A New Threat to Groundwater Ecosystems: First Occurrences of the Invasive Crayfish Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852) in European Caves

Mazza, Giuseppe; Reboleira, Ana Sofía P.S.; Gonçalves, Fernando; Aquiloni, Laura; Inghilesi, Alberto Francesco; Spigoli, Daniele; Stoch, Fabio; Taiti, Stefano; Gherardi, Francesca; Tricarico, Elena

doi:10.4311/2013lsc0115

Cited by 20 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…The ability of this species to adapt to periods of drought (Ilheu et al, 2003;McClain, 2013) together with its ability to survive outside aquatic environment makes it capable of moving to more favourable environmental conditions especially during the dry season when the water availability and aquatic food sources diminish. The latter allows this species to find refuge in artificial freshwater reservoirs, such as those used for agriculture or the freshwater systems including underground waters as noted in Italy (Mazza et al, 2014). Since its detection in September 2016, the species has expanded its population size and range, covering at least 400m between October 2016 and March 2017, consistent with similar studies conducted in Italy (Cilenti et al, 2017).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

First Scientific Records of the Invasive Red Swamp Crayfish, Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852) (Crustacea: Cambaridae) in Malta, a Threat to Fragile Freshwater Habitats

Vella¹,

Vella²,

Mifsud³

2017

Natural and Engineering Sciences

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This study reports the first records of the invasive fresh water red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii in Malta, first spotted in the wild in summer 2016. In spring 2017, 26 specimens of P. clarkii were collected, sexed, measured and identified both morphologically and genetically. The distribution and density of the species along the same valley were investigated at Fiddien Valley and Chadwick Lakes. As these two locations are associated with one of the major valley systems that cross the island, the presence of this prolific, aggressive and opportunistic feeding crayfish species increases the vulnerability of native freshwater species.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

First Scientific Records of the Invasive Red Swamp Crayfish, Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852) (Crustacea: Cambaridae) in Malta, a Threat to Fragile Freshwater Habitats

Vella¹,

Vella²,

Mifsud³

2017

Natural and Engineering Sciences

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“…For example, the red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii (Girard) has spread widely throughout freshwater bodies across Europe since its first introduction in Spain (Habsburgo‐Lorena, 1978; Souty‐Grosset et al ., 2016) now representing one of the 100 worst invasive species (DAISIE, 2008). It is increasingly being documented also in aquifers and caves (Mazza et al ., 2014; Souty‐Grosset et al ., 2016; Di Russo et al ., 2017; Cilenti et al ., 2017).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aliens in caves: the global dimension of biological invasions in subterranean ecosystems

et al. 2023

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Alien species are a significant threat to natural ecosystems and human economies. Despite global efforts to address this challenge, the documented number of alien species is rapidly increasing worldwide. However, the magnitude of the impact of alien species may vary significantly across habitats. For example, some habitats are naturally less prone to biological invasions due to stringent abiotic and biotic characteristics, selecting for a limited number of introduced species possessing traits closely related to the native organisms. Subterranean ecosystems are quintessential examples of habitats with strong environmental filters (e.g. lack of light and scarcity of food), driving convergent adaptations in species that have successfully adapted to life in darkness. Despite these stringent environmental constraints, the number of records of alien species in subterranean ecosystems has increased in recent decades, but the relevant literature remains largely fragmented and mostly anecdotal. Therefore, even though caves are generally considered very fragile ecosystems, their susceptibility to impacts by alien species remains untested other than for some very specific cases. We provide the first systematic literature survey to synthesise available knowledge on alien species in subterranean ecosystems globally. This review is supported by a database summarising the available literature, aiming to identify gaps in the distribution and spread of alien invertebrate species in subterranean habitats, and laying the foundations for future management practices and interventions. First, we quantitatively assessed the current knowledge of alien species in subterranean ecosystems to shed light on broader questions about taxonomic biases, geographical patterns, modes of dispersal, pathways for introductions and potential impacts. Secondly, we collected species‐specific traits for each recorded alien species and tested whether subterranean habitats act as ecological filters for their establishment, favouring organisms with pre‐adaptive traits suitable for subterranean life. We found information on the presence of 246 subterranean alien species belonging to 18 different classes. The dominant alien species were invertebrates, especially insects and arachnids. Most species were reported in terrestrial subterranean habitats from all continents except Antarctica. Palaearctic and Nearctic biogeographic regions represented the main source of alien species. The main routes of introductions into the recipient country are linked to commercial activities (84.3% of cases for which there was information available). Negative impacts have been documented for a small number of case studies (22.7%), mostly related to increased competition with native species. For a limited number of case studies (6.1%), management strategies were reported but the effectiveness of these interventions has rarely been quantified. Accordingly, information on costs is very limited. Approximately half of the species in our database can be considered established i...

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“…On this regard, there is very substantial evidence concerning P. clarkii. In particular, the predatory prowess and opportunism of P. clarkii in respect of A. pallipes are more marked (Gherardi et al 2001;Renai and Gherardi 2004), as it is its capacity to alter habitats (Souty- Grosset et al 2016), its behavioral flexibility (Gherardi 2006), its predatoravoiding capacity (Acquistapace et al 2003) and its tolerance to different environmental conditions (it is capable of surviving extreme conditions, and has been found even in groundwaters- Mazza et al 2014). All these, combined with a higher density, make P. clarkii a stronger ecosystem engineer than A. pallipes, and, what is more important, one which can cause a biodiversity loss were it to replace a ICS (Rodríguez et al 2005;Souty-Grosset et al 2016;Casale 2018).…”

Section: Autonomy (B2) and Fairness (B3) Of Nics Vs Well-being (C1) Autonomy (C2) And Fairness (C3) Of Biodiversitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Value-conflicts in the conservation of a native species: a case study based on the endangered white-clawed crayfish in Europe

Biasetti

Ferrante

Bonelli

et al. 2021

Rend. Fis. Acc. Lincei

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The future of the native European crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes depends on accurate conservation management. The goal of this paper is to attempt an investigation of the major ethical conflicts that can emerge in the conservation of this endangered crayfish threatened by invasive competitors, introduced diseases, and landscape alteration. To assess this issue, we will employ the Ethical Matrix, in a version explicitly tailored for its use in conservation. The filled Ethical Matrix will highlight several potential conflicts between values such as environmental protection, social and economic interests, animal welfare, cultural and aesthetic value, etc. We will discuss these conflicts, alongside some potential mitigating strategies present in the literature. We will stress in particular the need to take into account the ethical principle of fairness when assessing the economic and recreational value of invasive species, especially concerning the unfair distribution of costs. Moreover, we will assert the importance of conservation of A. pallipes both for its existence value and for its role as an umbrella and keystone species. Beyond its focus on A. pallipes, the Ethical Matrix here discussed might also provide insights on the value conflicts relative to analogous in situ conservation efforts involving a native species threatened by invasive alien competitors. Graphic abstract

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A New Threat to Groundwater Ecosystems: First Occurrences of the Invasive Crayfish Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852) in European Caves

Cited by 20 publications

References 21 publications

First Scientific Records of the Invasive Red Swamp Crayfish, Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852) (Crustacea: Cambaridae) in Malta, a Threat to Fragile Freshwater Habitats

First Scientific Records of the Invasive Red Swamp Crayfish, Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852) (Crustacea: Cambaridae) in Malta, a Threat to Fragile Freshwater Habitats

Aliens in caves: the global dimension of biological invasions in subterranean ecosystems

Value-conflicts in the conservation of a native species: a case study based on the endangered white-clawed crayfish in Europe

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