First records of the Australian dog whelk,Nassarius(Plicarcularia)burchardi(Dunker in Philippi, 1849) (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from New Zealand

Nassarius (Plicarcularia) burchardi (Dunker in Philippi, 1849) is a common dog whelk in subtropical and temperate regions of Australia. In April 2009, two shells of this species were found in the central Waitemata Harbour, Auckland. On the 22 June 2009, a live specimen was found at an intertidal site near Henderson Creek on the western central section of the harbour. Between August 2009 and February 2010, a further 21 living specimens in a range of sizes were found across multiple sites in the central Waitemata Harbour. This species is currently adventive and its presence in the Waitemata Harbour suggests accidental introduction from Australia and subsequent survival. If this species becomes firmly established in New Zealand, there may be significant interactions with native species such as Cominella glandiformis (Reeve, 1847), with which it may directly compete for food, and the invasive mussel Musculista senhousia (Benson in Cantor, 1842), which it is known to eat.