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ACTA ZOOLOGICA BULGARICA Acta zool. bulg., Suppl. 7, 2014: 143-146

Invasive on Land: limosus (Rafinesque, 1817) (: ) Crossed a Terrestrial Barrier to Move from a Side Arm into the Danube River at Szeremle, Hungary

Miklós Puky

MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Danube Research Institute, H-2131 Göd, Jávorka Sándor u. 14., Hungary; Email: [email protected]

Abstract: Non-indigenous crayfish species have successfully invaded many European lentic and lotic ecosystems in the past 120 years. (Rafinesque, 1817) has one of the largest distribution areas from among these taxa. Its invasion front has recently reached the Lower Danube while it has also been gradu- ally colonising Middle Danubian tributaries and adjacent areas in the Carpathian Basin. A further charac- teristic with invasion implications was observed along the Danube River at Szeremle, Hungary. On 28th September, 2011, at 3.15 pm an adult individual of O. limosus was observed walking from the Szeremle dead arm towards the Danube River. The river and the Szeremle arm are separated by a dike during low and medium water levels. The individual crossed successfully the dike and covered a distance of approxi- mately 20 metres between the two separate water bodies. It is the first record of O. limosus in the Danube River catchment crossing on land from one water body into another. This behaviour definitely helps the colonisation of new water bodies when only small stretches of land separate inhabited and non-inhabited water bodies. It may also help the exchange of individuals between neighbouring populations, as well as to allow the use of terrestrial escape routes in case of desiccation or pollution of the water body.

Introduction Mainly due to intensive transport of goods and peo- ber of established aquatic species is lower than, ple to and from other continents in the previous for example, that of terrestrial plants (DAISIE). centuries, is a continent where more than 11 However, aquatic alien species may threaten 000 alien species exist (DAISIE). Their taxonomic equally seriously the biodiversity and may cause composition is really diverse, including species from damage. As an example, fighting a long-establis- bacteria to mammals. About 15% of these alien spe- hed invasive decapod, Eriocheir sinensis (Edwards, cies cause economic damage and 15% of them cause 1853), cost 80 million euros in a hundred years in harm to biological diversity. According to a recent alone (Go l l a s c h 2011). This species is estimate this damage is valued at over 260 million also present in the Danube River from Romania and euros in Ireland and Northern Ireland alone, without Bulgaria up to Austria and Hungary (Go m u i et al. estimating e.g. the regulating and supporting ecosys- 2002, Ku t s a r o v , Tr i c h k o v a 2013, Pu k y et al. 2005, tem services offered through biodiversity (Ke l l y et Ra b i t s c h , Sc h i e m e r 2003). al. 2013). Crayfish are an important freshwater mac- The introduction of aquatic alien species has roinvertebrate group playing a key role in many been known in Europe for a long time. The num- ecosystems (Re y n o l d s , So u t y -Gr o s s e t 2012). The

