First established population of marbled crayfish Procambarus fallax (Hagen, 1870) f. virginalis (Decapoda, Cambaridae) in Romania

The marbled crayfish, Procambarus fallax f. virginialis, is an obligate parthenogenetic crayfish species, its spread in the wild being linked to the aquarium pet-trade. Forty-two adult individuals were found for the first time in Romania in the semi-natural ponds in Baile Felix, near Oradea. Nine ovigerous females were captured as evidence that the population is breeding in the wild. They probably originated from the pet trade and were released by hobbyists into the pond. Microsatellite analysis revealed the same allelic patterns as in a previous study, confirming that these marbled crayfish are parthenogenetic and originate from a single individual. The crayfish plague pathogen Aphanomyces astaci was not present in the population. The site inhabited by this established marbled crayfish population is supplied with water by thermal underground streams, ensuring a constant high temperature. The nearby Peta Natural Reserve protects several endemic species that could be threatened by the further range extension of marbled crayfish. Special protection measures are therefore urgently needed.