Spring Issue, March 2016

Volume 38, Issue 1

ISSN: 1023-8174 (print), 2150-9239 (online) The Official Newsletter of the International Association of Astacology

Inside this issue: Cover Story 1 Habitat Preferences of the Murray President’s Corner 2 ( armatus) Short Articles 4 Crayfish Music in 4 Far-east Asia The Body Color of 5 Freshwater Crayfish and Perfectly Symmetrical Bi-colored Cherax albidus from Don’t Judge a Crayfish by 8 its Cover: Color Morphs may Render Crayfish Unidentifiable Literature of Interest 10 to Astacologists

Photo 1. Mae Noble with a Murray crayfish from the Goobarragandra River, NSW. (Photo: Chris Fulton)

natural range over the past few decades. ello fellow crayfish researchers! While reasonably well studied within lowland H For my Masters of Environment streams of the Murray-Darling Basin, there Research degree at the Fenner School of was a poor understanding of their biology Environment and Society at the Australian and ecology in upland streams. My project National University, I had the opportunity to helped to address this knowledge gap using briefly explore the wonderful world of visual surveys (snorkeling) of Murray crayfish crayfish. Building on my diverse background distribution and abundance in upland rivers in marine ecology, I made the jump to the of New South Wales, Australia, in concert freshwater crayfish world to examine the with measurements of habitat depth, flow environmental conditions that support these velocity, riparian vegetation, and streambed amazing aquatic , which play critical composition, to determine their habitat roles in maintaining the ecosystem health preferences over meso- (>10m, pools, rapids) and biodiversity of mountain streams in and micro-habitat (<1 m) scales. Australia. My research found that Murray crayfish During my 6 month research project, I in upland streams are habitat specialists that studied the habitat preferences of Murray display strong preferences for both meso- crayfish (Euastacus armatus) in the wild. As and microhabitats of intermediate water flow with many crayfish species, Murray crayfish velocity, deeper pools, areas with a high have suffered severe declines across their (Continued on page 3) Crayfish News  Volume 38 Issue 1: Page 1

President’s Corner

Dear IAA Members, crayfish sculpted onto a building in the market square, and the banquet table As a lifelong nature lover and a bit of runners sported a festive crayfish motif. an introvert, it took me an embarrassingly IAA18 in Missouri, USA, included artwork long time to embrace the idea that by a local scientific illustrator. At IAA19 in working as an ecologist was more about Innsbruck, Austria, Leo shared a 15th or Susan Adams, Ph.D. people than about the ecosystems I 16th century painting of a nighttime IAA President (USA) studied. Since understanding this, I have crayfish harvesting foray from Maximilian developed a special love of the I’s hunting treatise. Finally, I was intersections between cultural particularly delighted to see crayfish expressions and my study subjects. In references in an Ainu exhibit at a museum part, such connections are just plain fun, in Sapporo, Japan, during IAA20. So, but also, art reflects what is important to reading the article in this issue about an a culture and so provides an interesting ancient, east-Asian musical instrument perspective on the things I study. For with ties to crayfish was a wonderful example, fish art is nearly universal, surprise! largely because fish are a staple food in so many cultures. But with crayfish, one As crayfish enthusiasts, we are the often has to search a bit harder for people most likely to kindle, or re-kindle, cultural connections, depending on where interest in and passion for by one lives. Finding crayfish depictions in the public in our respective nations. I the art of many older cultures is even have come to believe that encouraging more challenging. interest in crayfish is as important as conducting our science, because people I have particularly enjoyed the will only conserve what they care about. incorporation of crayfish art from across To that end, the IAA board has agreed to centuries into IAA meetings. During IAA16 support a new, annual IAA award in Australia, I did not find any aboriginal honoring crayfish outreach efforts. It will art depictions of freshwater crayfish, but be awarded to one member each year, the meeting logo was a stunning new along with a $100 prize. The purpose of abstract crayfish painting. At IAA17 in Kuopio, Finland, I was delighted to see a (Continued on page 3)

