Genetic diversity of redclaw crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus von Martens 1868 using 16S mitochondrial DNA marker

Abstract

There have been reported around 11 aquatic invasive alien species (IAS) found in Malaysian waters. Cherax quadricarinatus, or commonly known as Australian redclaw crayfish, is one of the invasive species. C. quadricarinatus has the potential of causing negative impacts ecologically and economically in the local environment as it has reported in several countries if they get established and not monitored properly. Habitat alteration, native species depletion and spreading of diseases are among the reported negative impacts of C. quadricarinatus. This study was conducted with the aim to assess the genetic diversity of C. quadricarinatus from 4 different populations. Uncovering the diversity and population structure of the redclaw crayfish will help in enhancing the understanding of adaptation and survival of C. quadricarinatus. Thus, the information can be used in monitoring and management of this invasive crayfish in future. DNA of C. quadricarinatus was successfully extracted from its tissue and amplified via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) 16S gene then proceeded for sequencing and analysed using several genetic analysis software to understand the diversity, phylogeny and population structure of this invasive crayfish species. A total of 493 bp fragments of 32 samples from four sampling sites were obtained. Four haplotypes were observed which Hap-1 was the most common haplotype. The highest genetic variation is Selangor (Pi = 0.00248, Hd = 0.694). However, low levels of both haplotype and nucleotide diversity indicates the loss of genetic diversity. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) results revealed that the percentage of genetic variation within the population was 69.58% while among populations was 30.42%, indicating significant genetic differentiation among population (P < 0.05). The maximum likelihood tree showed that all haplotypes were clustered and grouped together with United States, Czech Republic, China and Australia.

Crayfish Research: A Global Scientometric Analysis Using CiteSpace

“…Another study published by the same authors also reported that global changes such as increased water pollution and changes in water chemistry are making it more difficult for crayfish to find food and reproduce successfully [ 65 ]. In addition, another study from 2020 [ 36 , 62 ] reported that the spread of invasive species is also impacting native crayfish populations, leading to declines in abundance, distribution, and genetic diversity. Overall, these studies show that global changes are detrimental to crayfish populations and may lead to their decline or extinction if steps are not taken to address these issues.…”

“…In this scientometric analysis, the descriptive and co-citation datasets were generated to explain the current knowledge of the selected research themes. Notably, the topics focused on crayfish in the published reviews ranged from the aquacultural potential of crayfish [ 4 , 24 ], environmental and culturing practices [ 25 , 26 ], records of their introduction in the European and African regions [ 27 , 28 ], and crayfish-related diseases [ 26 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 ] to ecological interactions and biodiversity [ 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 ].…”

Detection and Management of Freshwater Invasive Alien Species through Environmental DNA Analysis and Geographic Information Systems: A Review

“…IAS might replace native organisms and potentially alter ecosystems and disrupt food chains while reducing and destroying the genetic diversity of indigenous species [63]. As Dali et al [64] mentioned, the introduction of IAS has made the study of genetic diversity vital. The presence of an invasive species, particularly in native inland waters, is considered a major challenge for the protection and preservation of local fish biodiversity [62,65].…”