Ponto-Caspian gammarids: Exposure to parasites

Overall effectiveness category Likely to be beneficial
Number of studies: 1
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How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

50%
Certainty

50%
Harms

not assessed

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Background information and definitions

Parasites have the potential to control gammarid populations by reducing production of offspring, increasing risk of predation, slowing growth rates or causing death. In the wild, parasite infections have been associated with rapid die-offs of natural populations of freshwater shrimps, with the invasive species being more vulnerable than native species (Kestrup et al. 2011).

Kestrup A.M., Thomas S.H., van Rensburg K., Ricciardi A. & Duffy M.A. (2011) Differential infection of exotic and native freshwater amphipods by a parasitic water mould in the St. Lawrence River. Biological Invasions, 13, 769-779.

Study locations

Key messages

A replicated, laboratory study in Canada found that an introduced parasitic mould reduced populations of an invasive shrimp.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

A replicated, controlled laboratory study in 2011 in Canada (Kestrup et al. 2011) found that a parasitic water mould (oomycete) of unknown origin infected and killed invasive gammarids Echinogammarus ischnus. Invasive shrimps exposed to water carrying the mould had a 52% mortality rate after seven days, compared with 16% mortality in native shrimps. Laboratory tests used 20 replicate aquaria each containing 10 invasive and 10 native (Gammarus faciatus) shrimps. Two litres of river water was placed in each aquarium from the St. Lawrence River, which was the location of the mould’s original discovery. Aquaria were checked twice daily for seven days and dead individuals were removed.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Kestrup A.M., Thomas S.H., van Rensburg K., Ricciardi A. & Duffy M.A. (2011) Differential infection of exotic and native freshwater amphipods by a parasitic water mould in the St. Lawrence River. Biological Invasions, 13, 769-779.

Please cite as:

Aldridge, D., Ockendon, N., Rocha, R., Smith, R.K. & Sutherland, W.J. (2020) Some Aspects of Control of Freshwater Invasive Species. Pages 555-87 in: W.J. Sutherland, L.V. Dicks, S.O. Petrovan & R.K. Smith (eds) What Works in Conservation 2020. Open Book Publishers, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

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This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Control of Freshwater Invasive Species

Related Actions

Actions	Effectiveness	Studies	Category
Ponto-Caspian gammarids: Dewater (dry out) the habitat Action Link	Likely to be beneficial	1	Synopsis Link
Ponto-Caspian gammarids: Exposure to disease-causing organisms Action Link	No evidence found (no assessment)	0	Synopsis Link
Ponto-Caspian gammarids: Biological control using predatory fish Action Link	No evidence found (no assessment)	0	Synopsis Link