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Success factors and future prospects of Ponto–Caspian peracarid (Crustacea: Malacostraca) invasions: Is ‘the worst over’?

Authors:
Péter Borza at Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research
Péter Borza
  • Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research
Thomas Huber at BOKU University
Thomas Huber
Patrick Leitner at BOKU University
Patrick Leitner
Nadine Remund
Nadine Remund
Nadine Remund
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Abstract and Figures

Ponto–Caspian peracarids (amphipods, isopods, mysids and cumaceans) represent one of the most successful groups of aquatic invaders comprising several high-impact species, such as Chelicorophium curvispinum, Dikerogammarus villosus, or Hemimysis anomala. In the present study we made the first attempt to compare biological traits and the environmental preferences of invasive and non-invasive members of the group based on both literature and field data (Joint Danube Survey 3, 2013) with the goal of identifying factors linked to invasion success and drawing conclusions on future invasion risks. Both datasets indicated substrate preference as an important factor in spontaneous range expansion; all invasive species are lithophilous, whereas the majority of non-invasives are psammo-pelophilous. The remaining seven presently non-invasive lithophilous species deserve special attention when considering potential future invaders; however, due to their rarity and possible negative interactions with earlier colonists we consider the probability of their expansion in the foreseeable future as low. Their potential expansion could most likely be of minor consequence anyway, since no considerable functional novelty can be attributed to them in addition to species already present. In this limited context (regarding habitats dominated by hard substrates and not considering the potential further spread of already invasive species) it might be justified to conclude that ‘the worst is over’. Nevertheless, impending navigation development projects both in the Danube–Main–Rhine and Dnieper–Pripyat–Bug–Vistula systems might favour the future spread of non-lithophilous species, which might imply a new invasion wave of Ponto–Caspian peracarids.
Cumulative number of invasive Ponto–Caspian peracarid species in the course of time along the southern corridor, based on first records outside the native range. Points are connected only for the sake of expressiveness. Dashed line illustrates the time having passed until present (2016) since the last new species was detected. References: 1 Unger (1918), 2 Borza (2011), 3 Dudich (1927), 4 Borza et al. (2015), 5 Dudich (1930), 6 Sebestyén (1934), 7 Woynárovich (1954), 8 Nosek and Oertel (1980), 9 Nesemann et al. (1995), 10 Weinzierl et al. (1997), 11 Wittmann et al. (1999), 12 Bernerth et al. (2005), 13 Wittmann (2002)
Cumulative number of invasive Ponto–Caspian peracarid species in the course of time along the southern corridor, based on first records outside the native range. Points are connected only for the sake of expressiveness. Dashed line illustrates the time having passed until present (2016) since the last new species was detected. References: 1 Unger (1918), 2 Borza (2011), 3 Dudich (1927), 4 Borza et al. (2015), 5 Dudich (1930), 6 Sebestyén (1934), 7 Woynárovich (1954), 8 Nosek and Oertel (1980), 9 Nesemann et al. (1995), 10 Weinzierl et al. (1997), 11 Wittmann et al. (1999), 12 Bernerth et al. (2005), 13 Wittmann (2002)
… 
Sampling sites (white triangles) during Joint Danube Survey 3 downstream of river km 685. The dark shaded area corresponds to the River Danube basin. Country codes: RS Serbia, RO Romania, BG Bulgaria, MD Moldova, UA Ukraine
Sampling sites (white triangles) during Joint Danube Survey 3 downstream of river km 685. The dark shaded area corresponds to the River Danube basin. Country codes: RS Serbia, RO Romania, BG Bulgaria, MD Moldova, UA Ukraine
… 
Frequency of occurrence versus average abundance (whenever present) ± SE of Ponto–Caspian peracarid species downstream of river km 685 in the Danube during Joint Danube Survey 3. Both scales are log10-transformed. Black triangles: invasive species, white triangles: non-invasive species. Cc, C. curvispinum; Ci, C. ischnus; Cr, Chelicorophium robustum; Cs, Chelicorophium sowinskyi; C_sp, Chelicorophium sp.; Cw, Chaetogammarus warpachowskyi; Dh, Dikerogammarus haemobaphes; Dv, D. villosus; D_sp, Dikerogammarus sp.; Es, Euxinia sarsi; Ha, H. anomala; Js, Jaera sarsi; Kw, Katamysis warpachowskyi; Lb, Limnomysis benedeni; Oc, Obesogammarus crassus; Oo, Obesogammarus obesus; Pb, Paramysis bakuensis; Pi, Paramysis intermedia; Pl, Paramysis lacustris; Pr, Pontogammarus robustoides; P_sp, Paramysis sp.; Pu, Paramysis ullskyi; Ss, Schizorhamphus scabriusculus; Tt, Trichogammarus trichiatus
