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RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)
Contents Vol 75(3)

Flexibility in reproductive attributes may facilitate the invasive capacity of the Mediterranean fanworm, Sabella spallanzanii (Gmelin)

Sarah C. Brand https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7845-8914 A C * and Andrew G. Jeffs https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8504-1949 A B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Institute of Marine Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. Email: a.jeffs@auckland.ac.nz

B School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.

C Present Address: Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Wadden Sea Station, List, Germany.

* Correspondence to: sbra338@aucklanduni.ac.nz

Handling Editor: Kylie Pitt

Marine and Freshwater Research 75, MF23197 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF23197
Submitted: 6 October 2023  Accepted: 25 January 2024  Published: 15 February 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY)

Abstract

Context

The Mediterranean fanworm arrived as a non-indigenous species in parts of Australasia, where it has established and then rapidly spread from the initial points of arrival, despite marked differences in environmental conditions compared from its natal habitat in the Mediterranean Sea.

Aims

To better understand the invasive capacity of this species in New Zealand.

Methods

Maturation, reproductive cycle, and gametogenesis were investigated, with a focus on female gamete development, for a population in Auckland, and the results were compared with those of previous studies in the Mediterranean Sea and Australia.

Key results

Egg sizes in female fanworms were highly variable throughout the year; however, a reduced presence of larger eggs was observed from August to November, which could indicate spawning. This Auckland fanworm population also appeared to have a female-skewed sex ratio compared with previous studies where a 1:1 sex ratio was observed. Fanworm maturation was reached at ~6 cm in length, compared with 15 cm in natal populations. Fanworms with body size smaller than 5 cm were not mature and did not produce mature gametes, in contrast to an Australian fanworm population.

Conclusions

The observed Mediterranean fanworm population in New Zealand demonstrates reproductive flexibility and high fecundity, contributing to its invasive capacity.

Implications

The reproductive biology of a species is important in determining its invasive capacity, and may also be flexible between populations, with implications for effective biosecurity management strategies.

Keywords: fanworm, gametogenesis, invasive capacity, maturity, non-indigenous species, reproduction, Sabella spallanzanii, sex ratio.

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