Species Accounts – Invasive Species Northern Ireland

Leathery sea squirt

Styela clava

Status:

Established

Habitat:

Marine

Threats:

Competes against native species for food and space. Fouls boats, oyster beds and moorings

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Mandarin Duck

Aix galericulata

Status:

Established

Habitat:

Terrestrial

Threats:

Could compete with other hole-nesting ducks such as Goldeneye and Goosander for nesting habitat

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Marbled crayfish

Procambarus fallax f. virginalis

Status:

Potential

Habitat:

Freshwater

Threats:

Potential threat of native crayfish. Potential threat to wetlands by extensive burrowing activities.

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Mediterranean Mussel

Mytilus galloprovincialis

Status:

Early stage establishment

Habitat:

Marine

Threats:

Outcompetes and displaces native mussels. Reduces genetic diversity of the native Mytilus species through hybridisation.

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Mesquite

Prosopis juliflora

Status:

Potential

Habitat:

Terrestrial

Threats:

Outcompetes native flora for recources

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Montbretia

Crocosmia X crocosmiiflora

Status:

Established

Habitat:

Terrestrial

Threats:

Outcompetes native species. Can cause streambank collapse if population is too high.

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Mummichog

Fundulus heteroclitus

Status:

Potential

Habitat:

Brackish

Threats:

Alter ecosystem structure, increase competition with native fish, population declines of native endangered fish species

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Muntjac deer

Muntiacus reevesi

Status:

Established

Habitat:

Terrestrial

Threats:

Preventing seed regeneration of important conservation species.

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Muskrat

Ondatra zibethicus

Status:

Potential

Habitat:

Terrestrial

Threats:

They change the composition of native wetland vegetation, and their burrowing degrades river banks.

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