Environmental DNA (eDNA) detects the invasive crayfishesᅠOrconectes rusticusᅠandᅠPacifastacus leniusculusᅠin large lakes of North America
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We report results of a study that made reciprocal comparisons of environmental DNA (eDNA) assays for two major invasive crayfishes between their disparate invasive ranges in North America. Specifically, we tested for range expansions of the signal crayfishᅠPacifastacus leniusculusᅠ(Dana, 1852) into the Laurentian Great Lakes region known to be invaded by the rusty crayfishᅠOrconectes rusticusᅠ(Girard, 1852), as well as for the invasion ofᅠO. rusticusᅠinto large lakes of California and Nevada, US known to be invaded byᅠP. leniusculus.ᅠWe compared eDNA detections to historic localities forᅠO. rusticusᅠwithin the Great Lakes, and to recent sampling for presence/absence and relative abundance ofᅠP. leniusculusᅠin California and Nevada via overnight sets of baited traps. We successfully detectedᅠO. rusticusᅠeDNA at six sites from the Great Lakes andᅠP. leniusculusᅠfrom six of seven lakes where it was known to occur in California and Nevada, but did not detect any range expansions by either species across the North American continent. eDNA appears suitable to detect benthic arthropods from exceptionally large lakes, and will likely be useful in applications for monitoring of new biological invasions into these and other freshwater and marine habitats.
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Larson, Eric R., Renshaw, Mark A., Gantz, Crysta A., et al.. "Environmental DNA (eDNA) detects the invasive crayfishesᅠOrconectes rusticusᅠandᅠPacifastacus leniusculusᅠin large lakes of North America." Hydrobiologia, (2017) Springer: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10750-017-3210-7.