The Case of Cherax Destructor in Coastal Drainages of New South
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CRUSTACEAN RESEARCH, SPECIAL NUMBER 7: 5–13, 2012 4 ET AL. Barbaresi, S., 2002. Ranging and burrowingJ. C. LELAND Research, 31: 693–700. behaviour of the red swamp crayfish in an Riek, E. F., 1951. The freshwater crayfish (family Potential threats posed by a translocated crayfish: the case invaded habitat: the onset of hibernation. Parastacidae) of Queensland, with an appendix of Cherax destructor in coastal drainages of New South Freshwater Crayfish, 13: 330–337. describing other Australian species. Records of Harlioğlu, M. M. & Harlioğlu, A. G., 2006. Threat the Australian Museum, 22: 368–388. Wales, Australia of non–native crayfish introductions into Turkey: Timms, B. V., 1982. Coastal Dune Waterbodies of global lessons. Reviews in Fish Biology and North–eastern New South Wales. Australian Fisheries, 16: 171–181. Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 33: Horwitz, P., 1990. The translocation of freshwater 203–22. crayfish in Australia: potential impact, the need Willmott, W. F., 1986. Rocks and landscapes of the Jason Coughran and Garry Daly for control and global relevance. Biological Gold Coast hinterland: geology and excursions Conservation, 54: 291–305. in the Albert and Beaudesert Shires. Geological Kailola, P., Williams, M., Stewart, P., Reichelt, Society of Australia (Qld. Division), Brisbane, Abstract.—The yabby, Cherax destructor, is virtually all coastal drainage systems in R., McNee, A. & Grieve, C., 1993. Australia’s Queensland, 38 pp, ISBN 0–959223–35–5. endemic to inland waterways of south–eastern NSW is of great concern to the protection Fisheries Resources. Bureau of Resource Wingfield, M., 2002. An overview of the Australian Australia. However, as a result of aquaculture and management of the indigenous fauna of Sciences and the Fisheries Research and freshwater crayfish farming industry. Freshwater feral populations have become established these waterways. In this paper we outline the Development Corporation, Canberra, ACT, Crayfish, 13: 177–184. outside its natural range, within and outside of severity of the potential threat involved. Australia. ISBN 0642188769. 422 pp. Wingfield, 2008. An Updated Overview of the Australia. In recent years, numerous translocated Lawrence, C. & Jones, C., 2002. Crayfish of Australian Freshwater Crayfish Farming The aquatic ecosystems of NSW are populations have been recorded from coastal commercial importance: Cherax. In: D. M. Industry. Freshwater Crayfish, 16: 15–17. most conspicuously defined by the Great Holdich (ed.), Biology of Freshwater Crayfish. drainages in New South Wales, where a sizeable Dividing Range, which divides the State’s Blackwell Science, Oxford, England. pp. 635– diversity of endemic coastal crayfishes occur. waterways into inland and coastal draining 666, ISBN 0–632–05431–X. Addresses: (* JCL) Marine Ecology Translocated yabbies represent a potential threat systems. Inland waterways are characterized Mitchell, B. D., Collins, R. O. & Austin, C. M., Research Centre, School of Environment, to indigenous fauna in the waterways of eastern by a low diversity of relatively widespread 1994. Multi–level refuge utilization by the Science and Engineering, Southern Cross New South Wales, and in this paper we outline the aquatic species, while the coastal drainages freshwater crayfish Cherax destructor Clark habitats and biota that may be at risk. We discuss University, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia. support a much richer diversity of species (Decapoda: Parastacidae): a potential harvest and several key concerns regarding this translocated (JC) Outback Ecology, 1/73 Troy Terrace, sampling technique. Aquaculture and Fisheries crayfish, including: the probable pathways of with comparatively small distributions. This Management, 25: 557–562. Jolimont, Western Australia, 6014, Australia, introduction; its propensity to spread; potential difference is highlighted by the crayfish fauna Moritz, C., 1994. Defining ‘Evolutionarily and Environmental Futures Centre and the competition and predation threats; pathogen of the state. Apart from a handful of species Significant Units’ for conservation. Trends in Griffith School of Environment, Griffith that occur in the upper headwaters along Ecology and Evolution, 9: 373–375. concerns; and potential impacts at the habitat University, Gold Coast campus, Queensland and ecosystem level. the Great Dividing Range, the major inland Olszewski, P., 1980. A salute to the humble yabby. 