Eventually, the parasite forms an egg sac that extends outside the crab, beside its gonads. For all practical purposes, Kuris says, an infected C. maenas soon constitutes little more than an egg-production facility for the barnacle. If his studies find that introducing the alien barnacle won't present undue risks to native marine animals, Kuris says, this parasite might someday be considered for release as part of a strategy to rein in the green crab. That invader now controls ecosystems in portions of Australia, Japan, Canada, and South Africa, as well as the U.S. coasts. Copyright 1998 by Science Service.
Exotic species prove costly immigrants.
Alexander, A. 1997. Growers feeling blue over green crab. Bassett, Z. 1998. The European green crab . . . A new invader.