Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

How to be an invasive gammarid (Amphipoda: Gammaroidea)–comparison of life history traits

  • Invasive Crustacea
  • Published:
Hydrobiologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

About six life history and two ecological traits of gammarid species occurring in Central European waters were compared in order to identify the characters of successful invader. The species were (1) natives: Gammarus fossarum, G. pulex, G. lacustris, G. varsoviensis, G. balcanicus, G. leopoliensis, G. roeselii, and (2) aliens: Gammarus tigrinus, Chaetogammarus ischnus (=Echinogammarus ischnus), Pontogammarus robustoides, Obesogammarus crassus, Dikerogammarus haemobaphes, D. villosus. Generally the alien species were characterised by a combination of large brood size, high partial fecundity, early maturation and by appearance of higher number of generations per year. Also, these species presented higher tolerance towards severe environmental conditions, i.e. elevated salinity and human degradation of the environment. The above features seem to facilitate the colonisation of new areas and competition with native species -- a phenomenon that has been currently observed in various parts of Europe.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bacela, K., 2007. Reproductive and feeding strategies of selected alien gammarids (Crustacea, Amphipoda) occurring in Poland. PhD Thesis, University of Lodz.

  • Bacela, K. & A. Konopacka, 2005. The life history of Pontogammarus robustoides (G.O. Sars, 1894)—an alien amphipod species in Polish waters. Journal of Crustacean Biology 25: 190–195.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bij de Vaate, A., K. Jazdzewski, H. A. H. Ketelaars, S. Gollasch & G. Van der Velde, 2002. Geographical patterns in range extension of Ponto–Caspian macroinvertebrate species in Europe. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 59: 1159–1174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bousfield, E., 1958. Freshwater crustaceans of glaciated North America. Canadian Field Naturalist 72(2): 55–113.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bruijs, M., B. Kelleher, G. Van der Velde & A. Bij de Vaate, 2001. Oxygen consumption, temperature and salinity tolerance of the invasive amphipod Dikerogammarus villosus: Indicators of further dispersal via ballast water transport. Archiv fur Hydrobiologie 152: 633–646.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brzezinska-Blaszczyk, E. & K. Jazdzewski, 1980. Reproductive cycle of Gammarus fossarum Koch (Crustacea, Amphipoda) in different thermic conditions. Acta Universitatis Lodziensis, Nauki matematyczno- przyrodnicze 33: 129–153.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chambers, M. R., 1977. The population ecology of Gammarus tigrinus (Sexton) in the Reed Beds of the Tjeukemeer. Hydrobiologia 53: 155–164.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Costello, M. J., 1993. Biogeography of alien amphipods occurring in Ireland, and interactions with native species. Crustaceana 65: 287–299.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dedju, I. I., 1966. Morfologicheskaya izmienchivost’, rasprostranenie i ekologicheskaya kharakteristika bokoplava Niphargoides (Pontogammarus) robustoides (Grimm). Biologicheskie resursy vodoemov Moldavii 4: 47–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dedju, I. I., 1967. Amfipody i mizidy basseϊnov rek Dniestra i Pruta. Izdatelstvo „Nauka”, Moskva.

  • Dedju, I. I., 1980. Amfipody presnykh i solonovatykh vod yugozapada SSSR. Izdatelstvo “Shtiinca”, Kishinev.

  • Devin, S., C. Piscart, J. N. Beisel, & J. C. Moreteau, 2004. Life history traits of the invader Dikerogammarus villosus (Crustacea : Amphipoda) in the Moselle River, France. International Review of Hydrobiology 89: 21–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dick, J. T. A., 1996. Post invasion amphipod communities of Lough Neagh, N. Ireland: Influences of habitat selection and differential predation. Journal of Animal Ecology 65: 756–767.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dick, J. T. A., R. W. Elwood & W. I. Montgomery, 1995. The behavioural basis of a species replacement: differential aggression and predation between the introduced Gammarus pulex and the native G. duebeni celticus (Amphipoda). Behavioural Ecology & Sociobiology 37: 393–398.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dick, J. T. A., D. E. Irvine & R. W. Elwood, 1990. Differential predation by males on moulted females may explain the competitive displacement of Gammarus duebeni by G. pulex (Amphipoda). Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology 26: 41–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dick, J. T. A. & D. Platvoet, 1996. Intraguild predation and species exclusion in amphipods: the interaction of behaviour, physiology and environment. Freshwater Biology 36: 375–383.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dick, J. T. A. & D. Platvoet, 2000. Invading predatory crustacean Dikerogammarus villosus eliminates both native and exotic species. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences 267: 977–983.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dumont, H. J., 1998. The Caspian Lake: History, biota, structure, and function. Limnology and Oceanography 43: 44–52.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Grabowska, J. & M. Grabowski, 2005. Diel-feeding activity in early summer of race goby Neogobius gymnotrachelus (Gobiidae): A new invader in the Baltic basin. Journal of Applied Ichtyology 21: 282–286.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hynes, H. B. N., 1955. The reproductive cycle of some British freshwater Gammaridae. Journal of Animal Ecology 24: 352–387.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hynes, H. B. N. & F. Harper, 1992. The life histories of Gammarus lacustris and G. pseudolimnaeus in southern Ontario. Crustaceana Supplement 3: 329–341.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jazdzewski, K., 1975. Morfologia, taksonomia i występowanie w Polsce kiełży z rodzajów Gammarus Fabr. i Chaetogammarus Mart. (Crustacea, Amphipoda). Acta Universitatis Lodziensis, Łódź.

