Hydrobiologia (2005) 542:203–220 Ó Springer 2005 H. Segers & K. Martens (eds), Aquatic Biodiversity II DOI 10.1007/s10750-004-8930-9 Native and exotic Amphipoda and other Peracarida in the River Meuse: new assemblages emerge from a fast changing fauna Guy Josens1,*, Abraham Bij de Vaate2, Philippe Usseglio-Polatera3, Roger Cammaerts1,4, Fre´de´ric Che´rot1,4, Fre´de´ric Grisez1,4, Pierre Verboonen1 & Jean-Pierre Vanden Bossche1,4 1Universite´ Libre de Bruxelles, Service de syste´matique et d’e´cologie animales, av. Roosevelt, 50, cp 160/13, B-1050 Bruxelles 2Institute for Inland Water Management & Waste Water Treatment, Lelystad, The Netherlands 3Universite´ de Metz, LBFE, e´quipe de De´moe´cologie, av. Ge´ne´ral Delestraint, F-57070 Metz 4Centre de Recherche de la Nature, des Foreˆts et du Bois, DGRNE, Ministe`re de la Re´gion wallonne, Avenue Mare´chal Juin, 23, B-5030 Gembloux (*Author for correspondence: e-mail:
[email protected]) Key words: aquatic biodiversity, alien species, invasive species, invasibility, community dynamics, Dikerogammarus villosus, Chelicorophium curvispinum Abstract Samples issued from intensive sampling in the Netherlands (1992–2001) and from extensive sampling carried out in the context of international campaigns (1998, 2000 and 2001) were revisited. Additional samples from artificial substrates (1992–2003) and other techniques (various periods) were analysed. The combined data provide a global and dynamic view on the Peracarida community of the River Meuse, with the focus on the Amphipoda. Among the recent exotic species found, Crangonyx pseudogracilis is regressing, Dikerogammarus haemobaphes is restricted to the Condroz course of the river, Gammarus tigrinus is restricted to the lowlands and seems to regress, Jaera istri is restricted to the ‘tidal’ Meuse, Chelicorophium curvispinum is still migrating upstream into the Lorraine course without any strong impact on the other amphipod species.