is in part due to its ability to tolerate a wide range of salinity. It is considered an invasive species and its control is widely studied because of the industrial and ecological problems it causes in many environments. We report for the first time the occurrence of this hydrozoan in Nahuel Rucá Lake (Buenos Aires province, Argentina) with some notes on its internal and external morphology.

Quantitative measures of gastrovascular flow in octocorals and hydroids: toward a comparative biology of transport systems in cnidarians

AbstractUsing microscopy, the gastrovascular systems of four hydroids (Eirene viridula, Cordylophora lacustris, Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus, and Podocoryna carnea) and two distantly related alcyonacean octocorals (Acrossota amboinensis and Sarcothelia sp.) were examined and compared within a phylogenetic framework. Despite a range of stolon widths (means 53–160 μm), the hydroid species exhibited similar patterns of gastrovascular flow: sequentially bidirectional flow in the stolons, driven by myoepithelial contractions emanating from the center of the colony. Unlike the hydroids, the gastrovascular system of A. amboinensis (mean stolon widths for 5 colonies, 0.57–1.21 mm) exhibited simultaneously bidirectional flow with incomplete, medial baffles (width 4–20 μm) separating the flow. Baffles visualized with transmission electron microscopy consisted of endoderm, mesoglea, and occasionally another layer of tissue. Mean flow rates of the gastrovascular fluid for seven stolons ranged from 125 to 275 μm s−1, with maximum rates of 225–700 μm s−1. In Sarcothelia sp., stolons were of comparable width (means for 13 colonies 0.55–1.4 mm) to those of A. amboinensis. These stolons, however, were divided by several partitions (width 8–25 μm), both complete and incomplete, which were spaced every 100.5±5.1 μm (mean±SE; range 27.1–283.7 μm) and appeared structurally similar to baffles. In lanes defined by these partitions, ciliary motion was visible in image sequences, and flow was unidirectional. Within a single stolon, flow moved in different directions in different lanes and changed direction by moving from lane to lane via occasional spaces between the partitions. Mean flow rates for 30 stolons ranged from 75 to 475 μm s−1, with maximum rates of 85–775 μm s−1. For both octocorals, flow rates of the gastrovascular fluid were not correlated with the width of the stolon lumen. While octocoral gastrovascular systems probably exhibit differences based on phylogenetic affinities, in all species studied thus far, gastrovascular flow is entirely driven by cilia, in contrast to the hydroid taxa.

Nematocysts of the Invasive Hydroid Cordylophora caspia (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa)

Although there is significant genetic diversity among populations of the hydroid Cordylophora caspia, the species has not been split into multiple species or subspecies, in part because its members also show great physiological and morphological plasticity. This plasticity makes new taxonomic units hard to define or identify and obscures the connection between historically used names and the genetically defined clades. We explore variation in nematocysts, a character system not previously assessed in Cordylophora but which has demonstrated phylogenetic signal in other cnidarian taxa. We measured more than 5000 capsules from 112 individuals belonging to 14 populations, including representatives of the major genetic lineages. We found no correlation between the size range of capsules and either clade or salinity. Thus, for C. caspia, nematocysts are neither phenotypically plastic with respect to salinity nor taxonomically informative. Nematocyst size and density in particular tissues may be correlated to other environmental factors (such as prey type, size, and abundance in the location of each population) and may aid in distinguishing more distantly related species.

First record of Cordylophora caspia (Hydrozoa: Cnidaria) in the Tagus estuary, central Portugal

The Ponto-Caspian hydroid Cordylophora caspia has been found for the first time in the Tagus estuary. There is only one previous citation for this invasive species in Portuguese waters. The colonies of C. caspia were branched and had healthy gastrozooids and gonophores. The specimens were collected from a saline boundary zone characterized by high fluctuations in salinity (maximum of 15.3 and minimum of 0.2) and high suspended solids loading. Cordylophora caspia is capable of colonizing man-made infrastructures such as industrial facilities and can inhabit both brackish and freshwater environments. These features of C. caspia, together with its resilience when in a dormant stage (menonts), indicate that the monitoring of this invasive species is advisable in the Tagus estuary.

Climate Change Likely to Facilitate the Invasion of the Non-Native Hydroid, Cordylophora caspia, in the San Francisco Estuary

Climate change and invasive species can both have negative impacts on native species diversity. Additionally, climate change has the potential to favor invasive species over natives, dealing a double blow to native biodiversity. It is, therefore, vital to determine how changing climate conditions are directly linked to demographic rates and population growth of non-native species so we can quantitatively evaluate how invasive populations may be affected by changing conditions and, in turn, impact native species. Cordylophora caspia, a hydrozoan from the Ponto-Caspian region, has become established in the brackish water habitats of the San Francisco Estuary (SFE). We conducted laboratory experiments to study how temperature and salinity affect C. caspia population growth rates, in order to predict possible responses to climate change. C. Caspia population growth increased nonlinearly with temperature and leveled off at a maximum growth rate near the annual maximum temperature predicted under a conservative climate change scenario. Increasing salinity, however, did not influence growth rates. Our results indicate that C. caspia populations in the SFE will benefit from predicted regional warming trends and be little affected by changes in salinity. The population of C. caspia in the SFE has the potential to thrive under future climate conditions and may subsequently increase its negative impact on the food web.

Control of biofouling by Cordylophora caspia in freshwater using one-off, pulsed and intermittent dosing of chlorine: laboratory evaluation

Cordylophora caspia is a hydrozoan which causes biofouling in power plants and is an increasing problem in UK drinking water treatment works. Thermal control is not usually feasible without a ready source of hot water so laboratory experiments were conducted to assess whether using pulsed doses of chlorine is an alternative solution. C. caspia polyps disintegrated after a single 20 min dose (the length of one backwash cycle in water treatment work filter beds) of 2.5 ppm chlorine. Without further treatment colonies regenerated within 3 days, but repeated dosing with chlorine for 20 min each day inhibited this regeneration. The resistance of surviving colonies to chlorine increased over time, although colony size and polyp regeneration continued to fall. These results suggest pulsed treatment with chlorinated backwashes at 2 ppm could be used to control C. caspia biofouling in rapid gravity filters and this may have relevance to other settings where thermal control is not feasible.

Periphyton dry mass, ash content, and chlorophyll content on natural substrata in three water bodies of different trophy

Abstract Periphyton communities were studied on several dominating macrophytes, Phragmites australis, Potamogeton lucens, and Nuphar lutea, in three different types of lakes. In soft-water mesotrophic Lake Mały Borek and in shallow, eutrophic Lake Gardno samples were collected about once every two months from April to November 2009. In eutrophic Szczecin Lagoon (the estuary of the Oder River), samples were only collected once in July. The aim of this paper was to determine the dry mass, the ash content, and the chlorophyll-a content of periphyton on a natural substratum, in order to determine the mass, the inorganicorganic status of periphyton, and the auto-heterotrophic character of this complex. The analyzed periphytic communities exhibited low dry mass at the beginning of the growth season, which increased with colonization period on the aquatic vegetation. The highest (but still low) values were achieved in autumn, which persisted, with small loss, until spring of the subsequent year. The differences in dry mass between each type of lake were small, but in the strongly eutrophic Szczecin Lagoon this index was slightly higher than in the other two water bodies. The highest dry mass was noted for periphyton dominated by Cordylophora caspia colonies overgrowing common reeds and for periphyton on Potamogeton lucens in Szczecin Lagoon. In shallow water bodies, such as Lake Gardno and Szczecin Lagoon, wind causes strong resuspension of sediments. This can explain the relatively high level of inorganic matter in dry mass of the periphyton in both water bodies. However, the small ash content in periphyton in Mały Borek may result from the soft-water character of this lake. The hetero-autotrophic status of the periphytic community prevailed throughout the study period in Gardno and Mały Borek lakes. The auto-heterotrophic status of periphyton was noted only in short periods of time in each lake.

PH tolerance of the biofouling invasive hydrozoan Cordylophora caspia

The hydrozoan Cordylophora caspia, with its origin in the Caspian and Black Seas, is considered an invasive biofouling species to power stations and water treatment plants in Brazil, causing economic and ecological impacts. Tolerance of the species to variation in pH was tested to evaluate its resistance to acidic and basic pH levels. Values of pH were tested over a range from 4.0 to 10.0. The colonies were exposed for 6 h to each treatment, using phosphoric acid and NaOH to set water pH to the desired acidic or basic levels, respectively. Colonies of C. caspia displayed 100% mortality only at pH 4 and 10, and showed high survival rates (>50%) within the pH range of 5.0–8.5. The species demonstrated tolerance to a wide range of pH levels, and the results will help in the development of techniques to reduce biofouling by this species. Treatments that keep the pH below 5 or above 8.5 for at least 6 h are suggested to control and eradicate C. caspia where fouling causes significant economic impacts.

Ecological insights into the polyp stage of non-native hydrozoans in the San Francisco Estuary

The populations of several invasive jellyfish appear to be increasing around the globe. While data on non-native hydromedusae in the San Francisco Estuary have been accumulating in recent years, little is known regarding their polyp phase. The goal of this study was to gather the first field-derived ecological data for polyp stages of Blackfordia virginica, Moerisia sp., and Cordylophora caspia in the estuary. Monthly fouling plates were deployed at five sites during 2007 and 2008. Settlement data indicate a seasonal presence of B. virginica and Moerisia sp., with both distribution and abundance correlated with a combination of water quality and physical parameters. Cordylophora caspia appeared to be present beyond the time period sampled and may be active in the system year-round. The ability of polyps to persist month to month was low, likely due to predation by other non-native species and competition for space.

Biofouling e biodeterioração química de argamassa de cimento portland em reservatório de usina hidroelétrica

Last decade Brazilian rivers experimented progressive biofouling of Limnoperna fortunei communities and Cordylophora caspia hydroids. The microhabitat is so favorable that in around 1.5 years L. fortunei increased from 0.39 to nearby 149,000 units/m2. Ten Portland cement mortar samples were produced with 1: 3.5: 0.4 dosages and installed for 1 year at Salto Caxias Brazilian Power Plant reservoir in 0.5 m and 1.0 m deep to investigate the biofouling influence on hydraulic civil structures. SEM, EDS, visual investigation and XRF results indicate none direct chemical interrelationships between L. fortunei and the mortar samples. However C. caspia diminished the mortar surface resistance and caused cement paste leaching.

Microsatellite loci for the invasive colonial hydrozoan Cordylophora caspia

Cordylophora caspia, a colonial hydrozoan native to the Ponto-Caspian region, has become a common invader of both fresh and brackish water ecosystems of North America and Europe. We describe 11 polymorphic microsatellite loci for this species. Preliminary analyses indicate that population substructure may contribute to departures from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. In addition, new loci failed to consistently amplify Cordylophora samples known to be genetically distant from those utilized in this study, indicating the presence of cryptic diversity within the taxon.