Frequency of occurrence versus average abundance (whenever present) ± SE of Ponto–Caspian peracarid species downstream of river km 685 in the Danube during Joint Danube Survey 3. Both scales are log10-transformed. Black triangles: invasive species, white triangles: non-invasive species. Cc, C. curvispinum; Ci, C. ischnus; Cr, Chelicorophium robustum; Cs, Chelicorophium sowinskyi; C_sp, Chelicorophium sp.; Cw, Chaetogammarus warpachowskyi; Dh, Dikerogammarus haemobaphes; Dv, D. villosus; D_sp, Dikerogammarus sp.; Es, Euxinia sarsi; Ha, H. anomala; Js, Jaera sarsi; Kw, Katamysis warpachowskyi; Lb, Limnomysis benedeni; Oc, Obesogammarus crassus; Oo, Obesogammarus obesus; Pb, Paramysis bakuensis; Pi, Paramysis intermedia; Pl, Paramysis lacustris; Pr, Pontogammarus robustoides; P_sp, Paramysis sp.; Pu, Paramysis ullskyi; Ss, Schizorhamphus scabriusculus; Tt, Trichogammarus trichiatus
… 
Triplot of the RDA model including only substrate type. Samples are not shown for the sake of perspicuity. Black triangles invasive species, white triangles non-invasive species, solid line convex hull for invasive species, dashed line convex hull for non-invasive species. Substrate types (explanation in Table 1): ARG argyllal, LIT lithal, PEL pelal, PPE psammopelal, PSA psammal, PHY phytal. Abbreviations of species names as in Fig. 3 (specimens identified to genus level are not included)
Triplot of the RDA model including only substrate type. Samples are not shown for the sake of perspicuity. Black triangles invasive species, white triangles non-invasive species, solid line convex hull for invasive species, dashed line convex hull for non-invasive species. Substrate types (explanation in Table 1): ARG argyllal, LIT lithal, PEL pelal, PPE psammopelal, PSA psammal, PHY phytal. Abbreviations of species names as in Fig. 3 (specimens identified to genus level are not included)
… 
Mantel correlograms of the response variables (squares/solid line), the residuals of the RDA model including six explanatory variables (circles/dashed line), and the residuals of the RDA model including only substrate type (triangles/dotted line). The distance class at 0 river km corresponds to within-site distances. Solid symbols indicate significant correlations (*p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001). Numbers on the top of the graph indicate the number of pairs involved in the calculation of correlations for each distance class. Symbols are connected only to visualize the trends
+2
Mantel correlograms of the response variables (squares/solid line), the residuals of the RDA model including six explanatory variables (circles/dashed line), and the residuals of the RDA model including only substrate type (triangles/dotted line). The distance class at 0 river km corresponds to within-site distances. Solid symbols indicate significant correlations (*p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001). Numbers on the top of the graph indicate the number of pairs involved in the calculation of correlations for each distance class. Symbols are connected only to visualize the trends
… 
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Success factors and future prospects of Ponto–Caspian
peracarid (Crustacea: Malacostraca) invasions:
Is ‘the worst over’?
Pe
´ter Borza .Thomas Huber .Patrick Leitner .
Nadine Remund .Wolfram Graf
Received: 21 April 2016 / Accepted: 30 January 2017 / Published online: 8 February 2017
ÓSpringer International Publishing Switzerland 2017
Abstract Ponto–Caspian peracarids (amphipods,
isopods, mysids and cumaceans) represent one of the
most successful groups of aquatic invaders comprising
several high-impact species, such as Chelicorophium
curvispinum,Dikerogammarus villosus, or Hemimysis
anomala. In the present study we made the first
attempt to compare biological traits and the environ-
mental preferences of invasive and non-invasive
members of the group based on both literature and
field data (Joint Danube Survey 3, 2013) with the goal
of identifying factors linked to invasion success and
drawing conclusions on future invasion risks. Both
datasets indicated substrate preference as an important
factor in spontaneous range expansion; all invasive
species are lithophilous, whereas the majority of non-
invasives are psammo-pelophilous. The remaining
seven presently non-invasive lithophilous species
deserve special attention when considering potential
future invaders; however, due to their rarity and
possible negative interactions with earlier colonists we
consider the probability of their expansion in the
foreseeable future as low. Their potential expansion
could most likely be of minor consequence anyway,
since no considerable functional novelty can be
attributed to them in addition to species already
present. In this limited context (regarding habitats
dominated by hard substrates and not considering the
potential further spread of already invasive species) it
might be justified to conclude that ‘the worst is over’.
Nevertheless, impending navigation development
projects both in the Danube–Main–Rhine and Dnie-
per–Pripyat–Bug–Vistula systems might favour the
future spread of non-lithophilous species, which might
imply a new invasion wave of Ponto–Caspian
peracarids.
