Force and Boldness: Cumulative Assets of a Successful Crayfish Invader

Multiple causes can determine the disturbance of natural equilibrium in a population of a species, with a common one being the presence of invasive competitors. Invasives can drive native species to the resettlement of the trophic position, changing reproduction strategies or even daily normal behaviours. Here, we investigated the hypothesis that more effective anatomical features of an intruder (Faxonius limosus) come with increased boldness behaviour, contributing to their invasion success in competition against the native species (Pontastacus leptodactylus). We tested the boldness of specimens representing the two species by video-based assessment of crayfish individuals’ attempts to leave their settlement microenvironment. The experiment was followed by a series of measurements concerning chelae biometry, force and muscle energetics. The native species was less expressive in terms of boldness even if it had larger chelae and better muscular tissue performance. In contrast, because of better biomechanical construction of the chelae, the invasive species was capable of twice superior force achievements, which expectedly explained its bolder behaviour. These findings suggest that, in interspecific agonistic interactions, the behaviour strategy of the invasive crayfish species is based on sheer physical superiority, whereas the native crayfish relies on intimidation display.

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Detection and Control of Invasive Freshwater Crayfish: From Traditional to Innovative Methods

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d11010005 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 5 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Chiara Manfrin ◽

Catherine Souty-Grosset ◽

Pedro M. Anastácio ◽

Julian Reynolds ◽

Piero G. Giulianini

Keyword(s):

Oral Delivery ◽

Native Species ◽

Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽

Freshwater Ecosystem ◽

Freshwater Crayfish ◽

Innovative Methods ◽

Management Plans ◽

Invasive Crayfish ◽

Native Crayfish ◽

And Control

Invasive alien species are widespread in freshwater systems compared to terrestrial ecosystems. Among crustaceans, crayfish in particular have been widely introduced and are considered a major threat to freshwater ecosystem functioning. New emerging techniques for detecting and controlling invasive crayfish and protecting endangered native species are; thus, now highly desirable and several are under evaluation. Important innovations have been developed in recent years for detection of both invasive and native crayfish, mainly through eDNA, which allows for the detection of the target species even at low abundance levels and when not directly observable. Forecasting models have also moved towards the creation of realistic invasion scenarios, allowing effective management plans to be developed in advance of invasions. The importance of monitoring the spread and impacts of crayfish and pathogens in developing national data and research networks is emphasised; here “citizen science” can also play a role. Emerging techniques are still being considered in the field of invasive crayfish control. Although for decades the main traditional techniques to manage invasive crayfish were solely based on trapping, since 2010 biological, biocidal, autocidal controls and sexual attractants, monosex populations, RNA interference, the sterile male release technique and oral delivery have all also been investigated for crayfish control. In this review, ongoing methodologies applied to the detection and management of invasive crayfish are discussed, highlighting their benefits and limitations.

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A comparative study of the physiological condition of native and invasive crayfish in Croatian rivers

Biologia ◽

10.2478/s11756-011-0151-x ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 67 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Andreja Lucić ◽

Sandra Hudina ◽

Matej Faller ◽

Darko Cerjanec

Keyword(s):

Native Species ◽

Physiological Condition ◽

Energy Content ◽

Abdominal Muscle ◽

Pacifastacus Leniusculus ◽

Astacus Astacus ◽

Orconectes Limosus ◽

Invasive Crayfish ◽

Native Crayfish ◽

Crayfish Species

AbstractThe physiological condition of two invasive crayfish species identified in Croatian rivers (Orconectes limosus and Pacifastacus leniusculus) was compared with that of native crayfish populations (Astacus astacus and A. leptodactylus). Hepatosomatic, gonadosomatic and abdominal muscle indices were examined for all four species and within a specific invadernative pair. The results demonstrate that invasive crayfish had better overall physiological condition when compared to native species, with a higher energy content of the hepatopancreas, abdominal muscle and gonads in invasive than in native species, with the exception of A. leptodactylus females which demonstrated an increased ability to allocate energy to reproduction in comparison with other species. These results also indicate that A. astacus is physiologically more unstable than A. leptodactylus and thus more likely to be outcompeted and replaced by non-indigenous crayfish species.

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Invasive crayfish Orconectes rusticus (Decapoda, Cambaridae) is a more effective predator of substrate nesting fish eggs than native crayfish (O. virilis)

Crustaceana ◽

10.1163/15685403-00003187 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 86 (4) ◽

pp. 387-402 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Joshua W. Morse ◽

A. K. Baldridge ◽

L. W. Sargent

Keyword(s):

