Beyond the mean: A comparison of trace- and macroelement correlation profiles of two lacustrine populations of the crayfish Procambarus clarkii

In invertebrate biomonitors of chemical pollution, emphasis has been generally given to mean accumulation patterns and how they reflect varying environmental levels of contamination. Intra-population variability, and how it relates with individual phenotypic traits, has received less attention. Here, a set of analytes including trace elements (B, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, V, and Zn), macroelements (C, Ca, K, Mg, N, Na), and carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) was measured in two populations of the crayfish Procambarus clarkii from Lake Trasimeno and Lake Bolsena (Central Italy). The influence of location, sex, body size, and condition factor was assessed; in ad…