생태계교란 생물 미국가재 (Procambarus clarkii)의 국내 서식과 분포 연구

The red swamp crawfish (Procambarus clarkii) is native to northeastern Mexico and south-central United States. But the species has been introduced to other parts of the world, and cause ecological problems including habitat destruction and competition with indigenous species. In this study, we identified the distribution of P. clarkii in the freshwater system in Korea. P. clarkii were collected in the field sampling and it is assumed that they have settled in major domestic water systems of Korea including six points in the Yeongsangang River, five points in the Mangyeonggang River, two points in the Seomjingang River, and one point in the Geumgang River. In particular, more than 20 individuals were found in Seobongri, Wanjugun and Mosanri, Hampyeonggun, which are believed to form a relatively large population. Considering high mobility and environmental adaptability of the species, the possibility of their dispersal to other water systems is very high. Therefore, continuous monitoring and assessment of their distribution and potential spread are required and effective management to remove them policy is needed to prevent damage in the Korean ecosystem.