How Reproductive Ecology Contributes to the Spread of a Globally Invasive Fish

Amy E Deacon,Anne E Magurran,Indar W Ramnarine,Howard Browman

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0024416

Amy E Deacon, Anne E Magurran + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0024416

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Journal: PloS one	Publication Date: Sep 19, 2011
Citations: 203	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: University of St Andrews, University of the West Indies

Abstract

Invasive freshwater fish represent a major threat to biodiversity. Here, we first demonstrate the dramatic, human-mediated range expansion of the Trinidadian guppy (Poecilia reticulata), an invasive fish with a reputation for negatively impacting native freshwater communities. Next, we explore possible mechanisms that might explain successful global establishment of this species. Guppies, along with some other notable invasive fish species such as mosquitofish (Gambusia spp.), have reproductive adaptations to ephemeral habitats that may enable introductions of very small numbers of founders to succeed. The remarkable ability of single pregnant guppies to routinely establish viable populations is demonstrated using a replicated mesocosm set up. In 86% of cases, these populations persisted for two years (the duration of the experiment). Establishment success was independent of founder origin (high and low predation habitats), and there was no loss of behavioural performance amongst mesocosm juveniles. Behavioural “signatures” of the founding locality were, however, evident in mesocosm fish. Our results demonstrate that introductions consisting of a single individual can lead to thriving populations of this invasive fish and suggest that particular caution should be exercised when introducing this species, or other livebearers, to natural water bodies.

Highlights

It is widely recognised that invasive species represent a major threat to biological diversity [1,2,3]
The first is to document the current global distribution of the guppy, collating information on the extent of its range, the primary routes of introduction and reported impacts. By doing this we show the extent to which this species is contributing to the homogenization of fish faunas at a global level
First brood between the two conditions, which was larger for females originating from high predation populations

Summary

Introduction

It is widely recognised that invasive species represent a major threat to biological diversity [1,2,3]. Invasive species impact biological diversity in two ways; that is through reductions in the variety and abundance of species at a defined locality and through reductions in the distinctiveness of assemblages at different localities. The former occurs when invasive species increase extinction rates amongst native species or lead to reductions in the size of local populations. From a global perspective increased homogeneity is associated with marked transformations of freshwater communities It means that the same subsets of invasive species will increasingly be found in geographically separated freshwater systems that historically supported distinct communities of fish

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