Eradication of the invasive Pseudorasbora parva results in increased growth and production of native fishes

Abstract

– The topmouth gudgeon, Pseudorasbora parva, has been described as Europe’s most invasive fish. To control their UK invasion, some lentic populations at risk of causing fluvial dispersal have been eradicated. The first of these operations was from a lake in north‐west UK in March 2005 using rotenone application; prior to eradication, their mean density was estimated as 6.1 m−2 whereas since eradication, no P. parva have been recorded. Prior to rotenone application, the majority of native fishes were removed, held off‐site and reintroduced following degradation of rotenone to safe levels. In the three growth seasons since their reintroduction and P. parva eradication, the abundance, somatic growth rate and production of roach Rutilus rutilus and common bream Abramis brama have increased significantly; production is now driven by a lower number of comparatively larger, faster growing individuals. These data suggest that the eradication of this P. parva population has been highly beneficial for the growth, recruitment and production of these native species.

Trophic interaction between topmouth gudgeon (Pseudorasbora parva) and the co-occurring species during summer in the Dniprodzerzhynsk reservoir

“…Bitterling were not used for the diet overlap assessment because their major diet items were non-animal food such as detritus and phytoplankton, which are common food for this species (Przybylski, 1996;Koutrakis et al, 2003) and are not supposed to be limiting in the reservoir. In contrast to this study, much higher overlaps of trophic niches were observed between topmouth gudgeon and roach (48−73%) and between topmouth gudgeon and rudd (86−92%) in small ponds in UK in a study based on stable isotope analysis (Jackson and Britton, 2013) and high diet overlaps result in the depressed somatic growth of roach (Britton et al, 2009). Rosecchi et al (1993) reported that the diet of topmouth gudgeon was very similar to that of other littoral native fish species in Lake Mikri Prespa, Greece.…”

Reduced growth and reproductive investment of Hemiculter leucisculus (Cyprinidae) in a reservoir with introduced icefish Neosalanx taihuensis (Salangidae)

“…While numerous studies have been conducted concerning the impacts of piscivorous fish invasions on fish communities and receiving ecosystems (e.g., Goudswaard et al 2008;Copp et al 2009), study on impacts of planktivorous fish introduction have been remarkably limited (e.g., Brooks and Dodson 1965;McCrary et al 2007;Britton et al 2009). Results of our study demonstrate that introduction of N. taihuensis might induce reduced growth and reproductive investment of H. leucisculus, and could consequently influence later recruitment to the spawning stock.…”

Current knowledge on non‐native freshwater fish introductions

“…Furthermore, the eradication of introduced fishes is also viewed by many as a controversial and almost impossible goal due to its high expense and difficulty of success (Myers et al , 1998; Simberloff, 2002; Britton et al , 2008). Although eradication has been used effectively against populations of invasive species, the chance of success is usually directly proportional to the spatial extent of dispersal (Culver & Kuris, 2000; Anderson, 2005; Rayner & Creese, 2006), with eradication of fishes most effective in relatively small, closed, sparsely vegetated water bodies, particularly when rotenone is used (Lozano‐Vilano et al , 2006; Britton et al , 2009).…”