Ham and colleagues 2026b

Ham S-N, Smith RJ, Nakata K. 2026. First worldwide record of Ankylocythere sinuosa (Rioja, 1942) (Ostracoda: Podocopida: Entocytheridae) on the marbled crayfish, Procambarus virginalis Lyko, 2017, with a possible host shift from the invasive red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852) (Decapoda: Astacidea: Cambaridae). Journal of Crustacean Biology 46(3): https://doi.org/10.1093/jcbiol/ruag045

Abstract

Invasive crayfishes are known to concurrently introduce symbionts and pathogens from their native ranges, with potential impacts on the invasion dynamics and ecosystem functioning in freshwater systems. We discovered entocytherid ostracods on two invasive species of crayfish, Procambarus virginalis Lyko, 2017 and P. clarkii (Girard, 1852), in a park in Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, and identified them as Ankylocythere sinuosa (Rioja, 1942), a species native to North America. The present find on P. virginalis is the first record worldwide, and the first record of A. sinuosa from a crayfish host other than P. clarkii outside the ostracod’s native range. The find on P. clarkii represents a substantial range expansion and the southernmost record of this association’s occurrence in Japan. Differences in the invasion histories of these two crayfish species in Japan suggest that host transfer in Okinawa has most likely occurred from P. clarkii to P. virginalis. These findings highlight the potential for host-mediated dispersal of symbionts by invasive crayfish species and underscore the importance of understanding host-symbiont dynamics in predicting the ecological impacts of invasive species.

Keywords: None provided.