Crassostrea gigas in natural oyster banks in southern Brazil

• DOI: 10.1007/s10530-009-9475-7
• Publication Date: 2009-05-11T06:18:53Z
• Authors: Cláudio M. R. Melo; Francisco C. Silva; Carlos Henrique A...; Antonio M. Solé-Cava; Cristiano Lazoski
• Keywords: 0106 biological sciences; 14. Life underwater; 15. Life on land; 01 natural sciences

We report on the invasion of Brazil by the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas, and discuss the likely routes of invasion. Because this phenotypically diverse oyster sometimes resembles the native species C. brasiliana and C. rhizophorae, its invasion went unnoticed until it was detected through the analysis of DNA sequences for ribosomal 16S and the ribosomal second internal transcribed spacer. C. gigas was found amongst the native species in oyster banks up to 100 km south of oyster farms in South Brazil. Under most circumstances, water temperatures in the coastal southerly Brazil current would be too high to allow for the establishment of stable populations of C. gigas, but the production of spat in oyster farm laboratories has probably selected for resistance to warmer temperatures, which would promote invasion by C. gigas.