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The burrowing activity of the invasive redswamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, was studied along a 25-m-long transect in an irrigation ditch system in Italy. Our objective was to understand the factors inducing this species' intense digging, which can result in bank collapse and consequently in severe damage to both agricultural fields and natural ecosystems. Burrow morphology and position, together with their occupancy by crayfish and digging, were recorded once every 6 h for 10 consecutive days. The majority of burrows were simple, although a few had a chimney and were constructed at a farther distance from the water surface than simple burrows. Burrow occupancy and digging, together with their plugged/unplugged status, were constant throughout a 24-h cycle and were not related to any abiotic parameter of the habitat. Crayfish occupied and dug a burrow for a relatively short time (6 h on average). Once abandoned, old burrows were rarely reoccupied and often collapsed, while crayfish excavated new ones. As a result, the overall number of burrows increased. This massive use of banks by P. clarkii seems to be related to soil composition and humidity, which favour crayfish digging but also cause the easy collapse of burrows.
The burrowing activity of the invasive redswamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, was studied along a 25-m-long transect in an irrigation ditch system in Italy. Our objective was to understand the factors inducing this species' intense digging, which can result in bank collapse and consequently in severe damage to both agricultural fields and natural ecosystems. Burrow morphology and position, together with their occupancy by crayfish and digging, were recorded once every 6 h for 10 consecutive days. The majority of burrows were simple, although a few had a chimney and were constructed at a farther distance from the water surface than simple burrows. Burrow occupancy and digging, together with their plugged/unplugged status, were constant throughout a 24-h cycle and were not related to any abiotic parameter of the habitat. Crayfish occupied and dug a burrow for a relatively short time (6 h on average). Once abandoned, old burrows were rarely reoccupied and often collapsed, while crayfish excavated new ones. As a result, the overall number of burrows increased. This massive use of banks by P. clarkii seems to be related to soil composition and humidity, which favour crayfish digging but also cause the easy collapse of burrows.
1. Movements between a stream reach and two adjacent lentic macrohabitats, a beaver pond and a lake, were followed for the Appalachian crayfish and two fish species, brook charr and brown bullhead, over an 85-d period from early June to late August, and were analysed in relation to water level, maximum water temperature, photoperiod length, lunar luminosity, and age, by use of time-series regressions. 2. Brook charr showed strong net immigration to the stream reach for underyearling (age class 0+) fish but net emigration for 1+ fish. Both immigration and emigration were positively related to water level and temperature; migratory responses to temperature were age-specific. 3. Brown bullhead used the stream primarily as a corridor for downstream migration from the beaver pond to the lake. As with brook charr, water level and temperature had a positive effect on movement and responses were stronger in younger individuals. 4. Crayfish emigrated from the stream during the summer. Movements were positively related to increases in water level and temperature, with responses of 1+ crayfish much stronger than those of older individuals. 5. The results indicate that the stream tributary played different roles for brook charr (nursery), brown bullhead (dispersal corridor) and Appalachian crayfish (early summer refuge), and suggest that variation in water level or temperature resulting from climatic change or local anthropogenic activities might modify connectivity between macrohabitats, particularly for younger individuals.
Crayfish are aggressive animals that compete to acquire resources such as shelters, food, and mates. Shelters are a primary resource that crayfish use for protection from conspecifics and predators. Despite the importance of this resource, no field research has been performed that studies the acquisition and control of this resource. The present study examines shelter use in a natural habitat and the impact that shelter ownership has on the intensity and outcome of agonistic encounters. A stationary underwater camera was used to observe crayfish, Orconectes rusticus, shelter use and agonistic interactions in a natural lake environment. These shelters were formed naturally in iron outcroppings found on the limestone and detritus benthos. Crayfish activity and shelter use was found to be dependent upon a circadian cycle with most of the shelter use occurring during the morning to early afternoon (05:00–13:00 hours). Agonistic encounters in the presence of shelters resulted in short, low intensity interactions. Interestingly, fight outcomes were not significantly affected by shelter ownership, but were primarily determined by size differential of combatants. This outcome may be due to the prevalence of shelters within this habitat. Contrary to laboratory studies, these results indicate that shelter ownership may not be an important factor in determining resource‐holding potential in some habitats.
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