Sailfin Catfish Pterygoplichthys Research Articles

First documented occurrence of the introduced Sailfin catfish Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus (Weber, 1991) in the inland waters of Syria (Orontes River)

First documented occurrence of the introduced Sailfin catfish Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus (Weber, 1991) in the inland waters of Syria (Orontes River)

A new record of the invasive vermiculated sailfin catfish Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus in the Wainganga River, Eastern Maharashtra, India

This study documents the presence of an exotic loricariid catfish species, Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus (Weber, 1991), in the Wainganga River of Maharashtra, India. Originally native to South America, sailfin catfish are now commonly used as ornamental fish beyond their natural habitat. The species was observed near Gosekhurd Dam (20°52'15"N and 79°37'00"E) along the Wainganga River. Two individual specimens were collected during the study, with an average total length (320.31-338.63 mm) and weight (500.21-540.31 g). The rapid expansion of these species and its potential impact on local fish populations and inland fishing resources have raised concerns. Immediate preventive measures are necessary to control the establishment and subsequent uncontrolled spread of P. disjunctivus, may be imminent which would be pose a threat to the freshwater biodiversity of the River Wainganga. Effective management strategies should be implemented to preserve the natural habitat of these species. This study provides the first documented occurrence of P. disjunctivus, a member of the Loricariidae, near the Gosekhurd dam on the Wainganga River in Maharashtra, India.

First record of the non-native vermiculated sailfin catfish Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus (Weber, 1991) from Lohandra River, Eastern Nepal

First record of the non-native vermiculated sailfin catfish Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus (Weber, 1991) from Lohandra River, Eastern Nepal

First records of the introduced sailfin catfish Pterygoplichthys in the United Kingdom

First records of the introduced sailfin catfish Pterygoplichthys in the United Kingdom

Occurrence of South American sucker armoured catfish (Pterygoplichthys pardalis) in the Gayathripuzha River, Palakkad, Kerala

An intensive survey was undertaken and reported the existence of an invasive armoured sailfin catfish Pterygoplichthys pardalis from the Bharathapuzha River, Palakkad, Kerala, India, and its invasion as one of the foremost threats to the endemic aquatic biodiversity of Kerala. It belongs to the Genus Pterygoplichthys (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) which is known as popular aquarium fish that constitutes one of the most successful aquatic freshwaters invasive taxa, having achieved global distribution. The invasion occurred through aquarium fish culture and trading and is intensified by the distribution through rainstorm flooding and irrigation canal. The fish were identified based on morphological tests, identified fishes ranged in length (9.50-31.75cm) and weight (8.16-129.80 g). Distribution leads to understanding the changes and disturbances in fish species composition and the negative impact on the riverine ecosystem.

Species determination and heavy metal content of sailfin catfish (Pterygoplichthys pardalis) from Tempe Lake, South Sulawesi, Indonesia

Abstract. Kasmiati, Latuconsina N, Putri AA, Khasanah R, Nurfaidah, Fahrul, Syahrul, Metusalach. 2022. Species determination and heavy metal content of sailfin catfish (Pterygoplichthys pardalis) from Tempe Lake, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 23: 4409-4417. Sailfin catfish is invasive alien species that has become dominant in Indonesian freshwater, including in Tempe Lake, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Despite their abundance, these sailfin catfish are not utilized because of suspicions that they are contaminated by heavy metals that can endanger human health. The purposes of this study were to determine the sailfin catfish species present in Tempe Lake and measure the content of heavy metals Hg, Pb, and Cd in various body parts. Fish species were identified based on abdominal patterns, while heavy metal content was meaured by atomic absorption. The heaviest two body parts were the head (34.04%) and flesh (26.64%), heavy metal content detected in the liver (0.0402-0.0928 mg/kg), gut (0.0322-0.0671 mg/kg), gills (0.319-0.0865 mg/kg), dark meat (0.0268-0.0589 mg/kg), white meat (0.0221-0.0470 mg/kg), bones (0.0180-0.0519 mg/kg), and skin/scales (0.0257-0.0675 mg/kg). All of them were below the FAO/WHO 1989, US-EPA 1999, and the Indonesian National Standards. The government health and safety guidelines for fish to be safe for human consumption were Hg <0.005 mg/kg, Pb<0.10 mg/kg and Cd<0.02 mg/kg. Therefore the abundant sailfin catfish Pterygoplichthys pardalis in Tempe Lake could be consumed directly and as ingredients in other food products.

