Alert list
This is a list of alien plant and animal species that have not yet been recorded in Swedish waters, but which are living close to our borders or are considered to be very invasive. It has been compiled from observations by Swedish and international marine scientists and is continuously updated as new information becomes available. An up-to-date version of the list is always posted on the site, which also features fact sheets on some of the species listed. The factsheets are published in Swedish and will gradually also be made available in English.
This website is a joint information channel for the three regional Information Offices along the Swedish coast: the Skagerrak/Kattegat area on the west coast of Sweden, the Baltic Sea proper, and the Gulf of Bothnia. The work of the Information Offices is commissioned by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management. The website has been produced in close collaboration with the Swedish AquAliens programme, which ended in January 2008.
Parasitic protozoans
Bonamia ostreae V
Microalgae
Dinoflagellates
Alexandrium leei V
Alexandrium margalefi V
Dinophysis sacculus V !
Pfiesteria piscicida V ! 1
Silicoflagellates
Pseudochattonella veruculosa V !
Macroalgae
Brown algae
Undaria pinnatifida (Wakame, Japanese kelp, Asian kelp) V !
Red algae
Antithamnion nipponicum V
Antithamnionella spirographidis V
Antithamnionella ternifolia V
Polysiphonia senticulosa V
GREEN ALGAE
Ulva pertusa V
Invertebrates
Cnidarians
Bougainvillia rugosa V
Diadumene lineata (orange-striped sea anemone) V 2
Maeotias marginata (Black Sea jellyfish) Ö
Nemopsis bachei V
Thorny-headed worms
Paratenuisentis ambiguus Ö
Annelid worms
Polychaetes
Boccardia redeki Ö 3
Ficopomatus enigmaticus (Australian tubeworm) V !
Hypania invalida ÖL
Marphysa sanguinea V 4
Neodexiospira brasiliensis V
Polydora hoplura V
Oligochaetes
Branchiura sowerbyi ÖL 5
Paranais frici Ö
Potamothrix moldaviensis ÖL 6
Tuboficoides heterochaetus V
Tuboficoides pseudogaster Ö
Arthropods
Water fleas
Cornigerius maeoticus Ö
Barnacles
Amphibalanus reticulatus V
Amphibalanus variegatus V
Balanus amphitrite (striped barnacle) V
Balanus trigonus V
Elminius modestus (Australian barnacle, small barnacle) V
Megabalanus coccopoma (titan acorn barnacle) V
Megabalanus tintinnabulum V
Copepods
Ameira divagans Ö
Eurytemora americana V
Mytilicola intestinalis V
Malacostraca
Mysids
Limnomysis benedeni ÖL
Paramysis intermedia Ö
Paramysis lacustris ÖL
Amphipods
Chelicorophium curvispinum(Caspian mud shrimp) ÖL, V7
Dikerogammarus haemobaphes ÖL
Dikerogammarus villosus (killer shrimp) ÖL !
Echinogammarus ischnus ÖL
Echinogammarus warpachowskyi ÖL
Gmelinoides fasciatus Ö
Incisocalliope aestuarius V
Melita nitida Ö
Obessogammarus crassus ÖL
Orchestia cavimana (sand hopper) Ö
Pontogammarus robustoides ÖL !
Isopds
Synidotea laevidorsalis V
Tanaids
Sinelobus stanfordi VE
Cumaceans
Pseudocuma (Stenocuma) graciloides Ö
Decapods (crabs, lobsters and shrimps)
Callinectes sapidus (blue crab) V
Hemigrapsus sanguineus (Asian shore crab, Japanese shore crab) V !
Hemigrapsus takanoi (brush-clawed shore crab) V
Orconectes limosus (spiny-cheek crayfish) ÖL
Palaemon macrodactylus (oriental shrimp) V
Paralithodes camtschaticus (red king crab) !
Rhithropanopeus harrisii (white-fingered mud crab, Harris mud crab, Zuiderzee crab, estuarine mud crab, dwarf crab) Ö, V !
Molluscs
Bivales
Corbicula fluminea (Asian clam, prosperity clam) VE !
Dreissena bugensis (quagga mussel) Ö !
Mercenaria mercenaria (northern quahog, hard clam, cherrystone-) V
Rangia cuneata (common rangia, Atlantic rangia) V !
Ruditapes philippinarum (Japanese carpet shell, Manila clam) V
Snails
Lithoglyphus naticoides (gravel snail) ÖL
Ocinebrellus inornatus (Japanese oyster drill) V ! 9
Rapana venosa (veined rapa whelk, Asian rapa whelk, rapa whelk) V !
Urosalpinx cinerea (American oyster drill) V !
Bryozoans
Bugula simplex V
Bugula stolonifera V
Fenestrulina delicia V
Tricellaria inopinata V !
Watersipora subtorquata V !
Urochordata
Ascidians
Botrylloides violaceus (orange sheath tunicate) V
Corella eumyota V
Didemnum vexillum (Whangamata sea squirt) V
Styela clava (leathery sea squirt, rough sea squirt, Asian tunicate, club tunicate) V !
Vertebrates
Craniata
Bony fishes
Carassius gibelio (Prussian carp, giebel, golden carp) Ö 10
Hypophthalmichthys nobilis (bighead carp) Ö, V
Lepomis gibbosus (pumpkinseed, pumpkinseed sunfish) ÖL !
Micropogonias undulatus (Atlantic croaker) V
Neogobius fluviatilis (monkey goby) ÖL
Neogobius gymnotrachelus (racer goby) ÖL
Perccottus glenii (Chinese sleeper, Amur sleeper) ÖL
Proterorhinus semilunaris (western tubenose goby) ÖL 11
Key:
V The species has been recorded in the North Sea area close to the Swedish part of the Skagerrak/Kattegat area (Västerhavet).
VE The species has been recorded in the North Sea area but limited to freshwater and estuaries.
Ö The species has been recorded on the other side of the Baltic Sea.
ÖL The species has been recorded on the other side of the Baltic Sea, but has a limited distribution in lagoons and freshwater influenced estuaries.
! The species is according to international species lists (NOBANIS, DAISIE, GISD, IOC) considered to be very invasive. It does not necessarily mean that the species will be invasive in Swedish waters
- One of the most feared species internationally. Not yet observed in Swedish areas, but considerable risk of introduction (ballast water discharge, or currents).
- Also known as Haliplanella lineata
- Also known as Polydora redeki
- Can be a cryptic cosmopolite
- Occurs in Lake Mälaren
- Occurs in Lake Mälaren, Lake Roxen and Lake Algunnen
- Also known as Corophium curvispinum
- Also known as Corophium sextonae
- Also known as Ceratostoma inornatum
- Found in freshwater on Gotland and in the County of Kalmar
- Earlier called P. marmoratus which is considered a marine species
