Crayfish Feeding Preferences for Freshwater Macrophytes: The Influence of Plant Structure and Chemistry

Cronin, G. M.; Horvath, Thomas; Lindquist, Niels; Miller, Margaret A.; Wahl, Martin; Hill, Anna M.; Bolser, Robin C.; Hay, Mark E.; Lodge, David M.

doi:10.1163/20021975-99990285

Cited by 77 publications

(87 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Our results show that both generalist crayfish and snails preferred exotic over native plants even though they responded to different plant traits, with crayfish most affected by plant structural traits (i.e., preference patterns for live plants changing once the plants are dried and ground [37]) and snails responding more to plant chemical traits (i.e., the consistent preferences across live plants, ground plants, and plant extracts). Neither crayfish nor snails showed a correlation between plant preference and protein content, suggesting that protein (which commonly limits some herbivores [38]) had minimal influence on these feeding choices.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 79%

Herbivore Preference for Native vs. Exotic Plants: Generalist Herbivores from Multiple Continents Prefer Exotic Plants That Are Evolutionarily Naïve

2011

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Enemy release and biotic resistance are competing, but not mutually exclusive, hypotheses addressing the success or failure of non-native plants entering a new region. Enemy release predicts that exotic plants become invasive by escaping their co-adapted herbivores and by being unrecognized or unpalatable to native herbivores that have not been selected to consume them. In contrast, biotic resistance predicts that native generalist herbivores will suppress exotic plants that will not have been selected to deter these herbivores. We tested these hypotheses using five generalist herbivores from North or South America and nine confamilial pairs of native and exotic aquatic plants. Four of five herbivores showed 2.4–17.3 fold preferences for exotic over native plants. Three species of South American apple snails (Pomacea sp.) preferred North American over South American macrophytes, while a North American crayfish Procambarus spiculifer preferred South American, Asian, and Australian macrophytes over North American relatives. Apple snails have their center of diversity in South America, but a single species (Pomacea paludosa) occurs in North America. This species, with a South American lineage but a North American distribution, did not differentiate between South American and North American plants. Its preferences correlated with preferences of its South American relatives rather than with preferences of the North American crayfish, consistent with evolutionary inertia due to its South American lineage. Tests of plant traits indicated that the crayfish responded primarily to plant structure, the apple snails primarily to plant chemistry, and that plant protein concentration played no detectable role. Generalist herbivores preferred non-native plants, suggesting that intact guilds of native, generalist herbivores may provide biotic resistance to plant invasions. Past invasions may have been facilitated by removal of native herbivores, introduction of non-native herbivores (which commonly prefer native plants), or both.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 79%

Herbivore Preference for Native vs. Exotic Plants: Generalist Herbivores from Multiple Continents Prefer Exotic Plants That Are Evolutionarily Naïve

2011

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“…In The Netherlands currently six species of exotic crayfish have established, whereas the native crayfish Astacus astacus is almost extinct due to the crayfish plague [30]. Crayfish may reduce the standing stock of macrophytes by direct consumption [31,32], increase water turbidity through sediment resuspension [33] and destroy macrophyte biomass by non-consumptive plant shredding [34], leading to a severe reduction of macrophyte abundance in lakes where they have been introduced [31,35-37]. Additionally, invasive crayfish may prevent the recruitment of macrophytes as shown in rice fields and mesocosm studies [38].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Invasive Crayfish Threaten the Development of Submerged Macrophytes in Lake Restoration

