scholarly journals Options for the control of Dikerogammarus villosus (killer shrimp) and other invasive amphipods

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 662-684
Author(s):  
Louisa Wood ◽  
Emily Smith ◽  
Jamie Bojko ◽  
Paul Stebbing
Keyword(s):  
Dikerogammarus Villosus ◽  
Invasive Amphipods

scholarly journals What doesn’t kill you doesn’t make you stronger: Parasites modify interference competition between two invasive amphipods

NeoBiota ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 69 ◽  
pp. 51-74
Author(s):  
Jarosław Kobak ◽  
Michał Rachalewski ◽  
Karolina Bącela-Spychalska
Keyword(s):  
Biological Invasions ◽  
Interspecific Interactions ◽  
Interference Competition ◽  
Dikerogammarus Villosus ◽  
Heterospecific Male ◽  
Invasive Amphipods ◽  
Cucumispora Dikerogammari ◽  
Dikerogammarus Haemobaphes

We used a freshwater amphipod-microsporidian model (Ponto-Caspian hosts: Dikerogammarus villosus and D. haemobaphes, parasite: Cucumispora dikerogammari) to check whether parasites affect biological invasions by modulating behaviour and intra- and interspecific interactions between the invaders. We tested competition for shelter in conspecific and heterospecific male pairs (one or both individuals infected or non-infected). In general, amphipods of both species increased their shelter occupancy time when accompanied by infected rather than non-infected conspecifics and heterospecifics. Infected amphipods faced lower aggression from non-infected conspecifics. Moreover, D. villosus was more aggressive than D. haemobaphes and more aggressive towards conspecifics vs. heterospecifics. In summary, infection reduced the intra- and interspecific competitivity of amphipods, which became less capable of defending their shelters, despite their unchanged need for shelter occupancy. Dikerogammarus haemobaphes, commonly considered as a weaker competitor, displaced by D. villosus from co-occupied locations, was able to compete efficiently for the shelter with D. villosus when microsporidian infections appeared on the scene. This suggests that parasites may be important mediators of biological invasions, facilitating the existence of large intra- and interspecific assemblages of invasive alien amphipods.

scholarly journals Superior predatory ability and abundance predicts potential ecological impact towards early-stage anurans by invasive ‘Killer Shrimp’ (Dikerogammarus villosus)

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel A. Warren ◽  
Stephanie J. Bradbeer ◽  
Alison M. Dunn
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Rana Temporaria ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Ecological Impact ◽  
Feeding Rates ◽  
Dikerogammarus Villosus ◽  
Invasive Amphipods ◽  
Near Future

AbstractInvasive alien species negatively impact upon biodiversity and generate significant economic costs worldwide. Globally, amphibians have suffered considerable losses, with a key driver being predation by large invasive invertebrate and vertebrate predators. However, there is no research regarding the potential ecological impact of small invertebrate invaders. The invasive freshwater amphipod Dikerogammarus villosus can act as a top predator capable of displacing native amphipods and preying heavily upon a range of native species. Listed as one of Europe’s top 100 worst invaders, D. villosus has significantly restructured freshwater communities across western Europe and is expected to invade North America in the near future. Here we explore the ecological impact of invasive D. villosus upon UK native and invasive amphibians (Rana temporaria and Xenopus laevis respectively) using the “Relative Impact Potential” (RIP) metric. By combining estimations of per capita effects (i.e. functional response; FR) and relative field abundances, we apply the RIP metric to quantify the potential ecological impact of invasive D. villosus upon embryonic and larval amphibian prey, compared to the native amphipod Gammarus pulex. Both native and invasive amphipods consumed early-stage amphibians and exhibited potentially destabilising Type II FRs. However, larger body size in invasive D. villosus translated into a superior FR through significantly lower handling times and subsequently higher maximum feeding rates—up to seven times greater than native G. pulex. Higher invader abundance also drove elevated RIP scores for invasive D. villosus, with potential impact scores predicted up to 15.4 times greater than native G. pulex. Overall, D. villosus is predicted to have a greater predatory impact upon amphibian populations than G. pulex, due primarily to its larger body size and superior field abundance, potentially reducing amphibian recruitment within invaded regions.

scholarly journals Ontogenetic shift in the trophic role of the invasive killer shrimp Dikerogammarus villosus: a stable isotope study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Mancini ◽  
Raffaele De Giorgi ◽  
Alessandro Ludovisi ◽  
Salvatrice Vizzini ◽  
Giorgio Mancinelli
Keyword(s):  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Trophic Position ◽  
Ecological Impact ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Dikerogammarus Villosus ◽  
Isotopic Signatures ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Stable Isotope Study ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe introduction of the amphipod Dikerogammarus villosus in European fresh waters is to date recognized as a threat to the integrity of invaded communities. Predation by D. villosus on native benthic invertebrates is assumed as the key determinant of its ecological impact, yet available information describe the species as a primary consumer as well as a carnivore depending on local conditions. Here, we assessed the trophic position (TP) of D. villosus in Lake Trasimeno, a recently invaded lentic system in central Italy, using the CN isotopic signatures of individuals captured in winter spanning two orders of magnitude in body size. TP estimations were compared with those characterizing the native amphipod Echinogammarus veneris and other representative invertebrate predators. On average, D. villosus showed a trophic position higher than E. veneris, and comparable with that of odonate nymphs. An in-depth analysis revealed that large-sized individuals had a trophic position of 3.07, higher than odonates and close to that of the hirudinean predator Erpobdella octoculata, while small-sized specimens had a trophic position of 2.57, similar to that of E. veneris (2.41). These findings indicate that size-related ontogenetic shifts in dietary habits may per se vary the nature of the interaction between Dikerogammarus villosus and native invertebrates from competition to predation. Information collated from published isotopic studies corroborated the generality of our results. We conclude that intra-specific trophic flexibility may potentially amplify and make more multifaceted the impact of the species on other invertebrate species in invaded food webs.

scholarly journals Mouthparts of the Ponto-Caspian Invader Dikerogammarus Villosus (Amphipoda: Pontogammaridae)

2008 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerd Mayer ◽  
Dieter Waloszek ◽  
Gerhard Maier ◽  
Andreas Maas
Keyword(s):  
Dikerogammarus Villosus

Dikerogammarus villosus (Sowinsky, 1894) (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Gammaridae) for the first time in Italy

2006 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Casellato ◽  
Giovanni La Piana ◽  
Leonardo Latella ◽  
Sandro Ruffo
Keyword(s):  
Dikerogammarus Villosus ◽  
First Time
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