The American protobranch bivalve Yoldia limatula (Say, 1831) in European waters

Abstract

Three specimens of the Northern American bivalve Yoldia limatula (Say, 1831) were retrieved from Le Havre Harbour (The English Channel, Normandy, France) for the first time in 2021. This species was initially recorded from Europe in the Netherlands in 2019, after which specimens were found in Belgium in 2020. This is the first record of this species in Normandy and France now extends the invasive range of the species from the eastern part of the English Channel to the southern part of the North Sea. This species is considered as non-indigenous in Normandy and was most likely introduced via ballast water due to intense marine shipping between North American and European harbours.