From 6 to 9 July 2026, Anna Koubová and Antonín Kouba visited several sites in southern Slovakia where invasive crayfish species have been recorded. The primary objective of the field trip was to monitor the presence of the red swamp crayfish in a reservoir near Dunajská Lužná.
Samples for monitoring crayfish-associated viruses were collected from the Chorvátske arm in Bratislava, where the marbled crayfish occurs, and from the Lohot locality, where the presence of the red swamp crayfish has previously been documented. A large population of the red swamp crayfish was also recorded in an isolated habitat at Veľké Úľany, where samples were collected for genetic analyses and for testing the possible presence of the causative agent of crayfish plague.
The business trip contributed to the collection of samples required for virological, genetic and epidemiological analyses of invasive crayfish populations in Slovakia and helped update information on their current distribution.
Written by: Anna Koubová
