Population Genetic Structure and Post-Establishment Dispersal Patterns of the Red Swamp Crayfish Procambarus Clarkii in China

Yanhe Li,Wei Luo,Xianwu Guo,Wei Deng,Weimin Wang,Xiaojuan Cao,Zhanjiang Liu

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0040652

Abstract

The red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) was introduced to China in the early 20th century. It has been spread to almost all forms of fresh water bodies including lakes, rivers and even paddyfields in most provinces of China. To clarify issues such as the initial entry point(s), dispersal pattern, genetic diversity and genetic structure of Procambarus clarkii in China, the genetic structure and diversity of P. clarkii populations at 37 sampling sites (35 from China, one from the USA and one from Japan) were analyzed using both mitochondrial gene sequences (COI and 16S rRNA) and 12 nuclear microsatellites. Multiple tests including phylogenetic analyses, Bayesian assignment and analysis of isolation by distance showed that (i) the population from Japan and those collected from China, particularly from NanJing (BGt and XG) and its some neighboring sites (CJr, NT and NB), have similar genetic composition, (ii) relatively high genetic diversity was detected in Chinese populations, (iii) the P. clarkii populations in China did not experience significant population expansions. Taken together, Nanjing, Jiangsu province is the presumed initial entry point, and human-mediated dispersal and adaptive variation are likely responsible for the observed genetic pattern of P. clarkii in China.

Highlights

Successful biological invasions require that non-indigenous species pass through a series of filtering stages including transport, release, population establishment, and in many cases, dispersal
Invasion Population Structure and Dispersal Pattern Several reports have suggested that natural dispersal between rivers or/and lakes had the major impacts on the dispersal of P. clarkii [5,10]
Based on our genetic analyses, the rates of gene flow among population BGt and other populations along the Changjiang (Yangtze) River, such as WX, MAS, and CJr were higher than that among the populations (BGt, XG and XBv) in Nanjing and two Xuyi populations, which indicated the importance of natural dispersal between rivers or/and lakes for P. clarkii dispersal

Summary

Introduction

Successful biological invasions require that non-indigenous species pass through a series of filtering stages including transport, release, population establishment, and in many cases, dispersal. The red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), native to south central USA and northeastern Mexico, is one of the most notorious invasive species in the world [2,3]. A well documented example of rapid expansion is the dispersal of this crayfish in the southern Portugal and Mediterranean wetlands [4,6]. Since this crayfish was introduced into two aquaculture installations located in Sevilla and Badajoz in Spain [7] in 1973, it has become a widespread species throughout southern Portugal, the Mediterranean wetlands and some other places in Europe only for three decades [4,6,8]

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