  • Jazdzewski, K., 1980. Range extensions of some gammaridean species in European inland waters caused by human activity. Crustaceana, Supplement 6: 84–107.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jazdzewski, K. & A. Konopacka, 2000. Immigration history and present distribution of alien crustaceans in Polish waters. In Von Vaupel Klein, I. C. & F. R. Schram (eds), The biodiversity crisis and Crustacea. Crustacean Issues 12: 55–64.

  • Jazdzewski, K., A. Konopacka & M. Grabowski, 2002. Four Ponto-Caspian and one American gammarid species (Crustacea, Amphipoda) invading Polish waters. Contributions to Zoology 71: 115–122.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jazdzewski, K., A. Konopacka & M. Grabowski, 2004. Recent drastic changes in the gammarid fauna (Crustacea, Amphipoda) of the Vistula River deltaic system in Poland caused by alien invaders. Diversity and Distributions 10: 81–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kasymov, A. G., 1960. Biologiya bokoplava Pontogammarus robustoides (Grimm). Zoologicheskiï Zhurnal 39: 1151–1155.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kelleher, B., G. Van der Velde, P. S. Giller & A. Bij de Vaate, 2000. Dominant role of exotic invertebrates, mainly Crustacea, in diets of fish in the lower Rhine River. In Von Vaupel Klein, I. C. & F. R. Schram (eds), The biodiversity crisis and Crustacea. Crustacean Issues 12: 35–46.

  • Kiticyna, L. A., 1980. Ekologo-fiziologicheskie osobennosti bokoplava Dikerogammarus haemobaphes (Eich.) v raϊone s”rosa podogretykh vod Tripolskoϊ GRES. Gidrobiologicheskiï Zhurnal 16: 77–85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kley, A. & G. Maier, 2003. Life history characteristics of the invasive freshwater gammarids Dikerogammarus villosus and Echinogammarus ischnus in the Main and Main-Danau canal. Archiv fur Hydrobiologie 156: 457–469.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kolding, S., 1979. Coexistence and life cycle characteristics of five species of the amphipod genus Gammarus. Oikos 33: 323–327.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kolding, S., 1981. Habitat selection and life cycle characteristics of five species of the amphipod genus Gammarus in the Baltic Sea. Oikos 37: 173–178.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Konopacka, A., 1988. Life history of Gammarus varsoviensis Jażdżewski, 1975 from Kampinoski National Park (Central Poland). Zoologica Poloniae 35: 165–177.

