Non-native bivalve species from Ria de Aveiro lagoon, NW Portugal
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1
Portuguese Institute of Ocean and Atmosphere (IPMA), Portugal
This study reports the presence of three non-indigenous bivalve species in Ria de Aveiro lagoon. The manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum (Adams & Reeve, 1850), the hard clam Mercenaria mercenaria (Linnaeus, 1758), and the soft-shell clam Mya arenaria (Linnaeus, 1758). Species occurrence data are the result of several field surveys conducted by the author in the region over the past 15 years.
The manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum, native to the Pacific coast of Asia, is the most widespread alien invasive bivalve species in Ria de Aveiro lagoon. It was intentionally introduced by local professional fishermen (probably between 2005 and 2010) to replace the declining stocks of the native grooved carpet shell clam Ruditapes decussatus. Since then, it rapidly colonised the shallow brackish waters of the lagoon, revealing a great capacity to adapt to this new environment.
The hard clam Mercenaria mercenaria, native to the eastern shores of North America, was first observed in Ria de Aveiro lagoon in 2012 (Maia, 2015). Two large living specimens were found in the middle section of Canal de Ovar, near Torreira village. Since then, no other specimen has been found which suggests that this species was unable to establish self-sustained populations in the region. The origin of these specimens is uncertain, probably they were introduced with oyster seed stocks imported for aquaculture purposes or released into the environment via untreated ballast water discharges.
The soft-shell clam Mya arenaria is an alien species native to the North American east coast. It was first recorded in the north sector of Ria de Aveiro lagoon (Murtosa channel) in early 2008. New findings of M. arenaria in an intertidal mudflat located at the upstream end of Mira channel extend the geographical distribution of the species nearly 25 km further south. In this new area, the soft-shell clam maintains a well-established population in close coexistence with the native clam Scrobicularia plana.
The impact of these non-indigenous species on native fauna is not known locally. Nevertheless, only the manila clam displayed a clearly invasive behaviour and may thus pose a serious threat to local biodiversity, especially over autochthonous bivalve populations.
References
Maia, F., Bettencourt, V. (2015). First record of the hard clam Mercenaria mercenaria (Bivalvia:Veneridae) in Ria de Aveiro lagoon, (NW Portugal). Portuguese Congress of Malacology, 1-2 May 2015, Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA, IP).
Keywords:
alien species,
Ruditapes philippinarum,
Mercenaria mercenaria.,
Mya arenaria,
Ria de Aveiro lagoon,
Portugal
Conference:
XX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies (SIEBM XX) , Braga, Portugal, 9 Sep - 12 Sep, 2019.
Presentation Type:
Poster Presentation
Topic:
Global Change, Invasive Species and Conservation
Citation:
Maia
FR
(2019). Non-native bivalve species from Ria de Aveiro lagoon, NW Portugal.
Front. Mar. Sci.
Conference Abstract:
XX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies (SIEBM XX) .
doi: 10.3389/conf.fmars.2019.08.00041
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Received:
06 Apr 2019;
Published Online:
27 Sep 2019.
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Correspondence:
Dr. Francisco R Maia, Portuguese Institute of Ocean and Atmosphere (IPMA), Lisbon, Portugal, maia.francisco@gmail.com