Abstract
The most successful and widespread non-indigenous invasive fish species occurring in the Central European bioregion are heterogeneous with respect to their origins, taxonomy, mode of arrival, vectors and pathways of dispersal. We surveyed whether these non-native species have common life-history that might facilitate their invasion and differentiate them from native species. Ten life-history traits of 59 freshwater fish species were examined: maximum body length, longevity, age and length at maturation, maximum absolute fecundity, egg size, larval size at hatching, spawning duration and type, parental investment. Principal Component Analysis revealed that the traits that accounted for the first two principle components (86.4 % of total variation) were maximum body length, age and size at maturation, longevity, fecundity, egg size and larval length at hatching. Five groups of species were distinguished by cluster analysis, those comprising native fish species being characterized by medium-to-large size, elevated longevity, late maturation, high fecundity, and no parental care. In contrast, groups of non-native invasive fish species were characterized by small-to-medium body length, short longevity, early maturation, relatively low fecundity, relatively large eggs, multiple spawning, extended reproductive seasons and some form of parental care. These life-history traits, along with broad diet breath and environmental tolerance, appear to facilitate the invasion of freshwater fish in the Central European bioregion.
Highlights
An important aspect of invasion biology is the study and predictions of attributes that facilitate biological invasions (e.g. Ehrlich 1989; Williamson 1996; Kolar and Lodge 2001, 2002; Olden et al 2006; GarciaBerthou 2007; Ribeiro et al 2007), with life-history traits being of particular interest
The most successful and widespread nonindigenous invasive fish species occurring in the Central European bioregion are heterogeneous with respect to their origins, taxonomy, mode of arrival, vectors and pathways of dispersal
Principal Component Analysis revealed that the traits that accounted for the first two principle components (86.4 % of total variation) were maximum body length, age and size at maturation, longevity, fecundity, egg size and larval length at hatching
Summary
An important aspect of invasion biology is the study and predictions of attributes that facilitate biological invasions (e.g. Ehrlich 1989; Williamson 1996; Kolar and Lodge 2001, 2002; Olden et al 2006; GarciaBerthou 2007; Ribeiro et al 2007), with life-history traits being of particular interest. Success or failure of an introduction event depends on the biological attributes of the invader and on the recipient habitat characteristics, including both biotic and abiotic factors (Brown 1989; Moyle and Light 1996; Williamson 1996; Sakai et al 2001). MacArthur and Wilson 1967; Deahler 2003; MacDougall et al 2009) In such a situation, the non-native species takes advantage of a so-called ‘fitness difference’ as defined by MacDougall et al (2009), i.e. species attributes distinguishing the invader from the natives occupying a similar niche and driving its competitive dominance in the novel ecosystem. A revision of invasive fish characteristics implied that introduced species are often quite different from natives (Garcia-Berthou 2007)
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