Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-hc48f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T13:44:23.242Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Alternatives to Release: Efficient Methods for Disposal of Excess or Unwanted Aquarium Macroalgae in the Genus Chaetomorpha

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Rachel L. Odom ,
Joshua A. Solomon  and
Linda J. Walters
Rachel L. Odom
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, 4000 Central Florida Blvd., Orlando, FL 32816
Joshua A. Solomon
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, 4000 Central Florida Blvd., Orlando, FL 32816
Linda J. Walters*
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, 4000 Central Florida Blvd., Orlando, FL 32816
*
Corresponding author's E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Aquarium release is a vector for introducing nonnative species that threatens the ecological integrity of aquatic systems. Following coastal invasions by released aquarium strains of Caulerpa taxifolia, aquarists began using the macroalgal genus Chaetomorpha. Use of Chaetomorpha now exceeds 50% of U.S. aquarium hobbyists we surveyed. Aquarium strains of this macroalgal genus possess broad environmental tolerances, demonstrate high nutrient uptake and growth rates, and reproduce by fragmentation. Although these characteristics make Chaetomorpha a desirable aquarium inhabitant, they may also promote invasive tendencies if the alga is introduced into a natural ecosystem. We sought to proactively mitigate this potential invasion risk by testing algal disposal techniques that serve as responsible alternatives to releasing viable individuals. We tested methods used by aquarium hobbyists—boiling, microwaving, freezing, desiccation, and exposure to freshwater. We determined the minimum durations that these techniques must be used in order to induce mortality in three aquarium purchases of Chaetomorpha. We found that boiling for at least 1 min, microwaving for at least 15 s, or freezing for at least 24 h were sufficient to induce 100% mortality in 1-cm-long fragments and clumps up to 1.5 g. Desiccation required more than 24 h when exposed to air and 6 d for samples kept in closed containers. Freshwater exposure was effective at 6 d. These results indicate that disposal of excess or unwanted Chaetomorpha via garbage (if destined for a landfill) or indoor plumbing (e.g., sinks and toilets) represent safe alternatives to release. Disposal of algal tissue, shipping water, or tank water containing small algal fragments down stormwater drains, however, could introduce this hardy species into favorable conditions that could result in detrimental biological invasions.

Keywords

Aquarium dumpingaquarium releaseCaulerpa taxifolia (Vahl) C. AgardhChaetomorphainvasive speciesseaweed
Type
Research Article
Information
Invasive Plant Science and Management , Volume 7 , Issue 1 , March 2014 , pp. 76 - 83
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Literature Cited

Anderson, LWJ (2005) California's reaction to Caulerpa taxifolia: a model for invasive species rapid response. Biol Invasions 7:1003–1016.Google Scholar
Barbour, RC, Potts, BM, Vaillancourt, RE, Tibbits, WN, Wiltshire, RJE (2002) Gene flow between introduced and native Eucalyptus species. New Forest 23:177–191.Google Scholar
Calado, R, Chapman, PM (2006) Aquarium species: deadly invaders. Mar Pollut Bull 52:599–601.Google Scholar
Chang, AL, Grossman, JD, Spezio, TS, Weiskel, HW, Blum, JC, Burt, JW, Muir, AA, Piovia-Scott, J, Veblen, KE, Grosholz, ED (2009) Tackling aquatic invasions: risks and opportunities for the aquarium fish industry. Biol Invasions 11:773–785.Google Scholar
Copp, GH, Templeton, M, Gozlan, RE (2007) Propagule pressure and the invasion risks of non-native freshwater fishes: a case study in England. J Fish Biol 71:148–159.Google Scholar
Davis, AR, Roberts, DE, Cummins, SP (1997) Rapid invasion of a sponge-dominated deep reef by Caulerpa scalpelliformis (Chlorophyta) in Botany Bay, New South Wales. Aust J Ecol 22:146–150.Google Scholar
