Diversity of tropical macroalgae in the New Zealand marine aquarium trade

<p>Exotic species often slip through international borders undetected. Many perish but for some species introduction to a foreign land or sea brings release from natural enemies and a chance to establish a population. Increased global trade has increased the frequency of species introductions through stowaways and lapses in biosecurity. Once an invader is established there is the opportunity for explosive population growth at the detriment of native species and humans. The marine aquarium trade is a significant vector of species introductions, including algal introductions. The most publicized introduction from aquaria was the release of the green alga Caulerpa taxifolia from the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco. C. taxifolia introduction had large negative impacts on the invaded ecosystem. Molecular barcoding of tropical macroalgae entering the New Zealand aquarium trade was implemented using various molecular markers (cox1, cox3, rbcL tufA, LSU). Both NCBI Blast searches and maximum-likelihood phylogenies were used to identify the isolates. A total of 62 species of tropical macroalgae were identified from coral rocks imported into New Zealand, plus samples from reef hobbyists. Some species found are known as invasive elsewhere, for example, Caulerpa cylindracea, C. racemosa, C. sertularioides, Ulva ohnoi and Chaetomorpha vieillardii. All three major groups of algae were well represented in my findings with 26 species of red algae, 24 species of green algae and 12 species of brown algae. Temperature tolerance limits are the largest determinant in survival in algae, while salinity and pH are less significant. Temperature tolerance of tropical algae to the minimum Sea Surface Temperature in Auckland (14°C) and Wellington (11°C) was tested. My results show that one species Chaetomorpha vieillardii can survive at Auckland minimum winter sea surface temperatures. Our findings have important implications for New Zealand biosecurity, as not only are a large diversity of exotic macroalgae entering the New Zealand marine aquarium trade unregulated, but there is also the potential for them to survive in New Zealand waters. </p>

Diversity of tropical macroalgae in the New Zealand marine aquarium trade

<p>Exotic species often slip through international borders undetected. Many perish but for some species introduction to a foreign land or sea brings release from natural enemies and a chance to establish a population. Increased global trade has increased the frequency of species introductions through stowaways and lapses in biosecurity. Once an invader is established there is the opportunity for explosive population growth at the detriment of native species and humans. The marine aquarium trade is a significant vector of species introductions, including algal introductions. The most publicized introduction from aquaria was the release of the green alga Caulerpa taxifolia from the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco. C. taxifolia introduction had large negative impacts on the invaded ecosystem. Molecular barcoding of tropical macroalgae entering the New Zealand aquarium trade was implemented using various molecular markers (cox1, cox3, rbcL tufA, LSU). Both NCBI Blast searches and maximum-likelihood phylogenies were used to identify the isolates. A total of 62 species of tropical macroalgae were identified from coral rocks imported into New Zealand, plus samples from reef hobbyists. Some species found are known as invasive elsewhere, for example, Caulerpa cylindracea, C. racemosa, C. sertularioides, Ulva ohnoi and Chaetomorpha vieillardii. All three major groups of algae were well represented in my findings with 26 species of red algae, 24 species of green algae and 12 species of brown algae. Temperature tolerance limits are the largest determinant in survival in algae, while salinity and pH are less significant. Temperature tolerance of tropical algae to the minimum Sea Surface Temperature in Auckland (14°C) and Wellington (11°C) was tested. My results show that one species Chaetomorpha vieillardii can survive at Auckland minimum winter sea surface temperatures. Our findings have important implications for New Zealand biosecurity, as not only are a large diversity of exotic macroalgae entering the New Zealand marine aquarium trade unregulated, but there is also the potential for them to survive in New Zealand waters. </p>

Pomacea canaliculata (golden apple snail).

P. canaliculata is a freshwater snail native to parts of Argentina and Uruguay. The distribution of P. canaliculata has been steadily increasing since its introduction to Asia, primarily as a human food resource but perhaps also by the aquarium trade, beginning around 1979 or 1980 (Mochida, 1991; Halwart, 1994a; Cowie, 2002; Joshi and Sebastian, 2006). Once introduced to an area, it spreads rapidly through bodies of water such as canals and rivers and during floods. It feeds on aquatic plants and can devastate rice (in South-east Asia), taro (in Hawaii) and other aquatic or semi-aquatic crops. It may out-compete native apple snails (Halwart, 1994a; Warren, 1997), prey on native fauna (Wood et al., 2005, 2006) and alter natural ecosystem function (Carlsson et al. 2004a). It is also an important vector of various parasites including the nematode Angiostrongyulus cantonensis, which causes human eosinophillic meningitis (Lv et al., 2011; Yang et al., 2013).It is listed among '100 of the world's worst invasive species' (Lowe et al., 2000). In the United States its transport between states is restricted (Gaston, 2006), as is its transport between islands in the Hawaiian archipelago (Tamaru et al., 2006). It is listed as a quarantine pest in Malaysia (Yahaya et al., 2006) and in Japan. Australia has strong quarantine restrictions and is particularly concerned about P. canaliculata (Cowie, 2005).

