Abstract
Although native to the southeastern United States, the red swamp crayfish ( Procambarus clarkii) has become established worldwide through accidental and intentional actions by humans. In the Santa Monica Mountains of southern California, the presence of the omnivorous crayfish is associated with the absence or reduced abundance of native amphibians. The original source of P. clarkii in southern California is unknown; however genetic analysis can be used to determine sources of invasion. We sequenced 16S rRNA subunit and cytochrome oxidase I (COI) mitochondrial genes to trace the origins of P. clarkii in the Santa Monica Mountains. The resulting haplotype network of the combined COI and 16S rRNA subunit genes showed 19 distinct haplotypes and suggested multiple introductions of crayfish to the Santa Monica Mountains from possible source locations in Texas, Florida and Louisiana. Identifying original sources and mechanisms of
Highlights
Invasive species can threaten native biodiversity and damage commercially-important natural resources (Pimentel et al 2000)
A total of thirteen haplotypes were present among samples from native regions and a total of ten haplotypes were present among samples from the Santa Monica Mountains (Figure 2)
Our results suggest multiple introductions of the invasive crayfish from various populations in the native range, including Texas, Florida and Louisiana
Summary
Invasive species can threaten native biodiversity and damage commercially-important natural resources (Pimentel et al 2000). Identification of introduction pathways and source populations of invasive species can facilitate the development of techniques to control existing invasions and prevent further introductions. Historical records often provide insufficient documentation of the arrival and expansion of non-native species. Molecular genetic analysis can provide accurate identification of source populations, determination of number of introduction events and estimation of genetic diversity in introduced populations (Miura 2007). Genetic variation can be used to reconstruct phylogenies, retrace possible invasion pathways and estimate the arrival and frequency of introductions (Crandall and Fitzpatrick 1996; Mathews et al 2008; Hanfling et al 2002). The origins of an invasive barnacle, Chthamalus proteus, in the Pacific were determined by analysis of the cytochrome oxidase I mitochondrial gene (Zardus and Hadfield 2005)
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