December 2010 Volume 32, Issue 4
ISSN: 1023-8174 (print), 2150-9239 (online) The Official Newsletter of the International Association of Astacology Inside this issue:
Cover Story 1 Misadventures in Crayfish Transport President’s Corner 2 IAA Related News 3 Short Articles 7 The Decade the Clones 7 Came: Beware the Mighty Marmokrebs! Rare Orange Color 10 Morph in Stone Crayfish (Austropotamobius torrentium) Ribblesdale Crayfish 11 Conservation Project Update from the 14 Russian Federation Crayfish Fossils 16 from Hungary Meeting 18 Summary
News Items From 19 Figure 2. Cambarus diogenes Girard 1852; ditch east of County Road 340, MO Route 91 (Little River Around the World drainage), Pike, Stoddard Co., MO; photo by R.W. Pierce. Literature of 22 Interest to In April 2010, I traveled to Austin, Texas, tailed bats, Tadarida brasiliensis (I. Geoffroy, Astacologists for a regional conference for southeastern 1824); the best opportunity for collecting American Natural Heritage Programs to share arose when an evening banquet was experiences and updates with the various scheduled at The Nature Conservancy’s 4084- zoologists and botanists that I work with on a acre Barton Creek Habitat Preserve in Travis daily basis in aquatic invertebrate County. Barton Creek is, at times, a seasonal conservation. Although I have traveled waterway that is part of the Austin–Travis through Texas on more than one occasion, I Lakes watershed in the Middle Colorado basin had never been to Austin before, so I was in Texas. looking forward to the opportunity to see the Following a terrific meal of roast pork, sights and to potentially get some collecting ribs, and steak (no veggie burgers in Texas!), I in for native mollusks and crustaceans. turned opposite the column of folks heading Although I was able to get away to collect a out to observe rare birds to have a look in the bit on the Colorado River, which runs through stream (Barton Creek) that runs through the downtown Austin, and to see the Congress preserve. Unfortunately, I did not come Street Bridge bat colony (North America’s largest urban assemblage of Mexican free- (Continued on page 4)
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President’s Corner
Dear IAA Members: service that assigns the official Impact Factor Well, the holidays are upon us once (IF) to journals, and I know that many of you again. It seems like they arrive faster and are concerned about IFs for your publications. faster each year. At this time of year, I always We hope that after demonstrating a couple of seem to reflect on the past year, which seems years consistent publication, that ISI would to have just flown by, and realize, once again, then agree to index our journal. Time will tell. James W. Fetzner Jr., Ph.D. that I have not yet accomplished all those To this end, the IAA’s Manuscript IAA President (USA) things that I thought I would when the year Submission and Tracking website (http:// was brand new back in January. I guess I still iz.carnegiemnh.org/FCEditor/) is now continu- have a week or two left to get them done, but ously accepting manuscripts. You can submit I think we all know how that will turn out. :) a paper whenever you like, and it will enter The coming year will be a busy one for the queue for review and publication. James our association, as we start working on the Furse has accepted the position as Managing various tasks that will bring us closer to our Editor, and you will work with him to process goals on several fronts. First, Antonio Garza your manuscripts. What this means is that we de Yta was approved by the IAA Executive need a steady flow of high quality Board as the new Secretariat, taking over that manuscripts, and we also need to have position from Bill Daniels. Antonio will be members cite Freshwater Crayfish articles, so tasked with gathering information so that we that the impact factor of the journal can get the IAA incorporated as a Limited increases. In the end, we hope that these Liability Company and then seek non-profit changes will help us all, both in terms of [501(c)3] status from the U.S. Internal timely publication and aiding administrative Revenue Service. This is a big task, and reviews of our scientific publications. involves a LOT of paperwork and red tape, so I An added plus is that FC v17 has now appreciate Antonio’s willingness to undertake been published and is available (see pg. 3). I this job. We will keep you all informed on our would also ask that you please help to progress as we make this transition. support our association’s newsletter by submitting content and also remember to Our second major focus is on elevating H our society journal, Freshwater Crayfish. We renew your memberships. will quickly transition the journal from a James W. Fetzner Jr. publication schedule of once every two years IAA President (or so), to an annual publication. This should Section of Invertebrate Zoology make our journal more attractive to indexing Carnegie Museum of Natural History services, such as ISI Web of Science. ISI is the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA [email protected]
The International Association of Astacology (IAA), founded in Officers: Hintertal, Austria in 1972, is dedicated to the study, conservation, and wise utilization of freshwater crayfish. Any individual or firm James W. Fetzner Jr., President, Section of Invertebrate Zoology, interested in furthering the study of astacology is eligible for Carnegie Museum of Natural History, 4400 Forbes Avenue, Pitts- membership. Service to members includes a quarterly newsletter burgh, PA 15213-4080. United States of America. (Crayfish News), a membership directory, biennial international E-Mail: [email protected] symposia and publication of the journal Freshwater Crayfish. Leopold Füreder, President-Elect, Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria. Secretariat: E-Mail: [email protected] The International Association of Astacology has a permanent secretariat managed by Antonio Garza de Yta. Address: IAA Susan B. Adams, Secretary, 26 County Road 223, Oxford, MS, Secretariat, Room 203, Swingle Hall, Department of Fisheries and 38655, United States of America. Allied Aquacultures, Auburn University, AL 36849-5419, USA. E-mail: [email protected]
Tel: +1(334) 844-4786 / Fax: +1(334) 844-9208 James M. Furse, Immediate Past President, Griffith School of E-mail: [email protected] Environment, Gold Coast Campus, Griffith University, Queensland Web page: http://iz.carnegiemnh.org/crayfish/IAA/ 4222, Australia. Webmaster: James W. Fetzner Jr. E-Mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Statements and opinions expressed in Crayfish News are not necessarily those of the International Association of IAA Board Members: Astacology. In addition to the IAA Officers and Past President, the board includes Jason Coughran (Australia), Arnie Eversole (USA), Tadashi Kawai (Japan), Steph Parkyn (Australia), Stephanie Peay This issue edited by James W. Fetzner Jr. (UK), Alastair Richardson (Tasmania) and Chris Taylor (USA). Crayfish News Volume 32 Issue 4: Page 2
ed to ensure that Freshwater Crayfish 18 meets its publica- IAA Related News tion deadline of September 2011, and the editorial and pro- Freshwater Crayfish 18 Submission Information duction team are dedicated to meeting this deadline. H
Dear All, Cheers, As a result of the future directions forum held at the IAA18 symposium in Columbia Missouri (July 2010) and the James M. Furse subsequent vote by members in attendance, it was decided to Managing Editor implement a number of changes to the way the association’s Freshwater Crayfish 18 journal Freshwater Crayfish is produced and published. The Gold Coast, Queensland underlying motivation for these changes was to ensure timely AUSTRALIA and more frequent production of additional high quality vol- [email protected] umes of Freshwater Crayfish.
The changes that were agreed upon by members include: 1) moving publication of Freshwater Crayfish to at least annu- al basis (i.e., one volume per year), 2) a dedicated/full-time Freshwater Crayfish v17, Now Available editor and page layout person (both paid positions), and 3) The next volume of the IAA’s journal, Freshwater Cray- when possible, limited print-runs/publication of the two cur- fish, has now been published and is available in both print and rently unpublished Freshwater Crayfish volumes 14 and 15. online versions. Print versions of this new volume are availa- To date, the only change implemented that resulted from ble for purchase from Japo Jussila ([email protected]), but the IAA18 future directions vote is that there is now a full- quantities are limited. Price is US $16.00 plus $9.50 shipping. time quality control editor overseeing all manuscripts that A CD version is also available for US $10.00 plus shipping. Pay- have been submitted for consideration for inclusion in Fresh- ments should be made to one of the IAA Regional Offices water Crayfish 18. Freshwater Crayfish 18 production is now (Australia, France, or USA). IAA members can also download in its early stages with manuscripts being evaluated prior to individual PDF files (for free as part of their membership) of review (the deadline for submissions was on the 10th of De- each article from the IAA website after logging in. H cember 2010). The editors position will be funded from the IAA18 symposium Freshwater Crayfish 18 production budget. The Editors Freshwater Crayfish v17 Following on from the above, Freshwater Crayfish has implemented new and very strict quality control procedures for all manuscripts that are submitted for consideration. Any manuscript that does not follow the current Freshwater Cray- fish instructions to authors (i.e., meet the minimum standards of quality including; language, spelling, formatting, referenc- ing and quality of figures) will be returned to authors immedi- ately for correction. Manuscripts that are returned for correc- tion may be resubmitted for re-evaluation by the Freshwater Crayfish quality control editor, but under no circumstances will substandard manuscripts be sent out for review. To assist authors in the preparation and submission of high quality, correctly formatted manuscripts, the Freshwater Crayfish team has prepared a pre-submission checklist of common problems. Authors are encouraged to use this checklist, as failure to “tick all the boxes” will invariably result in manuscripts being returned for correction. The current Freshwater Crayfish instructions to authors and pre-submission checklist are available on-line via the IAA Manuscript Submission and Tracking (MS&T) website, along with various other useful tools such as a Freshwater Crayfish Endnote style, and a comprehensive users guide to the MS&T system. These items are available at the following URLs: Freshwater Crayfish instructions and checklist: http:// iz.carnegiemnh.org/FCEditor/. The IAA MS&T website user guide: http://iz.carnegiemnh.org/FCEditor/UserGuide.asp. The new quality control processes have been implement- Crayfish News Volume 32 Issue 4: Page 3
(Continued from page 1) never got that far! Word quickly spread that the invertebrate zoologist (read “crayfish killer”) was on the loose and the prepared for collecting on this trip and was reduced to cute crawdads held earlier that day by the innocent children tipping over rocks in my bare feet with pants hiked up over were on their way to an untimely death. Well, a carefully my knees so I wouldn’t get wet. Similarly, I did not prepare worded promise later and I was committed to keeping a half for the success I would have at this site and did not foresee dozen crayfish alive for a 5 hour flight from Austin to Boston returning to Massachusetts with preserved crayfish for my (yeah, me and my big mouth- kids were too cute and had to voucher collection. I collected about a dozen Orconectes keep the boss happy). Having not prepared for transporting palmeri (Faxon, 1884), the gray-speckled crayfish1, in about a crayfish and having not researched the best methods of half hour of searching. This species, although originally shipping live specimens, I figured my best bet would be to described from creeks east of Reelfoot Lake in Obion County, take the specimens onboard the plane with me alive. Tennessee, is currently known as three weakly differentiated Unfortunately, six crayfish in the airline-mandated subspecies from southeastern Missouri and adjacent sections minimum four-ounce carry-on container was not possible of Kentucky and Tennessee, southward along the Mississippi and I was wary about including them in my checked bag River to Louisiana and westward to central Texas and the having recently had my checked baggage roughly searched in Oklahoma panhandle (Pfleiger, 1996). In southeastern Texas, a random airline baggage check. I opted for the carry-on only the subspecies, Orconectes palmeri longimanus (Faxon, solution, although it would not come easy. A day later, on the 1898), the western painted crayfish, is known (Johnson and morning of my departure, I packed the near frozen crayfish Johnson, 2008); having originally been described from the from the hotel room ice bucket into a gallon-sized Zip-lock Red River in Lamar County, Texas. It is not generally known bag and filled it with ice water then double bagged it with a from this far west in Texas and this likely represents the first second Zip-lock and placed it carefully in my carry-on for published record of it in the Austin–Travis Lakes watershed transport. Getting through airport security would section of the Middle Colorado basin (see Johnson and undoubtedly not be possible with such a large volume of Johnson, 2008). Overall, the subspecies inhabits the water but I devised a solution on the fly. After checking one Mississippi and Arkansas Rivers in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, bag