Meeting Abstract
The endemic Colombian freshwater crab, Neostrengeria macropa, has recently encountered an invasive species in Procambarus clarkii, the Louisiana red-clawed crayfish. This invasive crayfish species has been identified across the United States, Central and South America, Europe and Asia. In our experiments, P. clarkii competes with N. macropa for shelter and food that can be important aspects of coexistence in the Andean streams in which N. macropa is endemic. To predict which species will survive, a series of behavior experiments were performed in laboratory mesocosms to determine the role of direct competition for shelter. This included individual competition for space and shelter usage, competition within species for shelter usage, as well as interactions between the two species. Preliminary data analysis shows that P. clarkii outcompetes N. macropa for shelter space, but N. macropa will also utilize land adjacent to water. Extrapolating the consequences of this invasion is difficult, but the use of land by the pseudothelphusid crab may allow it to coexist in these streams. However, other confounding factors in the invasion may include the potential for pathogens to pass from the invader to this endemic population, which has happened on other continents.