    Google Scholar 

  • Konopacka, A. & K. Jazdzewski, 2002. Obesogammarus crassus (G.O. Sars, 1894)—one more Ponto-Caspian gammarid species in Polich waters. Fragmenta faunistica 45: 19–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Konopacka, A. & K. Jesionowska, 1995. Life history of Echinogammarus ischnus (Stebbing, 1898) (Amphipoda) from artificially heated Licheńskie Lake (Poland). Crustaceana 68: 341–349.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kostrzewa, J. & M. Grabowski, 2003. Opportunistic feeding strategy as a factor promoting the expansion of racer goby (Neogobius gymnotrachelus Kessler, 1857) in the Vistula basin. Lauterbornia 48: 91–100.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krisp, H. & G. Maier, 2005. Consumption of macroinvertebrates by invasive and native gammarids: a comparison. Journal of Limnology 64(1): 55–59.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kurandina, D. P., 1975. Nekotorye danye o razmnozhenii i plodovitosti kaspiїskikh gammarid b Kremenchugskom Vodokhranilishche. Gidrobiologicheskiï Zhurnal 11: 35–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lodge, D. M., 1993. Biological invasions: Lessons for ecology. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 8: 133–137.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lozon, J. D. & H. J. MacIsaac, 1997. Biological invasions: Are they dependent on disturbance? Environmental Reviews 5: 131–144.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mordukhaï-Boltovskoï, F. D., 1949. Zhiznennyϊ cikl nekotorykh kaspiϊskikh gammarid. Doklady Akademii Nauk SSSR 65: 997–999.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moyle, P. B. & T. Light, 1996. Biological invasions of freshwater: empirical rules and assembly theory. Biological Conservation 78: 149–161.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Musko, I., 1993. The life history of Dikerogammarus haemobaphes (Eichw.) (Crustacea: Amphipoda) living on macrophytes in Lake Balaton (Hungary). Archiv fur Hydrobiologie 127: 227–238.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nelson, W. G., 1991. Reproductive patterns of gammaridean amphipods. Sarsia 65: 61–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pinkster, S., H. Smit & N. Brandse-De Jong, 1977. The introduction of the alien amphipod Gammarus tigrinus Sexton, 1939, in The Netherlands and its competition with indigenous species. Crustaceana Supplement 4: 91–105.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piscart, C., A. Manach, G. H. Copp & P. Marmonier, 2007. Distribution and microhabitats of native and non-native gammarids (Amphipoda, Crustacea) in Brittany, with particular reference to the endangered endemic sub-species Gammarus duebeni celticus. Journal of Biogeography 34(3): 524–533.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Poeckl, M., 1993. Reproductive potential and lifetime potential fecundity of the freshwater amphipods Gammarus fossarum and G. roeseli in Austrian streams and rivers. Freshwater Biology 30: 73–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Poeckl, M. & U. H. Humpesch, 1990. Intra- and inter-specific variations in egg survival and brood development time for Austrian populations of Gammarus fossarum and G. roeseli (Cruatacea: Amphipoda). Freshwater Biology 23: 441–455.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Poeckl, M. & W. Timischl, 1990. Comparative study of mathematical models for the relationship between water temperature and brood development time of Gammarus fossarum and G. roeseli (Crustacea: Amphipoda). Freshwater Biology 23: 433–440.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rajagopal, S., G. Van der Velde, B. G. P. Paffen & A. Bij de Vaate, 1999. Growth and production of Corophium curvispinum G.O. Sras, 1895 (Amphipoda), an invader in the Lower Rhine. In Von Vaupel Klein, I. C. & F. R. Schram (eds), The biodiversity crisis and Crustacea. Crustacean Issues 1: 458–472.

  • Sainte-Marie, B., 1991. A review of the reproductive bionomics of aquatic gammaridean amphipods: Variation of life history traits with latitude, depth, salinity and superfamily. Hydrobiologia 223: 189–227.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sakai, A., F. Allendorf, J. Holt, D. Lodge, J. Molofsky, K. With, S. Baughman, R. Cabin, J. Cohen, N. Ellstrand, D. McCauley, P. O’Neil, I. Parker, J. Thompson & S. Weller, 2001. The population biology of invasive species. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 32: 305–332.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steele, D. H. & V. J. Steele, 1975. The biology of Gammarus (Crustacea, Amphipoda) in the northwestern Atlantic. XI. Comparison and discission. Canadian Journal of Zoology 53: 1116–1126.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van der Velde, G., S. Rajagopal, B. Kelleher, I. B. Musko & A. Bij de Vaate, 2000. Ecological impact of crustacean invaders: General considerations and examples from the Rhine River. In Von Vaupel Klein, I. C. & F. R. Schram (eds), The biodiversity crisis and Crustacea. Crustacean Issues 12: 3–33.

  • Zielinski, D., 1995. Life history of Gammarus balcanicus Schäferna, 1922 from the Bieszczady Mountains (Eastern Carpathians, Poland). Crustaceana 68: 61–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zielinski, D., 1998. Life cycle and altitude range of Gammarus leopoliensis Jazdzewski & Konopacka, 1989 (Amphipoda) in south-eastern Poland. Crustaceana 31: 129–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank K. Jazdzewski for his help in gathering literature data, and to J. Sicinski for his comments on the data analysis methods, and G.H. Copp with editorial comments on the final draft of the manuscript. The above study was financially supported by the Polish State Committee of Scientific Research (KBN grant no 2 PO4C 090 29) and by the internal funds of the University of Lodz.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Invertebrate Zoology & Hydrobiology, University of Lodz, Banacha 12/16, Lodz, PL-90-237, Poland

    Michal Grabowski, Karolina Bacela & Alicja Konopacka

Authors
  1. Michal Grabowski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Karolina Bacela
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Alicja Konopacka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michal Grabowski.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Grabowski, M., Bacela, K. & Konopacka, A. How to be an invasive gammarid (Amphipoda: Gammaroidea)–comparison of life history traits. Hydrobiologia 590, 75–84 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-007-0759-6

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-007-0759-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation