Rugulopteryx okamurae
Rugulopteryx okamurae
Overview
Habitat
- Inhabits marine environments, growing on hard substrates such as rocks in the shallow sub-tidal
Description
- A brown seaweed with a branched thallus, growing 10-20cm tall
- It develops and colonises rapidly, sometimes covering 90-100% of hard seabed substrates
- Rhizoids (a root like structure), present at the base of the algae, are used to attach to substrata
- Can be misidentified as other algae from the Dictyota genus
- Abundance of R. okamurae decreases with water depth
- Hundreds of individuals can be produced from a single specimen
- Detached fragments can float and then reattach to hard substrata
Origin and Worldwide Distribution
- Native to the warm and temperate north-western Pacific Ocean of Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan and the Philippines
- Introduced to the Thau Lagoon in France, the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts of southern Spain and the Gibraltar Strait
Potential or Known Impacts
- The rapid colonisation displaces native species and reduces biodiversity in the short-term
- Alters community structure in the long-term
- Large quantities of R. okamurae biomass wash onto beaches impacting tourism, public health and commercial fisheries
- Floating biomass has reduced the capture rates of local inshore fisheries and increased net cleaning costs
Is it found in Northern Ireland?
- It is not currently present in Northern Ireland
How could it get here?
- Introductions are likely to be unintentional and possibly associated with ship ballast waters
- Once established, spread can occur via transport of fishing gear or recreational watercraft and through natural dispersal of the species
Management/Methods for Prevention
- Prevention via enforcing the IAS (Enforcement and Permitting) Order (Northern Ireland) ensuring that R. Okamurae is not introduced to Northern Ireland
- Reporting any sightings so that Rapid Response can be instigated
Current Legislative Position (Listed on 02 August 2022)
- This species must not intentionally be brought into the Union; kept; bred; transported to, from or within the United Kingdom, unless for the transportation to facilities in the context of eradication; placed on the market; used or exchanged; permitted to reproduce, grown or cultivated; or released into the environment.