at the airline check-in desk and obtaining my boarding Arkansas and Louisiana (Metcalf and Distler, 1963; Hobbs, pass, I made a bee-line for the men’s restroom where I 1974; Pflieger, 1996). Although not uncommon, it is immediately emptied the large Zip-lock of all the water with considered a specialist with preferred habitat being crayfish flopping around the counter and sink then wrapped permanently running streams with clay banks and sand and each live individual with wet paper towels; all the while coarse gravel substrate. I had not collected the species fending off questions from the curious travelers passing in before and it is generally not available in the aquarium trade. and out of the restroom. Due to the four-ounce carry-on Before returning to the van for the trip back to the hotel, I enforcement, I did not add any water to the Zip-locks with shared my discovery with the various staff returning from the wrapped crayfish, but instead folded them tightly so the birding field trip including the two young children of my new crayfish could not move (this is important- see below) and boss, whom I had met for the first time at this very meeting. then CAREFULLY tucked the secured bag into the front of my Over the years, I have found that children often are the most pants. With the crayfish wrapped so tightly, I felt safe and inquisitive and open-minded when it comes to viewing and secure (as much as could be) and cautiously, albeit a bit handling wildlife and this was no exception. I quickly taught awkwardly, made my way to the security checkpoint. both kids the proper way to hold each individual crayfish Without any crayfish exoskeleton to show up on the without getting pinched and they were thrilled with the checkpoint scanner, it sailed rapidly though the scanner to experience (and I may have earned extra points with the boss await me “on the other side.” I then, somewhat nervously in the process as a bonus). and stiff-legged, made my way through the metal detector Once back at the hotel, I put the half dozen specimens I with fingers crossed. A quick body scan later, and I was home had retained in the hotel room ice bucket filled with ice free as were my new companions. A quick trip to the water and went downstairs to the lounge to inquire about restroom on the other side of the checkpoint to remove the whether anyone had any rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol or nail bag from its “secure location” and refill the water in the Zip- polish remover for last minute preservation of the collected lock (I figured bottled water might be too chlorinated) and specimens. Despite a half hour of asking around, I was unable we were good to go. Five hours later (and now seven months to procure any, although I suppose high proof grain alcohol later), the crayfish are living happily in Massachusetts from the hotel bar would have worked equally well, but I (although I have not yet been able to get them to propagate- perhaps a fear of flying?). Little did I know my crayfish transport adventures had only begun. 1Since the time of submission of this article, I can no longer locate images of crayfish specimens collected in Texas and it is entirely pos- In July, I traveled to Columbia, Missouri, for the annual sible that the “Orconectes palmeri” collected there and subsequently conference of the International Association of Astacology transported so “delicately” to New England were, in fact, a different (IAA). The IAA, of course, is our esteemed scientific species altogether! (Continued on page 5)
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(Continued from page 4) The road trip from Columbia to Stoddard County was long (4 hours) which would easily have carried us through three organization dedicated to the study, conservation, and wise states in New England. We eventually found our way to the utilization of freshwater crayfish, and I was slated to present county roads along rice farms where these crayfish can be the results of a conservation status assessment of all North found. Stoddard County grows over a third of Missouri’s rice American species of freshwater crayfish. With my recent crop and this type of habitat is favored by these burrowing adventures in crayfish collecting in Texas behind me, Iwas species of crayfish. I was at first mystified by my companions’ determined to make the most of this opportunity for exclamations of “that looks like a good ditch” at any sign of collecting live crayfish in the Ozarks. The conference was potential burrowing crayfish habitat. From my vantage point organized with oral presentations Monday and Tuesday in the driver’s seat (yes, they made the new guy drive), I can followed by a free day for field trips Wednesday and closing honestly say I could see no difference between a“ good ditch” with two more days of oral and poster presentations and a “bad ditch” as they all pretty much looked alike (a ditch Thursday and Friday. Instead of partaking in the scheduled is a ditch, so to speak). Now for those of you fortunate (or field trips, I made plans ahead of time to accompany three unfortunate, depending on your perspective) enough to have colleagues to the southeastern Missouri lowlands to survey collected crayfish in New England where I live, such as for burrowing crayfish species. Burrowing crayfish spend Orconectes limosus (Rafinesque, 1817) (spinycheek crayfish) much of their lives in a tunnel dug down to about the level of or Procambarus acutus (Girard, 1852) (white river crawfish), the water table in otherwise dry areas. As they excavate soil the typical stream or lake habitat associated with these from the burrow it gets pushed to the surface around the species is not typical habitat for burrowing crayfish species. burrow hole creating a little mound resembling a volcano Burrowing crayfish live in habitats often devoid of surface called a chimney. Primary burrowers, compared to secondary water entirely. So, when I say “ditch”, I mean a wet grassy burrowers, spend nearly all of their live in their burrows and depression along the shoulder of a Missouri county road are typically only active outside the burrow at night or during adjacent to a rice field. The crayfish remain below the ground flood periods. There are no such species in New England, an in extensive burrows that tunnel down to below the water area relatively depauperate in crayfish species diversity; and I table and only emerge at night or during flood periods. have not had opportunity to collect any in the wild before. Burrows are best identified by the characteristic “chimneys” Fortunately on this trip, I was among experts; a crustacean of sediment excavated by the crayfish from within the burrow curator from a Midwest natural history museum, a biologist tunnels and deposited on the surface around the burrow from the Missouri Department of Conservation, and a hole. These “chimneys”, when freshly deposited, are graduate student studying crayfish from West Virginia (you indicative of an occupied burrow. know who you are- no prizes awarded for correct answers). Once a burrow is located, one must spend 30 or 40 We targeted specific species, Cambarus diogenes Girard, minutes excavating a wide (10 or 12 inch) berth around the 1852, the devil crayfish, and Cambarus ludovicianus Faxon, hole large enough to extend your forearm and hand for 1884, the painted devil crayfish; both primary burrowers. eventual grasping and hopefully removal of the occupant. Both species are closely related and for many years, C. When the hole is widened sufficiently, a bucket or two of ludovicianus was thought to be a more colorful form or variety water is carefully poured into the widened burrow hole and of C. diogenes. The devil crayfish is widely distributed from then the waiting begins. With a little bit (okay, a lot) of the Rockies to southern Canada to New Jersey and patience and even more luck, a five or ten minute wait results throughout the Mississippi River basin and Great Lakes in the crayfish approaching the surface of the hole and (Hobbs, 1989); while the painted devil crayfish has a narrower probing for the disturbance. By this time, the water in the distribution in the Lower Mississippi River drainage in hole is so muddy that visibility is reduced to zero so the tell- Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, east Texas, and tale stirring of the silty brown water by the crayfish’s the Tombigbee River drainage in Mississippi and Alabama antennae are the only indication of the presence of the (Hobbs, 1989) and just into the Mississippi floodplain in occupant. Next a rapid scoop and grab with the palm of your western Kentucky (Taylor and Schuster, 2004). The latter is hand beneath the retreating crayfish results in a crayfish in not known from Missouri although the Missouri crayfish atlas hand (sometimes). (Pfleiger, 1996: 141) treats C. ludovicianus as a color variant I must confess that more often than not, this resulted in of C. diogenes and further notes that occasional specimens of empty fingers on my part and a missed opportunity although C. diogenes from the lowlands of Missouri (the area in the my companions were quick to ridicule me when they were southeast corner where we conducted our surveys) are more often than not successful at recovering a crayfish; often “turguoise-blue, with three conspicuous buff, lengthwise from a burrow I had previously abandoned. After a very long stripes on the abdomen; sometimes the central stripe extends and exhausting day of mud, sweat, dirty water, 105 degree onto the carapace” (Pfleiger, 1996: 51). In neighboring heat, and even a little blood, we dragged ourselves back for Kentucky, it is only known from a single location in Carlisle the long drive to Columbia with a dozen Orconectes virilis County just over the Missouri border (Taylor and Schuster, (Hagen, 1870) (virile crayfish) - a non-burrowing species also 2004). (Continued on page 6)
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my front door (five days after I had returned home from Missouri). Judging by the smell, my wife presumed all was lost and the specimens would not even be salvageable for a museum collection. After all, it was 105°F when I originally sent it; and that was eight days prior. Imagine my surprise when three of the five specimens were still alive, including the two burrowers! Two of the three O. virilis had died (possibly from overheating as both had turned a bright “cooked lobster” shade of red) and the third eventually died a day later. Whether the survival of the two burrowing species is related to their burrowing lifestyle cannot be determined, but I was grateful nonetheless. Although I lost the painted devil a week and a half later, following a clever escape from the well- covered tank on the part of the crayfish, the devil crayfish (Fig. 1, see front cover) is living comfortably with a few native spiny -cheek crayfish in my home today. He has even begun taking Figure 2. Cambarus ludovicianus Faxon, 1884; ditch east of County up his burrowing habits although the burrows tend not to Road 340, MO Route 91 (Little River drainage), Pike, Stoddard Co., remain intact when the substrate is gravel instead of clay. MO; photo by R.W. Pierce. I will always relish my time learning to collect burrowing crayfish and the effort expended to achieve success during (Continued from page 5) that hot day in southeastern Missouri. Thanks to all the folks who were kind enough to share their knowledge, time, and known from New England, 19 devil crayfish, and 13 painted expertise with me in the field. I have yet to determine the best devil crayfish (Fig. 2), the latter representing the first method of transporting live specimens collected to their final documented records for the state of Missouri. These destination, however. I have had only limited success both remained comfortably “on-ice” (both literally and figuratively) with “airport crayfish smuggling” and this new “extended until the next morning when they were properly sorted, postal shipping” method and can safely say I would not measured, relieved of a tissue sample (i.e., right forth leg from recommend either. H each) for genetic analysis, and a representative voucher sample of each species (albeit one leg short) generously provided to me alive for transport back to my tank in Jay Cordeiro Massachusetts. NatureServe 11 Avenue de Lafayette, th5 Floor After my last incident with crayfish transport in the Boston, MA 02111 airport in Austin, I opted to try to do things the right way this [email protected] time around. I came to Missouri prepared with a Styrofoam lined shipping container and several “breather bags” for just [This article originally appeared in the winter 2010 issue of the occasion. The kind gentleman at the U.S. Postal Service The Tanquilizer, newsletter of the Tropical Fish Society of office in Columbia assured me that a package shipped via Rhode Island.]. Priority Mail would safely arrive in Massachusetts in two to three days maximum. I carefully packed each crayfish (one each of devil crayfish and painted devil crayfish and three LITERATURE CITED virile crayfish) in a “breather bag” filled loosely (not too much Faxon W (1884). Descriptions of new species of Cambarus; to pressure to prevent puncture by a leg or claw) with water. I which is added a synonymical list of the known species of then sealed the package thoroughly with packing tape Cambarus and Astacus. Contributions from the Zoological addressing it to my youngest daughter to open upon its arrival Laboratory of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at in Massachusetts. I even opted for the additional $0.70 Harvard College. Proceedings of the American Academy of tracking fee, just in case. Back at home, I had a tank, filled and Arts and Sciences 20(1884):107-158. acclimated, just waiting for their arrival. Faxon W (1898). Observations on the Astacidae in the United Suffice it to say, despite all my careful planning and States National Museum and in the Museum of diligence on the part of my daughter eagerly awaiting her Comparative Zoology, with descriptions of new species. prize to arrive like on Christmas morning, the package did not Proceedings of the United States National Museum 20 arrive on time. Four days of waiting and a check of mypre- (1136): 643-694. purchased package tracking service revealed the package had left Missouri the very next morning but whereabouts were Girard C (1852). A revision of the North American Astaci, with unknown after that. I eventually wrote it off as lost with a observations on their habits and geographical distribution. curse when eight days later, it arrived, damp and dented, at (Continued on page 17)
