- P-ISSN2765-2203
- E-ISSN2765-2211
- KCI Candidate
ISSN : 2765-2203
Misidentification in Invasive Alien Species Reports: Clarifying the False Report of Procambarus clarkii in Byeongcheon Stream, South Korea
Youngho Cho (Invasive Alien Species Team, National Institute of Ecology)
Ki Hyun Park (Invasive Alien Species Team, National Institute of Ecology)
Youngjun Park (Invasive Alien Species Team, National Institute of Ecology)
Abstract
In April 2025, a freshwater crayfish from the Byeongcheon Stream, South Korea, was misreported as an invasive red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) by local media without expert validation. Field surveys using fyke nets and complementary environmental DNA analysis across an 11.6-km section found no P. clarkii individuals, and no species-specific sequences were detected. Three additional crayfish collected by a local non-governmental organization near the Eunseokgyo Bridge were morphologically and genetically identified as Cambaroides similis, which is native to Korea. These findings highlight this misidentification, emphasize the necessity for expert verification and scientific evidence, and advocate for improved collaboration between citizen detection systems and the media to ensure accurate reporting of invasive species.
- keywords
- Crustacea, DNA, Environmental, Invasive species, Invertebrates, Mass media
- Received
- 2025-09-10
- Revised
- 2025-10-02
- Accepted
- 2025-10-05
- Published
- 2025-11-01
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