Description
Potentially misidentified species- Gelder and Messick (2006) identified both Cambarincola pamelae and C. mesochoreus from Blue Crabs (Callinectes sapidus) in upper Chesapeake Bay. Cambarincola pamelae and C. mesochoreus have identical mouthparts, but differ in the cellular structure of the prostate gland (Holt 1984); Cambarincola mesochoreus is widely distributed in the Eastern and Midwestern US, is associated with many species of crayfishes,and is presumed to be native in the Chesapeake Bay region (Gelder et al. 2002).
Cambarincola pamelae was described from California (Holt 1984), based on worms collected from the introduced Red Swamp Crayfish (Procambarus clarkii). Cambarincola philadelphica has been collected in the Chesapeake Bay basin, and is considered to be native and widespread in eastern North America (Gelder et al. 2002; U.S. National Museum of Natural History 2007).
Taxonomy
| Kingdom | Phylum | Class | Order | Family | Genus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animalia | Annelida | Oligochaeta | Branchiobdellida | Cambarincolidae | Cambarincola |
Synonyms
Invasion History
Chesapeake Bay Status
| First Record | Population | Range | Introduction | Residency | Source Region | Native Region | Vectors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Established | Unknown | Introduced | Regular Resident | North America | North America | Fisheries(Fisheries Accidental, Discarded Bait), Ornamental(Pet Release) |
History of Spread
Cambarincola pamelae is an ectosymbiont which has been previously found on the Red Swamp Crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) (Gelder et al. 2002; Gelder and Messick 2006), native to Gulf of Mexico drainages from western FL through TX (Taylor et al. 1996). Cambarincola pamelae was described from P. clarkii in the Stanislaus River, CA (Holt 1984). It has also been found on P. clarkii shipped from LA, in its host's native range (Gelder et al. 2002), and probably occurs in many of the areas around the world to which P. clarkii has been introduced.
In August 2003, after a period of heavy rains, 3 Blue Crabs (Callinectes sapidus caught in the Back River, north of Baltimore, were found to be covered with wormlike ectoparasites on their carapaces and gills. These organisms were identified as a mixture of C. pamelae and C. mesochoreus. In subsequent sampling, Blue Crabs infected with C. pamelae and C. mesochoreus were found at 12 locations in the upper Bay, from the Back River to the Bush River, and further up the Bay, at salinities ranging from 0.6 to 3.3 ppt ( Gelder and Messick 2006). In mid-September 2003, more crabs were collected, but no crayfish leeches were found. However, we consider it probable that crayfish in tidal fresh tributaries continued to be infected with C. pamelae.
Cambarincola pamelae may have been introduced to the Chesapeake Bay region at the beginning of crayfish (P. clarkii, Red Swamp Crayfish) culturing operations on the MD Eastern Shore, around 1980, in Hebron MD (Associated Press 1986; Harrell 1987). There have probably been multiple introductions of (P. clarkii) in the watershed, including animals purchased for food, bait, aquarium pets, and biology classes. However, the distribution of the Red Swamp Crayfish in the Chesapeake Bay watershed is poorly known.
Associated Press 1986; Gelder et al. 2002; Gelder and Messick 2006; Harrell 1987; Holt 1984; Taylor et al. 1996
Invasion Comments
None
Ecology
Environmental Tolerances
| For Survival | For Reproduction | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | Maximum | Minimum | Maximum | |
| Temperature (ºC) | ||||
| Salinity (‰) | 0.0 | 0.0 | ||
| Oxygen | None | |||
| pH | ||||
| Salinity Range | fresh-oligo |
Age and Growth
| Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Adult Size (mm) | ||
| Typical Adult Size (mm) | 3.6 | 3.6 |
| Maximum Adult Size (mm) | ||
| Maximum Longevity (yrs) | ||
| Typical Longevity (yrs |
Reproduction
| Start | Peak | End | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reproductive Season | |||
| Typical Number of Young Per Reproductive Event |
|||
| Sexuality Mode(s) | |||
| Mode(s) of Asexual Reproduction |
|||
| Fertilization Type(s) | |||
| More than One Reproduction Event per Year |
|||
| Reproductive Startegy | |||
| Egg/Seed Form |
Impacts
Economic Impacts in Chesapeake Bay
Cambarincola pamelae has no reported impacts on Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus) fisheries in the Chesapeake Bay region, although heavy infestations on crabs may have been a disturbing sight to watermen.
Economic Impacts Outside of Chesapeake Bay
Cambarincola pamelae has no reported impacts in its native or introduced range. Branchiobdellids (crayfish leeches) appear to have little or no impact on crayfish aquaculture or fisheries.
Ecological Impacts on Chesapeake Native Species
Cambarincola pamelae, like other branchiobellids (crayfish leeches) appears to have minimal impacts on its hosts (Brinkhurst and Gelder 1991). Branchiobellids feed primarily on organisms attaching to a decapod's carapace, including diatoms and ciliates, but also consume damaged tissue. Cambarincola pamelae and C. mesochreus have been found sporadically on Blue Crabs (Callinectes sapidus) in Chesapeake Bay and the Gulf of Mexico (C. mesochreus only) in oligohaline waters (Gelder and Messick 2006). Ecological impacts on Blue crabs and native crayfishes in Chesapeake Bay are not known.
Ecological Impacts on Other Chesapeake Non-Native Species
Cambarincola pamelae, like other branchiobellids (crayfish leeches) appears to have minimal impacts on its hosts (Brinkhurst and Gelder 1991). Branchiobellids feed primarily on organisms attaching to a decapod's carapace, including diatoms and ciliates, but also consume damaged tissue. Ecological impacts of C. pamelae on Red Swamp Crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) in its reported locations (Chesapeake Bay, Lousiana, California) have not been studied.
References
November 24, 1986 Farmers raising crawfish: Maryland goes Cajun.Brinkhurst, Ralph O.; Gelder, Stuart R. (1991) Annelida: Oligochaeta and Branchiobdellida, In: Thorp, James H.//Covich, Alan P.(Eds.) Ecology and Classification of North American Freshwater Invertebrates. , San Diego. Pp. 401-435
Gelder, Stuart R.; Gagnon, Nicole L.; Nelson, Kerri (2002) Taxonomic considerations and distribution of the Branchiobdellida (Annelida: Clitellata) on the North American continent., Northeastern Naturalist 9: 451-468
Gelder, Stuart R.; Messick, Gretchen (2006) First report of the aberrant association of branchiobdellidans (Annelida: Clitellata) on blue crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda) in Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, USA., Invertebrate Biology 125: 51-55.
Harrell, Reginal M. (1987) Crawfish culture in Maryland, , College Park. Pp.
Holt, Perry C. (1984) A new species of the genus Cambarincola (Clitellata, Branchiobdellida) from California., Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 97: 544-549
Huner, J. V.; Barr, J. E. (1991) Red Swamp Crayfish, Biology and Exploitation, , Baton Rouge. Pp.
Taylor, Christopher A.; Warren, Melvin L.; Fitzpatrick, J. F., Jr., Hobbs, Horton H.., Jezerinac, Raymond F., Pflieger, William L., Robison, Henry W. (1996) Conservation status of crayfishes of the United States and Canada, Fisheries 21: 25-37
2002-2021 Invertebrate Zoology Collections Database.