Distribution of the dwarf surf clam mulinia lateralis (Say, 1822) in the wadden sea after first introduction

Abstract

During the SIBES project, a large-scale monitoring of the marine benthos of the Dutch and western German Wadden Sea, three specimens of the bivalve Mulinia lateralis (Say, 1822) (Bivalvia: Mollusca: Mactridae), a common opportunistic species native in the east coast of North America, were found in August 2017 in the Ems-Dollard estuary. Present records backdate of two months the arrival of this species in Europe and first report it for the German Wadden Sea. Further specimens were then found in 2018, confirming its establishment in the area. An analysis of favourable habitat characteristics for M. lateralis showed that large parts of the Dutch Wadden Sea are a potential suitable habitat for this species.