Phylogenetic Diversity of the Red Swamp Crayfish Procambarus clarkii and Its Dispersal Pattern in Northern and Central Italy

Abstract

The red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii is one of the most threatening freshwater species in the world. The aim of this study is to provide a better understanding of the phylogeography and the invasion routes of P. clarkii populations in the Italian Peninsula through the analysis of mitochondrial phylogeny. Mitochondrial control region and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences of 153 samples collected from six Italian basins were analyzed and compared to worldwide data. Except for the lakes Bolsena and Posta Fibreno, a high genetic variability was found in the other basins. The mitochondrial DNA pattern of P. clarkii from the lakes Candia and Massaciuccoli confirmed the hypothesis of double introduction events. Another entry point could be represented by Lake Trasimeno, which shows haplotypes originating from Louisiana and not shared with other Italian basins. Moreover, unique lineages were also found in the Stella River, thus enhancing the hypothesis that multiple introductions of P. clarkii occurred in northern and Central Italy and strengthening the idea that knowledge about the dispersion routes of this alien species can be useful to predict its invasiveness and elaborate control strategies to preserve biodiversity.

Genomic adaptive potential to cold environments in the invasive red swamp crayfish

“…We observed this pattern for P. clarkii samples collected both in the U.S. (Atchafalaya Basin, Louisiana) and China (Hongze Lake, Jiangsu Province). 38 However, the two population tracks diverged prior to the LGP, and since the end of the LGP, the Jiangsu population has experienced a reduction in size while the Atchafalaya population has remained stable. These findings suggest that the Jiangsu population likely originated from other northern populations in the U.S. and may have been more susceptible to climatic changes, resulting in significant population bottlenecks.…”