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Short Articles
The Decade the Clones Came: Beware the Mighty Marmokrebs! At the start of the decade, I had no idea that the invaders were among us. No scientist did. Invasions are like that sometimes. We expect invasions to be like H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds: a large force arrives suddenly, announcing its presence with a voice that cannot be ignored. But sometimes they're more like Invasion of the Body Snatchers: by the time someone notices, it might too late. Early in 2000, I got an e-mail from a crustacean discussion list. A pet owner was asking for help identifying a crayfish that had been circulating in the European aquarium community for the last few years. The twist was that pet owners were reporting that single crayfish, kept alone ina tank for their whole life, were giving eggs that reproduced. The list moderator called the message an "interesting one," because of all the crabs, the crayfish, the lobsters, not one other species had the ability to reproduce alone. I saved the e-mail but mostly forgot about it for years. an adult that has been kept alone for a while can still have Fast forward to 2003, when a paper in Nature [1] babies from a previous mating, which makes it tricky to tell if confirmed what the German pet owners had been saying a male is needed. Indeed, there has been one report of since the mid 1990s. These crayfish, which they called clones in another crayfish [6], but this hasn't yet been "Marmorkrebs," (German for "marbled crayfish") were all confirmed by another lab. female and reproduced without any help from males, thank We've certainly been surprised more than once by you very much -- a kind of reproduction known as species that we thought reproduced sexually who we then parthenogenesis. But confirming those facts unleashed a raft discovered could reproduce asexually, too. And these were of other questions. not obscure species, either, but charismatic animals like boa Where did Marmorkrebs come from? Nobody knew [2]. constrictors [7] and the world's largest lizard, the Komodo They weren't related to European crayfish at all, but looked dragon [8]. like species from the southern United States. It wasn't until Boas and Komodo dragons birth offspring without this year that it seems we've worked out the closest relative: fathers, but the offspring are not identical to each other. the slough crayfish (Procambarus fallax), found throughout There are many ways that females can reproduce without Florida and southern Georgia [3]. males. Which one did Marmorkrebs use? It turned out that How did they get to be parthenogenetic? Even after a they reproduced in a way that made the daughters decade, this still isn't clear. One paper reported an almost effectively identical to their mothers [9]. In short, they were surreal rumor that these were "test tube" animals created in clones. a Hong Kong laboratory [4]. (This isn't supported by any other That genetic similarity makes Marmorkrebs a valuable source I've been able to find.) Parthenogenetic vertebrates animal for research. Crayfish have been studied in the lab by all seem to trace their origins back to a hybridization event notables like Thomas Henry Huxley (famed as "Darwin's [5], but there's no evidence of this in Marmorkrebs yet. bulldog") [10] and Sigmund Freud (who did neurobiology Another possibility is that parthenogenesis has always before psychology), and other researchers since. But despite been there. A parthenogenetic Marmorkrebs looks the same the advantages of being common as dirt and tough as nails, as a female slough crayfish. Crayfish can store sperm, too, so (Continued on page 8) Crayfish News Volume 32 Issue 4: Page 7
The situation in Europe has been even worse [16]. (Continued from page 7) American crayfish were introduced into Europe for fishing and farming decades ago. But what people didn't know was crayfish have never been as popular in the lab as rats. that, like the Spanish conquistadors bringing smallpox to the New World, the North American crayfish carried an obscure The classic lab rats are typically white because they are microscopic organism, a water mold. highly inbred to be as genetically similar to each other as possible. This helps reduce variation in experiments, so that The water mold became known as the crayfish plague. effects caused by the experimenters' manipulations are The name is no exaggeration. European crayfish species were easier to detect. That Marmorkrebs are more similar than the defenseless against it, and entire lakes have been emptied of most inbred white rat might offer new possibilities for native crayfish because of it. If released from the tanks of the studying development [11], aging [12], cancer [13] and more. pet owners who had discovered them in the 1990s, Marmorkrebs, being a North American lineage, might carry While it was clear that all these unanswered questions crayfish plague. And it would only take one to start a would make for some great science, the first Marmorkrebs population. But stern warnings don't stop invaders. paper came with a warning. The eight scientists who wrote the paper said that Marmorkrebs "could be a menace." A Individual Marmorkrebs popped up here and there in menace? Little crayfish? Oh, yes. European streams. Only one year after Marmorkrebs were introduced to the scientific community, they were being sold "Crayfish eat everything, and everything eats crayfish," is as pets in North America [17]. For all we know, they may have how one researcher put it. Crayfish are right at the center of crossed the pond earlier than that. But the genuine first the food web, so a lake with crayfish looks utterly different shock of invasion was on neither continent. than one without crayfish [14]. In North America, lake after lake has been invaded by rusty crayfish (Orconectes rusticus). The clone army opened up on a third front in an unlikely The rusty crays eat down the plants until they can't bounce place: Madagascar. Crayfish provide an example of the rich back, even if you could get rid of all the crayfish [15]. biodiversity that the island is known for: The Madagascar crayfish are the only ones in Africa. Some Madagascar communities rely heavily on crayfishing for food and trade. Marmorkrebs were noticed in the markets in Antananarivo, the capital, around 2005 [18]. The only way Marmorkrebs could have gotten to the island is by being introduced by people. There's no way to know whether it was accidental or deliberate. Since then, the clonal crays have been spreading rapidly throughout the island, and officials are worried [19]. Besides threatening to oust native crayfish, Marmorkrebs damage rice paddies. "Crayfish eat everything," remember? Scientists like to think of themselves as being ahead of the curve. In the case of Marmorkrebs, we've consistently (Continued on page 9)
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(Continued from page 8) 5. Avise J (2008) Clonality: The Genetics, Ecology, and been about a few years behind events on the ground. Pet Evolution of Sexual Abstinence in Vertebrate Animals. New owners in Germany report the crayfish to scientists -- paper York: Oxford University Press. comes out three years later. Marmorkrebs show up in market 6. Yue GH, Wang GL, Zhu BQ, Wang CM, Zhu ZY, Lo LC (2008) in Madagascar -- paper comes out four years later. This isn't Discovery of four natural clones in a crayfish species anyone's fault; it's an indication both of how long careful Procambarus clarkii. International Journal of Biological science takes and how rapidly events are unfolding. Sciences 4:279-282. The most recent example of this lag was in Germany, 7. Booth W, Johnson DH, Moore S, Schal C, Vargo EL. where it all started. Another Marmorkrebs had been found Evidence for viable, non-clonal but fatherless Boa there -- but after a decade, it was starting to look like constrictors. Biology Letters: 7(2):253-256 northern Europe might dodge a bullet. All the reports of 8. Watts PC, Buley KR, Sanderson S, Boardman W, Ciofi C, Marmorkrebs in the streams of Europe were just scattered Gibson R (2006) Parthenogenesis in Komodo dragons. individuals, never any populations [20]. Nature 444:1021-1022. Less than four months later, so many Marmorkrebs were 9. Martin P, Kohlmann K, Scholtz G (2007) The partheno- coming out of another pond in Germany that it made the genetic Marmorkrebs (marbled crayfish) produces newspapers [21]. Only two weeks later, another research genetically uniform offspring. Naturwissenschaften 94: paper [22] confirmed a Marmorkrebs population in another 843-846. small German lake. In fact, the first paper suggesting 10. Huxley TH (1880) The Crayfish: An Introduction to the Marmorkrebs may have no European populations and the Study of Zoology. New York: D. Appleton and Company. one proving that there is a European population were 371 p. published back-to-back in the same issue of the same journal. 11. Vogt G (2008) The marbled crayfish: a new model We started the decade with no idea that these organism for research on development, epigenetics and remarkable animals existed. We'll end the decade with evolutionary biology. Journal of Zoology 276: 1-13. Marmorkrebs as a bona fide invader in Madagascar, 12. Vogt G (2010) Suitability of the clonal marbled crayfish for established in Germany, released in three more countries biogerontological research: A review and perspective, (did I mentioned the one in Japan?), and circulating in the pet with remarks on some further crustaceans. Biogeront- trade's gray market in who-knows-how-many places. ology: In press. DOI 10.1007/s10522-010-9291-6. But scientific research has helped stop invasions before; 13. Vogt G (2008) How to minimize formation and growth of radar and cracking the Enigma code helped the Allies defeat tumours: Potential benefits of decapod crustaceans for the Nazis in World War II. There's much more research on cancer research. International Journal of Cancer 123: Marmorkrebs to come in the next decade, both in the lab and 2727-2734. the field. I just hope we can do it fast enough. H 14. Smart AC, Harper DM, Malaisse F, Schmitz S, Coley S, Zen Faulkes Gouder de Beauregard A-C (2002) Feeding of the exotic Louisiana red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii Department of Biology (Crustacea, Decapoda), in an African tropical lake: Lake University of Texas-Pan American Naivasha, Kenya. Hydrobiologia 488: 129-142. [First published Nov 29, 2010 in Scientific American] 15. Rosenthal SK, Stevens SS, Lodge DM (2006) Whole-lake effects of invasive crayfish (Orconectes spp.) and the LITERATURE CITED potential for restoration. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 63: 1276-1285. 1. Scholtz G, Braband A, Tolley L, Reimann A, Mittmann B, 16. Holdich DM, Reynolds JD, Souty-Grosset C, Sibley PJ Lukhaup C, Steuerwald F, Vogt G (2003) Parthenogenesis (2009) A review of the ever increasing threat to European in an outsider crayfish.Nature 421: 806-806. crayfish from non-indigenous crayfish species. Knowledge 2. Vogt G, Tolley L, Scholtz G (2004) Life stages and and Management of Aquatic Ecosystems 394-395: 11. reproductive components of the Marmorkrebs (marbled 17. Faulkes Z (2010) The spread of the parthenogenetic crayfish), the first parthenogenetic decapod crustacean. marbled crayfish, Marmorkrebs (Procambarus sp.), in the Journal of Morphology 261: 286-311. North American pet trade. Aquatic Invasions 5: 447-450. 3. Martin P, Dorn NJ, Kawai T, van der Heiden C, Scholtz G 18. Jones JPG, Rasamy JR, Harvey A, Toon A, Oidtmann B, (2010) The enigmatic Marmorkrebs (marbled crayfish) is Randrianarison MH, Raminosoa N, Ravoahangimalala OR the parthenogenetic form of Procambarus fallax (Hagen, (2009) The perfect invader: a parthenogenic crayfish poses 1870). Contributions to Zoology 79: 107-118. a new threat to Madagascar's freshwater biodiversity. 4. Marzano FN, Scalici M, Chiesa S, Gherardi F, Piccinini A, Biological Invasions 11: 1475-1482. Gibertini G (2009) The first record of the marbled crayfish adds further threats to fresh waters in Italy. Aquatic (Continued on page 10) Invasions 4: 401-404. Crayfish News Volume 32 Issue 4: Page 9
(Continued from page 9) 19. Heimer K (2010) Invasion of self-cloning crayfish alarms Madagascar. Deutsche Presse-Agentur. 20. Martin P, Shen H, Füllner G, Scholtz G (2010) The first record of the parthenogenetic Marmorkrebs (Decapoda, Astacida, Cambaridae) in the wild in Saxony (Germany) raises the question of its actual threat to European freshwater ecosystems. Aquatic Invasions 5: 397–403. 21. Privenau K (2010) Marmorkrebs bringt Pest. Mitteld- eutsche Zeitung. 22. Chucholl C, Pfeiffer M (2010) First evidence for an established Marmorkrebs (Decapoda, Astacida, Cambar- idae) population in Southwestern Germany, in syntopic occurrence with Orconectes limosus (Rafinesque, 1817). Aquatic Invasions 5: 405-412.
