Procambarus clarkii Totally Explained

Everything about Procambarus Clarkii totally explained

Procambarus clarkii is a freshwater crayfish species, native to the Southeastern United States, but found also on other continents, where it's often an invasive pest. It is known variously as the red swamp crawfish, red swamp crayfish, Louisiana crawfish or Louisiana crayfish.

Range and range expansion

The native range of P. clarkii is along the Gulf Coast from northern Mexico to the Florida panhandle, as well as inland, to southern Illinois and Ohio. It has also been introduced, sometimes deliberately, outside its natural range to countries in Asia, Africa, Europe and elsewhere in the Americas. In northern Europe, the populations are self maintaining but not expanding, while in southern Europe, P. clarkii is multiplying and actively colonising new territory, at the expense of the native crayfish, Astacus astacus and Austropotamobius spp.. Individuals are reported to be able to cross many miles of relatively dry ground, especially in wet seasons, although the aquarium trade and anglers may have hastened the spread in some areas (it is believed that anglers using P. clarkii as bait introduced it to the American state of Washington). Attempts have also been made to use P. clarkii as a biological control organism, to reduce levels of the snails involved in the life cycle of schistosomiasis, leading to the dispersal of P. clarkii in, for instance, Kenya.

Ecology

P. clarkii is most commonly found in warm fresh water, such as slowly-flowing rivers, marshes, reservoirs, irrigation systems and rice paddies. It is considered to be the most ecologically plastic species in the Order Decapoda, and is able to grow quickly even in only seasonally present water, being able to tolerate dry spells of up to four months. P. clarkii grows quickly, and is capable of reaching weights in excess of 50 g, and sizes of 5½–12 cm long. It is also able to tolerate slightly saline water, which is unusual for a crayfish. The average lifetime of Procambarus clarkii is 5 years. It is known that some individuals have reached ages (in nature) over 6 years.

Economic importance

The rapid growth and ecological tolerance of P. clarkii facilitates a large farming industry in Louisiana, worth millions of dollars annually, and with more than 500 km² in cultivation. Harvests of P. clarkii account for a large majority of the crayfish produced in the United States and elsewhere. P. clarkii has also been introduced elsewhere for cultivation, such as Spain, where its success is attributable to its ability to colonise disturbed habitats that would be unsuitable for the native crayfish. P. clarkii is also marketed by biological supply companies for teaching and research.

Ecological impacts

The burrowing activities of P. clarkii can lead to damage to water courses and to crops, particularly rice crops, and its feeding can disrupt native ecosystems. It may out-compete the native crayfish species, and is a vector for the crayfish plague fungus Aphanomyces astaci, for crayfish virus vibriosis and a number of worms parasitic on vertebrates.

Miscellany

Procambarus clarkii was named by Charles Frédéric Girard in honour of John H. Clark, who surveyed the US-Mexican border in 1851.

Further Information

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