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Limited evidence for increased cold-tolerance of invasive versus native Caulerpa taxifolia

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Abstract

Growth characteristics of native and invasive Caulerpa taxifolia from coastal eastern Australia were compared in warm (22–25°C) and cool (15–18°C) water in two laboratory experiments. Measurements of biomass, stolon length, mean frond length and numbers of fronds and stolon meristems, demonstrated that the growth of native and invasive C. taxifolia in warm water was up to ten times greater than in cool water. Growth rates differed substantially among locations over 9 weeks, but for most variables, the growth of native C. taxifolia was greater than the growth of invasive C. taxifolia in warm water. In cool water, there was little difference in growth of invasive versus native C. taxifolia. The morphology of C. taxifolia changed considerably in response to temperature, such that native and invasive samples that were morphologically distinct at the start of the experiment became indistinguishable after 69 days in warm water. We concluded there was little evidence that the C. taxifolia which recently invaded temperate estuaries in New South Wales could spread faster in cool water than could native C. taxifolia from Queensland. Native tropical C. taxifolia appears tolerant of a wide range of environmental conditions and seems capable of surviving and becoming invasive in temperate estuaries.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by an enhancement grant from New South Wales Treasury. We thank B. Schaffelke, J. Phillips, E. West, A. Grinham and J. Udy for providing us with algae from Queensland and S. Williams, M. Flagella and A. Redden for advice on some experimental methods. G. Housefield, R. Laird, M. Booth, I. Russell, T. Fowler and B. Louden helped set up and maintain experiments. K. Bown assisted with collecting references and B. Schaffelke and N. Murphy provided comments about the genetic affiliations of C. taxifolia. S. Wellman provided data on temperatures for Burrill Lake. The manuscript benefited from comments by M. A. Coleman, M. G. Holloway and M. Lowry. All experiments complied with current Australian laws.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Aquatic Ecosystems Unit, Port Stephens Fisheries Centre, Locked Bag 1, Nelson Bay, NSW, 2315, Australia

    Tim M. Glasby & Peter T. Gibson

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  1. Tim M. Glasby
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  2. Peter T. Gibson
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Correspondence to Tim M. Glasby.

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Communicated by S.D. Connell.

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Glasby, T.M., Gibson, P.T. Limited evidence for increased cold-tolerance of invasive versus native Caulerpa taxifolia . Mar Biol 152, 255–263 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-007-0678-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-007-0678-0

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