Page 10 - Collective Article_2017

3.5 A new record of Procambarus clarkii in Varano lagoon

L. Cilenti & G. Mancinelli

The Red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, na- Here we report on a new record of the red swamp
tive to northeastern Mexico and south-central U.S.A, has crayfish in Varano lagoon (41.51°N; 15.47°E), located
been widely introduced in several countries of the world in Gargano National Park (Apulia-Italy) (Figs. 10 & 11).
because of its commercial value in aquaculture (Hobbs et Several individuals of this species were observed in the
al., 1989). In Europe, the species was first introduced in drainage ditches of the surrounding pastures and agricul-
1973 in southern Spain (Gutiérrez-Yurrita et al., 1999). tural land immediately after the flood event of 2014 and
2015. In September 2016, two individuals were captured,
In Italy, it was found in the wild in 1989 in the Piedmont a male and a female, in a drainage canal that flows into the
region, having probably escaped from an experimental lagoon. The specimens were sexed and measured; total
farm that operated between 1977 and 1985 (Delmastro, length (TL): 70 and 77 mm; carapace length (CL): 32 and
1992). In the Apulia region, the records to date are limited 37 mm; wet weight (WW): 9.55 and 13.49 g for the male
to Lesina lagoon (Florio et al., 2008). and female, respectively.

Fig. 10: Red swamp crayfish reported in Puglia Region: 1. “Lesina lagoon” (Florio et al., 2008); 2. “Drainage water Varano”.

The rapid growth, high fecundity, resistance to dis-
eases, pollution, drought periods, low oxygen concen-
trations, and other extreme environmental conditions,
together with relatively wide salinity (5-30) and tem-
perature (5-38º C) ranges that can be tolerated make it
an invasive species already acknowledged as threatening
the lentic and lotic habitats of Northern and Central Italy,
with negative effects on autochthonous biodiversity (Aq-
uiloni et al., 2010).
This new records stresses the need for implementing
a monitoring plan for this species in all the sensitive areas
of the Apulia region and in particular Gargano Nation-
al Park, since the crayfish is able to move overland and
thereby increase its range (Aquiloni et al., 2005).
Fig. 11: Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852), collected in a
drainage channel of the Varano lagoon, in September 2016.

188 Medit. Mar. Sci., 18/1, 2017, 179-201