Invasion of Asian Tiger Shrimp (Penaeus monodon Fabricius, 1798) in the Western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Pam Fuller, USGS David Knott, Poseidon Taxonomic Services Peter R. Kingsley-Smith, SC DNR James Morris, NOAA Leslie Hartman, TPWD ICAIS April 2013
Native range East Africa, Southeast Asia, Japan, China, Korea, Philippines, Australia, Fiji.
Currently 2 nd most widely cultured shrimp in the world formerly 1 st (replaced by Litopenaeus vannamei)
Areas Outside the US where Introduced Range established
Native range ecology Prefer depths from 0 to 110 m. Are found in muddy and sandy bottoms. Occur in estuaries as juveniles and marine waters as adults. Can be carnivorous capable of consuming small fish and other shrimp.
Identification Clearly at 12 TL (total length), P. monodon are easy to distinguish from native penaeid shrimp in the southeastern US based on their size alone.
Distinguishing features: dorsal bands pleoplod peduncles banded antennae
No bands but yellow legs
A word of caution At smaller sizes (e.g., ~4-6 TL), greater care must be taken not to misidentify shrimp to species. Distinguishing features: Grooved (native pink and brown shrimp) Non-grooved (native white shrimp and P. monodon) Thelycum: open (e.g., white) vs. closed (P. monodon) Grooved Non Grooved
Red striped morph Selected for in aquaculture
First recorded in U.S. off Georgia, in 1988 following accidental release of ~2,000 post-larvae from an aquaculture facility in Bluffton, SC ~300 were caught in the next 6 months HOWEVER None seen in U.S. southeastern waters again after 1988 until 2006. (18 years)
Current Range
Contribution to P. monodon catches by state (through January 14 th 2012).
Number Caught
Number of shrimp collected each month 2006 2012
Possible Sources and Vectors Currently 2 nd most widely cultured shrimp; formerly 1 st 1.Escapes from aquaculture No permitted facilities in the U.S. since 2004 (FL) U.S. Georgia, W. Africa, N. South America, Caribbean All are possible sources Red striped morphs suggest aquaculture escape
Invasion Vector: Aquaculture escape Speculation of hurricane releases in Caribbean Anecodotal observations of releases from aquaculture operations in the Caribbean, and of wild populations established by shrimp that escaped from farm ponds
Potential sources of P. monodon in the U.S. - accidental releases from Caribbean aquaculture? Hurricane Tropical Storm Noel dropped 15-20 20 of rain on the southern coastal town of Baharona in November 2007. Tropical storm Tropical depression
Baharona, Dominican Republic, 2002
Baharona, Dominican Republic, 2010
Possible Sources and Vectors Vectors: 2) Ballast water from native range, W. Africa, South America, or Caribbean 3) Ocean currents from W. Africa, South America, or Caribbean Facilitated by hurricanes? Have they been here since original escape? (since 1988)
The Gambia Hypothetical mechanism for transport of P. monodon to U.S. East Coast. Entrainment of individuals from established populations in The Gambia, G documented in the wild, by trans-atlantic (North Equatorial) currents Timing consistent with reports of P. monodon in SE USA since 2006.
Irene Bret Don Emily
Potential Impacts Reasons for concern surrounding recent reports: Re-appearance of P. monodon in South Atlantic Bight was sudden and currently not well understood ignorance breeds fear Based on the biology of P. monodon in its native habitat, the potential for its interactions with native penaeid shrimp in the southeast U.S. seems high
Potential Ecological Impacts Disease threat to wild stocks (White spot syndrome virus) Tested on suspicious individual (negative) Competitive interactions with native shrimp species Can be carnivorous capable of consuming small fish and other shrimp
Size Frequency TL (mm) 8 to 12 TL
Are They Established? Or are they a continuous supply of propagules from elsewhere?
Potential sources of P. monodon in the U.S. - Is there an established breeding population somewhere along the southeastern U.S. coast? More data and specimens are required to answer this. Standardized data collection data cards. Precise information on specimen location, size, weight, sex, etc.
Genetic Studies Tiger Shrimp Tissue Repository, NOAA-NMFS, Beaufort, NC. Dr. James Morris & Christine Buckel
Genetics Studies Preliminary results: Mitochondrial control region of 23 samples tested from NC to FL show no variation Margaret Hunter, USGS 1 st pair of pleopods from P. monodon used for DNA extraction.
Phylogenetic studies: Results No genetic variation, all samples are the same Individuals are likely highly related or inbred Founding individuals may have originated from a single culture facility or related populations Additional samples (~100) to be analyzed Currently testing additional genetic markers to identify phylogenetically informative loci Number of related populations Dispersal pathways Founding populations
Asian tiger shrimp collaborative working group: Dr. Peter Kingsley-Smith David Knott Pam Fuller Amy Benson Matt Cannister Matt Nielson Dr. Margaret Hunter Dr. Timothy King Dr. James Morris Christine Buckel Leslie Hartman SC Dept of Natural Resources Poseidon Taxonomic Services USGS (Gainesville, FL) USGS (Gainesville, FL) USGS (Gainesville, FL) USGS (Gainesville, FL) USGS (Gainesville, FL) USGS (Kearneysville, WV) NOAA-NMFS, NMFS, Beaufort, NC NOAA-NMFS, NMFS, Beaufort, NC Texas Parks & Wildlife Division and many other individuals across the region that have assisted with specimen collections, outreach and education.
Thank you for your attention! Photograph courtesy of the Southeast Regional Taxonomic Center, SCDNR.