Rare Orange Color Morph in Stone Crayfish Austropotamobius( torrentium) On August 11, 2010, an orange stone crayfish female, Austropotamobius torrentium (Schrank, 1803), was captured from a small brook within the High-Rhine catchment (Figure 1). While blue color morphs are not uncommon in crayfish and are known from representatives of all major crayfish Figure 1. Orange stone crayfish female (top) and normal col- taxa (Parastacidae, Astacidae and Cambaridae), orange ored stone crayfish male (bottom). specimens are rather rare (with the exception of orange strains of Procambarus clarkii and Cambarellus patzcuarensis bred for the pet trade; Lukhaup & Pekny 2008). Within the Astacidae, orange specimens have been reported from LITERATURE CITED white-clawed crayfish Austropotamobius [ pallipes Jean-Richard P (2005) Orange Krebse im Grenzgebiet (Lereboullet, 1858); Jean-Richard 2005] and stone crayfish Aargau-Solothurn. Forum Flusskrebse 4: 18 (Souty-Grosset et al. 2006, Pöckl 2009), but not noble Lukhaup C, Pekny R (2008) Süßwasserkrebse aus aller Welt. crayfish Astacus [ astacus (L., 1758)] and narrow-clawed 2nd. edition, Dähne-Verlag, Ettlingen, 290 pp crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus Eschscholtz, 1823 – species Pöckl M (2009) Bestimmungsschlüssel und Steckbrief für die complex). in Europa vorkommenden Arten. In: Füreder L (ed.) Lukhaup & Pekny (2008) stated that orange stone Flusskrebse: Biologie, Ökologie, Gefährdung. Veröffe- crayfish are very rare and that there are only two confirmed ntlichungen des Naturmuseums Südtirol Nr. 6, Wien/ records, whereas Pöckl (2009) and Souty-Grosset et al. Bozen, 24-33 (2006) indicate that orange stone crayfish may occur Souty-Grosset C, Holdich DM, Noel PY, Reynolds JD, Haffner occasionally. The orange female depicted here was the sole P (eds) (2006) Atlas of Crayfish in Europe. Museum orange specimen which was found in the brook (N= 61 national d`Histoire naturelle (Patrimoines naturels crayfish) and no further orange specimens have been found 64), Paris, 187 pp. during a survey of 17 other stone crayfish populations in southwestern Germany since July 2009. H
Christoph Chucholl Ph.D. candidate Fisheries Research Station Baden-Württemberg and University of Ulm Argenweg 50/1, 88085 Langenargen; Lake Constance , Germany [email protected] http://www.uni-ulm.de/index.php?id=7940 (Continued on page 11)
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(Continued from page 10) Ribblesdale Crayfish Conservation Project
The white-clawed crayfish is not amongst Britain’s rarest species, it is not the most highly protected by legislation, and might not at present have the most endearing relationship with the general public. But it has undeniably suffered amongst the most dramatic population declines and local extinctions throughout much of its range over recent decades, and faces predicted near extinction in this country within many of our lifetimes. Britain’s only native crayfish is traditionally associated with species-rich freshwater habitats, and highly valued native salmonid fisheries. The principal causes of the decline of our only native crayfish are associated with the ill-advised introduction of include isolated water bodies. Much effort in recent years has American signal crayfish in the late 1970s, and misguided gone into the concept of ‘Ark Sites’ for white-clawed crayfish. attempts to establish a commercial fishery in this, arguably However, even some of the most isolated extant populations Britain’s most destructive invasive species. Were seed have suffered catastrophic population decline over recent nurseries to promote the widespread planting of Japanese decades, the mechanisms were until now largely unknown. knotweed – one of Britain’s most invasive terrestrial plant species - there would be rapid actions by regulators to curtail The Ribblesdale Project the trade, in the interests of protecting native terrestrial The River Ribble rises amongst the classic karst landscape biodiversity. By contrast, this rapid and largely human- of the Yorkshire 3-Peaks (Ingleborough, Whernside & Pen-y- assisted invasion of rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs and Ghent). Prior to the mid-1990s, this river system supported canals has thus far gone largely unchecked. Initial attempts to one of the country’s strongest white-clawed crayfish establish a market in the 1980s failed, and more recent populations. A pollution incident, followed by the arrival of promotion by celebrity chefs has similarly failed to capture ‘crayfish plague’, have together decimated the population, the public’s imagination. Not surprising, as even the largest leaving just a few isolated fragments. The very detailed signal crayfish produces very little edible flesh; the taste and monitoring that has taken place in Ribblesdale since, now texture of which is far inferior to that of saltwater prawn. represents part of the most intensive investigation into the To address the decline of white-clawed crayfish then, we mechanisms of population change in white-clawed crayfish. first need to improve awareness and education. But the Strategically, Ribblesdale is situated at the leading edge potential benefits of doing so extend far beyond the of the national (and Europe-wide) collapse of native crayfish conservation of a single species. The largely unchecked populations. To the north and west, survive some of Britain’s advance of aquatic invasive species threatens to permanently strongest remaining populations of white-clawed crayfish. degrade the value of traditional angling – Britain’s most And further west, Ireland is one of the last countries in popular participation pastime – at a huge economic and social Europe that has so far avoided the catastrophic introduction cost to the country. And even a modest increase in Britain’s of non-native crayfish species. A project centred upon flood defence budget, resulting from the extensive burrowing Ribblesdale then is ideally located to begin to address the of American signal crayfish, would cost many more £Millions conservation of this most threatened species, and the human- per annum. At present, there is no effective and widely assisted spread of American signal crayfish. applicable method of controlling the spread of American The Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust has led a signal crayfish. partnership project involving the Environment Agency, At the single species level, even if we were able to Natural England, Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, eradicate every American signal crayfish, white-clawed with additional enabling funding support from Esmee crayfish would probably continue to head towards near Fairburn Trust and Tubney Charitable Trust, and helpful in- extinction in this country. Crayfish plague, anon-native kind support from the Field Studies Council, National Trust, pathogen from North America, has been decimating native angling bodies, local farmers, and conservation groups. The populations of all Europe’s native crayfish species over the overall aims of the project are to advance original science and last 100+ years. At present, there is no effective response to to develop practical techniques, that together will assist the an outbreak of crayfish plague, other than to allow this conservation of white-clawed crayfish in Ribblesdale, and devastating disease to run its course, removing entire throughout the country. accessible populations. (Continued on page 12) The future then for white-clawed crayfish might perhaps
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of northwest England, and the ever growing threat of human- assisted spread of American signal crayfish. Environment Agency leaflets have been widely distributed throughout the region, including a leaflet tailored to food outlets requesting that crayfish be kept off the menu in northwest England. Two new posters have also been designed and printed; one to raise public awareness of the native white-clawed crayfish; and the second to raise awareness of the American signal crayfish, and actions that can be taken to prevent further illegal introductions to new areas. Building upon news of continued captive breeding success, press releases have been issued, which have been widely taken-up. Press features have appeared in the Craven Herald, Westmorland Gazette, Yorkshire Post, Catch magazine, The Dalesman, plus numerous online sites and learned literature as far afield as Canada. Radio interview has been broadcast on BBC Radio Cumbria - breakfast, and TV features have been broadcast on BBC Northwest Tonight (Aug-10), and on national prime time BBC1 CountryFile (Feb- 10). (Continued from page 11) To facilitate additional education outcomes, aquaria of captive bred white-clawed crayfish have been installed at five 1. Captive Breeding of White-clawed Crayfish contrasting locations in the region: (i) a local primary school; Following first outbreak of ‘crayfish plague’ in (ii) a city secondary school; (iii) FSC Malham Tarn Field Ribblesdale, in August 2000, Environment Agency Fisheries Centre; (iv) Lake District National Park Visitor Centre, Technical Officer Neil Handy has been refining techniques for Brockhole, Windermere; and, (v) the Lakeland Wildlife Oasis. captive breeding of white-clawed crayfish. Situated at a At these locations, leaflets have been made available, posters spring source emerging at the foot of a limestone escarpment have been displayed, and the native crayfish have been above the Ribble, a series of on-line tanks represent the exhibited as part of a naturally functioning species-rich country’s most successful captive breeding facility for white- freshwater community. We have also assisted with a public clawed crayfish. open day at Brockhole. The current project has supported further development of The project has conducted educational training days for this facility, investigation of conditions associated with Environment Agency staff at both Central (Preston) and South successful breeding, and consideration of useful outcomes. (Warrington) North West Region Offices. Outcomes have also 2. Education & Public Awareness Raising been widely disseminated at meetings, regional crayfish conference (Grassington) and national crayfish conference The lack of knowledge and public awareness played a (Leeds). In addition, a two-day residential workshop has been major role in the introduction and subsequent human- convened (Jul-09), based at FSC Malham Tarn Field Centre, assisted spread of American signal crayfish throughout much which brought together Environment Agency staff from every of the country. Prior to the initial introduction to a farm in Dorset in 1976, the UK Government was advised that native populations of white-clawed crayfish in Britain had crashed, and that it was therefore reasonable to introduce American signal crayfish to fish farms and fish ponds throughout much of the country. In fact, England and Wales still supported some of the strongest populations of white-clawed crayfish at that time, and those people who were involved in the introduction of American signal crayfish were most likely aware of its invasive potential, and its capacity to carry crayfish plague. Three decades on, the current project has attempted to raise public awareness of the country’s only native crayfish species, the large populations of European conservation (Continued on page 13) importance that still extend throughout some river systems
