Marenzelleria neglecta

Marenzelleria 

neglecta 

Taxon Family /Order/ Class/ Phylum 

Marenzelleria neglecta Mesnil, 1896 Spionidae / Canalipalpata / Polychaeta / Annelida 

COMMON NAMES (English only) 

Red-gilled mud worm. 

SYNONYMS 

Marenzelleria viridis (Sikorski & Bick, 2004) 

Marenzelleria cf. viridis 

Marenzelleria type II 

SHORT DESCRIPTION 

The red-gilled mud worms (up to 157 mm in length) 

occur in marine and brackish waters. They inhabit 

vertical mucus lined burrows (up to 40 cm in depth), 

feeding on sediment particles, meiobenthic and 

planktonic organisms. 

Marenzelleria neglecta 

Photo: Andrius Siaulys 

BIOLOGY/ECOLOGY 

Dispersal mechanisms 

Planktonic larvae disperse with water currents. Nocturnal swimming of adult worms with gametes (most 

probably associated with reproduction) may also facilitate dispersal. Its successful spread is often associated with 

the long development of planktonic larvae. 

Reproduction 

Fecundity of animals depends on salinity, temperature, age and body size. Development of gametes starts in mid- 

May. The individuals reach maturity in September after about 20 weeks. Animals spawn in autumn and the 

pelagic larvae can be found mainly from September to November, but may also occur up to March. Larval 

development largely depends on water temperature and lasts about 4 to 12 weeks. 

Known predators/herbivores 

Several benthophagous fish species feed on Marenzelleria neglecta. 

Resistant stages (seeds, spores etc.) 

None. 

HABITAT 

Native (EUNIS code) 

A2: Littoral sediment, A5: Sublittoral sediment, X1: Estuaries, X3: Brackish coastal lagoons – for adult forms. 

A7: Pelagic water column – for larvae. M. neglecta is an estuarine species which inhabits sandy and muddy 

sediments. 

Habitat occupied in invaded range (EUNIS code) 

A2: Littoral sediment, A5: Sublittoral sediment, X1: Estuaries, X3: Brackish coastal lagoons – for adult forms. 

A7: Pelagic water column – for larvae. Occurs on gravel, sandy and muddy bottoms from upper sublittoral (~1 m 

depth) up to 90 m. 

Habitat requirements 

It is highly tolerant of very low salinities (< 1 ppt) and temporal fluctuations. However, successful larval 

development from egg to juvenile is not possible below salinities of 5 psu, but colonization of oligohaline 

regions can be accomplished by larvae with more than 4 setigers or by swimming juveniles. It is tolerant to short 

term oxygen deficiency and may survive hydrogen sulphide exposure.

DISTRIBUTION 

Native Range 

This northern Hemisphere distributed species has its native range in the Atlantic coast of the North-America. 

Known Introduced Range 

The first record in the European mainland coast was in the Ems estuary between Germany and the Netherlands 

in 1983. In 1985 this species was recorded in the Baltic Sea in German Darss-Zingst Bodden, in subsequent 

years it expanded its area throughout nearly the entire Baltic Sea up to inner parts of the Gulf of Bothnia and 

Gulf of Finland. Recently it has gradually invaded nearly all north-west European intertidal and estuarine areas. 

Trend 

Increasing. 

MAP (European distribution) 

Known in country 

Legend 

Known in CGRS square 

Known in sea 

INTRODUCTION PATHWAY 

The spread is mostly associated with dispersal and development of planktonic larvae, which can be transported in 

ballast waters of ships. Also, adult worms with gametes may get into ballast water during their nocturnal swimming. 

IMPACT 

Ecosystem Impact 

The red-gilled mud worm competes with native benthic macrofauna for food and space. Being numerically 

dominant it can change the structure of a native benthic community. Burrowing activity of this worm has a high 

impact on fluid-exchange rates between bottom water and sediments, especially in muddy sediments. The 

burrow walls make good substrates for aerobic degradation of organic matter. 

Health and Social Impact 

None. 