The International Association of Astacology (IAA), founded in Hintertal, Austria in Officers: 1972, is dedicated to the study, conservation, and wise utilization of freshwater crayfish. Any individual or institution interested in furthering the study of Susan B. Adams, President — USDA Forest Service, 1000 Front Street, astacology is eligible for membership. Service to members includes a quarterly Oxford, MS, 38655, United States of America. newsletter Crayfish ( News), a membership directory, biennial international E-mail: [email protected] symposia and publication of the journalFreshwater Crayfish. Lennart Edsman, President-Elect — Swedish University of Agricultural Secretariat: Sciences, SLU Aqua, Institute of Freshwater Research, Stangholmsvagen 2, Drottningholm, Sweden, SE-178 93. The International Association of Astacology has a permanent secretariat E-mail: [email protected] managed by James Stoeckel. Address: IAA Secretariat, Room 203, Swingle Hall, Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures, Auburn University, AL 36849- 5419, USA. Tadashi Kawai, Secretary — Fisheries Research Department, Wakkanai Fisheries Research Institute, Wakkanai, Hokkaido, Japan. Tel: +1(334) 844-9249 / Fax: +1(334) 844-9208 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Web page: http://iz.carnegiemnh.org/crayfish/IAA/ Leopold Füreder, Immediate Past President — Institute of Ecology, Webmaster: James W. Fetzner Jr. University of Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria. E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected]

Statements and opinions expressed in Crayfish News are IAA Executive Board Members: not necessarily those of the International Association of Astacology. In addition to the IAA Officers and Past President, the Executive Board also includes Jason Coughran (Australia), Antonio Garza de Yta (México), Pavel Kozák This issue edited by James W. Fetzner Jr., IAA Managing Editor. (Czech Republic), Ivana Maguire (Croatia), Steph Parkyn, Chairman of the Board E-Mail: [email protected] (Australia), Alastair Richardson (Tasmania) and Christopher Taylor (USA).

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(Continued from page 2) the award is to inspire and recognize outreach efforts and to share ideas about creative, effective ways to conduct outreach. I am hoping that some IAA STUDENTS will volunteer to run and judge this award. If any student members are interested in participating, please contact me – no experience required. We also need a name for the award -- please send me your suggestions! Another opportunity for IAA STUDENTS to become involved is to help organize and run the student auction at IAA21. Even if you cannot attend the meeting, you can help solicit items for the auction. We would like to begin having a student-run auction at each IAA meeting, with the proceeds supporting the student travel awards. This is done very successfully by many other professional societies. Photo 2. Murray crayfish in the Goobarragandra River, NSW. Other IAA21 meeting reminders: (Photo: Mae Noble).  IAA 21 will be held 5-8 September, 2016 at the Royal Botanical Garden in Madrid, Spain, with (Continued from page 1) options for a workshop before and a field trip percentage of overhanging vegetation, and streambed after the meeting (see the meeting website for dominated by boulders and gravel. Using data from a previous details: http://iaa21rjb.es/). survey conducted in 2009, I was able to demonstrate how  The Early-bird registration deadline is 15 May, major shifts in their preferred habitat conditions over a six year and the late-bird deadline is 20 June. period was associated with a 91% decline of Murray crayfish in the preferred pool mesohabitats. These findings highlighted  Please be thinking of auction items that you that the threatened Murray crayfish are particularly sensitive to might contribute! Break out that crayfish art! changes in their preferred stream habitat conditions. My research project was recently published (Noble and  Are you considering a bid to host IAA22? If so, Fulton 2016), and I will be working with local government now is the time to be developing your bid so that agencies and community stakeholders to help to direct plans it is ready prior to IAA21. If you are considering a for the restoration and targeted protection of crayfish- bid, will you please let me know soon? preferred mountain stream habitats to ensure the survival of this important species. Please contact me if anyone has any Happy crayfishing and I hope to see you in Madrid!H questions or would like to discuss these topics further. Thank you! H

Susie Adams IAA President Mae M. Noble [email protected] Fenner School of Environment and Society Australian National University

References

Noble MM and Fulton CJ (2016) Habitat specialization and sensitivity to change in threatened crayfish occupying upland streams. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. [In Press].