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(Continued from page 12) significant population declines, and local extinctions. At lentic region, together with representatives of Defra, Natural sites though, biological changes associated with water England, Angling groups, Cefas, National Trust, etc. quality, rather than invasive crayfish/pathogen appear to be 3. Feasibility of American Signal Crayfish Eradication the driving mechanism. A substantial component of the project, led by Stephanie Within the project area, we are very fortunate in having Peay, involved investigating the feasibility of known one of the strongest remaining lentic white-clawed crayfish technologies and techniques that might be applied to the populations – a privately owned isolated water body. The eradication of a headwater population of American signal project has worked with the landowners/tenants and Natural crayfish. A preferred method was developed, which would England locally, to bring the site’s immediate catchment involve careful, systematic and well-contained treatment of successfully into Higher Level Stewardship. In partnership the infested reach with a natural biocide – Pyrethrum. with the Environment Agency’s water quality monitoring team, the project is now in the process of investigating water A detailed method statement was developed, and quality parameters associated with such an outstanding costings were prepared. However, hydrological investigations population. found a connection between bedflow in part of the beck, and a nearby public groundwater abstraction. At the time, it was Our investigation of water quality parameters associated considered that biocide treatment could not then proceed, with lentic white-clawed crayfish population status involves due to potential concerns from the general public. In fact, the taking water samples at monthly intervals at three biocide to be used appears to have been approved for use in contrasting sites: some public water treatment. Toxicological studies elsewhere 1. Privately owned water body - outstanding population. have shown that pyrethrum adheres readily to surfaces, and 2. Malham Tarn – Craven Limestone Complex SAC - might not therefore be expected to be detected at the public population crash in the mid-1970s, leaving very small groundwater abstraction. surviving remnant population. For the present, the population continues to spread 3. EA captive breeding setup – Britain’s most successful downstream, but has not yet reached the main River Ribble. captive breeding attempt, now rearing 3rd generation It was decided that the biocide eradication attempt could not white-clawed crayfish, and showing ecological gradient be taken forward within the timescale of the current project. through a series of online tanks. 4. Water Quality Requirements of Isolated Populations This water quality investigation is ongoing, and has been In view of the continued spread of invasive non-native extended for a further year by continued EA internal funding. crayfish species throughout much of mainland Britain, and (in Results compiled thus far suggest that even a small change in areas of native crayfish distribution) the ever increasing water quality appears to significantly compromise breeding threat of localised extinctions resulting from crayfish plague success in white-clawed crayfish at lentic sites. The concept epizootic, much attention in recent years has focused upon of isolated water bodies as secure Ark Sites for white-clawed isolated lentic sites, as possible ‘Ark Sites’ for white-clawed crayfish might thus be critically flawed, if it does not crayfish. However, our long-running investigations of extant adequately consider the biological water quality of such sites. lentic populations of white-clawed crayfish in Britain and Ireland, have found that these populations have also suffered (Continued on page 14) Crayfish News Volume 32 Issue 4: Page 13
species distribution, and leaving just a small number of isolated fragments. In September 2008, the disease was found to be localised at just one location in the upper catchment, below a series of waterfalls. The disease appears to have been localised at this one location since arriving there some years earlier. There is no known resistance to crayfish plague in white-clawed crayfish in this country. Until now, it has been generally accepted that epizootics are usually short- lived, and that reintroductions can safely proceed within just a few years of first confirmed infection. Following lengthy consultations and consideration of a range of options to eradicate the disease, a series of specially designed physical barriers were constructed above the waterfalls. With careful attention to detail, and appropriate operation, these precisely constructed ‘conservation weirs’ were found to be very effective in substantially restricting the downstream movement of white-clawed crayfish into the plague-infected zone. A detailed report on this work is being prepared. It is highly likely that the lessons learned can be used to effectively intervene to control a proportion of future epizootics elsewhere in this country, and Europe. H
Paul Bradley PBA Applied Ecology [email protected]
Update from the Russian Federation
(Continued from page 13) Where the Crayfish Work ? In the St. Petersburg Gazette newspaper (Issue number It is possible that some proposed or commenced 195 of 18.10.2006) an article was published about another introductions of white-clawed crayfish to isolated water "work" place for crayfish in St. Petersburg. During the winter, bodies throughout the country over recent years will be and summer, too, crayfish will monitor the cleanliness of the unsuccessful. Adult survival might be observed for some water at the St. Petersburg Oceanarium. Back on September years, but very few currently unpopulated sites might be 21st the a portion of the Oceanarium was intentionally capable of establishing healthy recruiting populations of poisoned, and the inhabitants of one of the open marine white-clawed crayfish. Nationally, a very small number of tanks were killed by a significant amount of arsenic and lentic sites might well be part of the future for this critically chloride, as reported by "The Planet Neptune” press-service. threatened species, but great care should be taken to Samples that were collected of the water contained arsenic adequately investigate the biological suitability of any at a level almost 80 times the maximum permissible amount, currently unpopulated sites that might be considered for Ark and resulted in a total fish kill in the tank and a loss of more Site introduction. than 100 species. These included a variety of tropical fauna, A detailed report will be prepared following the including the imperial angel, yellow zebrasoma, Oranzhe- extended period of water quality investigation. voigly rhino, fish-men fish, butterflies, Kashmir snapper, red 5. Crayfish Plague Eradication Attempt grouper and beautiful moonlit tallosoma. Many businesses and organizations in St. Petersburg expressed their warm Our ongoing research has shown that the causative sympathies to the Aquarium and offered their assistance. In pathogen of ‘crayfish plague’ has remained continually particular, “Vodokanal” offered their facility for the biological present in Ribblesdale since first infection in 2000. The testing of the water. This facility was created by Russian infection appears to have arrived with stocked fish in scientists and designers. A similar system is already used in July/August 2000, from a fish farm that is infested with bio-monitoring of the waterworks facilities in St. Petersburg. American signal crayfish. Over the next few years, the disease spread though the river system, substantially reducing the (Continued on page 15) Crayfish News Volume 32 Issue 4: Page 14
(Continued from page 14) and iron (38.55 and 46.71 mg, respectively). The system uses live crayfish, which are connected to thin 4) During ontogeny, consistent changes in the hemolymph optical fibers. Appropriate test equipment is capable of were observed in the number of granulocytes. The detecting the slightest change in the physiological state of proportion of transparent cells decreased from 14.3% in these animals and they act as biosensors and are very larvae to 3.4% in adults. Before death, HPGe rises, which sensitive to any deterioration in water parameters. lowers the amount of polugranulotsitov and buffering Science News from Russia capacity of the hemolymph. 5) Crayfish are sensitive to changes in ambient Koryagina Natalia submitted his thesis for the degree of temperature. Reductions in air or water temperatures candidate of biological sciences on the topic “Physiological also decrease oxygen consumption (30-40%), makes the and Biochemical Characterization of Crayfish Reared Under active hemolymph more acidic, improves HPGe (1.5 Artificial Conditions” in the specialty area of physiology. This times), reduces the number of hemocytes (by 33–44%) work was performed in the Department of Animal Physiology and transparent cells, and increases the number of and Biochemistry at the Russian State Agricultural University granular cells. Thus, adjusting the temperature of air or at MTAA Timiryazov, in the crayfish breeding laboratory water when stocking crayfish resulted in a decrease in supervised by Professor Alexey А. Ivanov. the oxygen consumption of noble crayfish from 24 to The study involved the following aspects: 1.) Select the 15%. At high densities the rate of oxygen consumption most informative physiological and biochemical parameters for both types of crayfish increased by 6–12%, and the reflecting the physiological state of freshwater crayfish. 2.) exchange rate increased several times. The hemolymph Assess changes in the composition of haemolymph in the pH was shifted to the acid side. The proportion of process of ontogenesis. 3.) Determine the mineral granulocytes increased on average by 10%, and composition of different tissues of freshwater crayfish. 4.) transparent cells by 1.2 times, and was not dependent Explore the specific peculiarities of homeostasis of noble, and on the species or sex. Changes in temperature of habitat narrow-clawed crayfish in vitro. 5.) Study the influence of caused and increase in the rate of agglutination of factors of artificial habitats on the basal metabolic rate and hemolymph by an average of 20%. composition of the hemolymph of crayfish of different 6) Calcium concentration in the water is an essential abiotic species and 6.) Assess the state of homeostasis in crayfish factor. A reduction in calcium concentration to 56 mg/L influenced by transportation and compacted landings in in the water causes molting in narrow-clawed crayfish, artificial reservoirs. and a decrease in the hemolymph HPGe by almost 2 PROJECT CONCLUSIONS times. In noble crayfish, water with a low concentration 1) The level of adaptation of crayfish in relation to abiotic of calcium can change the direction of morphogenesis, in and biotic factors of the following indicators influence particular, by reducing the value of the morphometric the hemolymph: the time of agglutination, the active index (length of claws in relation to the length of the response of the medium, the total number of carapace). This also tended to increase the percentage of hemocytes, gemotsitarnaya formula, the buffering agranulocytes by 10% and the proportion of clear cells, capacity. with a reduction of 1.2 – 1.4 times the number of granulocytes in both species of crayfish. Increased 2) There are species differences between the crayfish calcium content in water up to 122–164 mg/L was Pontastacus salinus, Pontastacus leptodactylus, and accompanied by an increase of 3–5% in morphometric Astacus astacus. So, narrow-clawed crayfish revealed the index. Buffering capacity of hemolymph of noble crayfish highest rate of agglutination (mean 3.0 sec), HPGe high decreased, while it increased in the narrow-clawed (average 1232), and low polugranulirovannyh hemocytes crayfish. Lower levels of albumin (3.1 g/dL) were (17.3%). These crayfish had higher albumin and copper in recorded when compared to controls (9 g/dL). Under the hemolymph. This species had increased phagocytic these conditions, a decrease the iron content was noted activity of cellular elements of the hemolymph in the hemolymph at 25.3 mg/dL, and slowed compared to the noble crayfish. Hemolymph of noble hemolymph agglutination by one third. crayfish had high buffering properties, high glucose (2.63 mmol/L), the lowest pH (5.5–5.9) and alkaline 7) Accumulation in the aquatic environment of nitrogen phosphatase activity (20U/L at 37°C). compounds has a negative impact on crayfish, most notably the hemolymph pH is shifted to the alkaline side 3) Mineral elements were unevenly distributed in the (from 7.0 to 7.9), and reduced the content of crayfish organs. Most of the dry matter is located in the granulocytes by 21.5% with a parallel increase in the shell (males = 41.82, females = 28.1 mg in CB). Most number of agranulocytes and transparent cells. copper, manganese, and iron is deposited in the internal 2 organs. Crayfish haemolymph is rich in copper (for males 8) High-density stocking (20–30 specimens/m ) of crayfish in the dry matter of 26.98 mg, in females - 112.95 mg) lead to a decrease in oxygen consumption and a shift of (Continued on page 16)
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(Continued from page 15) Rakhmanov AI (2007). Crayfish. Keeping and breeding. Moscow. Aquarium-Print. Pp. 48. pH in the hemolymph to the acid side, reducing its Kovacheva NP and Buyanovsky AI, (2008). Shellfish overall number of hemocytes by an average of 40% and aquaculture. Science in Russia, Russian Academy of polugranulotsitov by 1.7 times, while increasing the Sciences, Moscow, № 1. S. 17-22. proportion of clear cells. Kovacheva NP and Aleksandrova EN (2010). Hematological 9) The transportation of crayfish affects the cellular indices as indicators of physiological condition of composition and physico-chemical properties of the decapods: The king crab Paralithodes camtschaticus and hemolymph of crayfish. The hemolymph has a tendency crayfish genera Astacus and Pontastacus. M: I-VNIRO, to increase the total number of hemocytes by 30–45%. Moscow. When transporting crayfish agglutination of hemolymph was slowed by 1.7 times, and reduced the number of Fedotov VP (ed.) (2009). Новости раководства № 36, St. agranulocytes and polugranulotsitov (from 39.6 to Petersburg. P. 32s. 26.7%). With increasing temperature, the hemolymph Fedotov VP (2010). Новости раководства № 37, St. pH becomes more acidic, thus decreasing the number of Petersburg. P. 32s. agranulocytes and increasing the proportion of granular
and clear cells.