Native Species ◽

Resource Competition ◽

High Energy ◽

Indigenous Species ◽

Orconectes Rusticus ◽

Fish Eggs ◽

Ideal System ◽

Invasive Crayfish ◽

Non Indigenous Species ◽

Native Crayfish

Non-indigenous crayfish pose substantial threats to native species, community structure, and ecosystem function in invaded lakes across the globe. The well-documented range expansion of the rusty crayfish Orconectes rusticus is an ideal system to study potential relationships between the attributes that contribute to invasive success, and the ways in which non-indigenous species alter invaded systems. In Michigan and northern Wisconsin (U.S.A.) lakes where O. rusticus is replacing its native congener O. virilis, it is thought that O. rusticus invasion may account for decreased fish abundance. However, not all of the potential mechanisms that could drive this process have been explored. We examined the hypothesis that O. rusticus are better benthic egg predators than O. virilis, and tested the prediction that O. rusticus would consume substrate bound fish eggs at a higher rate than its native congener. Support for this hypothesis would suggest that O. rusticus may be able to access a high-energy food source better than O. virilis, and exert predation pressures that could limit the abundance of fish species which might otherwise limit crayfish populations through top-down control. In laboratory experiments, we determined that O. rusticus exhibit a positive correlation between feeding rate and carapace length not displayed by O. virilis, and that larger O. rusticus feed at a higher rate than their native congener. We also found that O. rusticus in laboratory feeding trials engaged in longer feeding events than crayfish foraging in situ in a substrate-spawning fish nest, a factor which could give O. rusticus an advantage in resource competition with its native congener O. virilis. Collectively, these findings support the hypothesis that O. rusticus is a better predator of substrate bound fish eggs than O. virilis, and suggest that direct predation by crayfish may influence fish reproduction in lakes where O. rusticus replaces O. virilis.

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Effect of phenology on agonistic competitive interactions between invasive and native sheet-web spiders

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/cjz-2015-0221 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 94 (6) ◽

pp. 427-434 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jeremy D. Houser ◽

Adam H. Porter ◽

Howard S. Ginsberg ◽

Elizabeth M. Jakob

Keyword(s):

Competitive Advantage ◽

Native Species ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Relative Size ◽

Agonistic Interactions ◽

Resident Species ◽

The Third ◽

Linyphia Triangularis ◽

Size Interaction ◽

Very High

The phenologies of introduced relative to native species can greatly influence the degree and symmetry of competition between them. The European spider Linyphia triangularis (Clerck, 1757) (Linyphiidae) reaches very high densities in coastal Maine (USA). Previous studies suggest that L. triangularis negatively affects native linyphiid species, with competition for webs as one mechanism. We documented phenological differences between L. triangularis and three native species that illustrate the potential for the reversal of size-based competitive advantage over the course of the year. To test whether relative size influences interaction outcome, we allowed a resident spider to build a web and then introduced an intruder. We examined whether the outcomes of agonistic interactions over the webs were influenced by the species of the resident (invasive or native), the relative size of the contestants, and the species × size interaction. We found that the importance of relative size differed among species. In interactions between L. triangularis and each of two native species, size played a greater role than resident species on the outcome of interactions, suggesting that competitive advantage reverses over the season based on phenology-related size differences. Linyphia triangularis had a negative impact on the third species regardless of relative size.

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Indirect effects and facilitation among native and non-native species promote invasion success along an environmental stress gradient

Journal of Ecology ◽

10.1111/1365-2745.12093 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 101 (4) ◽

pp. 905-915 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

Phoebe L. Zarnetske ◽

Tarik C. Gouhier ◽

Sally D. Hacker ◽

Eric W. Seabloom ◽

Vrushali A. Bokil

Keyword(s):

Environmental Stress ◽

Indirect Effects ◽

Native Species ◽

Stress Gradient ◽

Invasion Success

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Ectoparasite extinction in simplified lizard assemblages during experimental island invasion

Biology Letters ◽

10.1098/rsbl.2020.0474 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 16 (8) ◽

pp. 20200474 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Christian L. Cox ◽

Sean Alexander ◽

Brianna Casement ◽

Albert K. Chung ◽

John David Curlis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Introduced Species ◽

Native Species ◽

Population Expansion ◽

Enemy Release ◽

Total Density ◽

Agonistic Interactions ◽

Native Communities ◽

Trombiculid Mite ◽

Density And Biomass ◽

Field Transplant

Introduced species can become invasive, damaging ecosystems and disrupting economies through explosive population growth. One mechanism underlying population expansion in invasive populations is ‘enemy release’, whereby the invader experiences relaxation of agonistic interactions with other species, including parasites. However, direct observational evidence of release from parasitism during invasion is rare. We mimicked the early stages of invasion by experimentally translocating populations of mite-parasitized slender anole lizards ( Anolis apletophallus ) to islands that varied in the number of native anoles. Two islands were anole-free prior to the introduction, whereas a third island had a resident population of Gaige's anole ( Anolis gaigei ). We then characterized changes in trombiculid mite parasitism over multiple generations post-introduction. We found that mites rapidly went extinct on one-species islands, but that lizards introduced to the two-species island retained mites. After three generations, the two-species island had the highest total density and biomass of lizards, but the lowest density of the introduced species, implying that the ‘invasion’ had been less successful. This field-transplant study suggests that native species can be ‘enemy reservoirs’ that facilitate co-colonization of ectoparasites with the invasive host. Broadly, these results indicate that the presence of intact and diverse native communities may help to curb invasiveness.

