Ponto-Caspian gammarids: Control movement of gammarids

Overall effectiveness category Unlikely to be beneficial
Number of studies: 2
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How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness
20%
Certainty
40%
Harms
not assessed

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Background information and definitions

Containment of invasive gammarids can help to prevent their spread both within the invaded waterway and also reduce the likelihood of them being transported into new waterbodies.

Study locations

Key messages

A replicated, controlled laboratory study in the USA found that movements of invasive freshwater shrimp slowed down or stopped when they were placed in water that had been exposed to different species of predatory fish, compared to those not exposed to fish.
A replicated laboratory study in the UK found carbonating the water stunned invasive killer 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 experimental study conducted in 2008, on specimens from a canal in the USA (Pennuto & Keppler 2008) found that movement of invasive freshwater shrimp Echinogammarus ischnus, slowed down or stopped when exposed to water that had previously contained predatory fishes. Movement patterns were significantly lower when compared with a control treatment, i.e. fish-free water. Increased avoidance behaviour was associated with increased density of fishes previously in the water. The treatment water had been in contact with either the round goby Apollonia melanostoma, yellow perch Perca flavescens, black crappie Promoxis nigromaculatus, rainbow darter Etheostoma caeruleum or the brown bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus. One shrimp was put in each of two tanks (7 x 7 cm) containing 1 cm deep freshwater. One tank was fed with water from a 40 l tank containing 1-10 fishes at 2 ml/second over a 30 second period. The other tank was fed with water without fish. Shrimp movements were observed and measured.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Pennuto C. & Keppler D. (2008) Short-term predator avoidance behaviour by invasive and native amphipods in the Great Lakes. Aquatic Ecology, 42, 629-641.
A controlled laboratory study conducted in 2011 in England, UK (Stebbing et al. 2011) found that carbonating water did not kill the invasive killer shrimp Dikerogammarus villosus but 100% of the shrimps were stunned (stopped moving). A test group of five captive shrimp was immersed in carbonated water for 15 minutes. Dead and live shrimp were counted.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Stebbing P.D., Sebire M. & Lyons B. (2011) Evaluation of a number of treatments to be used as biosecurity measures in controlling the spread of the invasive killer shrimp (Dikerogammarus villosus). CEFAS report, Final contract report C5256, 40pp.

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

All the journals searched for all synopses

This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Control of Freshwater Invasive Species

Related Actions

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