The Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission (2003) reports that, P. viridis has also been used as an indicator of biopollution of heavy metals, organochlorines, and petroleum hydrocarbons and that P. viridis is one of the best mussel species to test for biopollution.
NIMPIS (2002) reports that, \"P. viridis forms dense populations (up to 35,000 individuals per square metre) on a variety of structures including vessels, wharves, mariculture equipment, buoys and other hard substrata. It is susceptible to overgrowth from other fouling organisms that make it difficult to detect despite its vivid green appearance. Primarily found in estuarine habitats with salinities ranging from 18-38 ppt and temperatures from 11-32 deg C, P. viridis has a broad salinity and temperature tolerance.
Principal source: DeVictor and Knott, Undated. The Asian Green Mussel: Recent Introduction to the South Atlantic Bight
NIMPIS, 2002 Asian Green Mussel: Perna viridis
Compiler: National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) & IUCN/SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG)
Review: Dr. S. Rajagopal Institute for Water and Wetland Research Radboud University Nijmegen The Netherlands and Dr. V. P. Venugopalan, BARC Facilities, Kalpakkam, India.
Publication date: 2005-09-02
Recommended citation: Global Invasive Species Database (2024) Species profile: Perna viridis. Downloaded from http://iucngisd.org/gisd/species.php?sc=731 on 05-10-2024.
NIMPIS (2002) reports that, \"P. viridis can have economic, ecological and human health impacts. Economically, it can cause problems with water systems of industrial complexes by clogging pipes, increasing corrosion and reducing efficiency. It is also a problem for vessels: fouling can raise costs for owners due to increased maintenance, decreased fuel efficiency and blocked or damaged internal pipes. Fouling on mariculture equipment alters maintenance routines, harvest times and may restrict water flow thus effecting product quality. Ecologically, P. viridis is able to outcompete many other fouling species, causing changes in community structure and trophic relationships. P. viridis has also been recorded with high levels of accumulated toxins and heavy metals and is linked to shellfish poisoning in humans.\"
The Queensland Environmental Protection Agency (2002) offers a number of different preventative measures boat owners can take to prevent the spread of P. viridis. The authors state that, \"Effective antifouling protection not only protects your own boat from the potential damage from marine pests, but also reduces the chance of the pest being spread to other boats and other locations. A range of antifouling products is available and it is important to make sure you are using the right type of antifouling protection for your vessel. For example, an infrequently used boat will need a different product from a boat that travels at high speeds everyday. Regularly clean propellers and other underwater fittings that cannot be coated by antifouling paint. Regularly flush internal seawater systems with freshwater to kill newly settled pests. Remove all pests as you find them. Do not clean your boat on the beach or at the boat ramp where any pests you remove can get back into the water. To minimize the chance of spreading pests to other locations, ensure your boat is clean before traveling to other areas.\"
Chemical: Low levels of constant chlorination near the conduits and high water velocities effectively detach or kill green mussels. However, not all mussels are killed and significant numbers are left behind to reproduce and increase the density again. Continuous high-level chlorination of the intake tunnels effectively detaches and kills the green mussels (Rajagopal et al. 1991, 1996b).