A previously undescribed set of Saprolegnia spp . in the invasive spiny - cheek crayfi sh ( Orconectes limosus , Rafi nesque )

Coinciding with a population decline in the invasive spiny-cheek crayfi sh Orconectes limosus in Lake Constance, SW Germany, we found crayfi sh specimens with a fungus-like Aufwuchs which after DNA-isolation and sequencing was identifi ed as consisting of a set of previously undescribed Saprolegnia species. This fi nding may have implications for the farming and conservation of native crayfi sh as well as for the lake’s ecosystem. We propose that spiny-cheek crayfi sh might function as a disease vector for these potential pathogens.