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Short Articles Traditionally played by women, the kani-mukkuri is played by first holding the chelae of the instrument in the mouth, and then using a combination of breathing and Crayfish Music in Far-east Asia snapping a string from the central “tongue” of the instrument. Far-east Asia is home to an endemic genus of freshwater Quite a jaunty, rhythmic sound fills the room! The kani- crayfish, Cambaroides, with seven species known from Russia, mukkuri melody is thought of as the music of nature. It Japan, Mongolia, China, and North and South Korea (Kawai et proceeds from the soul of the performer, and gives flight to al. 2015). In July, 2015, one of the authors (TK) visited the imagination. In its sound can be heard the sounds of wind, Vladivostok Museum, Vladivostok, in far-east Russia, and grass rustling, the scratching of trees in the wood, the murmur observed a cultural object inspired by these crayfish. At the of running water – conveying to the performer and the souvenir shop of the museum, the staff kindly introduced a listener wonderful images of spacious plains, wide rivers and crayfish item made from steel (Figure 1). Fashioned like the high mountains. The performer can travel in dream to the “chela of crayfish”, this is a traditional musical instrument in distant country of ancestors, and see the people who long ago Russia and Japan, far-east Asia, where it has long been used have left this world. Images of days gone by, or of future by the indigenous Ainu people (Chiba, 2008). events, may enter the mind’s eye of both the performer, and the audience. This is more of an emotional state of soul; when The instrument is essentially a type of lamellophone, you listen to this ancient music, you can be mentally similar to the jew’s harp, and was one of the most important refocused to thoughts of the past or the future. Everything instruments used by the indigenous Ainu people of Sakhalin, depends on the art of the performer. It helps readjust one Kuril Islands and Hokkaido, northern Japan (or Hokkaido, after the performance of daily affairs, providing relaxation Japan) (Chiba, 2008). In Ainu culture, the instrument is called after hard work. Thus, during this idle time, through the visual “kani-mukkuri” and musical performance, and at the same time something (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3XyUvBR3F8, more profound that cannot be explained, the instrument can http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwi4kBX3Wmo, bear a set of stories, associated with it or the performer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyJeCpSvqUA The kani-mukkuri has two very sad and secret stories that are told among Ainu people in Japan. 15th September 2015 downloaded), translated as crayfish flute. It is believed to have originated in mainland Asia a long A long time ago in Hokkaido, Japan, an Ainu hunter went time ago, and then conveyed to Japan from there (Kawai and hunting bear, and stayed in a small hunting hut. While there, Onimaru 2006). Similar instruments are also known from he heard a very funny sound coming from near the brook, so traditional cultures throughout the circumboreal region he left the hut to walk down to the brook. At the side of (Malm 2000), although it is not clear if they have a cultural brook, a beautiful young girl was sitting on the edge of a well; connection with crayfish, like the kani-mukkuri of the Ainu she had in her hand some kind of instrument, and was does. One of the authors (EB) lives in far-east mainland Asia, performing music. The hunter closed in towards the girl, and and is familiar with Ainu culture in this region, and the use of at that moment the girl suddenly fell and dropped down to kani-mukkuri and other versions of the instrument that are the bottom of the deep well, never to return. At the edge of used more widely around the world. There is a consensus that the well, the hunter discovered that the instrument had this is one of the most ancient musical instruments; the exact remained behind, and it was the kani-mukkuri. That night, place of origin is not known, but researchers assume that it back in the hunter’s hut, the hunter had a curious dream. The most probably appeared in Southern Asia, from where it young girl at the well appeared in his dream, and she said, “I spread to other regions of the world – to other parts of Asia, am a crayfish. My parents always reprove me, since I play kani Europe, North Africa, and North America. The most ancient -mukkuri too much. But I cannot stop playing, so my parents form of this musical instrument is based on a branch or a chip renounced me. I performed kani-mukkuri with sadness while (for example, such versions of the instrument are still used in sitting down on the edge of the well, just before daytime. Russia among the people of Tuva, under the name “yyash- Then, you came to be there, and so I could pass you the homus”). According to some information, the instrumentit is instrument. It was because of your actions that I could give up variably known by about 1,000 names. In Russia, it is known playing kani-mukkuri, so I am really pleased because I will now by practically all ethnic groups. For example, Russians, tell my better situation to my parents. Today, on the back of Ukrainians and Belarusians call it a “vargan” or “drymba”; this story, kani-mukkuri is naturally conveyed to Ainu people Tatars and the Bashkir – a “kubyz”; Khakases – a “timir- in Japan. khomus”; Tuvinians – a “demir-khomus”; Altaians – a Another story: Two brothers went to the river to catch “komus”; Yakuts – a “khomus”; the Chukchi – a “vanny-yayar”; fish for food. In the river, the older brother caught a crayfish and the Khanty and Mansi – a “tumran”. To this day, the who had the kani-mukkuri instrument. The older brother took instrument is still very popular with the people of Altai, the instrument from the crayfish, and passed the kani- Bashkiria, Tuva and Yakutia. For convenience, and because of mukkuri to his younger sister. Then, he released the the clear association with crayfish, we will hereon refer to the instrument under the Ainu name, kani-mukkuri. (Continued on page 5) Crayfish News  Volume 38 Issue 1: Page 4

