<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Crayfish catches were conducted using traps in Lake Hańcza, which is the deepest lake in Poland. Two crayfish populations were found to co-exist in the lake: spiny-cheek crayfish (<italic>Orconectes limosus</italic> Raf.) and signal crayfish (<italic>Pacifastacus leniusculus</italic> Dana), which is a new species for this lake. Signal crayfish dominated the samples at 98.5% of the specimens caught. The crayfish occurred at depths of 1-10 m. The mean total body length of the male and female signal crayfish (TL) was 99.5 ± 17.8 mm and 96.5 ± 11.7 mm, respectively, while the average body weight (BW) was 38.7 ± 24.9 g and 26.8 ± 9.5, respectively. Chelae were damaged in 4.5% of the individuals. Fishing efficiency (catch per unit effort – CPUE) was 0.96 crayfish trap−1 night−1. Selected characteristics of the population and of individual signal crayfish from Lake Hańcza were compared with those of the two closest neighboring populations of this species in lakes Mauda and Pobłędzie. The confirmed occurrence of the relatively large signal crayfish population in Lake Hańcza excludes this lake as a possible site for native noble crayfish (<italic>Astacus astacus</italic> L.) restoration.</abstract>

Crayfish catches were conducted using traps in Lake Hańcza, which is the deepest lake in Poland. Two crayfish populations were found to co-exist in the lake: spiny-cheek crayfish (Orconectes limosus Raf.) and signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus Dana), which is a new species for this lake. Signal crayfish dominated the samples at 98.5% of the specimens caught. The crayfish occurred at depths of 1-10 m. The mean total body length of the male and female signal crayfish (TL) was 99.5 ± 17.8 mm and 96.5 ± 11.7 mm, respectively, while the average body weight (BW) was 38.7 ± 24.9 g and 26.8 ± 9.5, respectively. Chelae were damaged in 4.5% of the individuals. Fishing efficiency (catch per unit effort – CPUE) was 0.96 crayfish trap−1 night−1. Selected characteristics of the population and of individual signal crayfish from Lake Hańcza were compared with those of the two closest neighboring populations of this species in lakes Mauda and Pobłędzie. The confirmed occurrence of the relatively large signal crayfish population in Lake Hańcza excludes this lake as a possible site for native noble crayfish (Astacus astacus L.) restoration.

Lake Hańcza – a new site for signal crayfish (<italic>Pacifastacus leniusculus</italic> Dana) occurrence in Poland

Department of Lake Fisheries, Inland Fisheries Institute in Olsztyn

Fisheries & Aquatic Life

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Lake Hańcza – a new site for signal crayfish ( Dana) occurrence in Poland

Crayfish catches were conducted using traps in Lake Hańcza, which is the deepest lake in Poland. Two crayfish populations were found to co-exist in the lake:...

Lake Hańcza – a new site for signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus Dana) occurrence in Poland

Published Online: Aug 22, 2018

Page range: 141 - 147

Received: Dec 06, 2017

Accepted: May 21, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/aopf-2018-0015

Keywords
crayfish, Lake Hańcza, co-existence

© 2018 Archives of Polish Fisheries

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Lake Hańcza – a new site for signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus Dana) occurrence in Poland

Published Online: Aug 22, 2018

Page range: 141 - 147

Received: Dec 06, 2017

Accepted: May 21, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/aopf-2018-0015

Keywordscrayfish, Lake Hańcza, co-existence

© 2018 Archives of Polish Fisheries

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
crayfish, Lake Hańcza, co-existence