Recent invasion of the karstic river systems in Croatia through illegal introductions of the signal crayfish
Published Online: 2/15/2013
Abstract
The signal crayfish, Pacifastacus leniusculus (Dana), is one of the most successful crayfish invaders in Europe. In this study, we report the first evidence of its range expansion into a karstic river in Croatia (Korana River) through deliberate introduction. In order to estimate the extent of this recent invasion and its potential threat to existing native crayfish populations, we examined distributional and population characteristics of signal crayfish in the Korana River. Research showed that the current distribution of signal crayfish in the Korana River is localized within 10 km of its lower reach. The point of introduction was probably at the centre of the invaded area, where the highest catch per unit effort was recorded. Due to the proximity to the confluence with other rivers, the downstream invasion edge represents the most important corridor for further signal crayfish expansion throughout the Sava River Basin. In the invaded area, P. leniusculus is gradually displacing the native Astacus leptodactylus, which was absent from sites with high P. leniusculus abundance, and showed two to ten times lower abundance in mixed populations at both invasion fronts. Spatial analyses demonstrated that two additional native species present in the Korana catchment are under immediate threat from signal crayfish dispersal.
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How to Cite
Hudina S, Žganec K, Lucić A, Trgovčić and Maguire I. (2013). Recent invasion of the karstic river systems in Croatia through illegal introductions of the signal crayfish. Freshwater Crayfish 19(1):21-27. doi: 10.5869/fc.2013.v19.021
Author Information
Sandra Hudina,* Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Rooseveltov trg 6, Zagreb, Croatia, Croatia10000. E-mail: shudina@biol.pmf.hr
Krešimir Žganec, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Rooseveltov trg 6, Zagreb, Croatia, Croatia10000. E-mail: kreso@biol.pmf.hr
Andreja Lucić, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Rooseveltov trg 6, Zagreb, Croatia, Croatia10000. E-mail: andreja@biol.pmf.hr
Krešimira Trgovčić, None, Project associate, Ivana Meštrovica 1c, Karlovac, Croatia, Croatia47000. E-mail: k_trgovcic@yahoo.com
Ivana Maguire, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Rooseveltov trg 6, Zagreb, Croatia, Croatia10000. E-mail: imaguire@biol.pmf.hr
Corresponding Author indicated by an *.
Publication History
Manuscript Submitted: 9/28/2012
Manuscript Accepted: 1/24/2013
Published Online: 2/15/2013
Published in Print: 2/15/2013
Funding Information
No specific funding statement is available for this article.