First confirmed record of an established population of sailfin molly, Poecilia latipinna (Actinopterygii: Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae), in Europe

Abstract

Abstract. The ornamental aquarium trade has been responsible for several introductions of non-indigenous species in freshwater ecosystems. This report confirms the presence of an established non-native molly population in a tectonic, brackish, geothermal lagoon located in Greece (Lake Vouliagmeni near Athens). The Vouliagmeni molly was positively identified as the true sailfin molly, Poecilia latipinna (Lesueur, 1821), using the number of scales around the caudal peduncle as the principal diagnostic character within the sailfin molly species complex. To our knowledge, this is the first documented record of an established sailfin molly population in European waters.

Global distribution and climatic match of a highly traded ornamental freshwater fish, the sailfin mollyPoecilia latipinna(Lesueur, 1821)

“…Finally, reduced reproductive or physical fitness due to breeding manipulations, and/or of long-fin males' gonopodium, may also explain the low establishment rate of the sailfin molly in Europe. Commercial strains of sailfin molly are becoming progressively a fusion of various origins that include artificially selected breeds and crosses with other molly species (Fossa, 2004;Koutsikos et al, 2017) that may be sterile, or have offspring with reduced capacity for survival and sustained reproduction (Rodionova et al, 1996; Lampert et al, 2007). Artificial selection aims for improved ornamental traits, and often disrupts the stabilised biological systems that ensure normal development or the ability to survive and reproduce under harsh environmental conditions.…”

“…Artificial selection aims for improved ornamental traits, and often disrupts the stabilised biological systems that ensure normal development or the ability to survive and reproduce under harsh environmental conditions. It is notable in this context that the Vouliagmeni sailfin molly population in Greece represents a relatively old introduction (early 1960's; Koutsikos et al, 2017) before hybridisation became a widespread practice in ornamental fish production. The same is also evident for the establishments in Iraq, Hawaii and Texas (US) in the early 20th century (Kennedy, 1937;Englund, 1999;Costa and Schlupp, 2010), as well as in Australia, Canada, Nevada and California's Salton Sea (US) in the late 1960's (Nelson and Paetz, 1992;Scoppettone et al, 2005;Corfield et al, 2008;Martin and Saiki, 2009).…”

“…In subsequent publications, Koutsikos et al (2012) and Barbieri et al (2015) referred to this taxon as a sailfin molly, P. latipinna. A recent study (Koutsikos et al, 2017) provided a definite taxonomic identification of this molly population as sailfin molly, based on morphological characters.…”

“…Relevant literature shows that in general, established sailfin molly populations show consistent associations with warm lentic or slow-flowing lotic habitats that provide an abundant vegetative food resource (salt marshes, estuaries and nearby marine areas, slow-moving portions of rivers and quiet lowland streams, canals and backwaters, and geothermally-heated wetlands). For example, the sailfin molly is extremely abundant and by far the dominant fish species in the warm, brackish and weedy Al-Hammar marsh of Iraq (Hussain et al, 2009), in the heavily polluted by sewage and agriculture effluents Wadi Haneefah Stream in Saudi Arabia (Al-kahem et al, 2007), in ponds and other stillwater habitats in Hawaii (Englund 2000), and hotspring-fed pools and wetlands in Nevada (Scoppettone et al, 2005), New Zealand (McDowall, 1999), Canada (Nelson and Paetz, 1992 and Greece (Koutsikos et al, 2017). These examples indicate that the sailfin molly is conservative with respect to its ecological requirements and can only tolerate conditions for which it is evolutionarily experienced.…”

“…= Established, þ = Probably established, À = Probably not established, U = Unknown (1) Alexandrov et al, 2007, (2) Budaev, 1997, (3) Cobo et al, 2010, (4) Crivelli, 1995, (5) DAISIE, 2008, (6) Dhora, 2010, (7) Elvira, 2001, (8) Elvira and Almodovar, 2001, (9) Froese and Pauly, 2014, (10) Füreder and Pöckl, 2007, (11) Geiter et al, 2002, (12) Global Invasive Species Database 2015, (13) IMPASSE, 2007, (14) Ko sčo et al, 2010, (15)Kottelat and Freyhof, 2007 (16) Koutsikos et al, 2017, (17) Nowak et al, 2008, (18) Petrescu-Mag et al, 2008, (19) Piazzini et al, 2010 Piria et al, 2018, (21) Zieba et al, 2010. …”