Abstract
Several species of Cichla successfully colonized lakes and reservoirs of Brazil, since the 1960's, causing serious damage to local wildlife. In this study, 135 peacock bass were collected in a reservoir complex in order to identify if they represented a single dominant species or multiple ones, as several Cichla species have been reported in the basin. Specimens were identified by color pattern, morphometric and meristic data, and using mitochondrial markers COI, 16S rDNA and Control Region (CR). Overlapping morphological data and similar coloration patterns prevented their identification using the taxonomic keys to species identification available in the literature. However, Bayesian and maximum likelihood from sequencing data demonstrated the occurrence of a single species, Cichla kelberi. A single haplotype was observed for the 16S and CR, while three were detected for COI, with a dominant haplotype present in 98.5% of the samples. The extreme low diversity of the transplanted C. kelberi evidenced a limited number of founding maternal lineages. The success of this colonization seems to rely mainly on abiotic factors, such as increased water transparency of lentic environments that favor visual predators that along with the absence of predators, have made C. kelberi a successful invader of these reservoirs.
Highlights
Peacock basses are native to the Amazon, Tocantins and Orinoco basins, as well as Atlantic-slope rivers of the Guianas and Suriname (Kullander and Ferreira, 2006)
The five body proportions were analyzed for differences between the two color types, and compared with the data for Cichla monoculus, C. kelberi, C. piquiti and C. temensis (Table 2)
The sampled peacock bass and the four Cichla species previously reported for the São Francisco River (Pompeu and Godinho, 2003; Sato and Sampaio, 2005; Carvalho et al, 2009), exhibited considerable overlapping morphometric variation and pigmentation patterns, limiting their clear identification
Summary
Peacock basses (genus Cichla; Cichliformes: Cichlidae) are native to the Amazon, Tocantins and Orinoco basins, as well as Atlantic-slope rivers of the Guianas and Suriname (Kullander and Ferreira, 2006) They are non-migratory carnivorous fish, with parental care, as they build nests and protect their offspring (Gomiero et al, 2009). Invasions of Cichla spp. in rivers and lakes of Panama have drastically reduced fish assemblages (Zaret and Paine, 1973), from which they have not yet recovered (even after 45 years) (Sharpe et al, 2017), and has been associated to the extinction of native species in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil (Pelicice and Agostinho, 2009; Fragoso-Moura et al, 2016) In invasions, aspects such as history of successful colonization, high physiological tolerance, an ability to deal with anthropogenic impact on a habitat, similar conditions between source and recipient environment, and large propagule size (>100 individuals) have been described as key factors used to predict successful invasions (Moyle and Marchetti, 2006)
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Schedule a callMore From: Brazilian journal of biology = Revista brasleira de biologia
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