Keywords Amphipoda Colonization rate
Cumacea Isopoda Mysida Substrate preference
Introduction
Predicting future invasions by identifying traits of
species determining invasion success is a fundamental
endeavor of applied ecology (Williamson and Fitter
1996; Kolar and Lodge 2001; Heger and Trepl 2003).
Initial attempts at finding features universally
P. Borza (&)
Danube Research Institute, MTA Centre for Ecological
Research, Karolina u
´t 29-31, Budapest 1113, Hungary
e-mail: borza.peter@okologia.mta.hu
T. Huber P. Leitner W. Graf
Working Group on Benthic Ecology and Ecological Status
Assessment, Department of Water, Atmosphere and
Environment, Institute for Hydrobiology and Water
Management, BOKU - University of Natural Resources
and Applied Life Sciences, Max Emanuel-Strasse 17,
1180 Vienna, Austria
N. Remund
Info Fauna – CSCF, Passage Maximilien-de-Meuron 6,
2000 Neucha
ˆtel, Switzerland
123
Biol Invasions (2017) 19:1517–1532
DOI 10.1007/s10530-017-1375-7
Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.
... increased water quality and temperature; McLaughlan and Aldridge 2013;Strayer 1999) and biotic factors such as increased frequency of disturbances that reduces native community resilience (Levine et al. 2004;McLaughlan and Aldridge 2013;Strayer 1999), resource availability (e.g. habitat preferences, construction of artificial habitat; Borza et al. 2017;Mooney 2005) or habitat quality (Früh et al. 2012a, b). ...
... A plateau stage followed this trend later, with only a single new Ponto-Caspian macroinvertebrate species (the amphipod N. hrabei) recorded since 2012. The increasing number of Ponto-Caspian species could, however, also be linked to increasing degradation of natural habitats, as several Ponto-Caspian crustaceans have been shown to benefit from an increasing presence of artificial hard substrates (Borza et al. 2017). The relevance of degradation compared to facilitative biotic interactions, or their potential synergy, remains to be disentangled in future empirical studies. ...
... construction of dams) and human activities (e.g. trade intensification) considerably increase the invasion opportunities for these species (Hulme 2021). In addition, it is expected that the number of Ponto-Caspian invasive species will increase in the future with the emergence of new "waves" of invaders from this prominent region (Borza et al. 2017), emphasizing the urgent need for the implementation of control measures to mitigate future impacts (Gallardo and Aldridge 2015;Borza et al. 2017). Indeed, we found a significant increase in richness trends for Ponto-Caspian invaders in the present study, suggesting a further rise in their invasion rates in future. ...
The faunal Ponto-Caspianization of central and western European waterways
Article
Full-text available
  • Apr 2023
  • BIOL INVASIONS
As alien invasive species are a key driver of biodiversity loss, understanding patterns of rapidly changing global species compositions depends upon knowledge of invasive species population dynamics and trends at large scales. Within this context, the Ponto-Caspian region is among the most notable donor regions for aquatic invasive species in Europe. Using macroinvertebrate time series collected over 52 years (1968–2020) at 265 sites across 11 central and western European countries, we examined the occurrences, invasion rates, and abundances of freshwater Ponto-Caspian fauna. We examined whether: (i) successive Ponto-Caspian invasions follow a consistent pattern of composition pioneered by the same species, and (ii) Ponto-Caspian invasion accelerates subsequent invasion rates. In our dataset, Ponto-Caspian macroinvertebrates increased from two species in 1972 to 29 species in 2012. This trend was parallelled by a non-significant increasing trend in the abundances of Ponto-Caspian taxa. Trends in Ponto-Caspian invader richness increased significantly over time. We found a relatively uniform distribution of Ponto-Caspian macroinvertebrates across Europe without any relation to the distance to their native region. The Ponto-Caspian species that arrived first were often bivalves (46.5% of cases), particularly Dreissena polymorpha, followed secondarily by amphipods (83.8%; primarily Chelicorophium curvispinum and Dikerogammarus villosus). The time between consecutive invasions decreased significantly at our coarse regional scale, suggesting that previous alien establishments may facilitate invasions of subsequent taxa. Should alien species continue to translocate from the Ponto-Caspian region, our results suggest a high potential for their future invasion success highly connected central and western European waters. However, each species’ population may decline after an initial ‘boom’ phase or after the arrival of new invasive species, resulting in different alien species dominating over time.
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... To the extent of our knowledge, a comprehensive list of these species along with their taxonomic and ecomorphological diversity, as well as modes of introduction has never been compiled. Such information is, again, of high relevance in forecasting future invasions (Borza et al. 2017). ...
