The killer shrimp Dikerogammarus villosus (Crustacea, Amphipoda) invades Lithuanian waters, South-Eastern Baltic Sea

Abstract

The killer shrimp Dikerogammarus villosus was recorded for the first time in Lithuanian waters in 2015. The species was detected in three sites in the Curonian Lagoon (on two buoys in the lagoon strait and the harbour, and one littoral sampling site) and in the mouth of the Šventoji River. The species presence in the buoy fouling suggests the involvement of shipping in species introduction. Most likely D. villosus has arrived to the Curonian Lagoon with commercial ships, while the invasion into the mouth of the Šventoji River may be associated with leisure shipping as the port situated therein is not currently functioning. Further northward expansion of the killer shrimp in the Baltic Sea basin seems very probable. As the species is highly aggressive, alterations of local macroinvertebrate assemblages can also be predicted