4222, Australia. (JMF) Environmental waterways are dominated by two species: Angus and Robertson, Sydney, 150 pp, ISBN 0207140936. Futures Centre and the Griffith School of the widespread yabby (Cherax destructor) Peay, S., Holdich, D. M. & Brickland, J., 2010. Risk Environment, Griffith University, Gold Coast INTRODUCTION and the River Murray Crayfish (Euastacus Assessments of Non–Indigenous Crayfish in campus, Queensland 4222, Australia; The yabby, Cherax destructor, is the most armatus). In contrast, the coastal waterways Great Britain. Freshwater Crayfish, 17: 109–122. Email: (JCL) [email protected], widely distributed freshwater crayfish in of NSW support more than 40 species from Rabeni, C. F., Collier, K. J., Parkyn, S. M. & Hicks, (JC) [email protected], Australia, with a natural range that extends five genera (Table 1). B. J., 1997. Evaluating techniques for sampling stream crayfish (Paranephrops planifrons). (JMF) [email protected] across several inland catchments west of Probable pathways. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater *Author for correspondence the Great Dividing Range (Sokol, 1988). The probable pathways of translocated However, it has been translocated to other Cherax destructor in eastern drainages parts of the continent including Western (i.e. aquarium release, use of bait yabbies Australia, Tasmania and, more recently, in fishing, deliberate stocking as a coastal catchments in New South Wales food resource, etc) are all still present. (NSW) (Austin, 1985; Elvey et al., 1996; Regrettably, the Australian Crayfish Project Horwitz, 1990; Horwitz & Knott, 1995; surveys have recorded further translocated Coughran et al., 2009). Since the initial populations of this species since the paper report of translocated populations of C. by Coughran et al. (2009) was published, destructor in eastern NSW (Coughran et and it has now been recorded in additional al., 2009), several additional populations coastal drainages of NSW (an update have been recorded (McCormack & Daly, listing the site details of these additional unpublished data). The sudden occurrence translocated populations will be published of this translocated crayfish species in in due course; McCormack, pers. comm.). TRANSLoCATED C. dEsTruCTor IN NEW SoUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA 7 6 6 J. Coughran & g. Daly The threat of further introductions of this dharawalus in recent years. When the species in NSW is real, and in the absence situation at Fitzroy Falls was first brought of education programs or mechanisms to to attention, a proposal was developed for Table 1. The coastal drainages of New South Wales support more than 40 species of freshwater crayfish, most of which are endemic to coastal drainages. These crayfish are listed as ‘restricted’ if their estimated distribution reduce the various introduction pathways, it continued and more specific population is <10,000km2, and as ‘highly restricted’ if their estimated distribution is <1,000km2. Current IUCN Red List is most likely that the species will continue to research on this species. However, relevant conservation classifications are provided where available become established in waterways throughout stakeholder agencies did not fund the Species Coastal Endemic Distribution Range Conservation Status (IUCN) all coastal drainages. initiative, on the basis that the issue was not of sufficiently high priority (McCormack, Cherax cuspidatus yes not restricted Least Concern Propensity to spread. pers. comm.). The situation at Fitzroy Falls Cherax leckii yes highly restricted Critically Endangered Cherax destructor has a high propensity has the potential to cause the extinction of Cherax setosus yes restricted n/a to spread and colonize new sites. The species the iconic native crayfish that is only known Engaeus cymus no not restricted Least Concern is known to leave the water and travel from that site, and similar situations could be Engaeus orientalis no restricted Least Concern overland considerable distances, and in some occurring elsewhere in coastal NSW. Euastacus australasiensis yes not restricted Least Concern cases en masse, to colonize new habitats The potential threat is not simply a matter Euastacus bidawalus yes restricted Endangered (olszewski, 1980; Barnham & Barker, of resource competition. overseas studies Euastacus brachythorax yes restricted Endangered 2009). It is environmentally tolerant and have found inter–specific interactions can Euastacus clarkae yes highly restricted Critically Endangered able to withstand extreme physicochemical influence species replacements in crayfishes Euastacus claytoni no restricted Endangered conditions (Beatty et al. 2005), enabling it through a complex range of processes, Euastacus crassus no restricted Endangered to occupy temporary habitats. Moreover, it involving factors such as reproductive Euastacus dalagarbe yes highly restricted Critically Endangered is highly fecund and capable of continual interference, aggressive dominance, Euastacus dangadi yes restricted Least Concern spawning when conditions are suitable, differential susceptibility