143 Puky M. introduction of non-indigenous species to Europe when it was forced to walk directly after dredging sometimes was owing to a deliberate human ac- or dehydrating. An observation from Poland even tivity including mainly North-American speci- recorded it several hundred metres from the water es. Non-indigenous crayfish species have invaded at night after rainfall (So e s , Ko e s e 2010). Its first successfully European lentic and lotic ecosystems. record in the wild in the was also Orconectes limosus (Rafinesque, 1817) has been on from land, from the lawn of a garden, and therefore the continent for over 120 years, while other taxa it was considered to be moving on land (Ho l d i c h , have just recently arrived (So u t y -Gr o s s e t et al. Bl a c k 2007). However, these publications did not 2006, Ho l d i c h et al. 2009). Predominant species, describe the moving from one water body such as Pacifastacus leniusculus (Dana, 1852), have into another one. already colonised at least twenty countries and are Orconectes limosus has one of the largest distri- still spreading. bution areas among non-indigenous crayfish species The present paper reports the first descripti- in Europe (So u t y -Gr o s s e t et al. 2006). Its invasion on of O. limosus crossing on land from one water front has recently reached the Lower Danube River body into another water body in the Danube River (Pâ r v u l e s c u et al. 2009). Moreover, it is also gradu- catchment, which may play a role in spreading this ally colonising Middle Danubian tributaries and ad- species at its invasion front, as well as in its survival jacent areas in the Carpathian Basin. It was intro- strategy in areas where its populations have already duced to Hungary from Germany for farming in the been established. late 1950s (Th u r á n s z k y 1960). Until 1985, however, it was not detected in natural Hungarian water bo- Material and Methods dies. Th u r á n s z k y , Fo r r ó (1987) first recorded this species in the wild in a large secondary branch of The Szeremle Danube side arm is situated on the left the Danube River. In less than 30 years it colonised side of the main arm of the Danube River, between the Hungarian stretch of the river and established rkm 1478.8 and 1469.1. In 1994 a transverse dike abundant and spreading populations in side arms was constructed at its lower end. It is situated at 85.6 and tributaries of the river such as the Dráva River, m a.s.l. and it includes a built-in 800 mm culvert the Ipoly River, the Tisza River (including the River which, at present, is not in use. The Danube River Körös) and several small water courses and canals reaches the top of the dike when the water level at (Bó d i s et al. 2012, Gy ö r e et al. 2013, Hu d i n a et al. Baja is around 510 cm. In the last 15-20 years the 2009, Pu k y 2009, Pu k y , Sc h á d 2006, Sa l l a i , Pu k y water level overtopped the dike in approximately 2008, Sz e p e s i , Ha r k a 2011). 15% of the days. Several biological characteristics assist the A previously unreported characteristic with in- spread of O. limosus. Among them are the potential vasion implications was detected at the dike at low shift of its mating regime towards facultative part- water level. On 28th September, 2011, at 3.15 pm. an henogenesis (Bu ř i č et al. 2013); its high tolerance adult individual of O. limosus was observed walk- to environmental conditions and good adaptabi- ing from the Szeremle Danube side arm towards the lity to a wide range of water types and water bo- Danube River. dies with different water quality (Ho l d i c h , Bl a c k 2007). Moreover, O. limosus has high tolerance to- Results and Discussion wards , a fungal disease caused by An Orconectes limosus individual successfully Aphanomyces astaci, which is lethal for European crossed a dike (Fig. 1) and covered a distance of crayfish (So u t y -Gr o s s e t et al. 2006). The first cha- approximately 20 metres between the two separa- racteristic allows multiplication when in low abun- ted water bodies. Though it stopped several times dance, the second enables migrating individuals to at suitable places and hid in crevices between the use less favourable waters, which may serve as bar- rocks, especially while climbing the dike, its mo- riers for other crayfish (e.g. stepping stone habitats), vement was basically unidirectional. Orconectes li- while the latter is a key factor when coming into mosus has been reported earlier to be found on land, contact with indigenous crayfish in Europe. As O. e.g. there are four records from the Netherlands limosus is often a carrier of the crayfish plague (e.g.

144 Invasive Crayfish on Land:Orconectes limosus (Rafinesque, 1817) (Decapoda: Cambaridae) Crossed...

Fig. 1. Orconectes limosus crossed this transverse dike to reach another water body on the other side at Szeremle side arm, Hungary (Photo: Miklós Puky)

Ko z u b i k o v a et al. 2010), it infects native populati- ans. A recent finding south of Lake Balaton, the ons, which are usually wiped out fast by the disease largest lake in the Carpathian Basin, was made in a thus creating crayfish-free habitats for the invasive fishpond system connected to an inflow of the lake species (Re y n o l d s , So u t y -Gr o s s e t 2012). There are at least 50 km away from any known populations, some exceptions: when the prevalence of A. astaci is which suggests strongly that it got there with the very low in the carrier populations, and indigenous intentional or unintentional help of man (Fe r i n c z and non-indigenous crayfish populations co-exist et al. 2014). for long periods (Sc h r i m pf et al. 2013). Orconectes The described phenomenon, the first record of limosus may outcompete native crayfish even in O. limosus crossing on land from one European wa- the absence of the crayfish plague agent because it terbody into another, is a movement on a very diffe- has many features that enhance its survival, giving rent scale. However, this behaviour definitely helps it an advantage over the native European species. the colonisation of new water bodies if only small Orconectes limosus is able to endure heavy polluti- stretches of land separate inhabited and non-inhabi- on and low oxygen concentrations (So u t y -Gr o s s e t ted waters and may also help the exchange of indivi- et al. 2006); it has a rapid population growth, which duals between neighbouring populations, as well as is associated with a high somatic growth rate (Ko z á k using terrestrial escape routes in case of the drying et al. 2007). Besides, the fecundity of O. limosus is out or pollution of water bodies. also higher (Ďu r i š et al. 2006) and its sexual matu- ration is also earlier than that of European crayfish, e.g. Astacus astacus (So u t y -Gr o s s e t et al. 2006, Acknowledgements: The author thank Sándor Kéthelyi-Nagy for his help in the field, Dr. Julian Reynolds for his valuable Bu ř i č et al. 2013). comments on an earlier version of the manuscript and for im- Orconectes limosus is known or, in some ins- proving the English text, and the referees for their valuable com- tances, suspected to spread through different me- ments.

145 Puky M.

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