Represented by 137 populations in 1978, A. pallipes is now almost completely restricted to only one department, with 45 populations recorded, representing a decrease of 68% of the population number in 25 years, with a loss of 40% of populations in the last 6 years. Most of the disappearances of crayfish are unexplained. For the 22 others, the main reasons of the disappearance of indigenous crayfish populations were due to (1) habitat destruction by channelisation, (2) decrease of water quality by use of agricultural chemicals, (3) the construction of ponds or lakes changing the physical and chemical parameters of brooks inhabited by indigenous crayfish, (4) the introduction of non-indigenous species, mainly P. leniusculus and recently (5) crayfish plague implicated and characterized in the disappearance of two populations, two additional ones being suspected.Introduced in 1978 in Vienne department, P. leniusculus has now been found in 28 locations. First record of P. clarkii was in 1988 in Charente-Maritime department; since it has spread in most of the hydrographic basin of this department. La plupart des disparitions de populations sont inexpliquées. Pour les disparitions dont les causes peuvent être présumées ou observées, on trouve par ordre décroissant d'importance : (1) la destruction de l'habitat (recalibrage), (2) la diminution de la qualité de l'eau par utilisation de produits chimiques pour l'agriculture, (3) la construction de mares ou d'étangs qui changent les paramètres physico-chimiques des cours d'eau (4) l'introduction d'écrevisses non indigènes, principalement P. leniusculus et récemment (5) la peste de l'écrevisse qui a été caractérisée dans la disparition de 2 populations, et suspectée dans 2 autres cas.Introduite en 1978 dans le département de la Vienne, P. leniusculus est présente dans 28 sites (de ce département). Les premières observations de P. clarkii datent de 1988 en Charente-Maritime, depuis elle s'est étendue à la plupart des bassins hydrographiques de ce département.
Species that can act as indicators of ecosystem health offer a valuable tool in the management of natural resources. Crayfish have been suggested as bioindicators of water quality in Europe and at least one species (Austropotamobius pallipes) has been studied to determine its tolerance to pollution and its potential as a bioindicator. The genus Austropotamobius includes three crayfish species native to western Europe: A. pallipes, A. italicus and A. torrentium. It was hypothesised that because of their geographical and habitat distribution, the three Austropotamobius species might vary in their value as a bioindicator of water quality. Crayfish of species A. pallipes and A. italicus were subjected to three different treatments: hypoxia (treatment 3, approx 3 mg l )1 O 2 ), light hypoxia (treatment 2, approx 5.5 mg l )1 O 2 ) and normoxia (treatment 1, control, approx 8.5 mg l )1 O 2 ). A. torrentium crayfish were only subjected to treatment 1 (control) and 3. Variations in haemolymph sodium, calcium and chloride were used as a biomarker and concentrations were measured before and after treatment to evaluate hypoxia-induced stress. Significant differences in the concentrations of sodium between the control groups (treatment 1, normoxia) and the experimental groups (treatment 3, 3 mg l )1 O 2 ) were found in the species A. pallipes and A. torrentium. Groups of A. italicus did not show any significant difference between treatments in sodium concentrations but in chloride concentrations. Crayfish of all three species demonstrated a disruption in the ion exchange process in hypoxia, but all tolerated very low oxygen concentration for an extended period of time.
The white-clawed crayfish, Austropotamobius pallipes (Lereboullet), is the only crayfish species found in Ireland. Because of the prohibition on importation of exotic species of crayfish onto the island and of its relatively clean rivers up to now, Ireland has kept an abundant population of crayfish. A survey was conducted in the catchments of the Liffey and Boyne rivers, in eastern Ireland to assess water quality and to sample crayfish populations. The aim of the study was to evaluate the water quality requirements of the white-clawed crayfish in Ireland. Baited traps and nets were used to sample crayfish while water quality was measured with biological indices calculated from samples of macroinvertebrates. Distribution of this crayfish species is patchy in the Liffey catchment and seems to be related to factors such as soil types and water quality. They were not found in the downstream part of the river Liffey possibly due to poor water quality. In the Boyne catchment, no crayfish were found in most of the catchment. They were only present in the Kells Blackwater subcatchment. This may be due to an earlier outbreak of the fungal plague caused by Aphanomyces astaci. The disease was discovered in lakes at the top of some of the tributaries of the Boyne in 1987 and it probably spread from there through the whole catchment.
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