Diversity of Seahorse Species (Hippocampus spp.) in the International Aquarium Trade

Seahorses (Hippocampus spp.) are threatened as a result of habitat degradation and overfishing. They have commercial value as traditional medicine, curio objects, and pets in the aquarium industry. There are 48 valid species, 27 of which are represented in the international aquarium trade. Most species in the aquarium industry are relatively large and were described early in the history of seahorse taxonomy. In 2002, seahorses became the first marine fishes for which the international trade became regulated by CITES (Convention for the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), with implementation in 2004. Since then, aquaculture has been developed to improve the sustainability of the seahorse trade. This review provides analyses of the roles of wild-caught and cultured individuals in the international aquarium trade of various Hippocampus species for the period 1997–2018. For all species, trade numbers declined after 2011. The proportion of cultured seahorses in the aquarium trade increased rapidly after their listing in CITES, although the industry is still struggling to produce large numbers of young in a cost-effective way, and its economic viability is technically challenging in terms of diet and disease. Whether seahorse aquaculture can benefit wild populations will largely depend on its capacity to provide an alternative livelihood for subsistence fishers in the source countries. For most species, CITES trade records of live animals in the aquarium industry started a few years earlier than those of dead bodies in the traditional medicine trade, despite the latter being 15 times higher in number. The use of DNA analysis in the species identification of seahorses has predominantly been applied to animals in the traditional medicine market, but not to the aquarium trade. Genetic tools have already been used in the description of new species and will also help to discover new species and in various other kinds of applications.

Spread beyond the border: Small Scale genetic structure of the introduced Banggai cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni) population in the Bali Strait

The living marine aquarium trade has been known to mediate various aquatic invaders to spread and established a new population outside of their natural home range. In most cases, the introduce species cause a cascaded effect which harm the native species and their ecosystem. The successful of the invasion event often related to the genetic properties of the introduced species. Therefore, using a molecular approach based on a mitochondrial DNA marker, the present work aimed to evaluate the population genetic structure of the introduced P. kauderni population in Bali Strait. Samples were collected from four sites in Gilimanuk Bay, Bali Strait. Our results showed a high haplotype diversity and low nucleotide diversity that might be a signal of a bottleneck. Overall, we found five haplotypes comprising two unique haplotypes and three shared haplotypes. Genetic structure was detected in some localities, which indicates Pterapogon kauderni might originated from various genetically distinct populations. However, we could not conclusively determine the observed patterns of the genetic structure within each site. These patterns are likely related to the multiple introduction event of P. kauderni in Bali Strait. Additional samples from both side (introduced and native habitat) combined with more rapidly evolving markers may describe the structure more clearly.

First record of the non-native fish Poecilia reticulata (Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae), in Chiapas, southern Mexico

Introduction: Due to its colors, shape, size, and simplicity of care, the neotropical fish Poecilia reticulata (guppy) is popular in the aquarium trade. It is also valued as mosquito control and is now found in most of the world. Objective: To report its presence in southern Mexico. Methods: Fish were captured with seine nets in a tributary of the Grijalva River, Chiapas, in August 2019, and March 2020. Results: Two hundred and fifty individuals of P. reticulata were captured. Conclusion: The species, found in México in 1971, has extended its range to the Grijalva Usumacinta river system.

Cherry Shrimp Neocaridina davidi (Bouvier 1904) (Crustacea: Decopoda: Atyidae)

Neocaridina davidi is a species of freshwater ornamental shrimp that belongs to the Atyidae family. Neocaridina davidi originates from Taiwan, but their popularity in the aquarium trade has led to them being available in other countries. This shrimp has different common names based on its color. Wild type shrimp are generally transparent or brown in color, however, generations of selective breeding have produced a variety of colors and patterns. Also available on the Featured Creatures website at http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/MISC/cherry_shrimp.html