Galapagos Species Database

Taxon category: Accepted

Syn.: Ascidia cavernosa Lesueur, 1823, Ascidia variabilis Lesueur, 1823, Microcosmus biconvolutus Sluiter, 1898, Microcosmus claudicans exasperatus Heller, 1878 (Ahyong et al. 2023)

Origin: Introduced - established

Year of first record: 2016

Mode of introduction: Accidental

Introduction Pathway: Stowaway

Subpathway: Ship hull

Introduced status: Naturalized

Invasive status: Under watch

• Ahyong, S. Boyko, C.B., Bailly, N., Bernot, J., Bieler, R, ... Williams, D.M., Williams, G., Wilson, R., Witkowski, J., Wyatt, N., Wylezich, C., Xavier, J., Xu, K., Zanol, J., Zeidler, W., Zhao, Z., Zullini, A. (2023) World Register of Marine Species. Available from https://www.marinespecies.org at VLIZ.
• Carlton, J. T. Keith, I., & Ruiz, G. M. (2019) Assessing marine bioinvasions in the Galápagos islands: Implications for conservation biology and marine protected areas. Aquatic Invasions, 14(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.3391/ai.2019.14.1.01
• Lambert, G. (2019) Fouling ascidians (Chordata: Ascidiacea) of the Galápagos: Santa Cruz and Baltra Islands Aquatic Invasion, Volume 14, Issue 1: 132–149