Freshwater crayfish of the genus Cambaroides also occur across those two areas. Hence, northern Japan and far-east mainland Asia share the same crayfish genus, and the same traditional music – and in kani-mukkuri, the two elements come together! This is an interesting shared cultural history, of music and crayfish, between the mainland and islands of eastern Asia. The origin of the Ainu musical instrument kani-mukkuri is shrouded in secrets and riddles, as indeed is the origin of the Ainu themselves – the cultural heritage of this most mysterious northern people, the Ainu, became integrated with the people of Japan, and is slowly being rediscovered. H

Tadashi Kawai, Sapporo, Japan

Evgeny Barabanshchikov, Vladivostok, Russia

and Jason Coughran Perth, Australia References Chiba N (2008). The Music of the Ainu. Pp. 323-344, In: Tokita AM and Hughes DW (eds), The Ashgate Research Companion to Japanese Music. Ashgate Publishing Limited, England. Kawai T and Onimaru K (2006). Natural history of the Japanese crayfish, Cambaroides japonicus. Bulletin of Bihoro Museum 14: 63-86. Kawai T and Takahata M (2010). Biology of Crayfish. Hokkaido University Press, Sapporo. Kawai T, Min GS, Barabanshchikov E, Labay VS and Ko HS (2015). Global Overview of Freshwater: chapter 15: Asia: in section Crayfish Biology. Pp. 313-368. Kawai T, Faulkes Z, and G. Scholtz (eds.). Taylor & Francis, . Malm WP (2000). Traditional Japanese Music and Musical Instruments. Kodansha International, Tokyo.

The Body Color of Freshwater Crayfish and Perfectly Symmetrical Bi-colored Cherax Figure 1. Upper, entrance of souvenir shop of Vladivostok Museum; middle, Russian ladies in the shop; Kani-Mukkuri albidus from Australia (Crayfish flute), a traditional instrument of the aborigines of Far- Color of live crayfish East Asia, Russia and Japan. Astacologists and many aquarists are fascinated by the (Continued from page 4) beautiful body color of live crayfish. Crayfish color apparently results from various protein conjunctions with the carotenoid back to the river. After that, kani-mukkuri was conveyed and astaxanthin (Fox 1953, Goodwin 1960). The resulting colors performed to Ainu people in Japan. include greens, blues and purples, as well as the more characteristic browns; if the protein is denatured, the color is Today, kani-mukkuri is performed by Ainu peoples in Japan, and also far-east Russian people in mainland Asia. (Continued on page 6)

