Taxonomy
Caprella mutica | Japanese Skeleton Shrimp
Distribution
Status
Legal status
Third Schedule listed species under Regulations 49 & 50 in the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011. (Note: Regulation 50 not yet enacted). Listed as a schedule 9 species under Articles 15 & 15A of the Wildlife Order (Northern Ireland) 1985 (Article 15A not yet enacted).
Native status
Non-native
First reported in the wild
2003
Invasiveness
Invasive species - risk of Medium Impact
Irish status
Established
Introduction pathways - 1
Transport Stowaway
Introduction pathways subclass - 1
Ship/boat hull fouling
Invasive score
16
NAPRA Ireland risk assessed
No
Species Biology
Identification
C. mutica is a caprellid amphipod or 'Skeleton shrimp' with a long, almost cylindrical body and red to orange in colour, though as they are generally less than 40mm in length they are difficult to identify to species (NOBANIS, 2015).
The European Network on Invasive Alien Species provides a key for identifying invasive amphipods - NOBANIS
Ecology
Detritivores (feed on dead and decaying organic matter) (Guerra-García, & de Figueroa, 2009). Competes with and displaces native caprellids Caprella linearis and Pseudoprotella phasma (Shucksmith et al., 2009).
Habitat
Marine
Pathway and vector description
Spreads as a fouling organism on boat hulls and drifting material including seaweeds (Cook et al., 2007a; Minchin & Holmes, 2007).
Mechanism of impact
Competition
Broad environment
Marine
Habitat description
Fouling organism on hard substrates and man-made objects, including salmon cages where it was originally recorded in Ireland (Tierney et al., 2004).
Species group
Invertebrate
Native region
Temperate Asia
Distribution
World distribution(GBIF)
Originally native to Asia it has since spread widely to Europe, New Zealand and North America (Cook et al., 2007a).
Irish distribution
Established - Locally abundant (Minchin, 2007), likely under recorded due to difficulties associated with identification.
Native distribution
Native to the Sea of Japan, both on the Japanese and Russian coasts (Cook et al., 2007a).
Temporal change
Date of first record category
2001-2010
Fifty year date category
2001-2050
Records submitted to Data Centre in 2024
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How can you help
Report any sightings to the National Biodiversity Data Centre.
References
Publications
NOBANIS (2015). Shucksmith, R., Cook, E.J., Hughes, D.J. and Burrows, M.T., (2009.) Competition between the non-native amphipod Caprella mutica and two native species of caprellids Pseudoprotella phasma and Caprella linearis.Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 89(06), pp.1125-1132. Guerra-García, J.M. and de Figueroa, J.M.T., (2009). What do caprellids (Crustacea: Amphipoda) feed on?. Marine Biology, 156(9), pp.1881-1890. Cook, E.J., Jahnke, M., Kerckhof, F., Minchin, D., Faasse, M., Boos, K. and Ashton, G. (2007a). European expansion of the introduced amphipod Caprella mutica Schurin 1935. Aquatic Invasions 2(4): 411-421. Cook, E.J., Willis, K.J. and Lozano-Fernandez, M. (2007b). Survivorship, growth and reproduction of the non-native Caprella mutica Schurin, 1935 (Crustacea: Amphipoda). Hydrobiologia 590: 55-64. Minchin, D. (2007). A checklist of alien and cryptogenic aquatic species in Ireland. Aquatic Invasions 2(4): 341-366. Minchin, D. and Holmes, J.M.C., 2007. The first record of Caprella mutica Schurin, 1935 (Crustacea: Amphipoda) from the east coast of Ireland. The Irish Naturalists' Journal, pp.321-323. Tierney, T.D., Kane, F., Naughton, O., Kennedy, S., O'Donohoe, P., Copley, L. and Jackson, D., 2004. On the occurrence of the caprellid amphipod, Caprella mutica Schurin 1935, in Ireland. The Irish Naturalists' Journal, pp.437-439.