What is an invasive species? (1 point) Describe an arthropod or mollusk that is

Question

1. What is an invasive species? (1 point)
2. Describe an arthropod ormollusk that is currently listed as an invasive species by the Missouri Department of Conservation. How was it introduced and from where? (1 point)
3. What is the realized or anticipated environmental or economic impact of the species you indicated in question 2? Be as specific as possible to what it does and what the consequences are environmentally and/or economically. (1 point)
4. What can be done to eliminate it or to reduce the impact of the species you indicated in question 2? (1 point)

Explanation / Answer

1. An invasive species is a plant or animal that is not native to a specific location and has a tendency to spread, which is believed to cause damage to the environment, human economy and/or human health.

2. Freshwater mollusks are among the many organisms that have interactions with catfi shes. For example, ictalurids are hosts for larvae of several native freshwater mussel species. The larvae, which attach briefl y to gills or fi ns of fi sh to complete their development to the free-living juvenile stage, disperse via upstream and downstream movement of host fi sh. In turn, freshwater mussels serve as a food source for some catfi sh species while other catfi sh species may use spent mussel shells for habitat. Ictalurids also benefi t from the conservation status of many freshwater mussel species. Federal and state laws protecting these invertebrates can preserve water quality and habitat and, at times, provide incentives and funding for conservation and restoration of stream and riparian habitats.

3. Estimating the full extent of the environmental damages caused by exotic species and the number of species extinctions they have caused is difficult because little is known about the estimated 750,000 species in the United States, half of which have not even been described.

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