Diaz, S, Smith, JR, Zaleski, SF, Murray, SN (2012) Effectiveness of the California state ban on the sale of Caulerpa species in aquarium retail stores in southern California. Environ Manag 50:89–96.Google Scholar
Duggan, IC (2010) The freshwater aquarium trade as a vector for incidental invertebrate fauna. Biol Invasions 12:3757–3770.Google Scholar
Franch, N, Clavero, M, Garrido, M, Gaya, N, López, V, Pou-Rovira, Q, Queral, J. M. (2008) On the establishment and range expansion of oriental weatherfish (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) in NE Iberian Peninsula. Biol Invasions 10:1327–1331.Google Scholar
Gertzen, E, Familiar, O, Leung, B (2008) Quantifying invasion pathways: fish introductions from the aquarium trade. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 65:1265–1273.Google Scholar
Glardon, C (2006) Predicting Risks of Invasion of Caulerpa Species in Florida. Ph.D dissertation. Orlando, FL: University of Central Florida. 99 pGoogle Scholar
Guiry, MD, Guiry, GM (2013) AlgaeBase. Worldwide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. http://www.algaebase.org. Accessed September 5, 2013Google Scholar
Hewitt, CL, Campbell, ML, Schaffelke, B (2007) Introductions of seaweeds: accidental transfer pathways and mechanisms. Bot Mar 50:326–337.Google Scholar
Karatayev, AY, Burlakova, LE, Karatayev, VA, Padilla, DK (2009) Introduction, distribution, spread, and impacts of exotic freshwater gastropods in Texas. Hydrobiologia 619:181–194.Google Scholar
Kitajima, K, Fox, AM, Sato, T, Nagamatsu, D (2006) Cultivar selection prior to introduction may increase invasiveness: evidence from Ardisia crenata . Biol Invasions 8:1471–1482.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lapointe, BE (1997) Nutrient thresholds for bottom-up control of macroalgal blooms on coral reefs in Jamaica and southeast Florida. Limnol Oceanogr 42:1119–1131.Google Scholar
Lapointe, BE, Bedford, BJ (2010) Ecology and nutrition of invasive Caulerpa brachypus f. parvifolia blooms on coral reefs off southeast Florida, USA. Harmful Algae 9:1–12.Google Scholar
Lavery, PS, McComb, AJ (1991) The nutritional eco-physiology of Chaetomorpha linum and Ulva rigida in Peel Inlet, Western Australia. Bot Mar 34:251–260.Google Scholar
Lehtonen, S (2009) On the origin of Echinodorus grandiflorus (Alismataceae) in Florida (“E. floridanus”), and its estimated potential as an invasive species. Hydrobiologia 635:107–112.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lintermans, M (2004) Human-assisted dispersal of alien freshwater fish in Australia. N Z J Mar Freshw Res 38:481–501.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lowe, SJ, Browne, M, Boudjelas, S (2004) 100 of the World's Worst Invasive Alien Species: a Selection from the Global Invasive Species Database. Auckland, New Zealand IUCN/SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG). 11 pGoogle Scholar
Madeira, PT, Jacono, CC, Van, TK (2000) Monitoring hydrilla using two RAPD procedures and the nonindigenous aquatic species database. J Aquat Plant Manag 38:33–40.Google Scholar
McGlathery, KJ, Pedersen, MF (1999) The effect of growth irradiance on the coupling of carbon and nitrogen metabolism in Chaetomorpha linum (Chlorophyta). J Phycol 35:721–731.Google Scholar
Meinesz, A, Boudouresque, CF (1996) On the origin of Caulerpa taxifolia in the Mediterranean Sea. C R Acad Sci Serie III Sci Vie 319:603–613 [in French]Google Scholar
Morris, JA, Akins, JL, Barse, A, Cerino, D, Freshwater, DW, Green, SJ, Munoz, RC, Paris, C, Whitfield, PE (2009) Biology and ecology of the invasive lionfishes, Pterois miles and Pterois volitans . Pages 409–414 in Proceedings of the 61st Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute. Gosier Guadeloupe, French West Indies: Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries InstituteGoogle Scholar
Morrisey, D, Inglis, G, Neil, K, Bradley, A, Fitridge, I (2011) Characterization of the marine aquarium trade and management of associated marine pests in Australia, a country with stringent import biosecurity regulation. Environ Conserv 38:89–100.Google Scholar
