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Boccardia proboscidea -

Current distribution Boccardia proboscidea Hartman, 1940 (68 OBIS-datapoints, 542 GBIF-datapoints)
Boccardia proboscidea is a bristle worm originating from the North East Pacific Ocean. Today, the species occurs in many temperate regions, including Belgium (since 2011), the Netherlands, Scotland and Spain. This polychaete got most likely introduced to Europe with crustaceans, transported for aquaculture purposes. Transport via shipping is another possibility. B. proboscidea forms mats that displace the indigenous invertebrates and, in this way, poses a threat to biodiversity.