... The first two are more associated with coarse substrates (fine sand to rocks) than the last two (Copilaș-Ciocianu and Sidorov 2022). An affinity for hard substrata has been proposed as an important factor favoring the dispersal of Ponto-Caspian peracarid crustaceans into heavily anthropized habitats (Borza et al. 2017). Indeed, numerous studies reported a preference of alien Ponto-Caspian amphipods for hard substrates, although relatively few species were studied thus far (Dermott et al. 1998;Hesselschwerdt et al. 2008;Jermacz et al. 2015;Borza et al. 2018;Poznańska-Kakareko et al. 2021). ...
... Prospects for further dispersal Europe and temperate Asia are the most affected regions by alien crustacean species, and their number is predicted to significantly rise by 2050 (Seebens et al. 2021). Borza et al. (2017) concluded that the possibility for additional Ponto-Caspian peracarid crustaceans of becoming invasive in the future is low. Nevertheless, given that the current number of nonnative species is already quite high, further dispersal into new regions is unavoidable. ...
Global distribution and diversity of alien Ponto-Caspian amphipods
Article
Full-text available
  • Sep 2022
  • BIOL INVASIONS
The Ponto-Caspian region is an important donor of aquatic alien species throughout the Northern Hemisphere, many of which are amphipod crustaceans. Despite decades of ongoing spread and negative effects on native biota, a complete picture of the global diversity and distribution of these amphipods has yet to emerge, hampering efficient monitoring and predictions of future invasion pathways. Herein, we provide a comprehensive summary of alien species taxonomic and ecomorphological diversity, as well as high-resolution distribution maps and biogeographical patterns based on > 8000 global records. We find that up to 39 species in 19 genera and five families, belonging to all four currently recognized ecomorphs, are potentially alien, their diversity gradually decreasing with distance from the native region. Most species (62%) have limited distributions, 15% are widespread, and 23% exhibit intermediate ranges. We also find that regions adjacent to the native range are comparatively less well-sampled than more distant regions. Biogeographical clustering revealed three faunal provinces that largely correspond with the Southern, Central and Northern invasion corridors. We conclude that (1) alien amphipods are a representative subsample of the native Ponto-Caspian phylogenetic and ecomorphological diversity, and (2) that their biogeographical patterns are driven by anthropogenic factors acting on taxonomically distinct native regional species pools.
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... Owing to its highly diverse endemic euryhaline fauna, the Ponto-Caspian region (i.e., the Black, Azov, Caspian, and Aral seas and the lower sections of the rivers running into them) is one of the most important sources of aquatic invasive species in Europe and in North America (Ricciardi and MacIsaac 2000;Bij de Vaate et al. 2002). The majority of the invaders are peracarid crustaceans (Borza et al. 2017;Copilaș-Ciocianu et al. 2023), including representatives of the order Mysida. Since the middle of the 20 th century, four Ponto-Caspian mysid species have expanded their ranges in Central, Western, and Northern Europe (Bij de Vaate et al. 2002;Borza et al. 2017), while one of the species is also present in the British Isles as well as in North America (Audzijonyte et al. 2008). ...
... The majority of the invaders are peracarid crustaceans (Borza et al. 2017;Copilaș-Ciocianu et al. 2023), including representatives of the order Mysida. Since the middle of the 20 th century, four Ponto-Caspian mysid species have expanded their ranges in Central, Western, and Northern Europe (Bij de Vaate et al. 2002;Borza et al. 2017), while one of the species is also present in the British Isles as well as in North America (Audzijonyte et al. 2008). These relatively small (reaching ~0.5-1.5 cm body length), omnivorous crustaceans can consume small suspended particles by filtering (Borza et al. 2023a(Borza et al. , 2023b as well as deposited materials and biofilm. ...
Functional responses correspond to stable isotope-based trophic positions among four invasive Ponto-Caspian mysid species (Crustacea, Mysida)
Article
Full-text available
  • Jun 2024
Determining the consumptive effects of non-native predators, for which several direct and indirect methods have been applied, is a common goal in invasion biology. Functional responses and stable isotope analysis are among the most widely used approaches; however, they are rarely used in combination. In this study, we used these two complementary methods to compare the predatory impacts of four invasive Ponto-Caspian mysids on zooplankton in a habitat (Danube River) where all four species coexist. The order of the species based on the attack rates of the functional response models matched with their mean δ¹⁵N values, indicating a correspondence between their predatory potentials and trophic positions in their invaded habitat. Hemimysis anomala had the highest attack rate on zooplankton presumably due to its higher degree of specialization linked to its pelagic lifestyle. Contrary to our expectations, the largest species, Paramysis lacustris, had an intermediate predatory efficiency and trophic position, similar to those of Limnomysis benedeni but higher than those of the smallest species, Katamysis warpachowskyi. Nevertheless, all of the four species exhibited a considerable predatory potential, suggesting that any of them can contribute significantly to their combined predatory impact depending on their densities. The congruence between the results of the two methods shows that the species can realize their different predatory potentials in their invaded environment, indicating favorable conditions (i.e., food availability and spatial heterogeneity) which allowed dietary differentiation. We recommend the combined use of functional responses and stable isotope analysis, which might allow robust conclusions to be drawn on the trophic ecology of the species and also provide further insights into the studied ecosystem.
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... The species share some environmental preferences: both have been described as predominately lithophilous (Borza et al. 2017a), with an affinity for hard substrates and cobbles (Clinton et al. 2018;Macneil and Platvoet 2013). However, Borza et al. (2017b), studying sites along the River Danube (East Europe), also reported differences in their current velocity preferences, with Dv being primarily associated with lentic/slow-flowing systems, but able to use refugia provided by obstacles in faster flowing systems. This difference may point to niche differentiation and may, at least partially, explain the co-existence patterns of both species in some waterbodies. ...
... It has been suggested that low habitat specificity could be key in population establishment, and invasion success for some invertebrates (e.g., spiders: De Smedt & Van Keer 2022). Dv has been hypothesized to be highly adapted to anthropogenic modification of aquatic ecosystems (e.g., Danube River, Borza et al. 2017b), but with preferences for large rivers and canals with good chemical water quality (e.g., Belgium, Boets et al. 2014). Boets et al. (2014) highlighted the high dissolved oxygen preferences of D. villosus, and that improving chemical water quality may facilitate the colonization of additional watercourses. ...
Among demons and killers: current and future potential distribution of two hyper successful invasive gammarids
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2023
  • BIOL INVASIONS
Biological invasions represent one of the main contemporary pressures facing freshwater ecosystems, and a better understanding of invasive species potential distributions is essential to prepare for future stressors. Crustacean invaders contribute significantly to global invasions with the Ponto-Caspian region being one of the primary donor areas for the Palearctic. The amphipods Dikerogammarus villosus and Dikerogammarus haemobaphes, popularly known as "killer" and "demon" shrimps, are emblematic of successful Ponto-Caspian invaders of European freshwaters. However, the geographical areas in which the abiotic environment is potentially suitable for them have not been investigated. To address this gap, current and future potential distributions were studied for the European Western Palearctic considering two scenarios and time periods (2050 and 2070) as well as the association between anthropogenic activities and individual species habitat suitability. Results show large areas of central-western Europe are currently suitable for both species and indicate some potential for range expansion within colder European areas. In particular, D. haemobaphes has the potential to expand its range further west and within southern parts of Europe. Scenarios of future climate change don't provide evidence for further range expansion compared to the current conditions and suggest a reduction of range overlap within the most suitable areas. Results reveal lowland areas are at greatest risk of colonisation as well as a significant association with anthropogenic activities for both amphipods. The outcomes of the research could be used by resource managers for preparing and managing future changes of both species distributions and facilitate decision-making for monitoring and control.
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... These species have successfully established in Europe (Audzijonyte et al., 2008(Audzijonyte et al., , 2009Borza et al., 2019;Wittmann, 2008), while H. anomala also invaded the North American Great Lakes (Audzijonyte et al., 2008). Traits such as wide environmental tolerance, omnivory, high annual number of generations, and related ability to get established quickly in new habitats likely contributed to their invasive success (Borza, 2014;Borza et al., 2017). Mysid shrimps are small, generally omnivorous crustaceans found in both marine and freshwater environments (Mauchline, 1980). ...
Food density drives diet shift of the invasive mysid shrimp, Limnomysis benedeni
Article
Full-text available
  • Apr 2024
Understanding the diet preferences and food selection of invasive species is crucial to better predict their impact on community structure and ecosystem functioning. Limnomysis benedeni, a Ponto-Caspian invasive mysid shrimp, is one of the most successful invaders in numerous European river and lake ecosystems. While existing studies suggest potentially strong trophic impact due to high predation pressure on native plankton communities, little is known of its food selectivity between phyto- and zooplankton, under different food concentrations. Here, we therefore investigated the feeding selectivity of L. benedeni on two commonly occurring prey organisms in freshwaters, the small rotifer zooplankton Brachionus calyciflorus together with the microphytoplankton Cryptomonas sp. present in increasing densities. Our results demonstrated a clear shift in food selection, with L. benedeni switching from B. calyciflorus to Cryptomonas sp. already when the two prey species were provided in equal biomasses. Different functional responses were observed for the two food types, indicating somewhat different foraging mechanisms for each food type. These findings provide experimental evidence on the feeding flexibility of invasive mysid shrimps and potential implications for trophic interactions in invaded ecosystems.
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... This is especially important considering that on-going spread of Ponto-Caspian amphipods is routinely reported(Copilaş- Ciocianu & Šidagytė-Copilas, 2022;Csabai et al., 2020;Lipinskaya et al., 2021) and that the number of invasive crustaceans in Europe and temperate Asia are expected to rise substantially by 2050(Seebens et al., 2021). However, some studies suggest that the likelihood of future invasions by Ponto-Caspian peracarid crustaceans that are currently still within the native range remains low(Borza et al., 2017). ...
Climatic niche differentiation between native and non‐native ranges is widespread in Ponto‐Caspian amphipods
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2024
1. Niche conservatism posits that a species' non‐native populations establish in areas that match their native environmental conditions. Although the Ponto‐Caspian biodiversity hotspot is a major source of freshwater alien species, the extent to which their climatic niches diverge between invaded and native ranges remains poorly understood. 2. Using an n‐dimensional hypervolume approach, we quantified climatic niche overlap and inferred patterns of niche differentiation (shift, contraction, or expansion) among native and invaded ranges for 12 widespread Ponto‐Caspian amphipod species (six genera in three families). 3. Our results show that all species experience substantially different climatic conditions in their invaded range compared to their native range. The invasive niche either contracted (five species), shifted (four species), expanded and shifted (two species), or shifted and contracted (one species) relative to the native niche. 4. We conclude that although the focal taxa share a common geographic origin and evolutionary history, they exhibit disparate patterns of climatic niche change outside their native range. The niche conservatism hypothesis receives mixed support given that half of the studied species underwent niche shifts/expansion. Furthermore, congeners exhibited both identical and contrasting patterns of niche differentiation, suggesting a limited phylogenetic effect. 5. The uncovered diversity of niche dynamics among closely related species indicates that each has a unique potential for invasiveness and long‐term persistence. This has important implications for predicting invasion risk and refining management strategies. Our study also underlines the importance of biodiversity hotspots as reservoirs of highly adaptable alien species.
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... These species have successfully established in Europe (Audzijonyte et al., 2008(Audzijonyte et al., , 2009Borza et al., 2019;Wittmann, 2008), while H. anomala also invaded the North American Great Lakes (Audzijonyte et al., 2008). Traits such as wide environmental tolerance, omnivory, high annual number of generations, and related ability to get established quickly in new habitats likely contributed to their invasive success (Borza, 2014;Borza et al., 2017). Mysid shrimps are small, generally omnivorous crustaceans found in both marine and freshwater environments (Mauchline, 1980). ...
Prey density drives diet shift of the invasive mysid shrimp, Limnomysis benedeni
Preprint
Full-text available
  • Oct 2023
Understanding the diet preferences and prey selection of invasive species is crucial to better predict their impact on community structure and ecosystem functioning. Limnomysis benedeni, a Ponto-Caspian invasive mysid shrimp, is one of the most successful invaders in numerous European river and lake ecosystems. While existing studies suggest potentially strong trophic impact due to high predation pressure on invaded plankton communities, little is known of its prey selectivity between phyto- and zooplankton, under different prey concentrations. Here, we therefore investigated the feeding selectivity of L. benedeni on two commonly occurring prey organisms in freshwaters, the small rotifer zooplankton Brachionus calyciflorus together with the microphytoplankton Cryptomonas sp. present in increasing densities. Our results demonstrated a clear shift in diet selection, with L. benedeni switching from B. calyciflorus to Cryptomonas sp. already when the two prey species were provided in equal biomasses. Different functional responses were observed for each prey type, indicating somewhat different foraging mechanisms for each prey type. These findings provide experimental evidence on the feeding flexibility of invasive mysid shrimps and potential implications for trophic interactions in invaded ecosystems.
View
... The evolutionary success of these amphipods is likely to be attributable to their high adaptability and environmental tolerance (Reid & Orlova, 2002;Rewicz et al., 2014;Borza et al., 2017;Cuthbert et al., 2020;Copilaș-Ciocianu & Sidorov, 2022). Consequently, nearly 40% of Ponto-Caspian amphipods have dispersed beyond their native range and are considered alien or invasive (Copilaș-Ciocianu et al., 2023). ...
A widespread Ponto-Caspian invader with a mistaken identity: integrative taxonomy elucidates the confusing taxonomy of Trichogammarus trichiatus (= Echinogammarus) (Crustacea: Amphipoda)
Article
Full-text available
  • Apr 2023
  • ZOOL J LINN SOC-LOND
Amphipods have diversified greatly in the Ponto-Caspian region. Although many of these species are prominent invaders their systematics remains unclear. Taking an integrative approach, we investigate the taxonomy of Trichogammarus trichiatus, a widespread invader in European inland waters. It was initially described from the northeastern Black Sea coast as Chaetogammarus trichiatus by Martynov in 1932. A similar taxon, Chaetogammarus tenellus major, was described by Cărăușu from the western Black Sea in 1943 but later synonymized with C. trichiatus. Chaetogammarus trichiatus was itself shuffled between Chaetogammarus and the Atlanto-Mediterranean Echinogammarus, currently being assigned to Trichogammarus. Our analyses (six DNA markers, 60 measurements and scanning electron microscopic imaging) reveal that T. trichiatus and C. tenellus major are distinct species; the former is a Caucasian endemic, whereas the latter invaded Europe. Unexpectedly, T. trichiatus is an incipient species molecularly nested in Chaetogammarus ischnus, despite pronounced morphological and geographical differentiation. We also recover Chaetogammarus as polyphyletic, yet its member species are nested in the Ponto-Caspian radiation, thus distinct from Echinogammarus. Consequently, we reassign T. trichiatus to Chaetogammarus (Chaetogammarus trichiatus), synonymize Trichogammarus with Chaetogammarus and place C. tenellus major in the new genus Spirogammarus gen. nov. (Spirogammarus major comb. & stat. nov.).
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DNA Barcoding and Distribution of Gastropods and Malacosracans in the Lower Danube Region
Article
Full-text available
This survey reports the spatial distribution of gastropods belonging to Caenogastropoda, Architaenioglossa, Littorinimorpha, Cycloneritida and Hygrophila orders, and malacostracans from Amphipoda and Mysida orders in the lower sector of the Danube River, Romania, using DNA barcoding based on the cytochrome C oxidase I (COI) gene sequence. Sampling was performed for eight locations of Danube Delta branches and Bechet area during three consecutive years (2019–2021). Molecular identification of sixteen gastropods and twelve crustacean individuals was confirmed to the species level, providing the first molecular identification of gastropods from the Lower Danube sector. Phylogenetic analysis showed that species of gastropods and crustaceans clustered in monophyletic groups. Among gastropods, Microcolpia daudebartii acicularis, Viviparus viviparus, Bithynia tentaculata, Physa fontinalis, Ampullaceana lagotis and Planorbarius corneus were identified in Chilia and Sulina branches; and the Bechet area was populated by Holandriana holandrii, Theodoxus transversalis and Gyraulus parvus. The amphipods and mysids were present along the three main Danube branches. The calculated density of these species revealed an abundant community of crustacean Chelicorophium robustum on Sulina branch, and Dikerogammarus haemobaphes and D. villosus in extended areas of the Danube Delta. The presence of these invertebrates along Danube River was reported in relation to the sediment type and water depth.
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The faunal Ponto-Caspianization of European waterways
Preprint
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  • Jun 2022
As alien invasive species are a key driver of biodiversity loss, understanding patterns of rapidly changing global species compositions depends upon knowledge of biological invasion dynamics and trends. The Ponto-Caspian region is among the most notable donor regions for aquatic invasive species in Europe. Using macroinvertebrate time series collected over 52 years (1968-2020) at 265 sites across 11 European countries, we examined the occurrences, invasion rates and interspeci c interactions of freshwater Ponto-Caspian fauna, as well as biotic homogenization trends in European waterways. According to our data, Ponto-Caspian macroinvertebrates increased from two species in 1972 to 29 species in 2012 and we found a greater richness of invading Ponto-Caspian macroinvertebrates in datasets collected closer to the source region. This may re ect dispersal lag times, indicating that more distant sites will be increasingly invaded in the future. The pioneering Ponto-Caspian species that arrived rst were often bivalves (46.5% of cases), particularly Dreissena polymorpha, followed secondarily by amphipods (83.8%; primarily Chelicorophium curvispinum and Dikerogammarus villosus). With increasing invasions, the time between consecutively-appearing invaders decreased six-fold, indicating potential facilitations that improved invasion success of subsequent taxa. We detected a negative relationship between the abundance trends of the rst and second Ponto-Caspian macroinvertebrate species, suggesting that interactions between these species are asymmetrical, with the initial invader facilitating the subsequent invader at the potential cost of its own population growth rate. Lastly, we found that macroinvertebrate communities became increasingly similar over time. European invasion rates from the Ponto-Caspian region suggest a high potential for future invasions from this region, with more hotspots and donor regions likely emerging.
