Invasive polychaete Boccardia proboscidea Hartman. 1940 (Polychaeta: Spionidae) in sewage impacted areas of the SW Atlantic coasts: morphological and reproductive patterns.

JAUBET, MARIA,L; GARAFFO,GRISELDA; VALLARINO, EDUARDO A; ELIAS, RODOLFO

MARINE ECOLOGY-PUBBLICAZIONI DELLA STAZIONE ZOOLOGICA DI NAPOLI I

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2014 p. 1 - 12

0173-9565

Boccardia proboscidea is an alien polychaete species that has been introduced tothe Southwestern Atlantic Ocean. This polychaete species has invaded intertidalbenthic rocky shores, and builds reefs formed by thousands of individuals persquare meter with densities up to 1,500,000 ind.ÁmÀ2in organically impactedsites. This phenomenon was first recorded in Argentina in 2008. This is thefirst comprehensive study on the morphology, habitat and reproductive biologyof B. proboscidea associated with the sewage-induced abrasion platforms on theArgentinean coasts. Adult morphology of B. proboscidea from Mar del Plata isdescribed and a comparison with material from other locations is made.Results showed that B. proboscidea from Mar del Plata, Argentina share thesame diagnostic features as those of the individuals from the original descrip-tion (California). Moreover, the results also indicated that the reproduction ofthis species involves a poecilogonous development (production of more thanone type of offspring with both kinds of larvae) and implicates adelphophagy(nurse egg ingestion). Patterns of larval development varied both within a sin-gle brood and among broods of different females. Continuous reproduction ofB. proboscidea coupled with a continuous supply of organic matter couldexplain the possible mechanism that led to the development of reefs