Invasion characteristics ofPterygoplichthys ambrosettii(Holmberg, 1893) in the lower Paranapanema River, Brazil

Small size today, aquarium dumping tomorrow: sales of juvenile non-native large fish as an important threat in Brazil

“…In adition, several regions in Brazil have a constant warm climate (Magalhães, Jacobi, 2013a;Latini et al, 2016;França et al, 2017), a scenario that may enhance the establishment of tropical non-native fishes. Therefore, the growing popularity of these fishes (Gomes et al, 2011;Magalhães, Jacobi, 2013a;Assis et al, 2014;Garcia et al, 2014;Magalhães, 2015;França et al, 2017), coupled with densely populated cities (IBGE, 2016), indicate that fish invasions and subsequent establishment will increase in next years. We highlight, however, that the successful invasion of some ornamental non-native large fishes does not necessarily demand a high propagule pressure.…”

“…By surveying the sales of JNLF through informal markets, we offered an opportunity to understand this new high-risk pathway -especially because this fish trade has public empathy and flourishes in Brazil (Gomes et al, 2011;Magalhães, Jacobi, 2013a;Assis et al, 2014;Garcia et al, 2014;Magalhães, 2015;França et al, 2017). Moreover, the new Brazilian Normative Instruction 16 of 2014 (previous Ministry of Fishing and Aquaculture), which allows the trade of hundreds of large ornamental fish species (Vitule et al, 2014b), together with Normative Instruction 21 of 2014, which will facilitate the transport of these fishes across the country , will favor aquarium dumping and further increase biological invasions, with negative effects on native biodiversity -for example, biotic homogenization (i.e, the temporal replacement of endemic and specialists native species by generalist and human commensal non-native species) (Vitule et al, 2012) or additive heterogenization (i.e, non-native species establish, but few become ubiquitous) (Socolar et al, 2016).…”

“…For instance, in Australia, Taiwan, Singapore and Japan, aquarium dumping is the main cause of non-native fish species introduction (Bomford, Glover, 2004;Liang et al, 2006;Ng, Tan, 2010;Ishikawa, Tachihara, 2014). In Brazil, where native fish diversity is high (Frehse et al, 2016), official reports of aquarium dumping are rare, but evidence indicates that this activity is frequent and increasing in several regions (Gomes et al, 2011;Magalhães, Jacobi, 2013a;Garcia et al, 2014;AzevedoSantos et al, 2015;França et al, 2017). There are records regarding small characids, osphronemids and poeciliids (Magalhães, Jacobi, 2013a;Azevedo-Santos et al, 2015), but the market of large-bodied non-native aquarium fishes may represent an important source of fish propagules.…”

“…There are records regarding small characids, osphronemids and poeciliids (Magalhães, Jacobi, 2013a;Azevedo-Santos et al, 2015), but the market of large-bodied non-native aquarium fishes may represent an important source of fish propagules. Sales of large ornamental species, known as "tankbusters" among hobbyists, has grown rapidly in the last decade (Magalhães, Jacobi, 2010;Gomes et al, 2011;Magalhães, Jacobi, 2013a;Garcia et al, 2014;França et al, 2017). Different large species have been translocated among watersheds, including fishes from the Amazon basin (e.g.…”

“…alligator gar Atractosteus spatula (Lacepède, 1803), striped catfish Pangasianodon hypophthalmus (Sauvage, 1878)) (Garcia et al, 2014;Azevedo-Santos et al, 2015). As ornamental fishkeeping practices spread in Brazil (Gomes et al, 2011;Magalhães, Jacobi, 2013a;Assis et al, 2014;Garcia et al, 2014;Magalhães, 2015), an informal trade system has developed among hobbyists, which is currently nonregulated, non-monitored and apparently not recognized by environmental agencies (Magalhães, 2015).…”