Galapagos Species Database

Taxon category: Accepted

Syn.: Ectopleura ralphi (Bale, 1884), Ectopleura warreni (Ewer, 1953), Parypha crocea L. Agassiz, 1862, Pinauay ralphi (Bale, 1884), Tubularia australis Stechow, 1924, Tubularia crocea (Agassiz, 1862), Tubularia gracilis von Lendenfeld, 1885, Tubularia mesembryanthemum Allman, 1871, Tubularia polycarpa Allman, 1971, Tubularia Ralphi Bale, 1884, Tubularia sagamia Stechow, 1908, Tubularia warreni Ewer, 1953 (Horton et al., 2021). Type locality: Massachusetts, Boston Harbor (Calder et al., 2021). Ectopleura media was reclassified as E. crocea after genetic analysis. Likely introduced to the Galapagos via shipping, it’s non-native. E. crocea is common in harbors and ships, and was collected from both Isla San Cristóbal and Salinas. Its presence in the Galapagos was previously doubted due to its cool-temperate origin (Calder, et al., 2021).

Origin: Introduced - established

Year of first record: 1935

Mode of introduction: Accidental

Introduction Pathway: Stowaway

Subpathway: Ship hull

Introduced status: Naturalized

Invasive status: Under watch

Distribution: United States and Canada and Galapagos Islands in Isabela (Tagus Cove) (Cairns et al., 2002; Horton et al., 2021). Galapagos Island and Panama (Calder et al., 2021).

• Cairns, S.D. Alder, D. R., Brinckmann-Voss, A., Castro, C. B., Fautin, D. G., Pugh, P. R., Mills, C. E., Jaap, W. C., Arai, M. N., & Haddock, S. H. D. (2002) Common and scientific names of aquatic invertebrates from the United States and Canada: Cnidaria and Ctenophora. Cairns, S. D., Calder, D. R., Brinckmann-Voss, A., Castro, C. B., Fautin, D. G., Pugh, P. R., Mills, C. E., Jaap, W. C., Arai, M. N., & Haddock, S. H. D. (2002). Common and scientific names of aquatic invertebrates from the United States and Canada: Cnidaria and Ctenophora.
• Calder, D.R. Carlton, J. T., Keith, I., Larson, K., McCann, L., Geller, J., Wheelock, M., Choong, H. H. C., & Ruiz, G. M. (2021) Additions to the hydroids (Cnidaria, hydrozoa) of marine fouling communities on the mainland of ecuador and in the galapagos islands Aquatic Invasions, 16(2), 208–252. https://doi.org/10.3391/ai.2021.16.2.02
• Calder, D.R. Mallinson, J.J., Collins, K. & Hickman, C.P. (2003) Additions to the Hydroids (Cnidaria) of the Galapagos, with a List of Species Reported from the Islands. J. Nat. Hist. 37:1173-1218.
• Horton, T. Horton, T., Kroh, A., Ahyong, S., Bailly, N., Boyko, C. B., Brandão, S. N., Gofas, S., Hooper, J. N. A., Hernandez, F., Holovachov, O., Mees, J., Molodtsova, T. N., Paulay, G., Decock, W., Dekeyzer, S., Poffyn, G., Vandepitte, L., Vanhoorne, B., Adlard, R., ... Zhao, Z. (2021) World Register of Marine Species. Available from https://www.marinespecies.org at VLIZ.