Effect of the invasive bivalve Mytilopsis sallei on the macrofaunal fouling community and the environment of Yundang Lagoon, Xiamen, China

Mytilopsis sallei is a small marine bivalve and is considered as a serious pest. We assume that the invasive bivalve M. sallei changed the community structure of fouling macrofauna and reduced the species diversity index in Yundang Lagoon, Xiamen, China. In order to verify the above hypothesis, test panels were submerged seasonally at five stations during four seasons in Yundang Lagoon, and some chemical parameters were determined. The results showed there were significant differences in density and biomass of M. sallei and other fouling macrofauna with season and with station. The species diversity of the macrofaunal fouling community at stations B and F was low in summer, because high density of M. sallei was found at two stations. There were significantly positive correlations between density and biomass of M. sallei and water temperature and COD, and significantly negative correlations with pH. The results confirmed that this invasive species changed the density and biomass compositions of fouling macrofauna, reduced the species diversity index during the summer period, and somewhat worsened the aquatic environmental quality in Yundang Lagoon, because the pH and the DO were the lowest, and the BOD and the COD were the second lowest in summer among four seasons.