We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Genetic diversity and parasite facilitated establishment of the invasive signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) in Great Britain.
- Authors
Robinson, Chloe Victoria; Garcia de Leaniz, Carlos; James, Joanna; Cable, Joanne; Orozco‐terWengel, Pablo; Consuegra, Sofia
- Abstract
Successful establishment of non‐native species is strongly influenced, among other factors, by the genetic variation of founding populations, which can be enhanced by multiple introductions through admixture. Coexisting pathogens can also facilitate the establishment of non‐native species by detrimentally impacting on the native fauna acting as novel weapons. The signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) is a highly invasive species, which has caused mass declines of native crayfish in Europe through displacement and transmission of the oomycete Aphanomyces astaci (crayfish plague), which is typically lethal to native European crayfish. However, whether Aphanomyces astaci may have facilitated the invasion of the signal crayfish is not known. We estimated the genetic diversity at microsatellite DNA loci, effective population size, and potential origins of seven infected and noninfected signal crayfish populations in Europe and one founder population in North America. Approximate Bayesian computation analysis and population structuring suggested multiple host introductions from diverse source populations, as well as higher heterozygosity among infected than uninfected populations, which could reflect a fitness advantage. Low effective population size, moderate heterozygosity, and lack of isolation by distance suggest that some invasive signal crayfish populations may not be fully established or that their genetic diversity may have been reduced by eradication attempts. Widespread invasive signal crayfish populations have low genetic diversity despite their diverse sources of origin, which could be due to founder effects or eradication attempts. However, plague carrier populations display the largest heterozygosity. Genetic screening during eradication attempts is needed to clarify their effects on the genetic diversity of the invaders and understand the role of disease transmission in their spread.
- Subjects
UNITED Kingdom; PACIFASTACUS leniusculus; CRAYFISH; CRUSTACEAN genetics; COEXISTENCE of species
- Publication
Ecology & Evolution (20457758), 2018, Vol 8, Issue 18, p9181
- ISSN
2045-7758
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1002/ece3.4235