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Asian genus Cambaroides were rarely collected in the wild, A these are the so-called blue color phase (Fitzpatrick 1987, Kawai 1993, Kawai et al. 2006). Sometimes, albino (milky white body color) animals occurred in the aquarium trade, additionally they were utilized as subjects of scientific laboratory experiments. Indeed, if we can breed the albino individuals, it will be confirmed that occurrence of albino in hatched juveniles were controlled by “Mendel’s laws” (Nakatani 1999) and their hormones manage the pigment, and body color was controlled by a black color pigment (Nakatani 2000). Various explanations have been proposed to account for B these color variations. Their body color has been managed by two factors, their genetics and environmental circumstances (Hand 1954, Valpe and Penn 1957). There is, however, only one set of experimental data for the question, as far as I know. As early as 1901, Kent suggested that environmental factors might influence the blue (and other) color. He noted that sunlight (probably by denaturing the protein in the astaxanthin complex) could elicit a red color in Orconectes immunis, and he reported general “colors” in crayfish species. Additionally, IAA member Mr. Sunagawa of Japan, also showed fantastic results with his experiment. He fed only frozen fish meat to regular red-colored clarkii, and after two months, the initial body color of the experimental individual changed to a blue color, then after four months from the start of the experiment, the body color of the animal became a perfect milky-white color, like an C albino (Figure 2). We should consider that body color can be affected by food type and colors may not be managed by genes alone. Unfortunately, we do not know if body color is affected by food in their natural habitat, or controlled by their genes, or whether both factors working in concert affect their body color. However, in the aquarium trade, sometimes irregularly colored animals are sold in pet shops and Mr. Sunagawa provided me with an interesting photo (Figure 1). This suggests that color patterns in weak, bi-colored crayfish, seems to be controlled by genetics. Additionally, perfectly symmetrical bi-colored Orconectes virilis have been collected in Iowa, USA, with one half of the animal an azure blue and Figure 1. Crayfish color variants. A) Unusual body color the other half normal (Dowell and Winier 1969), it suggested Procambarus clarkii in aquarium trade in Japan, B) Typical green that crayfish color in the wild is controlled by their genetics, colored Cherax albidus and C) a fluorescent blue coloration of the at least in this case. So far, to my knowledge, the description same species. of this perfectly symmetrical color pattern in crayfish is limited to this report. Recently, Australian IAA member, Robert McCormack (RM) supplied some interesting (Continued from page 5) information, see details below. red. Black (1975) recognized at least four shades of blue in Symmetrical bi-color Procambarus (Ortmannicus) acutus acutus and Momot and As one of Australia’s largest freshwater crayfish Gall (1971) gave an excellent summary of the reported producers, RM has personally handled 500,000-1,000,000 variants known at that time, plus explanations of the possible yabbies Cherax destructor per year for over 30 years. causes for the unusual individuals. Additionally, RM has captured just about every species of Another fluorescent blue coloration in individuals of freshwater crayfish that occurs in Australia. Interestingly, North American cambarid crayfishes and a member of the (Continued on page 7)

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Figure 3. Bi-colored Cherax albidus.

Cherax albidus have a natural wide color range, typically they are green to blue with a bright fluorescent blue coloration being popular with the aquarium trade (Figure 1C). It has always been RM’s belief that crayfish match their coloration to their environment, with the colors most suitable for survival being the ones that survive and are passed on to future generations. In a natural population, 95% plus will all be the same color and only a few specimens are differently colored individuals. On a recent crayfish trip to , RM came across a bi-colored Cherax albidus at one of Victoria’s largest crayfish producers, Otway Yabbies (Figure 3). The proprietor, Steve Chara, showed RM this unique and rare specimen. After a day of trapping, he was grading the catch when he saw this unique specimen. He retrieved it from the batch and placed it in one of his display tanks. This display tank also contained small blue Cherax albidus, all of which were only a quarter of the size of the bi- colored female. The tank also contained a Swamp Yabby, Cherax sp., which was a male. When RM photographed the bi -colored female Cherax albidus she was in-berry and the eggs looked viable. The question is, did she mate with a significantly smaller male C. albidus, or did she mate with the smaller male Cherax sp., which was roughly 80% of her size? Either way, it will be interesting to see what the offspring look like. Stay tuned for an up-date in a month or two.

Acknowledgments The authors sincerely thank IAA member Mr. M. Sunagawa from Japan, who provided Figures 1 and 2. H

Rob McCormack Figure 2. Change of body color in the red swamp crayfish, Pro- NSW, Australia cambarus clarkii when kept under aquarium conditions. A) initial; B) after two months, C) four months after starting experiment Tadashi Kawai where crayfish were fed only frozen fish meat. Hokkaido, Japan References (Continued from page 6) Black JB (1975). Inheritance of the blue color mutation in the crawfish Procambarus acutus acutus (Girard). Proceeding with all those crayfish, RM has come across the extremely of Louisiana Academy of Science 38:25–27. rare, perfectly symmetrical, bi-colored crayfish only five times previously, and they were all Cherax destructor. (Continued on page 8)

