SERPULIDAE

Mead, A., Carlton, J. T., Griffiths, C. L. & Rius, M., 2011, Introduced and cryptogenic marine and estuarine species of South Africa, Journal of Natural History 45 (39 - 40), pp. 2463-2524 : 2478-2480

Family SERPULIDAE

Ficopomatus enigmaticus (Fauvel, 1923) Introduced (= Mercierella enigmatica )

This well-known tubeworm constructs large reefs of entwined calcareous tubes; the animal’s opercula are cone-shaped and edged by about 25 tiny chitinous spines. Colonies have been observed up to 50 cm across and are found attached to hard substrata in estuaries. It is thought to originate in southern or western Australia (Carlton unpublished). Its presence in South Africa was first recorded in 1955, based on specimens collected in 1951 (by Day, as Mercierella enigmatica ) and by 1967 its South African distribution was described by Day as ‘widespread.’ Blaber et al. (1974) reported it from the deep, fjord-like Maikaba Estuary, 30 km north of Port St Johns on the Pondoland (east) coast, where it occurs down to 33 m and was the ‘only species found below’ 10 m. Ficopomatus enigmaticus ranges from Milnerton Lagoon (Table Bay) on the west coast to Kosi Bay on the east coast and was introduced by ship fouling. The reefs Ficopomatus enigmaticus forms are perceived as a problem in areas such as Zandvlei on the Cape Peninsula, where dense encrustations on the walls of canals can be hazardous to residents, who make intense recreational use of these waterways ( Davies et al. 1989). In addition, Davies et al. (1989) highlight the role that the filterfeeding activity of the worm may play within estuaries in terms of reducing particle loads. For example, in the Zandvlei system Ficopomatus enigmaticus are estimated to remove up to 130 kg wet mass of suspended material per hour, effectively filtering the entire water volume every 26 h. Although this could be described as a “positive” effect relative to apparent water quality, we note that water clarity and water cleanliness are not necessarily the same (i.e. the load of free, non-adsorbed toxic compounds in the water may not be reduced). In addition, filter-feeders enhance pelagic–benthic coupling, depositing large amounts of pseudofaeces into the benthos, leading to enhanced bio-concentration of pesticides, heavy metals and other pollutants that were adsorbed onto particulate material. Finally, Ficopomatus enigmaticus may be competing with native filter-feeders in South African estuaries, reducing the population sizes of such species.

Hydroides elegans (Haswell, 1883) Introduced

Henschel et al. (1990) reported this slender, Indo-Pacific tube-dwelling polychaete in False Bay in 1979 within fouling communities. This was based on specimens collected in 1970 (Iziko South African Museum collection).

Neodexiospira brasiliensis (Grube, 1872) Introduced (= Janua brasiliensis ; = Spirorbis foraminosus )

This Indo-Pacific polychaete was originally misidentified and recorded as present in South Africa as Spirorbis foraminosus by Day in 1961, based on specimens collected in 1953 (SAM collection). In 1967, Day noted the presence of Neodexiospora brasiliensis , again as Spirorbis foraminosus , from Table Bay. Knight-Jones and Knight-Jones (1974) give its South African distribution as Cape Town to Port Elizabeth, where it has since been found on the algae, Ceramium planum , in shore pools ( Knight-Jones et al. 1975).

Janua pagenstecheri (de Quatrefages, 1865) Introduced

This European estuarine polychaete was first collected in South Africa in 1971 and is found from Cape Town Docks to Durban on the east coast ( Knight-Jones et al. 1975). Day’s 1967 monograph does not include Janua pagenstecheri .

Simplicaria pseudomilitaris Thiriot-Quiévreux, 1965 Cryptogenic (= Pileolaria pseudomilitaris )

As with Janua pagenstecheri , this estuarine polychaete was first collected in South Africa in 1971 ( Knight-Jones et al. 1975) and is absent from Day’s 1967 monograph. While first described from the Mediterranean, it has now been widely reported from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and its origin remains unknown.