Salinity tolerance of non-native suckermouth armoured catfish (Loricariidae: Pterygoplichthys sp.) from Kerala, India

Abstract

Introduced alien species bring potential adverse impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem functions. International shipping is an important vector for such unintentional introductions in aquatic environments. Therefore, in addition to climate change and eutrophication, increasing international shipping may enhance the spread of alien species into areas which have not previously been considered prone to alien invasions. One example of such development might be the recent invasion of the moss animal Pectinatella magnifica into Finnish inland waters, which are generally considered to be hostile to alien species. We took advantage of observations made by the general public and recorded by environmental authorities to describe the invasion history of the species in Finland. The records of P. magnifica were almost exclusively from the Vuoksi watercourse, where the species was most likely introduced by international shipping ca 10-15 years ago. The species occurred mainly in the vicinity of ports of international shipping, but was also abundant in an area with only domestic cargo transport. Only one confirmed observation in Lake Kirkkojärvi was from outside the Vuoksi watercourse. Most colonies were found attached to landing stages or submerged, relatively rigid water plants, and the species seemed to avoid less rigid water plants, such as water lilies. Once established, the species may spread by vectors such as recreational boating or water birds and fish. The species poses some risks to the ecosystem, including a risk to farmed and wild salmonid fish by serving as a potential host for the myxozoan endoparasite Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae, the causative agent for proliferative kidney disease (PKD), known to be detrimental for salmonid fish.

Vermiculated sailfin catfish, Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus (Actinopterygii: Siluriformes: Loricariidae): Invasion, biology, and initial impacts in East Kolkata Wetlands, India

“…As Pterygoplichthys spp. tolerate salinity up to 12‰ and are able to thrive under mesohaline conditions for extended periods (Kumar et al 2018), can easily invade the sensitive brackish water ecosystems of the lower Ganga, the Hooghly-Matla estuary, and the Sundarban mangrove ecosystems. The fish has been recorded from the extensive floodplain wetlands, natural ponds, and aquaculture farms existing along the lower Ganga basin, which are treasure troves of valuable indigenous fish species and also produce a large quantity of fish through capture, culture, and culture-based fisheries, which are at risk.…”

Amazonian invaders in an Asian biodiversity hotspot: Understanding demographics for the management of the armoured sailfin catfish, Pterygoplichthys pardalis in Kerala, India

“…Facilitated by the poorly documented and managed aquarium pet trade (Krishnakumar et al ., ), the South American loricariid catfishes of the genus Pterygoplichthys have established invasive populations in many countries of Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas (Orfinger & Goodding, ), with widespread impact on native biodiversity and ecosystem services (Kumar et al ., , ; Nico et al ., ; Wei et al ., ). Despite a large number of published papers on the occurrence of Pterygoplichthys spp.…”

Suckermouth armoured catfish (Pterygoplichthys spp.) menace in freshwater aquaculture and natural aquatic systems in Andhra Pradesh, India

“…Tolerance to salinity is one of the significant physiological parameters that determine the rate of invasion success, stabilization and the pattern of dispersal of invasive species in the aquatic environment (Ashton et al, 2007) [41] . Although Pterygoplichthys spp is an inhabitant of freshwater but reported to exist in saline habitats (Bijukumar et. al., 2018) [42] .…”

“…Although Pterygoplichthys spp is an inhabitant of freshwater but reported to exist in saline habitats (Bijukumar et. al., 2018) [42] . The current study revealed that Pterygoplichthys spp.…”