The American spiny-cheek crayfish, Orconectes limosus, in the fauna of Belarus

Abstract

The crayfish Orconectes limosuswas first found in the Grodno province o f Belarus in June, 1997. It has immigrated from Poland and at present has become established in the rivers Shlyamitsa, Marykha, and Chernaya Gancha, and the Avgustovsky Chan­nel. It is thought to have been in this region for about 6-10 years. Along these rivers, Orconectes limosushas penetrated into the Neman River draining to the Baltic Sea. A stable population o f the intruder is known in the Shlyamitsa. The single trap catch per day amounted to 22 individuals. Mean sizes were 7.49 ± 0.76 cm for females and 7.42 ± 0.74 cm for males. Orconectes limosus has been found in the diet of the perch (Perea flu viatilis), burbot (Lola lota),and mink (Mustela visori).