A temperature of 18–23°C is optimal for the production of narrow-clawed crayfish, while a range of 16–22°C was optimal Crayfish Fossils from Hungary for noble crayfish. Other optimal concentrations include: oxygen at 8.8–10 mg/L, nitrite up to 0.02 mg/L, nitrates to 20 Some remains were found in Hungary, they are of mg/L, calcium for noble crayfish at 60–124 mg/L and for Pannonian age, about 6-7 million years. We think the remains narrow-clawed crayfish at 70–124 mg/L. When growing are chelae of freshwater crayfish. The photographs can be narrow-clawed crayfish in the pools, in order to accelerate seen at http://mail.zoo.nhmus.hu/~forro. We would highly and synchronize molting, it is recommended to use water with appreciate any remarks, comments on these remains, please low (at 56 mg/L) calcium content. The results of this thesis send your message to [email protected] and were tested in the manufacturing process at Flora [email protected]. H Sredneahtubinskogo Ltd., in the Volgograd region. Sincerely yours, LITERATURE CITED Alexandrova EN, Pronin GI and Koryagina NU (2005). The Laszlo Forro number of hemocytes and some other properties of the Department of Zoology hemolymph. Aquaculture and integrated technologies: Hungarian Natural History Museum challenges and opportunities. Moscow: Russian Academy Baross u. 13. of Agriculture. S.362-372. 1088 Budapest, Hungary
(Continued from page 20) TVA scientist Jeffrey Simmons — the guy who spotted what turned out to be the new species. H unique spine between the creatures' eyes that the other spe- cies in the genus do not have. [First printed by NPR on January 20, 2011] Most North American crayfish, he adds, live no more than three or four years and occasionally grow to 4 or 4 1/2 inches long (from the tip of the body to the tip of the tail). The two discovered in 2009, he estimates, were 4 to 5 years old and could be part of the largest species of crayfish in North America. Taylor and Schuster have each discovered other new species of creatures before, but this one, says Taylor, is spe- cial because it wasn't found "in a very difficult-to-access habi- tat like a cave. ... This was a stream and region that had been searched." And the attention he and Schuster have gotten in the past 24 hours, says Taylor, "has been wild." Barbicambarus simmonsi, by the way, gets its name from
Crayfish News Volume 32 Issue 4: Page 16 Zhang H-W, Sun C, Sun S-S, Zhao X-F and Wang J-X (2010a). Functional (Continued from page 6) analysis of two invertebrate-type lysozymes from red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii. Fish and Shellfish Immunology Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of 29(6):1066-1072. Philadelphia 6: 97-101. Zhang Y, Söderhäll I, Söderhäll K and Jiravanichpaisal P (2010b). Hagen HA (1870). Monograph of the North American Expression of immune-related genes in one phase of embryonic Astacidae. Illustrated Catalogue of the Museum of development of freshwater crayfish, Pacifastacus leniusculus. Fish Comparative Zoology at Harvard College 3: 1-109. and Shellfish Immunology 28(4):649-653. Zhu F, Quan H, Du H, Xu Z and Li Y (2010). The effect of dietary Hobbs Jr. HH (1974). A checklist of the North American and chitosan and chitin supplementation on the survival and immune middle American crayfishes (Decapoda: Astacidae and reactivity of crayfish, Procambarus clarkii. Journal of the World Cambaridae). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 166:1 Aquaculture Society 41:284-290. H -161. Hobbs Jr. HH (1989). An illustrated checklist of the American crayfishes (Decapoda: Astacidae, Cambaridae, and Parast- acidae). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 480: 1-236. Johnson SK and Johnson NK (2008). Texas Crawdads. Crawdad Club Designs, College Station, Texas. Metcalf AL and Distler DA (1963). The crayfish Orconectes palmeri longimanus (Faxon) in Kansas. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 66(1):141-147. Pflieger WL (1996). The Crayfishes of Missouri. Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson City, Missouri. It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Crayfish (sung to “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas”) Rafinesque CS (1817) Synopsis of four new genera and ten
new species of Crustacea, found in the United States. It’s beginning to look a lot like crayfish American Monthly Magazine and Critical Review 2:40-43. Burrows everywhere Taylor CA and Schuster GA (2004). The Crayfishes of Take a look at the pond out back Kentucky. Illinois Natural History Survey Special Of holes there is no lack Publication28: viii + 210 pp., illus. H With chimneys tall and mud caps just for show
(Continued from page 21) It's beginning to look a lot like crayfish More than three or four Tricarico E, Vilizzi L, Gherardi F and Copp GH (2010). Calibration of FI- But the loveliest sight to see ISK, an invasiveness screening tool for nonnative freshwater Is the burrow that will be invertebrates. Risk Analysis 30(2):285-292. By your own front door Tropea C, Piazza Y and Greco LSL (2010). Effect of long-term exposure
to high temperature on survival, growth and reproductive parameters of the “redclaw” crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus. Oh you can watch it each morning and then each dark night Aquaculture 302(1–2):49-56. In hopes of meeting your friend Walton RC, McCrohan CR, Livens F and White KN (2010). Trophic But he might’nt show up ‘til the winter is up transfer of aluminium through an aquatic grazer–omnivore food When its time for his tunnels to mend chain. Aquatic Toxicology 99(1):93-99. Then ask an astacologist the ID guide to send Wang X, Lu Z, Zhu L, Zhang Y, Ren Y and Wang Y (2010). Innate immune response and related gene expression in red swamp crayfish It's beginning to look a lot like crayfish [Procambarus clarkii (Girard)], induced by selenium-enriched Ev'rywhere you go exopolysaccharide produced by bacterium Enterobacter cloacae There's a burrow out by the well Z0206. Aquaculture Research 41(11):e819-e827. The craftsmanship is swell Xu J-Y, Wang T-T, Wang Y-F and Peng Y (2010). Effect of combined fish It’s dressed up for the season with a bow meal : soybean meal ratio, vitamin C and fish oil supplementations in diet on the growth and reproduction of red swamp crayfish, It's beginning to look a lot like crayfish Procambarus clarkii (Crustacea: Decapoda). Aquaculture Research See the antennae 41(9):e252-e259. Rising up from the dark abyss Yudkovski Y, Glazer L, Shechter A, Reinhardt R, Chalifa-Caspi V, Sagi A and Tom M (2010). Multi-transcript expression patterns in the To give you a Christmas pinch gastrolith disk and the hypodermis of the crayfish Cherax Time to run away! H quadricarinatus at premolt. Comparative Biochemistry and by Emily Imhoff Physiology Part D: Genomics and Proteomics 5(2):171-177. Columbia, Missouri, USA
Crayfish News Volume 32 Issue 4: Page 17
Meeting Summary providing a good opportunity to promote the IAA, since active IAA members were present Six keynote speakers were invited: Julian Reynolds on Interactions between crayfish and fish, indigenous and intro- duced; Stephanie Peay and Leopold Füreder on Two indige- nous crayfish under threat - how can we retain them in aquatic ecosystems for the future?; Francesca Gherardi on Sustainable human use of crayfish;Max Keller on Creating and European Crayfish: Food, Flagships and cultivating genetic reservation pools for Astacus astacus in Ecosystem Services Bavaria; and Lennart Edsman on the Pros and cons associated Held 26-29 October 2010 with the huge interest in crayfish - Implications for manage- Poitiers, France ment and conservation in Scandinavia. In the name of the IAA, Francesca Gherardi was nominat- Hosting European Inland Fisheries Advisory Commis- ed as a Distinguished Astacologist. It was really a surprise for sion (EIFAC); key role of crayfish in ecosystems and socio- her when Leopold Füreder (IAA President Elect) and Catherine economic relevance. Souty-Grosset (IAA Past President) delivered the plaque to her. The organizing laboratory ‘Ecology Evolution Symbio- Two roundtables were also organized: Adam Petrusek led sis’ has worked on crayfish since 1992. In 2001, a first Eu- the first one on crayfish invasions and crayfish plague; while ropean crayfish congress (Euroconference) was funded by Pavel Kozak coordinated the second, on Conservation of na- the European Commission, entitled ‘Knowledge-based tive crayfish, culture, restocking, including the topics of Devel- management of European native crayfish: exchanges be- oping Catchment-based conservation strategy for crayfish and tween researchers and managers’. Following this event, a Guidelines for evaluation of reintroduction. European programme CRAYNET was created under the A Field Trip was a relaxed and fruitful way to discuss prob- coordination of Catherine Souty-Grosset, involving 11 lems of the deterioration of our aquatic ecosystems in West- countries, on the topic “European crayfish as keystone ern France, the loss of biodiversity and how to restore their species – linking science, management and economics with quality. The Magot stream site is remarkable as a Natura 2000 sustainable environmental quality”. Thirty eight countries Special Area of Conservation because of the presence of collaborated in updating the distribution of crayfish in Eu- patchy populations of A. pallipes, and has been extensively rope and more than 500 scientists and managers were studied. Other major species of Community interest (covered linked in the network. The CRAYNET activities revitalized by the Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC) linked to those hydrosys- European interest in conserving crayfish and led EIFAC – tems are brook lamprey Lampetra planeri and bullhead Cottus the European Inland Fisheries Advisory Commission, cover- gobio. Those species are used as biological indicators to esti- ing 33 countries and corresponding to a sub-commission of mate the results of management on natural lands. FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Na- Of course we also enjoyed excellent French gastronomy tions) - to re-establish in 2008 its work package on crayfish, and also an international drinks session, which provided a very which had been in abeyance since 1996. It was, therefore, friendly atmosphere because each participant was very enthu- natural that the present congress would harbour EIFAC in siastic about bringing a bottle from his or her country! its choice of two main topics: Thanks are due now to the journal Knowledge and Man-