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(Continued from page 7) Don’t Judge a Crayfish by its Cover: Dowell VE and Winter LP (1969). A bilateral colour anomaly Color Morphs may Render Crayfish in the crayfish Orconectes virilis (Hagen). Proceedings of Unidentifiable the Iowa Academy of Science 76: 487–492. Following their introduction into recipient ecosystems, Fitzpatrick Jr. JF (1987). Notes on the so-called “Blue color non-native organisms often go unnoticed until they surpass a phase” in North American Cambarid crawfishes detection threshold - the point at which their population size (, Astacoidea). Crustaceana 52(3):316–319. and range become sufficiently large so as to draw the Fox DL (1953). Animal biochromes and structural colors. attention of managers (Harvey et al. 2009). Detection Cambridge University Press, London. Pp. 1–379. thresholds are difficult to quantify or predict as they depend on various characteristics of both the focal non-native species Goodwin TW (1960). Biochemistry of pigments. Pp. 101–140, and recipient ecosystem, but also on the amount of time and In: The Physiology of Crustacea. Vol. 1. Waterman TH effort being expended by managers in charge of surveying an (ed.). Academic Press, New York. area. Unfortunately, by the time they are detected, many non Hand C (1954). A blue crayfish from California. California Fish -native species have already become invasive (Lockwood et and Game 40:437–438. al. 2013). One way to lower detection thresholds is to ensure Kawai T (1993). Incidence of blue color phase of Cambaroides that both managers and the public are made aware of the japonicus in Hokkaido. The Bulletin of the Higashi risks posed by potential invasive species and are taught how Taisetsu Museum of Natural History 15:73–76. to correctly identify them. Early detection of non-native species is of utmost importance as it may increase the Kawai T, Kawajiri H, Kumagai T and H Ashikari (2006). Blue chances of their control or eradication, potentially leading to color variants of the Japanese freshwater crayfish less severe or widespread impacts (Gherardi et al. 2011). Cambaroides japonicus in Hokkaido, Japan. Bulletin of Bihoro Museum 14: 55–62. Biological invasions by crayfish are exceedingly common throughout the world and cause a slew of negative impacts Kent WJ (1901). The colors of the crayfish. American (Lodge et al. 2012). For example, the infamous rusty crayfish Naturalist 35(419):933–936. (Orconectes rusticus) is a native of the Ohio River Basin that is Momot WT and JE Gall (1971). Some ecological notes on the now invasive throughout much of the Midwestern United blue color phase of the crayfish, Orconectes virilis, in two States, including all five of the Great Lakes (Peters et al. Lakes. Ohio Journal of Science 71(6): 363–370. 2014). Although specific pathways for individual introductions are difficult to determine, invasions of this crayfish are Nakatani I (1999). An albino of the crayfish Procambarus generally attributed to bait-bucket releases by anglers. The clarkii (Decapoda: ) and its offspring. Journal rusty crayfish is problematic as it has been shown to of Biology 19(2): 380-383. negatively affect native crayfish, macrophytes, Nakatani I (2000). Reciprocal transplantation of leg tissue macroinvertebrates, and fish (Wilson et al. 2004). Without between albino and wild crayfish Procambarus clarkii increased attention from managers, the rusty crayfish’s (Decapoda: Cambaridae). Journal of Crustacean Biology invasive range may continue to expand unhindered, putting 20(3):453-459. additional ecosystems and their constituent organisms in Volpe EP and Penn GH (1957). The occurrence of blue jeopardy. specimens of the crawfish Procambarus acutus acutus Because rusty crayfish frequently invade waters where (Girard) (Decapoda: Astacidae). Crustaceana 20(2):221. native crayfish are already found, successful preventative management of this species in most areas requires the ability to accurately differentiate it from native crayfish. Precise identification of crayfish generally requires the useof dichotomous keys; however, most managers not specializing in crayfish likely use coloration as a primary distinguishing

characteristic, and this method is sufficiently accurate in most cases. Use of coloration to identify potentially invasive crayfish can also easily be taught to the public (e.g., numerous visual resources such as posters and pamphlets are readily available to fishermen and other outdoor enthusiasts). One of the benefits of doing so is that managers and scientists can then rely on the public as “watchmen”,

enlisting their help in searching for invasive species and leading to earlier detection.

(Continued on page 9)

