Abstract
Invasive species are recognized as a major cause of biodiversity decline. Legal regulations relating to the prevention, control, or eradication of invasive species should always be up-to-date, as the failure to recognize the problem, lack of adequate scientific information, or long legal intervals required to prepare the legislation may result in irreversible, possibly catastrophic, outcomes. This implies constant monitoring of the species distribution and levels of establishment, as well as detailed knowledge about its biology to predict dissemination and viability under changing environmental conditions. Pre-screening kits for potential invasive species are valuable tools for policy makers, as they provide information about if and how management measures should be taken. The Freshwater Fish Invasiveness Scoring Kit (FISK) and the Aquatic Species Invasiveness Screening Kit (AS-ISK) have been suggested as reliable tools to assess the potential risk of a species becoming invasive. The present study highlights the spread of the non-native chameleon cichlid Australoheros facetus in several streams of the major river drainages in southern Portugal and compares the fish assemblages and ecological indices in two selected sites in the Vascão and Odelouca rivers. We reviewed the current knowledge on the distribution, physiology, and behavior of A. facetus, and applied the toolkits FISK v2 and AS-ISK to this species to evaluate whether the species should be classified as invasive in Portugal. Field data show high abundance of the species in most streams and dominance in specific hotspots. The scores reached by the kits (FISK v2: 23; AS-ISK: 37) places A. facetus as a species with high potential of invasiveness and support the recent inclusion of this species in the invasive species list in Portugal (Decree-Law 92/2019), but, most of all, highlights the importance of frequent updates in both the field monitoring and the legal regulation and watch lists of invasive organisms.
Highlights
The introduction of alien species in new environments can lead to the establishment of thriving populations expanding their distribution and causing negative impacts to the environment, public health, and the economy, acquiring the status of invasive species [1,2,3,4,5].Monitoring populations of non-native species is a valuable step in management programs, as it is less costly than to try to eradicate a fully dispersed species [5,6,7]
The scores reached by the kits (FISK v2: 23; Aquatic Species Invasiveness Screening Kit (AS-ISK): 37) places A. facetus as a species with high potential of invasiveness and support the recent inclusion of this species in the invasive species list in Portugal (Decree-Law 92/2019), but, most of all, highlights the importance of frequent updates in both the field monitoring and the legal regulation and watch lists of invasive organisms
Fishes 2020, 5, 3 sound risk analyses based on scientific, biological, and socio-economic information to be used in risk assessment, from which appropriate risk management actions related to prevention, early detection and rapid response, and control can be undertaken [8]
Summary
Monitoring populations of non-native species is a valuable step in management programs, as it is less costly than to try to eradicate a fully dispersed species [5,6,7]. These programs should rely on Fishes 2020, 5, 3; doi:10.3390/fishes5010003 www.mdpi.com/journal/fishes. “What factors determine whether a species will become an invader or not?” was one of the three questions proposed by the program of the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment on biological invasions, in the 1980s [9] To identify such species, profiling can be used in risk assessment, using the existing knowledge on their biology and ecological features [8,10,11]. It is important to clarify definitions of invasive species by asking questions with a focus in determining if impact and success are criteria to define invasive species, and if they are, specifying what kind of impact and which measure of success are to be used [12]
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