The association of the non-indigenous spider crab Pyromaia tuberculata with the jellyfish Catostylus tagi as a potential
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The association of the non-indigenous spider crab Pyromaia tuberculata with the jellyfish Catostylus tagi as a potential spread mechanism in European waters Patrícia Martins 1
&
Cátia Bartilotti 2,3
&
Ricardo Calado 1
Received: 26 June 2020 / Revised: 1 October 2020 / Accepted: 6 November 2020 # Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung 2020
Abstract The presence of non-indigenous species outside their home range attracts growing attention by the scientific community, as well as policy makers and common citizens. However, dispersal pathways of most non-indigenous species remain poorly understood. The association between non-indigenous and indigenous species may facilitate dispersal in non-native habitats. Identifying such associations is therefore paramount, but few studies have addressed this issue to date. The present work reports the association between the non-indigenous spider crab Pyromaia tuberculata, morphologically and molecularly identified, with the autochthonous scyphomedusa Catostylus tagi in European waters. This is the first time this widespread invasive brachyuran crab is described associated with jellyfish. In the laboratory, P. tuberculata was observed feeding on the gonadal tissues of its cnidarian host, although this behaviour needs to be confirmed in the wild. The association between P. tuberculata and C. tagi raises awareness on how the dispersal potential of this non-indigenous species may be significantly enhanced. As recommended by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, it is important to include P. tuberculata in the European monitoring programmes of nonindigenous species. Future studies should continue to investigate the prevalence of this specific association, as well as other associations between jellyfish and non-indigenous fauna, as an early warning initiative. Researchers may benefit from ongoing citizen science projects to gather data on this overlooked pathway for dispersal of non-indigenous species. Keywords Associative behaviour . Inachoididae . Catostylidae . Scyphomedusae . Dispersal . Integrative taxonomy
Introduction Associations between jellyfish and brachyuran crabs have been well documented (for a review on these associations see Moyano et al. 2012). According to Phillips et al. (1969), this association commonly occurs when the jellyfish are either Communicated by C. Buschbaum * Patrícia Martins [email protected] * Ricardo Calado [email protected] 1
ECOMARE, CESAM (Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies), Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
2
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera, I.P. (IPMA, I.P.), Rua Alfredo Magalhães Ramalho, 6, 1495-165 Algés, Portugal
3
CIIMAR, Terminal de Cruzeiros de Leixões, Av. General Norton de Matos s/n, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
in the water column near or on the bottom, and the crab crawls into its host. This association allows crabs to have an easier access to food, as they may feed on items captured by the jellyfish or e
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