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characteristics. While such color morphs are rarely encountered in nature, they are easy to breed in captivity and A could one day appear in the pet or bait trade, two pathways that lead to biological invasions (e.g., Lodge et al. 2012) The existence and abundance (at least in the pet trade) of these various crayfish color morphs is important information to disseminate to the public and researchers to ensure that these organisms do not accidentally go unnoticed. In a time where invasive crayfish are having strong impacts throughout the world, it is important to pull out all of the stops. I encourage crayfish researchers to inform both managers and the public that if they have a doubt about a crayfish, either because its coloration does not match that of the invasive crayfish they are on the lookout for or because it has unusual colors (e.g., blue, white and orange), they should still report it to the proper authorities. In doing so, they may B help alert managers to escapes/releases from the pet trade, or invasive species that may have gone unnoticed because of their color morphs. More critical measures are undoubtedly needed to make a serious dent in the prevalence of crayfish invasions throughout the world, but it is my hope that keeping an eye out for the color morphs that I have described above may in some localized cases contribute to early detection and management of invasive crayfish. H M.G. Glon Central Michigan University [email protected] Figure 1. A) White rusty crayfish, Orconectes rusticus, caught in Maelglon.com Northern Kentucky. Photo credit: Heather Dame and B) Orange northern clearwater crayfish, O. propinquus, caught in the lower References peninsula of Michigan. Photo credit: Heather Dame. Gherardi F, Aquiloni L, Diéguez-Uribeondo J, and Tricarico (Continued from page 8) E (2011). Managing invasive crayfish: Is there a hope?. Aquatic Sciences 73(2):185–200. A weakness of this technique that warrants attention, Harvey CT, Qureshi SA and MacIsaac HJ (2009). Detection of however, is that crayfish color-morphs may often render a colonizing, aquatic, non‐indigenous species. Diversity these organisms nearly unidentifiable to all but experts. What and Distributions 15(3):429–437. I am specifically referring to are not subtle inter-individual Lockwood JL, Hoopes MF and Marchetti MP (2013). differences in hues but complete changes in coloration arising Invasion ecology. John Wiley & Sons. from mutations. For example, blue, orange, and white color- morphs of red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) are Lodge DM, Deines A, Gherardi F, Yeo DC, Arcella T, readily available in the pet trade. While these crayfish are Baldridge AK, and Howard GW (2012). Global nice to look at, their coloration may allow them to be sold in introductions of crayfishes: Evaluating the impact of areas where they are prohibited if managers are only cueing species invasions on ecosystem services. Annual Review in on the iconic red coloration that this species generally has. of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics 43:449–472. Further, these color morphs are not restricted to the Peters JA, Cooper MJ, Creque SM, Kornis MS, Maxted JT, aquarium trade; they are also found in nature. While Perry WL and Uzarski DG (2014). Historical changes and sampling for rusty crayfish in Northern Kentucky, for current status of crayfish diversity and distribution in the example, I caught a white rusty crayfish (Figure 1A). Although Laurentian Great Lakes. Journal of Great Lakes Research it has a very faded rusty spot on either side of its 40(1):35–46. cephalothorax, it is not hard to imagine this crayfish being incorrectly identified or written off as “not a rusty crayfish”. Wilson KA, Magnuson JJ, Lodge DM, Hill AM, Kratz TK, In another example, one of my colleagues caught an orange Perry WL and Willis TV (2004). A long-term rusty Northern Clearwater Crayfish (O. propinquus) while crayfish (Orconectes rusticus) invasion: Dispersal patterns electroshocking for steelhead in the lower peninsula of and community change in a north temperate lake. Michigan (Figure 1B). Once again, this crayfish would be very Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 61 difficult to accurately identify without use of morphological (11):2255–2266.

