COROPHIIDAE, Leach, 1814

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 : 2485

Family COROPHIIDAE

Corophium triaenonyx Stebbing, 1904 Cryptogenic

This is one of a series of cylindrical tube-building amphipods commonly associated with fouling communities and it probably originates from Asia. Within South Africa, it is common in brackish-water habitats, ranging from False Bay on the southeast coast to Mozambique (east coast). Corophium triaenonyx has been recorded as a dominant peracarid in benthic communities, such as in the Gamtoos Estuary, Eastern Cape Province ( Schlacher and Wooldridge 1996) and the Nhlabane coastal lake system, KwaZulu-Natal ( Vivier and Cyrus 1999). It was first reported by Barnard (1940), based on material collected in southern Cape estuaries as early as 1931. We regard ship fouling and ballast water as the most probable vectors.

Apocorophium acutum (Chevreux, 1908) Introduced (= Corophium acutum )

This species builds tubes on algae as well as on hard substrata such as pilings. It appears to originate from the North Atlantic, where it is widespread along the east coast of North America, Europe and the Mediterranean (with a type locality in Algeria). It is now widely distributed in warm-temperate and tropical regions worldwide, with ship fouling and ballast water as the most likely vectors. Apocorophium acutum was first collected in South Africa in Durban in 1915 ( Barnard 1916, as Corophium ascherusicum , partim.). Crawford (1937) noted that Barnard’s material contained mixed Apocorophium acutum and Monocorophium ascherusicum , with the smaller specimens being Apocorophium acutum . Although there are no post-1915 records, we retain it in the fauna, presuming that it remains present, mixed with Monocorophium ascherusicum populations. The South African distribution is thus unknown.

Monocorophium ascherusicum (Costa, 1857) Introduced (= Corophium ascherusicum )

This amphipod has a similar habitat to Corophium triaenonyx , but is recognized by the coalesced pleon segments 4–6. It builds fragile tubes among fouling communities, especially on man-made structures, and can tolerate a range of salinities. It is considered native to the North Atlantic (but on which side is not yet known) and is now probably one of the most widely distributed amphipods in warm-temperate coastal waters, including the American Atlantic and Pacific coasts, Japan and Australia. It was first recorded in South Africa by Barnard (1916) based on material collected in 1915, in Durban Bay on the east coast and is most likely to have been distributed by ship fouling and ballast water.

Erichthonius brasiliensis Dana, 1853 Introduced

This amphipod constructs muddy tubes on the stems and branches of hydroids and other fouling species. Although originally described from the North Atlantic, it is now widely distributed in warm seas and may further represent a species complex. It was first collected and reported in South Africa by Stebbing in 1910 and can now be found from Olifants River (west coast) to Mozambique (east coast). It has probably been distributed on ships as a fouling organism.