Dieta de la langostilla de río invasora Procambarus clarkii (Decapoda: Cambaridae) en sistemas andinos de agua dulce

Introduction: The presence of invasive species causes impacts on ecosystems where they are introduced, as they have adaptations that allow them to tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions. Procambarus clarkii, commonly known as the red swamp crayfish, is distributed worldwide and generates negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems, including those of the Colombian Andes. Objective: To characterize the diet of P. clarkii and evaluate its relationship with physicochemical variables in three water bodies of the Upper Chicamocha Irrigation District, Boyacá, Colombia. Methods: Biological material was collected in the Alto Chicamocha Irrigation District (Boyacá, Colombian Andes) during dry, transition, and rainy seasons using specialized folding hexagonal nets. Physicochemical variables were measured at each sampling point. After collecting, the material was taken to the Hydrobiology Laboratory of La Salle University for the analysis of stomach contents and morphometric study of the different life cycle stages. Results: The most frequent stomach contents were Unidentified Organic Matter (MONI) with 40.2 %, Unidentified Animal Material (MANI) with 35.2 %, and Plant Material (MV) with 7.0 %. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed that sampling sites differed according to water quality gradients (PC1: 35.9 %) and nutrient profile (PC2: 27.3 %). Simple linear regressions identified relationships between specific food categories and environmental variables: Arthropod Remains (RA) were positively associated with flow (R² = 0.71, p < 0.01), while MV showed associations with conductivity, nitrites, and pH.Conclusion: The diet of P. clarkii demonstrates trophic plasticity, linked to environmental conditions and food availability in Andean lotic and lentic systems. The presence of fish remains and the association of certain food categories with eutrophication indicators in stomach contents underscore its potential to alter ecological dynamics in freshwater systems with anthropogenic impact, reinforcing global evidence of its invasive success.