Crayfish News  Volume 38 Issue 1: Page 9 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). Austin CM, Tan MH, Croft LJ and Gan HM (2016). The quadricarinatus to low temperature and high salinity complete mitogenome of the freshwater crayfish Cherax stress. Journal of Comparative Physiology B-Biochemical cainii ( Crustacea: Decapoda: ). Mitochondrial Systemic and Environmental Physiology 186(2):181–191. DNA 27(1):126–127. Rosewarne PJ, Mortimer RJ, Newton RJ, Grocock C, Wing Bakker ES, Van Donk E and Immers AK (2016). Lake CD and Dunn AM (2016). Feeding behaviour, predatory restoration by -in lake iron addition: a synopsis of iron functional responses and trophic interactions of the impact on aquatic organisms and shallow lake ecosystems. invasive Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) and signal Aquatic Ecology50(1):121 –135. crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus). Freshwater Biology Beatty S, de Graaf M, Duffy R, Nguyen V and Molony B 61(4):426–443. (2016). Plasticity in the reproductive biology of the smooth Salgado-Leu I and Tacon AGJ (2015). Effects of different marron Cherax cainii (Decapoda: Parastacidae): A large protein and carbohydrate contents on growth and survival freshwater crayfish of south-western Australia. Fisheries of juveniles of southern Chilean freshwater crayfish, Research 177:128–136. Samastacus spinifrons. Latin American Journal of Aquatic Benzer S and Benzer R (2015). Determine some Research 43(5):836–844. morphological characteristics of crayfishAstacus ( Shiraishi R, Ushimi H and Nakata K (2015). Cage traps and leptodactylus Eschscholtz, 1823) with tradional methods baits for capturing the North American invasive crayfish and artificial neural networks in Dikilitas Pond, Ankara, Procambarus clarkii. Ecology and Civil Engineering Turkey. Fresenius Environmental Bulletin 24(11A):3727– 18(2):115–125. 3735. Thomas JR, James J, Newman RC, Riley WD, Griffiths SW and Bochow S, Condon K, Elliman J and Owens L (2015). First Cable J (2016). The impact of streetlights on an aquatic complete genome of an Ambidensovirus; Cherax invasive species: Artificial light at night alters signal quadricarinatus densovirus, from freshwater crayfish crayfish behaviour. Applied Animal Behaviour Science Cherax quadricarinatus. Marine Genomics 24:305–312. 176:143–149. Ding ZF, Xia SY, Xue H, Tang JQ, Ren Q, Gu W, Meng QG and Ushimi H, Miyatake Y, Tsutsui N, Sakamoto T and Nakata K Wang W (2015). Direct visualization of the novel (2015). Artificial burrow sizes for capturing the North pathogen, Spiroplasma eriocheiris, in the freshwater American invasive crayfish Procambarus clarkii. Ecology crayfish Procambarus clarkii (Girard) using fluorescence in and Civil Engineering 18(2):79–86. situ hybridization.Journal of Fish Diseases 38(9):787–794. Watthanasurorot A, Jiravanichpaisal P, Soderhall I and Hoverman JT and Relyea RA (2016). Prey responses to fine- Soderhall K (2015). A gC1qR prevents white spot scale variation in predation risk from combined predators. syndrome virus replication in the freshwater crayfish Oikos 125(2):254–261. Pacifastacus leniusculus (retraction of vol 84, pg 10844, Jacquemin SJ, Ebersole JA, Dickinson WC and Ciampaglio CN 2010). Journal of Virology 90(2):1154–1154. (2016). Late Pleistocene fishes of the Tennessee River Shen H, Braband A and Scholtz G (2015). The complete Basin: An analysis of a late Pleistocene freshwater fish mitogenomes of lobsters and crayfish (Crustacea: fauna from Bell Cave (site ACb-2) in Colbert County, Decapoda: Astacidea) reveal surprising differences in Alabama, USA. PeerJ 4:e1648. closely related taxa and convergences to Priapulida. Maguire I, Jelic ME, Klobucar G, Delpy M, Delaunay C and Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Grandjean F (2016b). Prevalence of the pathogen Research 53(4):273–281. Aphanomyces astaci in freshwater crayfish populations in Tan MH, Gan HM, Schultz MB and Austin CM (2015). Croatia.Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 118(1):45–53. MitoPhAST, a new automated mitogenomic phylogeny tool in the post-genomic era with a case study of 89 Noble MM and Fulton CJ (2016). Habitat specialization and decapod mitogenomes including eight new freshwater sensitivity to change in a threatened crayfish occupying crayfish mitogenomes. Molecular Phylogenetics and upland streams. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Evolution 85:180–188. Freshwater Ecosystems. [Online early]. Wang Z, Chen Y-H, Dai Y-J, Tan J-M, Huang Y, Lan J-F and Ren Patoka J, Bláha M, Devetter M, Rylková K, Čadková Z and Q (2015). A novel vertebrates Toll-like receptor Kalous L (2016). Aquarium hitchhikers: Attached counterpart regulating the anti-microbial peptides commensals imported with freshwater shrimps via the pet expression in the freshwater crayfish, Procambarus trade. Biological Invasions 18(2):457–461. clarkii. Fish and Shellfish Immunology 43(1):219–229. Prymaczok NC, Pasqualino VM, Viau VE, Rodríguez EM and Wei K and Yang J (2015a). Oxidative damage induced by Medesani DA (2016). Involvement of the crustacean copper and beta-cypermethrin in gill of the freshwater hyperglycemic hormone (CHH) in the physiological crayfish Procambarus clarkii. Ecotoxicology and compensation of the freshwater crayfish Cherax Environmental Safety 113:446–453.

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