LIMNORIIDAE, White, 1850

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 : 2483-2484

Family LIMNORIIDAE

Limnoria quadripunctata Holthius, 1949 Introduced

The first record of wood-boring Limnoria in South Africa that has come to our attention is that of Hammersley-Heenan (1897), who reported that in Algoa Bay, “The greenheart piles, fenders, and walings which had been in use for only 8 years, were found to have been attacked in several instances...at almost every scarf, and where the vertical fenders were cleated to the walings, the limnoria had completely destroyed the timber under the surface, and in some cases, the fenders could readily be removed by the hand.” Until the mid-nineteenth century, most wood-boring gribbles around the world were referred to as the “cosmopolitan” Limnoria lignorum , a clade now recognized as composing many different species. At least two species of introduced limnoriids now occur in South Africa, so re-examination of museum material held in both Europe and South Africa is required to establish distribution and temporal records. Kensley (1978) reported Limnoria quadripunctata as occurring from Table Bay to Port Elizabeth (on the southeast coast). The origins of Limnoria quadripunctata and Limnoria tripunctata remain unknown, although both may be rooted in the Indo-Pacific. The most likely vector of limnoriid isopods is infested wooden hulls, since the earliest days of wooden sailing vessels, and in more modern times, ballast water.

Limnoria tripunctata Menzies, 1951 Introduced

We found this species infesting wooden pilings at Table Bay docks in 2008, apparently the first report of this species in South Africa. As with Limnoria quadripunctata , retrospective examination of museum material is required to establish earlier dates and the distribution of wood-boring limnoriids in South African waters.