Skeletal Deformities in Invaded Population of Amazon Sailfin Catfish Pterygoplichthys pardalis (Castelnau, 1855) in the East Kolkata Wetland, India

The incidence of severe vertebral deformity was reported in the specimens of the Amazon sailfin catfish Pterygoplichthys pardalis (Castelnau, 1855) for the first time in India. Fish samples were collected on bimonthly basis during June 2019 to December 2020, from wastewater-fed large aquaculture impoundments (locally called ‘bheries’) of north-western part of the East Kolkata Wetlands, India. Sampling were performed using seine nets of mesh size 15 mm–30 mm and covering more or less 5,000 sq m area each time. Deformities were found in 18 specimens of Pterygoplichthys pardalis. Two types of spinal deformities, scoliosis and kyphosis, were determined visually and reconfirmed by radiography using medical X-ray system. The total length and body weights of individual fish (normal and deformed) were measured and the length-weight relationships parameters were calculated and compared. A significant difference was observed between b values of deformed (b ~1.679) and normal specimens (b>2.5) of Pterygoplichthys pardalis. Various environmental and genetic factors could contribute to the development of this deformity in the Pterygoplichthys pardalis, but based on the available data, it is impossible to confidently identify the key factor(s). However, as the fishes were from a wastewater-fed fisheries system, which receive about 600 million litres of industrial and municipal discharge of the city every day, metal and other organic contaminants could be a reason of this impairment in Pterygoplichthys pardalis.

Lower Lethal Temperatures for Nonnative Freshwater Fishes in Everglades National Park, Florida

AbstractTemperature is an important factor that shapes biogeography and species composition. In southern Florida, the tolerance of nonnative freshwater fishes to low temperatures is a critical factor in delineating their geographic spread. In this study, we provide empirical information on experimentally derived low‐temperature tolerance limits of Banded Cichlid Heros severus and Spotfin Spiny Eel Macrognathus siamensis, two nonnative Everglades fishes that were lacking data, and African Jewelfish Hemichromis letourneuxi and Mayan Cichlid Cichlasoma urophthalmus, species for which previous results were derived from studies with small sample sizes. We also provide a literature review summarizing the current state of knowledge of low‐temperature tolerances for all 17 nonnative freshwater fishes that have been found in Everglades National Park. Mean lower lethal temperature tolerances ranged from 4°C (Orinoco Sailfin Catfish Pterygoplichthys multiradiatus) to 16.1°C (Butterfly Peacock Bass Cichla ocellaris). These low‐temperature limits may inform the understanding of the ecological role or influence of nonnative fishes and may lead to potential management opportunities and applications.

Amazon Sailfin Catfish Pterygoplichthys pardalis (Loricariidae) in Bangladesh: A Critical Review of Its Invasive Threat to Native and Endemic Aquatic Species

The Amazon sailfin catfish Pterygoplichthys pardalis is native to the Amazon River basin. It has since expanded its range to North America, the Caribbean, and more recently to South Asia, as with some of its congeners. Our paper reviews recent data from Bangladesh, clarifies taxonomic identification, and examines the potential effects of P. pardalis and congeneric species on local aquatic ecosystems and elsewhere in South Asia. Range expansions there probably reflect aquarium releases and escapes from aquaculture farms, as exacerbated by dispersal due to storm flooding and in impacted waters like irrigation canals. Given their potential ecosystem-level effects, we also review potential control mechanisms and human use for these invasive loricariids.

Reproductive biology of introduced Sailfin catfish, Pterygoplichthys pardalis (Pisces: Loricariidae) in Peninsular Malaysia

Reproductive biology of the introduced sailfin cat fish Pterygoplichthys pardalis in the Langat River of peninsular Malaysia was studied. Fish samples were collected monthly from Langat River during March 2003 - June 2004. The sex ratio observed for P. pardalis was female-biased with 1: 2. Gonadal maturity stage is achieved at 12.5 cm standard length (SL) for males and 13.0 cm SL for females. This species appeared to have continuous spawning that peaked when water levels were high between September and January. Egg sizes were found to reach as large as 3.3 mm in dia in the ovary; suggesting that they spawn in batches. Fecundity varied from 1297 to 18791 numbers per brood, proportional to individual size. Data obtained from this study indicate that the introduced sailfin cat fish has successfully colonised in Langat River in Malaysia.

