An invasive species in a protected area of southern Italy: the structure, dynamics and spatial distribution of the crayfish Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852)

In a WWF reserve of south-western Sicily (Italy), a population of Procambarus clarkii has colonized the important protected areas of Preola Lake and the Gorghi Tondi Nature Reserve. Surveys were conducted in four lakes to investigate the structure and dynamics of the population inhabiting these lakes, and the life history patterns of this crayfish in this characteristic habitat are presented. Significant differences between sex ratio and cephalothorax mean measurements) were not evidenced. The population's parameters were estimated using the Von Bertalanffy growth function and the Bhattacharya method. Similarly to previous work, this study it was found that this species has a lower growth rate and longevity in comparison with other populations living in the Mediterranean region (approximately 4 years old). The spatial analysis evidences a strong heterogeneity and large movement range of the specimens during the study period. The results indicate the high ecological plasticity of Procambarus clarkii, suggesting the importance of monitoring this bio-invader to plan appropriate actions for the control of this population in protected areas where it occurs to preserve the local biodiversity.