1988-2011 Stebbing et al. British records of American lobsters, Homarus americanus

American lobsters (Homarus americanus) are native to the east coast of North American and Canada, but have been imported live into Europe for several decades resulting in their escape into the wild. American lobsters have the potential to have a significant impact on the European lobster (Homarus gammarus) fisheries in Europe, but the status of American lobsters is not well understood, especially in Great Britain (GB) where reports have been sporadic. Reports were collated from across GB of American lobsters being caught in coastal waters. Between 1988 and 2011, 26 individuals have been positively identified using standard taxonomic techniques. American lobsters were found predominantly in waters off southern England, with no confirmed reports from Wales and a single report from Scotland. However, there are anecdotal reports of American lobsters being found in much greater numbers from around GB. The potential threat that American lobsters pose to fisheries in GB and the rest of Europe is discussed along with recommendations to better estimate the numbers of animals being released.美洲螯龙虾（Homarus americanus）原生分布于北美与加拿大东海岸，近数十年来被活体进口至欧洲，进而逃逸至野生自然水域。该物种具备对欧洲龙虾（Homarus gammarus）的渔业造成显著冲击的潜力，但当前对美洲螯龙虾的种群现状仍缺乏充分认知，尤以大不列颠（Great Britain，简称GB）地区为甚，相关报道较为零散。研究人员整理汇总了全英各地沿海海域捕获美洲螯龙虾的相关报告：1988年至2011年间，共有26只个体通过标准分类学技术确证了其物种身份。捕获记录主要集中在英格兰南部近海海域，威尔士暂无确证捕获记录，苏格兰仅出现1起报道。不过，另有轶事性报道称，英国全境发现的美洲螯龙虾数量远高于前述统计数据。本文探讨了美洲螯龙虾对英国及欧洲其他地区渔业的潜在威胁，并就如何更精准地评估逃逸个体数量提出了相关建议。