A New Record of <i>Pinctada fucata</i> (Bivalvia: Pterioida: Pteriidae) in Mischief Reef: A Potential Invasive Species in the Nansha Islands, China
Binbin Shan,
Zhenghua Deng,
Shengwei Ma,
Dianrong Sun,
Yan Liu,
Changping Yang,
Qiaer Wu,
Gang Yu
Affiliations
Binbin Shan
Tropical Aquaculture Research and Development Center, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Sanya 572000, China
Zhenghua Deng
Tropical Aquaculture Research and Development Center, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Sanya 572000, China
Shengwei Ma
South China Sea Fishers Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fisheries Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, China
Dianrong Sun
Key Laboratory of Marine Ranching, Ministry of Agriculture Rural Affairs, Guangzhou 510300, China
Yan Liu
Tropical Aquaculture Research and Development Center, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Sanya 572000, China
Changping Yang
Key Laboratory of Marine Ranching, Ministry of Agriculture Rural Affairs, Guangzhou 510300, China
Qiaer Wu
South China Sea Fishers Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fisheries Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, China
Gang Yu
Tropical Aquaculture Research and Development Center, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Sanya 572000, China
Mischief Reef is located in the eastern Nansha Islands of the South China Sea. With increasingly intense anthropogenic disturbance, Pinctada fucata, a previously unrecorded species in the reef, has occurred in the region. In this study, we identified and described the occurrence of P. fucata in Mischief Reef based on morphology and molecular markers. Furthermore, we performed a population genetics analysis of seven P. fucata populations of the South China Sea. All P. fucata populations showed significant high-level genetic diversity, but the differentiation among P. fucata populations was small. There was an FST value close to zero (−0.0083) between the Lingshui and Mischief Reef populations. Our results hint that Lingshui may be one of the potential sources of P. fucata to Mischief. In addition, we discussed the possible cause of the mass occurrence of P. fucata. The present study serves as a warning that anthropogenic disturbances have disrupted the local ecosystem in Mischief Reef.