Embryonic and larval development of the suckermouth sailfin catfish Pterygoplichthys pardalis from Marikina River, Philippines

Background: There is little information about the early development of this invasive fish species in order to understand its early life history and developmental strategies towards invasion. Material and Methods: Female Pterygoplichthys pardalis were induced to spawn using human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) so as to study the developmental stages from fertilization until yolk resorption. Results: The females subjected to a single dose of HCG responded positively to treatment (97%) with higher fertilization success (88%) compared to the untreated females (21%). Nonetheless, the HCG-induced fertilized eggs had a low hatching success (49%), while from the free-living embryos successfully hatched, a high number (90%) survived to become juveniles. Embryonic development in P. pardalis was completed 168 h and 30 min after fertilization, with the total yolk resorption completed on the 8t h day post hatching, during which the suckermouth gradually shifted from rostral to ventral position to commence the loricariid algae-scraping feeding mode. Conclusions: Pterygoplichthys pardalis does not undergo a true larval metamorphosis between the free-living embryo and the juvenile stage and a definitive adult phenotype is developed directly. These results provided basic, yet essential information on the early developmental features of this invasive species whose spawning and early developmental strategies were difficult to observe in the field. Implications of some ontogenetic features in this species with regards to invasion are also discussed.

Assessment of the invasive catfishPterygoplichthys pardalis(Castelnau, 1855) in Thailand: ecological impacts and biological control alternatives

A species of Neotropical suckermouth armored catfish (family Loricariidae), tentatively identified as the Amazon sailfin catfish Pterygoplichthys pardalis, is a highly invasive, non-native species in Southeast Asia. In Thailand, the spread of P. pardalis is an increasing concern because of the possibility that these non-native catfish are negatively impacting freshwater biological resources. In this study, we conducted a series of laboratory experiments to investigate the food preferences of P. pardalis as well as the interactions of this catfish with the native bighead catfish Clarias macrocephalus (Gunther, 1864). We also conducted laboratory experiments to evaluate the potential use of three different native piscivorous fishes as biological control agents. Laboratory results revealed that P. pardalis in aquaria conditions readily consumed the eggs and fry of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758) and that large specimens P. pardalis preferred O. niloticus eggs over Tubifex worms. Pterygopl...

Alien invasion in Wallace’s Dreamponds: records of the hybridogenic “flowerhorn” cichlid in Lake Matano, with an annotated checklist of fish species introduced to the Malili Lakes system in Sulawesi

Invasive fish species can have major impacts on freshwater faunas, particularly in isolated systems harbouring adaptive animal radiations. Here, we report on the occurrence and recent rapid expansion of the hybridogenic “flowerhorn” cichlid in ancient Lake Matano, the hydrological head of the Malili Lakes system in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. We show that flowerhorns rapidly dispersed along the lake’s shoreline, inhabited most of the southern inshore habitats in 2010, and were present all around the lake in mid-2012. In addition, we present stomach content and observational data supporting the hypothesis that this cichlid threatens the local fauna through both predation and competition. We discuss 13 additional alien fish species recorded in the Malili Lakes drainage since 2000, including the recent, first record of the invasive sailfin catfish Pterygoplichthys pardalis for Sulawesi, highlighting the multitude of artificial introductions of foreign fish species into these unique and highly isolated freshwater systems. We conclude that alien fish species pose both serious and diverse threats to the fauna of the Malili Lakes system – an ecosystem of high socio-economic importance and an exceptional natural laboratory for study of evolution, referred to as “Wallace’s Dreamponds”. Finally, we provide recommendations for minimizing future alien species introductions.

Discovery of the Amazon sailfin catfish Pterygoplichthys pardalis (Castelnau, 1855) (Teleostei: Loricariidae) in Vietnam

Discovery of the Amazon sailfin catfish Pterygoplichthys pardalis (Castelnau, 1855) (Teleostei: Loricariidae) in Vietnam By B. A. Levin, P. H. Phuong and D. S. Pavlov Papanin Institute for Biology of Inland Waters, Russian Academy of Sciences, Yaroslavl Province, Russia; Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia; Joint Vietnamese–Russian Science and Technological Tropical Centre, Nghia Do, Cau Giay, Hanoi, Vietnam