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Trapping for invasive crayfish: comparisons of efficacy and selectivity of baited traps versus novel artificial refuge traps

Knowledge and Management of Aquatic Ecosystems ◽

10.1051/kmae/2018007 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 15 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Nicky Green ◽

Matt Bentley ◽

Paul Stebbing ◽

Demetra Andreou ◽

Robert Britton

Keyword(s):

Ecological Impacts ◽

Catch Per Unit Effort ◽

Metal Base ◽

Baited Traps ◽

Trapping Method ◽

Invasive Crayfish ◽

Trapping Methods ◽

Body Sizes ◽

The Mean ◽

Native Crayfish

Non-native crayfish can dominate the invertebrate biomass of invaded freshwaters, with their high ecological impacts resulting in their populations being controlled by numerous methods, especially trapping. Although baited funnel traps (BTs) are commonly used, they tend to be selective in mainly catching large-bodied males. Here, the efficacy and selectivity of BTs were tested against an alternative trapping method based on artificial refuges (ARTs) that comprised of a metal base with several tubes (refuges) attached. The target species was signal crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus in an upland river in southwest England. Trapping was completed in April to October over two consecutive years. In total, 5897 crayfish were captured, with 87% captured in ARTs. Comparison of the catch per unit effort (CPUE) between the trapping methods in the same 24 hour periods revealed significantly higher CPUE in ARTs than of BTs. ARTs fished for 6 consecutive days had higher catches than both methods over 24 hours. Whilst catches in BTs were significantly dominated by males (1.49M:1F), the sex ratio of catches in ARTs was 0.99M:1F. The mean carapace length of crayfish was also significantly larger in BTs (43.2 ± 0.6 mm) than in ARTs (33.6 ± 0.2 mm). Thus, ARTs had higher CPUE over 24 hour and 6 day periods versus BTs and also captured a greater proportion of smaller and female individuals. These results indicate that when trapping methods are deployed for managing invasions, the use of ARTs removes substantial numbers of crayfish of both sexes and of varying body sizes.

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Native turncoats and indirect facilitation of species invasions

Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.2017.1936 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 285 (1871) ◽

pp. 20171936 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Tobin D. Northfield ◽

Susan G. W. Laurance ◽

Margaret M. Mayfield ◽

Dean R. Paini ◽

William E. Snyder ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Invasive Species ◽

Native Species ◽

Potential Role ◽

Indirect Interactions ◽

Invasion Success ◽

Competitive Interactions ◽

Species Invasion ◽

Species Invasions ◽

Indirect Facilitation

At local scales, native species can resist invasion by feeding on and competing with would-be invasive species. However, this relationship tends to break down or reverse at larger scales. Here, we consider the role of native species as indirect facilitators of invasion and their potential role in this diversity-driven ‘invasion paradox’. We coin the term ‘native turncoats’ to describe native facilitators of non-native species and identify eight ways they may indirectly facilitate species invasion. Some are commonly documented, while others, such as indirect interactions within competitive communities, are largely undocumented in an invasion context. Therefore, we use models to evaluate the likelihood that these competitive interactions influence invasions. We find that native turncoat effects increase with the number of resources and native species. Furthermore, our findings suggest the existence, abundance and effectiveness of native turncoats in a community could greatly influence invasion success at large scales.

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Differences in seed properties and germination between native and introduced populations of Triadica sebifera

Journal of Plant Ecology ◽

10.1093/jpe/rtz048 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 70-77 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jialiang Zhang ◽

Evan Siemann ◽

Baoliang Tian ◽

Wei Huang ◽

Jianqing Ding

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Seed Germination ◽

Soluble Protein ◽

Native Species ◽

Seed Mass ◽

The United States ◽

Invasion Success ◽

Native Range ◽

Triadica Sebifera ◽

Introduced Range

Abstract Aims Seeds of many invasive plants germinate more quickly than those of native species, likely facilitating invasion success. Assessing the germination traits and seed properties simultaneously for introduced and native populations of an invasive plant is essential to understanding biological invasions. Here, we used Triadica sebifera as a study organism to examine intraspecific differences in seed germination together with seed characteristics. Methods We measured physical (volume, mass, coat hardness and coat thickness of seeds) and chemical (crude fat, soluble protein, sugar, gibberellins [GA] and abscisic acid [ABA] of kernels) properties of T. sebifera seeds collected in 2017 from 12 introduced (United States) populations and 12 native (China) populations and tested their germination rates and timing in a greenhouse experiment in China. Furthermore, we conducted an extra experiment in the United States using seeds collected in 2016 and 2017 to compare the effects of study sites (China vs. United States) and seed collection time (2016 vs. 2017) on seed germination. Important Findings Seeds from the introduced range germinated faster than those from the native range. Physical and chemical measurements showed that seeds from the introduced range were larger, had higher GA concentrations and GA:ABA ratio, but lower crude fat concentrations compared to those from the native range. There were no significant differences in seed mass, coat hardness and coat thickness or kernel ABA, soluble protein or sugar concentrations between seeds from introduced vs. native ranges. Germination rates were correlated between United States and China greenhouses but germination rates for populations varied between collection years. Our results suggest that larger seeds and higher GA likely contribute to faster germination, potentially facilitating T. sebifera invasion in the introduced range.

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