© The Author(s), 2020. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Fowler, A. E., Blakeslee, A. M. H., Bortolus, A., Dias, J., Tepolt, C. K., & Schwindt, E. Current research, pressing issues, and lingering questions in marine invasion science: lessons from the Tenth International Conference on Marine Bioinvasions (ICMB-X). Aquatic Invasions, 15(1), (2020): 1-10, doi:10.3391/ai.2020.15.1.01.

The life-history traits of a non-native population of Shimofuri goby (Tridentiger bifasciatus) were investigated in Nansi Lake, which is a storage lake on the East Route of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project, China. The results were analyzed in combination with data from other non-native populations of this species to reveal the life-history traits that caused its successful invasions. Mature gonads in April and May suggest that the species spawns in this period, and cohort tracking and age analysis revealed that individuals had a one-year lifespan. The relative fecundity was 2,825 +/- 614 eggs/g. A short lifespan and high fecundity are opportunistic life-history traits that may enhance population establishment by promoting population increase. The male-biased sex ratio (except in April and May when the males guarding the nests) and sexual size dimorphism observed in this population may be important for males protecting nests and eggs, which is a typical equilibrium trait that facilitates establishment by increasing offspring survival. Non-native populations of this species in the San Francisco estuary system have been reported to batch spawn, have a lifespan of two years. and spawn during March and August, which in comparison with the population in Nansi Lake suggest that the species' life-history traits are phenotypically plastic. We propose that the combined equilibrium and opportunistic characteristics of the species' life-history traits and their plasticity facilitates successful invasions. Our results provide crucial information when evaluating the invasion risk of a species from its life-history traits.

Alien macroalgae, mostly invasive species, are a constant concern for coastal areas, especially in the northern Adriatic Sea where several taxa have colonized the main transitional environments. A revision of the alien macroalgae in the Venice Lagoon shows that, currently, the number of valid non-indigenous species (NIS) is 29, and this number is growing steadily. On the basis of numerous surveys carried out in the last decade the total alien standing crop (SC) was estimated to be ca. 146,534 tonnes fresh weight (fw), i.e. 32% of the total species SC (ca. 456,000 tonnes fw) measured in May–June 2014 in the whole lagoon. The most abundant species were the invasive Agarophyton vermiculophyllum (approx. 66,383 tonnes fw), Agardhiella subulata and Hypnea cervicornis (approx. 36,714 and 28,305 tonnes fw, respectively). These species grow mainly free-floating and usually colonize the soft substrata of the lagoon. Two other invasive species, Sargassum muticum and Undaria pinnatifida, grow mainly on the docks of Venice historical centre, therefore their distribution is significantly more limited. Recent studies have shown that A. vermiculophyllum in protected, eutrophic areas produced a biomass of approx. 24 kg fw m-2 y-1. This species can replace Ulvaceae with positive effects on the environment and the presence of macrofaunal taxa. Indeed, historical data analysis shows that, despite the high presence of NIS, biodiversity is increasing. In addition, A. vermiculophyllum, S. muticum, U. pinnatifida, A. subulata and Solieria filiformis may be promising species for phycocolloid and antioxidant or cosmetic productions.