A anêmona-do-mar Diadumene Stephenson, 1920: um cnidário com potencial invasor na Baía de Paranaguá, PR, Brasil / The sea anemone Diadumene Stephenson, 1920: a cnidarian with an invasion potential in Paranaguá Bay, PR, Brazil

AUTOR(ES)
FONTE

IBICT - Instituto Brasileiro de Informação em Ciência e Tecnologia

DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

15/09/2011

RESUMO

A great number of sea anemones of the genus Diadumene Stephenson, 1920 were found fixated on natural and artificial substrates at the Paranaguá Bay. In 1989, in a study conducted at the same location, the number of anemones of this genus, not identified to a specific level, was much lower. The great abundance of anemones that has currently been observed may be explained by the population\ s high rate of asexual reproduction, by longitudinal fission, one of the factors that may characterize these anemones as an exotic and invasive species. The elucidation of the systematic aspects of these anemones and the understanding of some of their biological characteristics are essential for defining the status of this species along the Brazilian coast. For this purpose, approximately 200 specimens were collected in five different dates, between August 2009 and August 2010, at the Iate Club of Paranaguá. The specimens were taken to the laboratory and submitted to taxonomical studies and experiments of response to environmental parameters. The definition of the species was based on the taxonomical features usually used for the order Actiniaria (external and internal morphology, muscle elements and cnidoma) and on the sequencing of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene. The species\ tolerance to different salinities and to air exposure was tested, as was it\ s preference for illuminated places. The first two tests would reveal if the sea anemone has an adaptability that is characteristic of invasive species, while the latter would test its ability to colonize calm waters with great human interference (due to the proximity to the Paranaguá Port). The morphological analysis revealed that the species from Paranaguá differed from the other species of the genus, because of the presence of the following characteristics: cinclids on the capitulum in longitudinal rows, macrobasic p-amastigophores in the tentacles and microbasic amastigophores in the acontia. However, molecular analysis showed that population of Paranaguá was probably originated from a population of the species Diadumene cincta Stephenson, 1925. The experiments showed that the species has a high tolerance to the tested environmental factors, showing that it may present the phenotypic plasticity that is characteristic of invasive species. D. cincta is already registered as an invasive species in European seas and the Atlantic coast of Europe, and it is believed that its introduction in the Paranaguá Bay was by fouling on shiphulls, as the species was found in a location near the Port of Paranaguá. The monitoring of alien species found along the Brazilian coast is very important, since these species may cause impacts on the environment or on human socio-economic activities. Moreover, it is necessary to conduct more studies on the characteristics of populations of marine species introduced in the Paranaguá Bay, including D. cincta

ASSUNTO(S)

actiniaria actiniaria diadumenidae diadumenidae invasion potential potencial invasor

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