First record of Synidotea laticauda Benedict, 1897 (Crustacea: Isopoda) in the Guadiana Estuary (SW Iberian Peninsula)

Abstract

The exotic isopod species Synidotea laticauda B. 1897 is first reported in the Guadiana Estuary, where it was detected, during 2009 and 2010, in the middle section (12-20 km from the mouth) and in the lower part of the upper sections (20-70 km from the mouth), where the species presented its optimal temperature and conductivity ranges between 11 degrees C and 21 degrees C and between 20 000 and 25 000 mu S/cm. The absence of freshwater flood events due to the construction of the Alqueva Reservoir, and the intense ship traffic along the estuary may have been decisive for the introduction and establishment of this alien species.

This study has been funded by a Management Delegation Agreement of the Ministry of the Environment (General Directorate of Water) to CEDEX (2007-2013). A. Rasines helped in laboratory works and F. Mengibar, M. Verdugo, S. Arias and J. Moreno in field works, and J. Sanchez for hand-making and repairing some of the artificial substrates. We are very grateful to Dr. J.E. Sanchez Moyano (University of Sevilla) for the confirmation of the taxonomic identification of the species.