First report of the mussel Mytella strigata (Hanley, 1843) in the Venezuelan Caribbean from an invasion in a shrimp farm

Individuals of mussels were collected in ponds from a commercial shrimp farm the Unare region, Anzoátegui State, Venezuela. Identification was carried out using dichotomous keys and corroborated via analysis similarities between sequences partial mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase gene Mytella strigata (Hanley, 1843) reported GenBank with 99-100% similarity. Morphological analyses further supported identification specimen. The first report M. Venezuelan Caribbean coast suggests that it could be transplanted species. Possible negative effects on production systems are discussed.