the term 'lessepsian' and the Panama Canal

March 9, 2002
From: Nishina Masayoshi

Dear Bill,
I found the term lessepsian in your site. I am interested in this fact. Is there any word like this for Panama Canal?
Best Regards,
Nishina Masayoshi

nishina@wips.co.jp

Masayoshi, N., 2002 (Mar 9) the term 'lessepsian' and the Panama Canal. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/6321

Dear Nishina,
I am not aware of such a name. The situation with the Panama Canal is rather different to that of the Suez Canal because in Panama there are a series of higher level freshwater lakes which effectively prevent marine larvae from travelling from one side to the other. Interestingly Ferdinand de Lesseps, who built the Suez Canal, was in charge of the first attempt to build the Panama Canal but engineering and disease problems sent his company bankrupt. His design was for a sea-level canal and if he had succeeded then there could indeed have been migration from the Pacific to the Caribbean - but would it have been Lessepsian as well?
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2002 (Mar 9). Comment on the term 'lessepsian' and the Panama Canal by Nishina Masayoshi. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/6321

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