High fecundity and predation pressure of the invasive Gammarus tigrinus cause decline of indigenous gammarids

Abstract

The North American amphipod Gammarus tigrinus is one of the most aggressive invaders recently expanding its distribution in the European waters. The species was detected in the north-eastern Baltic Sea in 2003 and has rapidly expanded its distribution ever since. This invasive amphipod has been notably successful in shallow, soft and mixed bottom habitats becoming one of the most abundant gammarid colonizing such environments. This study carried out two experiments: (1) an outdoor aquarium experiment to assess interspecific competition among the invasive G. tigrinus and the native Gammarus duebeni and compare their reproductive potential, and (2) an in situ meshbag experiment to determine the effect of adult G. tigrinus and native gammarids on juvenile gammarid amphipods. These demonstrated that the adult G. tigrinus had no effects on the adult G. duebeni; however, the invasive amphipod had higher reproductive potential compared to the native species such as G. duebeni. Moreover, almost all adult gammarids exerted a significant predation pressure on juvenile amphipods. Thus, the combined effect of predation on juvenile amphipods and large brood production of G. tigrinus could be plausible explanations describing increased abundance of G. tigrinus and decrease of local gammarid populations in the north-eastern Baltic Sea but plausibly in similar shallow water habitats in other seas.