Moving Northward? First Record of Spilocuma Watlingi (Crustacea: Cumacea: Bodotriidae) in Mid-Atlantic Region, Maryland Coastal Bays, USA

Spilocuma watlingi is a species of Cumacea that appears to be confined to protected beaches inside of barrier islands. It ranges in distribution from the northern Gulf of Mexico (Alabama) to the South Atlantic Bight (Georgia and North Carolina) on the east coast of the United States. A benthic invertebrate sample collected from Sinepuxent Bay (Maryland) in August 2014, contained one ovigerous female of Spilocuma watlingi which is being reported for the first time in Maryland Coastal Bays (MCBs) and the Mid-Atlantic region. The occurrence of S. watlingi in the MCBs represents a major range extension for the species. The likely vectors for its introduction in the region include ship ballast water and hull fouling. It is also possible that because of climate change S. watlingi has begun to invade temperate waters, or the species was overlooked during previous studies. If so, this underscores the need for more studies on the diversity and abundance of benthic marine invertebrates in the Mid-Atlantic region.