The Introduction of Polychaetes Hydroides elegans (Haswell), Polydora limicola Annenkova, and Pseudopotamilla occelata Moore to the Northwestern Part of the East Sea

The polychaeta fauna of the benthos and fouling of the northwestern part of the East Sea was studied during the period of 1971-1998. Three introduced species of polychaetes: Hydorides elegans (Haswell), Polydora limicola Annenkova, and Pseudopotamilla occelata Moore were found. H. elegans was discovered only on the artificial surfaces in Golden Horn Inlet (port Vladivostok), where this species may occur because of hermal pollution due to the discharge of warm waters of the water cooling system of Thermal-Electric Power Station-2 (TEPS-2) in Vladivostok which has been in function since 1971. The abundant population of H. elegans exists in the bay throughout the year and is capable of reproduction. The biomass of H. elegans may reach several $kg/m^2$ in August-September. P. limicola was found at the same time in the fouling of hydrotechnical structures of Vladivostok, Nakhodka, Holmsk and Uglegorsk ports with a biomass of $1-3kg/m^2$. Slow introduction of P. limicola occurs by coastal sail ships at present. The invasion of P. occelata into Peter the Great Bay may be an example of introduction and subsequent naturalization, which produced considerable changes in the structure of benthic communities. The three species of polychaetous sessile organisms and their invasion occurred by ocean and coasters sea-going ships (unintentional transport vectors). H. elegans and P. occelata were most probably transported to the northwestern part of the East Sea from Japan, and P.