Odom, RL (2012) The Next “Killer Algae”? Assessing and Mitigating Invasion Risk for Aquarium Strains of the Marine Macroalgal Genus Chaetomorpha . M.S. Thesis. Orlando, FL: University of Central Florida. 63 pGoogle Scholar
Odom, RL, Walters, LJ (2014) A safe alternative to invasive Caulerpa taxifolia? Assessing aquarium-release invasion potential of aquarium strains of the macroalgal genus Chaetomorpha . Biol Invasions. In pressGoogle Scholar
Padilla, DK, Williams, SL (2004) Beyond ballast water: aquarium and ornamental trades as sources of invasive species in aquatic ecosystems. Front Ecol Environ 2:131–138.Google Scholar
Pimentel, D, Zuniga, R, Morrison, D (2005) Update on the environmental and economic costs associated with alien-invasive species in the United States. Ecol Econ 52:273–288.Google Scholar
Ruiz, GM, Fofonoff, PW, Carlton, JT, Wonham, MJ, Hines, AH (2000) Invasion of coastal marine communities in North America: apparent patterns, processes, and biases. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 31:481–531.Google Scholar
Ruiz-Carus, R, Matheson, RE, Roberts, DE, Whitfield, PE (2006) The western Pacific red lionfish, Pterois volitans (Scorpaenidae), in Florida: evidence for reproduction and parasitism in the first exotic marine fish established in state waters. Biol Conserv 128:384–390.Google Scholar
Schaffelke, B, Hewitt, CL (2007) Impacts of introduced seaweeds. Bot Mar 50:397–417.Google Scholar
Semmens, BX, Buhle, ER, Salomon, AK, Pattengill-Semmens, CV (2004) A hotspot of non-native marine fishes: evidence for the aquarium trade as an invasion pathway. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 266:239–244.Google Scholar
Smith, RL, Sytsma, KJ (1990) Evolution of Populus nigra (sect. Aigeiros): introgressive hybridization and the chloroplast contribution of Populus alba (sect. Populus). Am J Bot 77:1176–1187.Google Scholar
Stewart, JE (1991) Introductions as factors in diseases of fish and aquatic invertebrates. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 48(Suppl 1):110–117.Google Scholar
Van Kleef, H, Van der Velde, G, Leuven, RSEW, Esselink, H (2008) Pumpkinseed sunfish (Lepomis gibbosus) invasions facilitated by introductions and nature management strongly reduce macroinvertebrate abundance in isolated water bodies. Biol Invasions 10:1481–1490.Google Scholar
Verlaque, M, Durand, C, Huisman, JM, Boudouresque, CF, Le Parco, Y (2003) On the identity and origin of the Mediterranean invasive Caulerpa racemosa . Eur J Phycol 38:325–339.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walters, L (2009) Ecology and management of the invasive marine macroalga Caulerpa taxifolia . Pages 287–318 in Inderjit, K, ed. Management of Invasive Weeds. Dordrecht Springer Google Scholar
Walters, L, Odom, R, Zaleski, S (2011) The aquarium hobby industry and invasive species: has anything changed? Front Ecol Environ 9:206–207.Google Scholar
Walters, LJ, Brown, KR, Stam, WT, Olsen, JL (2006) E-commerce and Caulerpa: unregulated dispersal of invasive species. Front Ecol Environ 4:75–79.Google Scholar
Williams, SL, Smith, JE (2007) A global review of the distribution, taxonomy, and impacts of introduced seaweeds. Annu Rev Ecol Evol Syst 38:327–359.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilson, CE, Darbyshire, SJ, Jones, R (2007) The biology of invasive alien plants in Canada. 7. Cabomba caroliniana A. Gray. Can J Plant Sci 87:615–638.Google Scholar
Xu, Y, Lin, J (2008) Effect of temperature, salinity, and light intensity on the growth of the green macroalga, Chaetomorpha linum . J World Aquacult Soc 39:847–851.Google Scholar
Zajicek, P, Hardin, S, Watson, C (2009) A Florida marine ornamental pathway risk analysis. Rev Fish Sci 17:156–169.Google Scholar
Zidana, H, Turner, GF, Van Oosterhout, C, Hanfling, B (2009) Elevated mtDNA diversity in introduced populations of Cynotilapia afra (Gunther 1894) in Lake Malawi National Park is evidence for multiple source populations and hybridization. Mol Ecol 18:4380–4389.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed