Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Shelter Competition Between Native Signal Crayfish And Non-Native Red Swamp Crayfish In Pine Lake, Sammamish, Washington: The Role Of Size And Sex, Karl W. Mueller

WWU Graduate School Collection

Freshwater crayfish (Decapoda) communities worldwide are becoming increasingly similar from location to location by the intentional or accidental introduction of North American crayfishes. The red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii, Cambaridae), which is native to the south-central United States and northeastern Mexico, is the most widely introduced crayfish in the world. It was first discovered in Pine Lake, Sammamish, Washington in 2000. The results of a 2005 baseline survey of the crayfish in Pine Lake suggested that the red swamp crayfish was displacing the native signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus, Astacidae). One mechanism through which non-native crayfishes displace native species is competitive …