The end of the mythical giant catfish

Boulêtreau, Stéphanie; Santoul, Frédéric

doi:10.1002/ecs2.1606

Cited by 29 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 19 publications

(32 reference statements)

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“…Interestingly, comparisons of growth trajectories between our peripheral populations to those inhabiting core habitats suggest that the maximum size are similar regardless of area and this is also supported by capture data indicating that the maximum size throughout the distribution area is approximately 2–2.7 m 22 , 23 , 34 . Based on the slow growth in the peripheral habitat, this proposes that the major difference between populations is that individuals in peripheral habitats in Sweden become substantially older.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

Exceptional longevity in northern peripheral populations of Wels catfish (Silurus glanis)

Bergström

Nordahl

Söderling

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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Studies of life-history variation across a species range are crucial for ecological understanding and successful conservation. Here, we examined the growth and age of Wels catfish (Silurus glanis) in Sweden, which represent the northernmost populations in Europe. A total of 1183 individuals were captured, marked and released between 2006 and 2020. Mark-recapture data from 162 individuals (size range: 13–195 cm) were used to estimate von Bertalanffy growth curve parameters which revealed very slow growth rates compared to catfish within the core distribution area (central Europe). The fitted von Bertalanffy growth curve predicted a 150 cm catfish to be around 40 years old, while the largest recaptured individual (length 195 cm) was estimated to be 70 (95% CI 50–112) years old. This was substantially older than the previously documented maximum age of a catfish. The weight at length relationships in these northern peripheral populations were similar to those documented for catfish in central Europe indicating that resources did not constrain growth. This indicates that the slow growth and exceptional high age in the northern catfish populations are the result of lower temperatures and/or local adaptations.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

Exceptional longevity in northern peripheral populations of Wels catfish (Silurus glanis)

Bergström

Nordahl

Söderling

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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“…Catfish have previously been described as a solitary predator [48,91], possibly exhibiting territoriality [29,92,93], although the species can temporarily aggregate and form large clusters [94]. While we did observe similar clustering tendencies in the study lake during a post hoc video analysis (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gdi6NLuHug) in the colder phases of the year, our clustering analyses suggested rather solitary behaviour at the intraspecific level overall.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 58%

Network analysis of intra- and interspecific freshwater fish interactions using year-around tracking

Vanovac

Howard

Monk

et al. 2021

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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A long-term, yet detailed view into the social patterns of aquatic animals has been elusive. With advances in reality mining tracking technologies, a proximity-based social network (PBSN) can capture detailed spatio-temporal underwater interactions. We collected and analysed a large dataset of 108 freshwater fish from four species, tracked every few seconds over 1 year in their natural environment. We calculated the clustering coefficient of minute-by-minute PBSNs to measure social interactions, which can happen among fish sharing resources or habitat preferences (positive/neutral interactions) or in predator and prey during foraging interactions (agonistic interactions). A statistically significant coefficient compared to an equivalent random network suggests interactions, while a significant aggregated clustering across PBSNs indicates prolonged, purposeful social behaviour. Carp ( Cyprinus carpio ) displayed within- and among-species interactions, especially during the day and in the winter, while tench ( Tinca tinca ) and catfish ( Silurus glanis ) were solitary. Perch ( Perca fluviatilis ) did not exhibit significant social behaviour (except in autumn) despite being usually described as a predator using social facilitation to increase prey intake. Our work illustrates how methods for building a PBSN can affect the network's structure and highlights challenges (e.g. missing signals, different burst frequencies) in deriving a PBSN from reality mining technologies.

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“…It is generally accepted that the largest European catfish individual ever caught was 5 m long and weighing 306 kg. Boulêtreau and Santoul (2016) testified that at present, the accurate largest individual of the European catfish ( S. glanis ) was caught in the Rhone River (Southern France), measured (2.73 m) and weighed (130 kg). Although our study observed only one individual, it should be considered that it is objectively difficult to capture more large specimens in the investigated area (Cucherousset et al, 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The European catfish ( Silurus glanis ) is the largest freshwater fish (excluding anadromous species) in European rivers, tolerant to brackish water and has an extensive geographical range (Boulêtreau & Santoul, 2016; Cucherousset et al, 2018). In western and southern Europe, it is considered as an invasive species with a negative effect on native fish fauna (Danek et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal changes in depth position and temperature of European catfish (Silurus glanis) tracked by acoustic telemetry in the Danube River

Lenhardt

Smederevac-Lalić

Spasić

et al. 2021

Internat Rev Hydrobiol

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The giant European catfish, Silurus glanis (total length = 200 cm; total weight ≈ 80 kg) was caught downstream of Iron Gate II hydropower dam (Danube River, 863 rkm) and tagged with an ultrasonic transmitter (V16TP; Vemco Ltd.) equipped with depth and temperature sensors. Changes in catfish diving behavior and temperature exposure were monitored over a period of roughly 2 years. Transmitter detections were recorded by nine autonomous receivers (VR2W, installed in 2015 between Serbia and Romania, as well as near Romanian shiplock and upstream Romanian turbines). The first signals were recorded on April 28, 2015 and the last on February 13, 2017. Altogether 59,355 and 59,175 detections of the catfish depth and water temperature were recorded, respectively. The greatest number of signals were recorded by the two receivers closest to the location where the catfish was caught, 72.3% and 27.1%, while only 0.6% of signals were recorded by other receivers. The mean catfish depth was 8.4 m, while minimum and maximum depths were 1.2 and 16.2 m. Results obtained showed that this catfish exhibited high site fidelity, while changes in depth at certain periods are possibly related to its search for prey and upstream migration during the spawning period. Hydropower dam and shiplock were obstacles on its migration upstream and telemetry studies could ensure habitat requirements and meet the development of restoration and conservation strategies for the fish resources in the future.

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The end of the mythical giant catfish

Cited by 29 publications

References 19 publications

Exceptional longevity in northern peripheral populations of Wels catfish (Silurus glanis)

Exceptional longevity in northern peripheral populations of Wels catfish (Silurus glanis)

Network analysis of intra- and interspecific freshwater fish interactions using year-around tracking

Seasonal changes in depth position and temperature of European catfish (Silurus glanis) tracked by acoustic telemetry in the Danube River

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