ISCHYROCERIDAE, Stebbing, 1899

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 : 2486-2488

Family ISCHYROCERIDAE

Ischyrocerus anguipes Krøyer, 1838 Introduced

This is a common tube-dwelling North Atlantic amphipod found on buoys and pilings. It has been introduced to the Pacific coast of North America and was first recorded in South Africa by Barnard (1916) based on specimens from 1913 onward. Its South African distribution ranges from Namibia (west coast) to Mozambique (east coast) and it is most likely a ship fouling and ballast water introduction.

Jassa species-group

Until 1990 all Jassa collected in South Africa were allocated to Jassa falcata , but in a major review of the genus, Conlan (1990) described several new species and reallocated South African material among a number of Jassa species. Three of those species are treated here, as they have been introduced to the southern hemisphere ( Conlan 1988). Barnard (1916) reported Jassa falcata from False Bay, Sea Point (near Cape Town), and Swakopmund, collected between 1908 and 1914. These specimens, and other museum material, require re-examination and assignment to the species below (or conceivably to other species as well). For this reason, only the locations given by Conlan (1990) are cited below. Stebbing (1888) reported “ Podocerus falcatus ” (= Jassa falcata ) collected in fouling on the screw of the HMS Challenger as the vessel sailed off the Cape of Good Hope in December 1873, evidence that these fouling amphipods have long been in motion on sailing ships around the world (and suggesting that the Challenger itself may have been a vector of transportation and introduction!).

Jassa marmorata Holmes, 1903 Introduced (= Jassa falcata partim )

This is a North Atlantic species, transported by shipping (ship fouling and ballast water) to the Pacific Ocean and various stations in the southern hemisphere, including South Africa. Conlan (1990) reports specimens from Table Bay (collected in 1948, K. Conlan, personal communication, February 2009), Durban and KwaZulu-Natal (east coast). As noted above, we do not take 1948 as the first date of record, pending re-examination of K. Barnard’s early twentieth century Jassa material .

Jassa morinoi Conlan, 1990 Introduced (= Jassa falcata partim )

This North Pacific species has introduced populations in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean (Europe, Senegal, Algiers). Japanese specimens were collected on the brown alga Sargassum “at low intertidal level” Conlan (1990) and reported locations on the American Pacific coast suggest both rocky intertidal environments, as well as bays. These are all habitats where this species could have interfaced with shipping, so we consider ship fouling and ballast water to be probable vectors. It was reported in South Africa from False Bay (southwest coast; collected in 1952, K. Conlan, personal communication, February 2009), Port Elizabeth (southeast coast) and on the east coast in KwaZulu-Natal ( Conlan 1990).

Jassa slatteryi Conlan, 1990 Introduced (= Jassa falcata partim )

This is another North Pacific species with outlier populations in the Atlantic Ocean (Europe and Brazil) and in the South Pacific ( Chile, Australia and New Zealand). Its South African distribution is recorded by Conlan (1990) as Langebaan (west coast), False Bay (southwest coast), Mossel Bay and Knysna (both on the southeast coast). The Langebaan, False Bay and Knysna specimens were collected in 1950–1952, and the Mossel Bay material was collected in 1956 (K. Conlan, personal communication, February 2009). North Pacific habitats include fouling communities ( Conlan 1990) and estuaries ( Jeong et al. 2007), from where this species may have been transported by ships (fouling and ballast water).

Cerapus tubularis Say, 1817 Introduced (= Cerapus abditus Barnard, 1916 )

This species was first recorded from South Africa as Cerapus abditus by Barnard in 1916, based on specimens collected off KwaZulu-Natal in 1901. Cerapus abditus was subsequently synonymized with Cerapus tubularis by J.L. Barnard (1962). The species originates from North America, but is now widely distributed in tropical and temperate seas. It ranges from Saldahna Bay (west coast) to the South African border on the east coast, with ship fouling and ballast water as the most probable vectors.