agement of Aquatic Ecosystems (Website: http://www.kmae- 1) Interactions of crayfish and fish in freshwater ecosys- journal.org) for offering us the opportunity of a special issue tems (competition, predation, other ecological interac- about our discussions and findings. This is above all important tions), and because there will be a place for opinion papers (from 2) Socio-economic aspects: –crayfish production, past and roundtables) and also because the numerous PhD students present; costs of fisheries; new ideas such as cultural present during our meeting will be encouraged to publish values and ecosystem services for human well-being; among the astacologist community. The deadline for sub- new insights such as crayfish as flagship species and eco mitting a manuscript is mid January 2011. -tourism, linked with education of the public, and also Scientific Committee: with restoration of aquatic ecosystems. Recent projects such as the MEA and Biodiversity Plans are of equal Catherine Souty-Grosset (UMR CNRS 6556- University of importance with the production of food. Poitiers, France) Frédéric Grandjean (UMR CNRS 6556- University of Poi- Other topics concerned the rising imperative to increase tiers, France) our knowledge base of both indigenous and non-indigenous Lennart Edsman (Swedish Board of Fisheries, Sweden) crayfish, for better management of our heritage species. Ninety six participants from 19 countries joined this (Continued on page 19) meeting, about 30% of participants being PhD students,
Crayfish News Volume 32 Issue 4: Page 18
(Continued from page 18) TV exposure for Anglo-Japanese
Leopold Füreder (University of Innsbruck, Austria) collaboration! Francesca Gherardi (University of Firenze, Italy) Japanese conservationists invited former IAA President, Pavel Kozak (Institute Fisheries, Vodnamy, Czech Professor David Rogers, to Japan to study the effects of Republic) invasive species on their native crayfish, Cambaroides ja- Stephanie Peay (Scott Wilson, Leeds, Ecological ponicus, whose distribution is becoming mainly restricted to Consultant, U.K) the northern island of the country, Hokkaido. Adam Petrusek (Charles University of Praga, Czech David Rogers, Professor of Freshwater Biology at the Republic) H University of Derby, gave a keynote lecture at a symposium Julian Reynolds (Trinity College Dublin, Ireland in Sapporo, Hokkaido on September 23 and appeared on NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation), one of the main Japanese television stations to discuss crayfish conservation with his host for the visit Tadashi Kawai, IAA member from News Items From Around the World Institute of Fisheries Research, Wakkanai, Hokkaido (Figure 1). David’s presentation in Sapporo City Hall focused on the devastating effects of crayfish plague on the UK’s native Australian Astacologists Visit Japan crayfish, Austropotamobius pallipes, and lessons that might be learned for Japan. Crayfish plague is carried by intro- in January 2011. duced, invasive signal crayfish, Pacifastacus leniusculus, and Three International Association of Astacology mem- red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, both of which bers: Kathryn “Kat” Dawkins (Griffith School of Environ- have been introduced to the UK and Japan from North ment and Australian Rivers Institute), Jason Coughran and America. James Furse (both Griffith University Environmental Fu- David’s visit also included meetings with conservation- tures Centre) and non-IAA colleague Jesse C. Leland (“by- ists in the field to study C. japonicas, a trip to the Highlands catch” from the Marine Ecology Research Centre, School of of Hokkaido, Mount Taisetsu (National Park) to study Environmental Science & Management, Southern Cross P. leniusculus and discussions at Hokkaido Fisheries Experi- University) are escaping and heading north from the humid ment Station, Wakkanai, where crayfish research is in pro- tropical east coast of Australia to visit IAA member Tadashi gress. Kawai in the somewhat cooler frozen north of Sapporo (Japan). In Japan, P. leniusculus was introduced in the 1930s and occupies a broad area of Hokkaido; Procambarus The Australian team is visiting Tadashi’s home town in clarkii, have recently been found in Sapporo City, Hokkaido. order to participate in a Symposium on the conservation of Conservation efforts for the Japanese crayfish Cambaroides freshwater crayfish in Sapporo (where the Australian team will present a series of special guest lectures). The symposi- um will be followed by a field-trip to observe native Japa- nese crayfish in their natural and ice-covered habitat (and perhaps to see a few American invader crayfish along the way). A number of collaborative research projects will be initiated between Japanese and Australian astacologists during this trip. The Australian team are grateful for the very kind invi- tation from Dr. Kawai, the opportunity to visit Japan again, visit Tadashi’s home town and further enhance our collabo- rations with our Japanese astacologist friends. We are look- ing forward to seeing Tadashi and our Japanese friends again, enjoying their company and some of the fabulous Japanese scenery and warm hospitality. Best Regards, Kat, Jason, James and soon-to-be IAA member Jesse Figure 1. Professor David Rogers interviewed by NHK (Japanese TV) Griffith University following his presentation in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia (Continued on page 20)
Crayfish News Volume 32 Issue 4: Page 19
Barbicambarus simmonsi. The newly discovered, quite large, cray- Figure 2. David Rogers and Tadashi Kawai explaining problems of fish. Photo by C. Williams, Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency . caused by introduced Pacifastacus leniusculus for Japanese TV in Central Hokkaido Highlands, Japan. southern Tennessee by a scientist with the Tennessee Valley (Continued from page 19) Authority. They headed to the area in October that year. And they almost didn't come up with anything. japonicus, are increasing and it has been declared an endan- The University of Illinois news bureau writes that: "With gered species by the Japanese Government. two other biologists, Taylor and Schuster scoured the creek As great news for the IAA, the Japanese broadcasting pro- for more specimens. After two hours of turning over boulders gram company (NHK) followed with interest the lecture and and kicking up the sediment to flush the crayfish into their the field trip, and filmed all schedules (Figure 2). On 10 Octo- seine, the researchers had found nothing out of the ordinary. ber 2010, an all action program on the plight of the Japanese "We had worked so hard and long that we were ready to native crayfish was broadcast all over Japan! give up and find another site,“ Schuster said. “And we saw this Following the successful visit, Tadashi Kawai and IAA big flat boulder underneath a bridge and so we said, OK. Let's members in Japan will maintain good communication with flip this rock, just for the heck of it; this will be our last one. David Rogers in the UK and aim to publish relevant research And sure enough, that's where we got the first specimen.” “It in the Japanese peer-reviewed journal (proceeding volume), was a big male, about twice the size of any other crayfish they Crustacean Research, Special Issues, in spring 2012. H had seen that day." Taylor told us today that "we were elated, jumping for Sincerely, joy," when the first of the two crayfish they ended up finding Tadashi KAWAI that day crawled out. The scientists proved that they had Hokkaido, Japan something new with DNA tests and after studying a ridge and
New 'Giant' Species of Crayfish Found in Tennessee Creek
"A new species of giant crayfish [has] literally crawled out from under a rock in Tennessee, proving that large new spe- cies of animals can be found in highly populated and well- explored places," Reuters reports. Researchers Christopher Taylor and Guenter Schuster reveal the discovery in the latest issue of the Proceeding of the Biological Society of Washington (it costs $10 to buy the article). The Barbicambarus simmonsi is about 5 inches long — double the length of most crayfish in the region. The new species, Barbicambarus simmonsi (left) is more than twice the size of typical crayfish found in the same creek. Photo by L. Brian Taylor, from the University of Illinois, and Schuster, from Stauffer, UI News Bureau.. Eastern Kentucky University, heard in the summer of 2009 about the possibility that a new species had been spotted in (Continued on page 16)
Crayfish News Volume 32 Issue 4: Page 20 (Continued from page 22) Pino-Figueroa A, Nguyen D and Maher TJ (2010). Neuroprotective effects of Lepidium meyenii (Maca). Annals of the New York Kouba A, Carral JM, Buřič M, Mráz J, Policar T and Kozák P (2010). Academy of Sciences 1199(1):77-85. Artificial incubation of noble crayfishAstacus ( astacus) eggs in a Powell ML and Watts SA (2010a). Response to long-term nutrient partially recirculating system using formaldehyde as an antifungal deprivation and recovery in the crayfishes Procambarus clarkii treatment. Aquaculture Research 41(10):e618-e623. and Procambarus zonangulus (Crustacea, Decapoda): Component Kozubíková E, Puky M, Kiszely P and Petrusek A (2010). Crayfish and proximate analyses. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society plague pathogen in invasive North American crayfish species in 41(1):71-80. Hungary. Journal of Fish Diseases 33(11):925-929. Powell ML and Watts SA (2010b). Response to long-term nutrient Larson ER and Olden JD (2010). Latent extinction and invasion risk of deprivation and recovery in the crayfishes Procambarus clarkii crayfishes in the southeastern United States. Conservation and Procambarus zonangulus: Oxygen consumption and Biology 24(4): 1099-1110. metabolic enzymes. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society Li J, Guo Z, Gan X, Wang Q and Zhao Y (2010a). Biochemical changes 41(1):81-91. during vitellogenesis in the red claw crayfish, Cherax Sahlin U, Smith HG, Edsman L and Bengtsson G (2010). Time to quadricarinatus (von Martens). Aquaculture Research establishment success for introduced signal crayfish in Sweden – 41(10):e446-e455. a statistical evaluation when success is partially known. Journal of Li X-C, Zhang R-R, Sun R-R, Lan J-F, Zhao X-F and Wang J-X (2010b). Applied Ecology 47(5):1044-1052. Three Kazal-type serine proteinase inhibitors from the red swamp Sangsuriya P, Rojtinnakorn J, Senapin S and Flegel TW (2010). crayfish Procambarus clarkii and the characterization, function Identification and characterization of Alix/AIP1 interacting analysis of hcPcSPI2. Fish and Shellfish Immunology 28(5–6):942- proteins from the black tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon. Journal 951. of Fish Diseases 33(7):571-581. Liang T, Ji H, Lian L, Wu T, Gu W and Wang W (2010). A rapid assay Savini D, Occhipinti–Ambrogi A, Marchini A, Tricarico E, Gherardi F, for simultaneous detection of Spiroplasma eriocheiris and white Olenin S and Gollasch S (2010). The top 27 animal alien species spot syndrome virus in Procambarus clarkii by multiplex PCR. introduced into Europe for aquaculture and related activities. Letters in Applied Microbiology51(5):532 -538. