PREDICTED DISCOVERIES OF THE INTRODUCED ISOPOD SYNIDOTEA-LAEVIDORSALIS (MIERS, 1881)

A theory that introduced species can be identified from their evolutio nary, ecological, and geographical attributes (criteria for introduced species) is corroborated by the accuracy of its predictions. A human- borne, global invasion of the Oriental isopod Synidotea laevidorsalis (Miers, 1881) that began over 100 years ago was discovered in a test o f criteria for introduced species (Chapman and Carlton, 1991). Two exp licit predictions from that work were(1) ''Many new records of endemic and introduced Synidotea populations around the world remain to be di scovered,'' and (2) ''Synidotea laevidorsalis is established, for exam ple, in Brisbane, or Sydney, Australia.'' Both predictions were correc t. It appears that many estuarine and nearshore marine introductions h ave occurred that have not been discovered.