Dr. Éva Murai szerk.: Miscellanea Zoologica Hungarica 4. 1987 (Budapest, 1987)
Thuránszky, M.; Forró, L.: Data on the distribution of freshwater crayfish (Decapoda: Astacidae) in Hungary in the late 1950s
B. Astacus material preserved in the Zoological Department of the Hungarian Natural History Museum Astacus astacus Iharosberény XM 63/1, XM 53/4, XM 32/4, CS 42/3, CS 51/4; Tata, Tóváros BT 54/4, XM 64/4; Baja CS 41/2, CS 31/3, CS 98/2, BT 97/3, CT 07/3, CT 08/3. Astacus leptodactylus Szeged, Tisza DS 32/2, DS 21/3, DS 20/4, BS 89/4, BT 70/3; Balatonaliga, Lake 22/3, DS 23/4, DS 30/4; Szolnok, Tisza DT Balaton BT 80/2; Zamárdi, Lake Balaton 32/2, DT 22/4, DT 31/3, DT 33/4, DT 41/3; YM 29/1, YM 19/4, YN 20/4; Akarattya, Siófok, Lake Balaton BS 79/2, YM 29/3, YM Lake Balaton BS 79/4. Astacus torrentium Pilisszentkereszt CT 48/1, CT 38/4. Finally, another factor should also be mentioned here, which is of great significance in forming the recent distribution of the crayfishes. It is the introduction, of which, regrettably, very little is known. After the first occurrence and the ravages of the crayfish fungus introductions were started in 1898. Up to 1914, 1, 3 14.000 specimens were re-introduced with state subsidy. No exact data are available, we only know that 1-2, 000 specimens per kilometre were transferred. These introductions were not always successful, it is very likely, however, that the recent stock partly stems from them. Thereafter, no official introductions were made until 1939, except some private endeavours, 70% of which was successful (THURÁNSZKY, 1960). Between 1939 and 1942 introductions were made again with subsidy, transferring 10,000 animals (2-500 specimens per stream); in spite of the small quantity these introductions produced 60% success. In 1958-59, some 12, 000 crayfishes were introduced into the waters in North Hungary. As far as we know these introductions transferred native crayfish from healthy populations to infected lakes. In September 1959 12, 000 specimens of Or conectes limosus were purchased from Berlin (GDR), unfortunately, about 20% of them perished during transportation. The living stock was transferred to three localities in the vicinity of Budapest (THURÁNSZKY, 1960). We believe that the O. limosus population, recorded in 1985 in the Danube at Budapest, is not descendant from the German specimens, but is rather the result of the expansion of the species in Europe. REFERENCES ENTZ, G. jr. (1909): A magyarországi folyami rákokról [On the Hungarian crayfishes] - Allait. Közlem., 8: 37- 52; 97-110; 149-163. ENTZ, G. jr. (1914): Über die Flusskrebse Ungarns. - Math, naturw. Ber. aus Ungarn, 30 : 67-127. THURÁNSZKY, Z. (1960): A ráktelepitésről se feledkezzünk meg [Crayfish introductionshould not be forgotten]- Halászat, 1_: 37. Authors' addresses: Miklós THURÁNSZKY Belgrád rakpart 25. H- 10 56 Budapest HUNGARY Dr. László FORRÓ Zoological Department Hungarian Natural History Museum Baross u. 13. H- 1088 Budapest HUNGARY