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Ponto-Caspian Amphipods and Mysids in the Inland Waters of Lithuania: History of Introduction, Current Distribution and Relations with Native Malacostracans
Chapter
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  • Jan 2002
Ponto-Caspian amphipods Pontogammarus robustoides, Obesogammarus crassus and Chaetogammarus warpachowskyi, and mysids Paramysis lacustris, Limnomysis benedeni and Hemimysis anomala were introduced into the Kaunas Water Reservoir located on River Nemunas, during 1960–1961. The crustaceans established sustainable populations there. Later transplanting of non-native species to over 100 lakes and two other water reservoirs was tried. Recently, sustainable populations of Ponto-Caspian amphipods and mysids inhabit these two water reservoirs. Non-native amphipods and mysids were also found in 6 and 8 lakes, correspondingly. Current distribution suggests that Ponto-Caspian amphipods can establish sustainable populations only in large mesotrophic lakes, while mysids can also survive in large and open eutrophic lakes. Both groups of these crustaceans can also live in well-drained lakes. In the habitats suitable for Ponto-Caspian amphipod P. robustoides, this amphipod excludes the native species Gammarus lacustris and G. pulex. There are also indicators suggesting that Ponto-Caspian mysid P. lacustris could have a negative effect on the native glacial relict mysid Mysis relicta.
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Die Drift von Mysidacea und Decapoda und ihre Bedeu­tung für die Ausbreitung von Neozoen im Main-Donau-System [The drift of Mysidacea and Decapoda and its significance for the disper­sion of neozoans in the Main-Danube system]
Article
  • Apr 1999
Abstract. Drift samples in the hydropower reservoirs of Geisling, Straubing and Vienna, and in the Sf. Gheorghe mouth branch of river Danube contained the Pontocaspian Mysidacea Limnomysis benedeni, Hemimysis anomala and Paramysis intermedia, and a few individuals of the Decapoda Atyaephyra desmaresti and Orconectes limosus. Further records were made using hand operated nets in the river Main, the Main-Danube-Canal and the river Danube. L. benedeni was for the first time recorded in the river Main; and H. anomala for the first time in the upper Danube and in Austria. All five species appeared in nocturnal drift samples, and the more frequent species, L. benedeni and H. anomala, additionally in diurnal drift samples. Four of these five species are known as neozoans with ample distribution in continental waters of Europe. Appearance of these crustaceans in drift samples may be indicative of a possible predisposition for dispersion by navigation.
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Distribution of epigean Malacostraca in the middle and upper Danube (Hungary, Austria, Germany)
Article
  • Jan 1995
The Danube between Harta (rkm 1549) and Kehlheim (rkm 2410) was sampled qualitatively in 1985-1995 at all seasons. Eighteen epigean species of Malacostraca (Janiridae, Asellidae, Gammaridae, Talitridae, Corophiidae, Mysidae, Astacidae, Cambaridae) were recorded. The malacostracan fauna shows a distinct longitudinal zonation in the River Danube. At least nine species are of Ponto-Caspian origin. The actual distribution patterns were analyzed with respect to former studies. At least six species were strongly expansive during the last few decades. Navigation appears to be among the crucial factors for this dispersion.
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Longitudinal distributional patterns of Peracarida (Crustacea, Malacostraca) in the River Danube
Article
  • Dec 2015
  • FUND APPL LIMNOL
The River Danube plays a central role in the spread of Ponto-Caspian species as a part of the so-called southern invasion corridor (Danube-Main-Rhine system); therefore, changes in its peracarid fauna (comprising the bulk of invasives) merit special attention. The latest international research expedition (Joint Danube Survey 3, 2013) offered an opportunity for updating and synthesizing our knowledge about this group along the Danube, previously based on studies covering only certain river sections and/or dealing with a subset of species. Altogether 17 amphipod, 7 mysid, 3 isopod, and one cumacean species were recorded at 55 sites investigated between Ulm (river km 2581) and the Delta. Recent large-distance expansion of additional Ponto-Caspian species was not observed, but three species (Chelicorophium robustum, C. sowinskyi, and Echinogammarus trichiatus) have been able to shorten their distributional gap in the Middle Danube, E. trichiatus being recorded for the first time in Serbia. Ponto-Caspian peracarids are still gradually advancing in the German section, as well, implying retreat of native Gammarus spp., and impeding the spread of non-Ponto-Caspian invaders. On the contrary, some Ponto-Caspian species seem to have declined in certain river sections; Dikerogammarus bispinosus was entirely missing in the Lower Danube, and several species characteristic of the lower reaches had been recorded previously much farther upstream (most notably Chelicorophium maeoticum and Obesogammarus crassus). The analysis of current and historical distributional patterns revealed that the crucial step in the large-scale spread of Ponto-Caspian species is crossing the section between Baja and the Sava estuary (rkm ~1480 –1170) – characterized by an unfavorable combination of relatively strong currents and fine bed material – by passive transport. Presence immediately downstream of this section does not appear to promote further expansion in most of the cases; the source region of large-distance dispersal is most likely the Delta, implying that potential future invaders cannot be identified based on their previous expansion in the lower reaches of the river.
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