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 26:1-7. Malev O, Šrut M, Maguire I, Štambuk A, Ferrero EA, Lorenzon S and Shahidi F and Alasalvar C (2010). Marine oils and other marine Klobučar GIV (2010). Genotoxic, physiological and immunological nutraceuticals. Pp. 444-454 In: Handbook of Seafood Quality, effects caused by temperature increase, air exposure or food Safety and Health Applications. Wiley-Blackwell. deprivation in freshwater crayfish Astacus leptodactylus. Stumpf L, Calvo NS, Pietrokovsky S and López Greco LS (2010). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C: Toxicology and Nutritional vulnerability and compensatory growth in early Pharmacology 152(4):433-443. juveniles of the “red claw” crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus. Mol S and Türkmen ÖA (2010). Effect of sodium metabisulfite and Aquaculture 304(1–4):34-41. citric acid on the quality of crayfish Astacus ( leptodactylus). Su H-C, Lin C-M, Yen S-J, Chen Y-C, Chen C-H, Yeh S-R, Fang W, Chen Journal of Muscle Foods 21(2):327-342. H, Yao D-J, Chang Y-C and Yew T-R (2010). A cone-shaped 3D Moss JC, Hardaway CJ, Richert JC and Sneddon J (2010). carbon nanotube probe for neural recording. Biosensors and Determination of cadmium copper, iron, nickel, lead and zinc in Bioelectronics 26(1):220-227. crawfish Procambarus [ clarkii] by inductively coupled plasma Suárez-Serrano A, Alcaraz C, Ibáñez C, Trobajo R and Barata C optical emission spectrometry: a study over the 2009 season in (2010). Procambarus clarkii as a bioindicator of heavy metal Southwest Louisiana. Microchemical Journal 95(1):5-10. pollution sources in the lower Ebro River and Delta. Ecotoxicology Nathaniel TI, Panksepp J and Huber R (2010). Effects of a single and and Environmental Safety 73(3):280-286. repeated morphine treatment on conditioned and unconditioned Sunada H, Horikoshi T, Lukowiak K and Sakakibara M (2010). behavioral sensitization in crayfish. Behavioural Brain Research Increase in excitability of RPeD11 results in memory 207(2):310-320. enhancement of juvenile and adult Lymnaea stagnalis by Nunes AL, Cruz MJ, Tejedo M, Laurila A and Rebelo R (2010). predator-induced stress. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory Nonlethal injury caused by an invasive alien predator and its 94(2):269-277. consequences for an anuran tadpole. Basic and Applied Ecology Tablado Z, Tella JL, SÁNchez-Zapata JA and Hiraldo F (2010). The 11(7):645-654. paradox of the long-term positive effects of a North American Ortiz-Santaliestra ME, Fernández-Benéitez MJ, Marco A and Lizana crayfish on a European community of predators. Conservation M (2010). Influence of ammonium nitrate on larval anti-predatory Biology 24(5):1230-1238. responses of two amphibian species. Aquatic Toxicology Thompson KR, Bailey TJ, Metts LS, Brady YJ and Webster CD (2010). 99(2):198-204. Growth response and fatty acid composition of juvenile red claw Pedraza-Lara C, Alda F, Carranza S and Doadrio I (2010). crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus) fed different sources of dietary Mitochondrial DNA structure of the Iberian populations of the lipid. Aquaculture Nutrition 16(6):604-615. white-clawed crayfish, Austropotamobius italicus italicus (Faxon, Toon A, Pérez-Losada M, Schweitzer CE, Feldmann RM, Carlson M 1914). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 57(1):327-342. and Crandall KA (2010). Gondwanan radiation of the Southern Perdikaris C, Gouva E and Paschos I (2010a). Alien fish and crayfish Hemisphere crayfishes (Decapoda: Parastacidae): evidence from species in Hellenic freshwaters and aquaculture. Reviews in fossils and molecules. Journal of Biogeography 37(12):2275-2290. Aquaculture 2(3):111-120. Perdikaris C, Gouva E and Paschos I (2010b). Status and
development prospects for indigenous freshwater finfish and crayfish farming in Greece.Reviews in Aquaculture 2(4):171-180. (Continued on page 17) Crayfish News Volume 32 Issue 4: Page 21
To view abstracts, etc., click on a reference to be taken to the journal Literature of Interest to Astacologists website (some references may not contain links).
Angthong P, Watthanasurorot A, Klinbunga S, Ruangdej U, Söderhäll assemblages in Australian dryland rivers. Freshwater Biology I and Jiravanichpaisal P (2010). Cloning and characterization of a 55(8):1780-1800. melanization inhibition protein (PmMIP) of the black tiger shrimp, da Silva-Castiglioni D, Oliveira GT and Buckup L (2010). Metabolic Penaeus monodon. Fish and Shellfish Immunology 29(3):464-468. responses of Parastacus defossus and Parastacus brasiliensis Aquiloni L and Gherardi F (2010). Crayfish females eavesdrop on (Crustacea, Decapoda, Parastacidae) to hypoxia. Comparative fighting males and use smell and sight to recognize the identity of Biochemistry and Physiology - Part A: Molecular and Integrative the winner. Animal Behaviour 79(2):265-269. Physiology 156(4):436-444. Barbee GC, McClain WR, Lanka SK and Stout MJ (2010). Acute Donpudsa S, Söderhäll I, Rimphanitchayakit V, Cerenius L, toxicity of chlorantraniliprole to non-target crayfish (Procambarus Tassanakajon A and Söderhäll K (2010). Proteinase inhibitory clarkii) associated with rice–crayfish cropping systems. Pest activities of two two-domain Kazal proteinase inhibitors from the Management Science 66(9):996-1001. freshwater crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus and the importance Barim O and Karatepe M (2010). The effects of pollution on the of the P2 position in proteinase inhibitory activity. Fish and vitamins A, E, C, β-carotene contents and oxidative stress of the Shellfish Immunology 29(5):716-723. freshwater crayfish, Astacus leptodactylus. Ecotoxicology and Du Z-Q, Li X-C, Wang Z-H, Zhao X-F and Wang J-X (2010). A single Environmental Safety 73(2):138-142. WAP domain (SWD)-containing protein with antipathogenic Barriga-Montoya C, Gómez-Lagunas F and Fuentes-Pardo B (2010). relevance in red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii. Fish and Effect of pigment dispersing hormone on the electrical activity of Shellfish Immunology 28(1):134-142. crayfish visual photoreceptors during the 24-h cycle. Comparative Faria M, Huertas D, Soto DX, Grimalt JO, Catalan J, Riva MC and Biochemistry and Physiology - Part A: Molecular and Integrative Barata C (2010). Contaminant accumulation and multi-biomarker Physiology 157(4):338-345. responses in field collected zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) Bentley AI, Schmidt DJ and Hughes JM (2010). Extensive intraspecific and crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), to evaluate toxicological genetic diversity of a freshwater crayfish in a biodiversity hotspot. effects of industrial hazardous dumps in the Ebro river (NE Spain). Freshwater Biology 55(9):1861-1873. Chemosphere 78(3):232-240. Bentov S, Weil S, Glazer L, Sagi A and Berman A (2010). Stabilization Favaro L, Tirelli T and Pessani D (2010). The role of water chemistry of amorphous calcium carbonate by phosphate rich organic in the distribution of Austropotamobius pallipes (Crustacea matrix proteins and by single phosphoamino acids. Journal of Decapoda Astacidae) in Piedmont (Italy). Comptes Rendus Structural Biology 171(2):207-215. Biologies 333(1):68-75. Bierbower SM and Cooper RL (2010). The effects of acute carbon Ferreira A, Marquez L, Almansa E, Andrade JP, Lorenzo A and dioxide on behavior and physiology in Procambarus clarkii. Journal Domingues PM (2010). The use of alternative diets to culture of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological Genetics and juvenile cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis: effects on growth and lipid Physiology 313A(8):484-497. composition. Aquaculture Nutrition 16(3):262-275. Buřič M, Kouba A and Kozák P (2010). Intra-sex dimorphism in Freeman MA, Turnbull JF, Yeomans WE and Bean CW (2010). crayfish females.Zoology 113(5):301-307. 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Gladman ZF, Yeomans WE, Adams CE, Bean CW, McColl D, Cerenius L, Liu H, Zhang Y, Rimphanitchayakit V, Tassanakajon A, Olszewska JP, McGillivray CW and McCluskey R (2010). Detecting Gunnar Andersson M, Söderhäll K and Söderhäll I (2010b). High North American signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) in riffles. sequence variability among hemocyte-specific Kazal-type Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems proteinase inhibitors in decapod crustaceans. Developmental and 20(5):588-594. Comparative Immunology34(1):69 -75. Gouws G, Stewart BA and Daniels SR (2010). Phylogeographic Cervantes-Santiago E, Hernández-Vergara MP, Pérez-Rostro CI and structure in the gilgie (Decapoda: Parastacidae: Cherax Olvera-Novoa MA (2010). Protein lipid ratio for the growth and quinquecarinatus): a south-western Australian freshwater survival of juvenile crayfish Procambarus acanthophorus (Hobbs crayfish. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 101(2):385-402. 1972) reared under controlled conditions. Aquaculture Research Hsiao C-Y and Song Y-L (2010). A long form of shrimp astakine 41(9):e62-e71. transcript: Molecular cloning, characterization and functional Chen G, Xiong YL, Newman MC, Webster CD, Thompson KR and elucidation in promoting hematopoiesis. Fish and Shellfish Metts LS (2010). Effect of vacuum packaging on the quality of red Immunology 28(1):77-86. claw crayfish, Cherax quadricarinatus, tail muscle during frozen Johnson MF, Rice SP and Reid I (2010). Topographic disturbance of storage. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society 41(3):358-368. subaqueous gravel substrates by signal crayfish (Pacifastacus Chessman BC, Jones HA, Searle NK, Growns IO and Pearson MR leniusculus). Geomorphology 123(3–4):269-278. (2010). Assessing effects of flow alteration on macroinvertebrate (Continued on page 21)
Crayfish News Volume 32 Issue 4: Page 22