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Abstract
The introduction history, systematics, transport vectors and distribution patterns of 85 introduced and 39 cryptogenic marine or estuarine animals and plants of South Africa are presented. This represents an addition of 93 species compared with previous lists. Taxa covered include protists, dinoflagellates, sponges, cnidarians, annelids, crustaceans, pycnogonids, insects, molluscs, brachiopods, bryozoans, echinoderms, ascidians, fish, algae and higher plants. For each species a justification motivating its inclusion as an introduction into South African shores or its cryptogenic status, is provided. Challenges associated with this type of inventory work are explored and major patterns of bioinvasion within the region are summarized briefly.
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to the following colleagues who generously provided unpublished records, museum data, or systematic expertise, or who identified specimens or gave valuable advice: R. Anderson (algae), R. Bamber (pycnogonids), G. Branch (gastropods), J. Chapman (gammarid amphipods), R. Collin (gastropods), K. Conlan (Jassa amphipods), A. Connell (copepods), J.A. Blake (Dodecaceria polychaetes), D. Herbert (gastropods), C. Maggs and R. Scheibling (Codium), G. Read (Polydora), D. Reid (Littorina), and M. Roy (ophiuroids). Our thanks to E. Hoensen, Curator of the Iziko South African Museum marine collections in Cape Town for providing access to the collections and helping us to determine dates of first collection. This research was conducted with support from History of the Near-shore (HNS) and the South African Environmental Observation Node (SAEON) to A.M., and a grant from the Department of Science and Technology/National Research Foundation Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology to C.L.G., M.R. and J.T.C. M.R. was supported by the ‘Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo’ from the Spanish ‘Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y de Cooperación’.