et al. 2013

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Submerged macrophytes enhance water transparency and aquatic biodiversity in shallow water ecosystems. Therefore, the return of submerged macrophytes is the target of many lake restoration projects. However, at present, north-western European aquatic ecosystems are increasingly invaded by omnivorous exotic crayfish. We hypothesize that invasive crayfish pose a novel constraint on the regeneration of submerged macrophytes in restored lakes and may jeopardize restoration efforts. We experimentally investigated whether the invasive crayfish (Procambarus clarkii Girard) affects submerged macrophyte development in a Dutch peat lake where these crayfish are expanding rapidly. Seemingly favourable abiotic conditions for macrophyte growth existed in two 0.5 ha lake enclosures, which provided shelter and reduced turbidity, and in one lake enclosure iron was added to reduce internal nutrient loading, but macrophytes did not emerge. We transplanted three submerged macrophyte species in a full factorial exclosure experiment, where we separated the effect of crayfish from large vertebrates using different mesh sizes combined with a caging treatment stocked with crayfish only. The three transplanted macrophytes grew rapidly when protected from grazing in both lake enclosures, demonstrating that abiotic conditions for growth were suitable. Crayfish strongly reduced biomass and survival of all three macrophyte species while waterfowl and fish had no additive effects. Gut contents showed that crayfish were mostly carnivorous, but also consumed macrophytes. We show that P. clarkii strongly inhibit macrophyte development once favourable abiotic conditions for macrophyte growth are restored. Therefore, expansion of invasive crayfish poses a novel threat to the restoration of shallow water bodies in north-western Europe. Prevention of introduction and spread of crayfish is urgent, as management of invasive crayfish populations is very difficult.

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“…The cephalic molar field of the molar process is more extended and flattened on mandibles of the Faxonius species analyzed here than in those of our Procambarus species (see also Bouchard, ; Cronin et al, ; Smart et al, ); such a flattened field is also present in the species of the genus Cambarus analyzed here, and all astacids, as well as in Cherax and the marine lobster Nephrops norvegicus ; the caudal molar field in all these taxa is composed of obtuse tubercles (cusps) and is fully reduced in Nephrops .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 51%

“…Nevertheless, there are also published reports on food preferences in which the same species, for example, Procambarus clarkii , are considered primarily plant feeders (cf. Bouchard, ; Cronin et al, ; Smart et al, ) or predators (Alcorlo, Geiger, & Otero, ). Similarly, see, for example, Goddard () vs Nyström () for Pacifastacus leniusculus .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative morphology of crayfish mandibles, with insight into their evolution

Vojkovská

Horká

Ďuriš

2020

Journal of Morphology

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Mandibles of representatives of the Holarctic crayfish families Astacidae, Cambaridae, and Cambaroididae were examined using SEM, and the results were analyzed in a phylogenetic framework. The intraspecific variability of the incisor process was found to be higher than its interspecific variability, mainly due to extensive abrasion of its ridge during intermolt periods. The plesiomorphic state of the crayfish mandibles highlights the dentate–crenate type of the incisor process and the extensive ribbed molar field with a multicuspidate caudal part, typical of the two parastacid crayfish examined for comparison. For Holarctic crayfish, the initial evolutionary type of the incisor is also the dentate–crenate one, but the molar field has a bowl‐shaped caudal part and reduced cephalic part, both of which have been shown, for example, for Cambaroides. Similar mandibles are also widely present in American cambarids, which further evolved a blade‐like incisor process (some Faxonius spp.) or a tricuspidate or double‐bladed caudal molar field (some Procambarus spp.). The molar field in Astacidae crayfish is subdivided and rugose. The results of the present study indicate that little phylogenetic information is conveyed by the mandible shape at the species or genus level. Evolutionary changes are indicated mainly on the level of the main crayfish families. Research highlights Mandible shape can be an additional characteristic to distinguish crayfish families and selected genera. Obvious differences exist in the molar process rather than in the incisor ridge.

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Crayfish Feeding Preferences for Freshwater Macrophytes: The Influence of Plant Structure and Chemistry

Cited by 77 publications

References 14 publications

Herbivore Preference for Native vs. Exotic Plants: Generalist Herbivores from Multiple Continents Prefer Exotic Plants That Are Evolutionarily Naïve

Herbivore Preference for Native vs. Exotic Plants: Generalist Herbivores from Multiple Continents Prefer Exotic Plants That Are Evolutionarily Naïve

Invasive Crayfish Threaten the Development of Submerged Macrophytes in Lake Restoration

Comparative morphology of crayfish mandibles, with insight into their evolution

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