Invasion of the African sharp-tooth catfish Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) in South China

Abstract

We record here the invasion of the African sharp-tooth catfish Clarias gariepinus in the South China biodiversity hotspot, an area rich in endemic and endangered fish fauna. C. gariepinus was introduced into the natural systems as escapees from aquaculture ponds. These catfishes are very large, top predators, and thus have the potential to cause serious threats to the native fish fauna. The impact of C. gariepinus needs more investigation with emphasis on developing techniques for controlling its dispersal.

Integrating stomach content and stable isotope analyses to elucidate the feeding habits of non-native sharptooth catfish Clarias gariepinus

“…The observations on the catfish's feeding habits were consistent with other studies which show that its diets reflects the most common prey of suitable size in particular habitats (Groenewald 1964;Munro 1967;Bruton 1979b) and even changes in environmental conditions that influence prey availability (Willoughby and Tweddle 1978;Spataru et al 1987). The catfish's ability to utilise a broad range of prey in different habitats suggests its dietary plasticity, which is considered one of the important character for its success to live in a wide range of habitats including those where forage fish are absent (Groenewald 1964), even in areas where it is introduced (Vitule et al 2009;Radhakrishnan et al 2011). In southern Brazil, the catfish has rapidly expanded its range into streams that have suffered habitat degradation where it is reported to prey on the native amphibian, Leptodactylus ocellatus, which is well adapted to habitat modification and disturbance (Vitule et al 2008(Vitule et al , 2009).…”

“…Several introductions of C. gariepinus out of its natural range have been reported and it is now established in Brazil, India and China (Cambray 2005;Vitule et al 2006;Bhakta and Bandyopadhyay 2007;Khan and Panikkar 2009;Radhakrishnan et al 2011). The impacts associated with the catfish in regions where it is introduced are related to its predatory nature (Vitule et al 2008), its potential to compete with indigenous predators and potentially alter food webs (Khan and Panikkar 2009), and the risk of introgression with indigenous catfishes (Senanan et al 2004;Peh 2010).…”

First record of the Southeast Asian walking catfish, Clarias batrachus (Pisces: Clariidae), from the island of Mauritius, south-western Indian Ocean

“…These attributes make some clariids (e.g. C. batrachus and C. gariepinus) notorious invaders whose introduction via anthropogenic activities can have both ecological and economic consequences (Lowe et al 2000;Cagauan 2007;Radhakrishnan et al 2011).…”

Length–Weight Relations for 20 Fish Species from the Pearl River, China

“…1). The Pearl River, with a total length of 2214 km and a drainage area of 442 100 km 2 , is the third largest river in China and the largest in south China, flowing through Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Guangdong, Hunan, and Jiangxi provinces before finally emptying into the South China Sea (Radhakrishnan et al 2011). The Pearl River basin has a network of rivers, fertile soil, abundant natural resources, and a dense population (Weng 2007).…”