Host shift to non-native species or ecological dead end? Endangered branchiobdellidans (Annelida: Clitellata) found on introduced Signal Crayfish in Japan

Abstract

Symbionts, including parasites, are usually small and thus have been overlooked for their existence and scientific research. In the context of biological invasion, host shifts between native and non-native species occur. Since symbionts often affect host behaviour and survival, it is important to reveal the cryptic invasions and host shifts of such small symbionts. Here, we report the first evidence of the potential host shift of a native endangered branchiobdellidans, ectosymbiotic crayfish worms, to a non-native Signal Crayfish, Pacifastacus leniusculus (Dana 1852), in Hokkaido, Japan. Pacifastacus leniusculus is native to North America and was recently introduced to the Atsubetsu River system in Sapporo. In addition to the North American ectosymbiont, Sathodrilus tetrodonta (Pierantoni, 1906), we found an endangered Japanese species, Cirrodrilus cirratus complex on P. leniusculus. However, C. cirratus complex as well as S. tetrodonta were not found on the native Japanese Crayfish, Cambaroides japonicus (De Haan, 1841), in the same river system, indicating a host shift of the ectosymbiont to invasive crayfish. It remains unclear whether C. cirratus complex will persist for a long time with the non-native host or if this is only a transient leading to local extinction.