Austropotamobius pallipesis anendangered[1]Europeanfreshwatercrayfish,and the only crayfish native to theBritish Isles.[3]Itscommon namesincludewhite-clawed crayfishandAtlantic stream crayfish.
| White-clawed crayfish | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
| Family: | Astacidae |
| Genus: | Austropotamobius |
| Species: | A. pallipes
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| Binomial name | |
| Austropotamobius pallipes (Lereboullet,1858)
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| Synonyms[2] | |
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Distribution
editIt is found from the easterlyBalkan Peninsulato Spain and reaches its northerly limit in Great Britain, as well as Ireland (where it is consideredintroduced), where it is limited to some regions only: its highestdensitiesare in chalk streams.A. pallipesis the only crayfish found in Ireland, occurring overlimestoneareas in rivers, streams, canals, and lakes. In France,A. pallipesis found in streams such as the Mornante and Sellon, two small tributaries of theDorlayin theLoire department.It is protected as a heritage species.[4]It has also been introduced toCorsica,Liechtenstein,andPortugal(from where it is nowextirpated).
It was once found across most of Great Britain; however its distribution is rapidly shrinking, and it is recorded inYorkshire,centralandnorthern England,east Kent, easternWales,theCandover Brookthat flows into theItcheninHampshire;[5]parts ofEssex,[6]and several long headwaters of theRiver Thames,where it competes with the introducednoble crayfish,itself also facing competition from the introducedsignal crayfish.Dowdeswell Reservoir,Gloucestershire, has the species and during works of 1998,Severn Trentensured its protection.[7]Disease from invasive species has wiped it from the naturally alkalineRiver Frome, Bristol,2007–08.[8]
Ecology
editIt is absent from more acidic waters[9]and occurs in streams with a moderate flow alongside other freshwater invertebrates such ascaddis fly,mayfly,andmolluscspecies.Troutandthree-spined sticklebackalso occur in the same habitat. Tree roots and rocks in the banks provide shelter. Juveniles shelter in vegetation such aswatercressand grass mats growing out of the bank.
Description
editA. pallipesis olive-brown, with pale undersides to theclaws(whence itsspecific Latin epithetpallipes,"pale feet" ). It may grow to 12 cm (4.7 in) long and adult sizes below 10 cm (3.9 in) are more common. It typically lives in rivers and streams about 1 m (3 ft) deep, where it hides among rocks and submerged logs, emerging toforagefor food, and in lakes.
Conservation
editTwo main reasons for decline are:
- Introductionof theinvasiveNorth Americansignal crayfish(Pacifastacus leniusculus) andred swamp crayfish(Procambarus clarkii):[10]The former is acarrierofcrayfish plague,aninfectious diseaseto which it hasresistance,whileA. pallipeshas none.
- Waterpollution:Many local extinctions are caused bysurface runoffofinsecticidesand of bleached, insufficiently treated, or illegal untreated wastewater.
Further reading
editSweeney, N. and Sweeney, P. 2017. Expansion of the White-clawed Crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes(Lereboullet)) population in Munster Blackwater.Irish Naturalists' Journal.35(2) pp. 94–98.
References
edit- ^abL. Füreder; Gherardi, F.; Holdich, D.; Reynolds, J.; Sibley, P.; Souty-Grosset, C. (2010)."Austropotamobius pallipes".The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.2010:e.T2430A9438817.doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T2430A9438817.en.
- ^Crandall, Keith A; De Grave, Sammy (2017)."An updated classification of the freshwater crayfishes (Decapoda: Astacidea) of the world, with a complete species list".Journal of Crustacean Biology.37(5): 615–653.doi:10.1093/jcbiol/rux070.
- ^"Freshwater white-clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes) ".ARKive.org. Archived fromthe originalon 24 January 2015.Retrieved28 January2015.
- ^CESAME (March 2010)."Prélèvements et gestion quantitative de la ressource sur le bassin versant du Gier Phase 1"(PDF).Saint-Etienne Metropole. p. 6. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 4 March 2016.Retrieved20 August2012.
- ^Peay, Stephanie(2003).Monitoring the white-clawed crayfishAustropotamobius pallipes.English Nature.ISBN978-1-85716-727-6.
- ^"Endangered crayfish colony found".BBC News.19 September 2006.Retrieved18 December2019.
- ^‘Conservation of the native crayfish population at Dowdeswell Reservoir during engineering works’, March 1998, for Severn Trent Water.
- ^Gray, Louise (21 July 2009)."Crayfish breeding programme to save native species from American invader".The Daily Telegraph.Retrieved18 December2019.
- ^Catherine Souty-Grosset; David M. Holdich; Pierre Y. Noel; Julian D. Reynolds; Patrick Haffner (2006).Atlas of Crayfish in Europe.Collection Patrimoines Naturelles 64. Paris:Muséum national d'histoire naturelle.p. 188.ISBN978-2-85653-579-0.
- ^Manenti, R.; Ghia, D.; Fea, G.; Ficetola, G.F.; Padoa-Schioppa, E.; Canedoli, C. (2019). "Causes and consequences of crayfish extinction: Stream connectivity, habitat changes, alien species and ecosystem services".Freshwater Biology.64(2): 284–293.Bibcode:2019FrBio..64..284M.doi:10.1111/fwb.13215.hdl:2434/617418.S2CID91259855.
External links
edit
Media related toAustropotamobius pallipesat Wikimedia Commons
Data related toAustropotamobius pallipesat Wikispecies- "UK Crayfish Website".Buglife – The Invertebrate Conservation Trust. Archived fromthe originalon 2020-10-25.Retrieved2012-01-26.
