Consequences of introducing the invasive amphipod Gmelinoides fasciatus into large shallow Lake Peipsi: present distribution and possible effects on fish food

Abstract

The objective of the study was to assess the effect of the Baikalian amphipod Gmelinoides fasciatus, a successful invader into Europe, as a fish food source in Lake Peipsi to where it was introduced in the 1970s. In 2002-2006, the littoral macrozoobenthos was studied along 17 transects (0.1-4 m depth, 384 quantitative samples) to determine the recent distribution of G. fasciatus and its share in the benthic community. Earlier records on the littoral macrozoobenthos from the years 1970, 1980, 1990 and 2000 were also used for comparison. Our results indicate that the invasive G. fasciatus is the dominant species (about 43% of total macrozoobenthos abundance) in the littoral zone of Lake Peipsi, while the native gammarids Gammarus lacustris and Pallasea quadrispinosa appear to be extinct and oligochaetes seem to have declined. G. fasciatus preferred hard substrates and it was mainly distributed close to water shallow beach areas (water depth <0.2 m), where its abundance reached locally up to 29 000 ind. m )2 (97% of total macrozoobenthos abundance). This distribution pattern of the invader in summer makes it mostly inaccessible for adult fish and increases its survival rate. Being highly mobile, G. fasciatus is not sensitive to water level fluctuations in shallow lakes. These behavioural characteristic increase its population success.

Behavioural responses of invasive (Gmelinoides faciatus) and native (Gammarus lacustris) amphipods to predators on different bottom substrates

“…In Lake Peipsi, G. fasciatus was most abundant on coarse particle substrates, most notably gravel and sand, while their abundance on silt was minimal (Kangur et al 2010). This result suggested that coarser substrates provided the best refuge from predators.…”

“…In addition to outcompeting native amphipods, other important shifts in native communities have been recorded. The littoral area (< 4 m depth) of Lake Peipsi accounts for approximately 5% of the lake bottom, whereas G. fasciatus represents approximately 43% of total macrozoobenthos abundance (Kangur et al 2010). Furthermore, at a suitable depth (< 0.2 m) and substrate (gravel and sand), G. fasciatus comprises up to 97% of total macrozoobenthos abundance, excluding other macroinvertebrates and effectively forming a zoobenthos "monoculture" (Kangur et al 2010).…”

“…G. fasciatus inhabits shallow littoral areas in lakes (Berezina et al 2009;Kangur et al 2010;Kumari et al 2007), replacing their native counterparts once established in the same habitat. Prior to the G. fasciatus invasion in Lake Peipsi, P. quadrispinosa inhabited sand bottom habitats, and G. lacustris inhabited stony and vegetated littoral areas (Timm and Timm 1993).…”

Чужеродные Макробеспозвоночные В Донных Сообществах Новосибирского Водохранилища (Эколого-Фаунистический Обзор)

“…В последние десятилетия активно расселяется по всей Евразии, имеются многочисленные сведения о нахождении его в озерах (Ладожское, Псковско-Чудское), волжских водохранилищах, водохранилищах Ангарского каскада, в водоемах бассейна оз. Байкал (Panov, 1996;Basova, 2002;Berezina, Strelnikova, 2010;Kangur et al, 2010;Kurashov et al, 2012). Всеядность G. fasciatus, высокая подвижность рачков и способность к горизонтальным ациклическим миграциям повышают возможность сохранения популяций при воздействии неблагоприятных факторов и способствуют быстрому и успешному освоению разнотипных водоемов (Biological invasions …, 2004).…”

Foreword: Alien species in aquaculture and fisheries

“…Although many non‐native species are beneficial to humans (e.g. Gozlan, 2008; Arbačiauskas et al., 2010, this issue), a relatively small, but significant, proportion of them becomes invasive (Wolter and Röhr, 2010, this issue) and produces far‐reaching adverse impacts on native species and ecosystems (Britayev et al., 2010, this issue; La Porta et al., 2010, this issue; Kangur et al., 2010a, this issue; Kangur et al., 2010b, this issue). This can lead to significant economic losses and even pose risks to human health (Pimentel, 2000).…”