Economic Impact 

Largely unknown. May compete for food with aquaculture organisms. 

MANAGEMENT 

Prevention 

Unknown.

Mechanical 

To remove planktonic larvae, exchange of ballast water should take place in the mid ocean. Due to presence of 

bottom sediments in ballast tanks, removal of adult worms is complicated. 

Chemical 

Chemical treatment in ship ballast tanks has been shown to be effective. 

Biological 

Unknown. 

REFERENCES 

Daunys D, Zettler ML, Gollasch S (1999) Marenzelleria cf. viridis (Verrill, 1873). In: Gollasch S, Minchin D, 

Rosenthal H, Voigt M (eds) Case histories on introduced species: their general biology, distribution, range 

expansion and impact. Berlin, Logos-Verlag, pp 61-67 

Kotta J, Orav H, Sandberg-Kilpi E (2001) Ecological consequence of the introduction of the polychaete 

Marenzelleria viridis into a shallow water biotope of the northern Baltic Sea. J Sea Res 46: 273-280 . 

Zettler M, Daunys D, Kotta J & Bick A. (2002). History and Success of an Invasion into the Baltic Sea: the 

Polychaete Marenzelleria cf. viridis, Development and Strategies. In: Leppäkoski E, Gollasch S & S. Olenin 

(eds). Invasive aquatic species of Europe – distribution, impacts and management. Kluwer Academic Publ., 

Dordrecht, Boston, London, pp 66-77 

OTHER REFERENCES 

Baltic Sea Alien Species Database (2006) http://www.ku.lt/nemo/mainnemo.html. Cited 01 Oct 2006 

Bick A, Burkhardt R (1989) First evidence of Marenzelleria viridis Polychaeta (Spionidae) for the Baltic Sea 

region, with a sorting key for spionides of the Baltic Sea. Mitt. Zool.Mus. Berl., 65:237-247 

Bochert R, Bick A, Zettler M, Arndt E-A (1994) Marenzelleria viridis (Verrill, 1873) (Polychaeta, Spionidae), an 

invader in the benthic community in Baltic coastal inlets - investigations of reproduction. In: Proceedings of 13th 

Symposium Baltic Marine Biologists, Riga, Latvia, Sept 1993. 

Essink K, Kleef HL (1988) Marenzelleria viridis (Verrill, 1873) (Polychaeta: Spionidae): a new record from the 

Ems estuary (The Netherlands/Federal Republic of Germany). Zoologische Bijdragen 38:1-13 

Fritzsche D, von Oertzen J-A (1995) Metabolic responses to changing environmental conditions in the brackish 

water - polychaetes Marenzelleria viridis and Hediste diversicolor. Mar Biol 121:693-699 

Maciolek NJ (1984) New records and species of Marenzelleria Mesnil and Scolecolepides Ehlers (Polychaeta: 

Spionidae) from north-eastern North America. In: Hutchings PA (ed) Proceedings of the first international 

Polychaete Conference, Sydney,. The Linnean Society of New South Wales, pp 48-62 

Norkko A, Bonsdorff E, Boström C (1993) Observations of the polychaete Marenzelleria viridis (Verrill) on a 

shallow sandy bottom on the South coast of Finland. Mem Soc Fauna Flora Fennica 69:112-113 

Olenin S, Leppäkoski E (1999) Non-native animals in the Baltic Sea: alteration of benthic habitats in coastal inlets 

and lagoons. Hydrobiologia 393:233-243 

Schiedek D (1993) Marenzelleria viridis (Polychaeta). A new species within the benthic communities of coastal 

waters: metabolic response to environmental stress. In: Proceedings of 13th Symposium Baltic Marine 

Biologists, Riga, Latvia, Sept 1993 

Sikorski AV, Bick A (2004) Revision of Marenzelleria Mesnil, 1896 (Spionidae, Polychaeta). Sarsia: North Atlantic 

Marine Science, 89 (4):253 – 275 

Author: Sergej Olenin 

Date Last Modified: September, 2006

Marenzelleria neglecta

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?