Thirty years of invasion: the distribution of the invasive crayfish Procambarus clarkii in Italy

Raoul Manenti,Mattia Falaschi,Gentile Francesco Ficetola,Elia Lo Parrino

doi:10.21426/b635047157

Abstract

The presence of the red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii in Italy is documented since 1989, but no comprehensive data are available on its spread through time at the national scale. New confirmed records for Procambarus clarkii are continuously arising in recent years across the country. By reviewing the scientific and grey literature, we obtained an up-to-date map of the species invasion in Italy. This information can help to monitor and understand the spread of this highly invasive crayfish and to implement more effective management measures.

Highlights

Intentional and inadvertent introductions of alien species have become more frequent than ever in the last decades, due to the effects of globalization, the increase of international trade (Westphal et al 2008, Hulme 2009)
Inland waters are susceptible to biological invasions and, in extreme cases, alien species can become a relevant part of freshwater communities, both in terms of the number of species and biomass (Strayer 2010)
Procambarus clarkii is a vector for the oomycete Aphanomyces astaci, causing the so-called crayfish plague, which is lethal for freshwater European crayfish species and already determined several local extinctions of native crayfish (Diéguez-Uribeondo and Söderhäll 1993, Holdich 1993, Aquiloni et al 2011, Loureiro et al 2015, Bonelli et al 2017, Manenti et al 2019)

Summary

Introduction

Intentional and inadvertent introductions of alien species have become more frequent than ever in the last decades, due to the effects of globalization, the increase of international trade (Westphal et al 2008, Hulme 2009). The red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii Girard, 1852 is a crayfish native from the United States and northern Mexico and, due to its relevance for aquaculture, in the last decades, it was introduced in all the continents except for Antarctica and Oceania (Holdich 1993, Capinha et al 2011, Loureiro et al 2015) This crayfish has a generalist diet (Barbaresi and Gherardi 2000, Loureiro et al 2015) and can tolerate extreme variations in oxygen level, water salinity and acidity, and even prolonged droughts (Claire and Wroiten 1978, Barbaresi and Gherardi 2000, Casellato and Masiero 2011, Loureiro et al 2015). Procambarus clarkii is a vector for the oomycete Aphanomyces astaci, causing the so-called crayfish plague, which is lethal for freshwater European crayfish species and already determined several local extinctions of native crayfish (Diéguez-Uribeondo and Söderhäll 1993, Holdich 1993, Aquiloni et al 2011, Loureiro et al 2015, Bonelli et al 2017, Manenti et al 2019)

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