Increased geographical distribution and richness of non-native freshwater fish species in Argentina: evidence from a literature review

ESPÍNOLA, LUIS ALBERTO; RABUFFETTI, ANA PIA; CARRARA, NATALIA; ABRIAL, ELIE; FERLAY, ELISE MATHILDE CHARLOTTE; YOYA, FEDERICO; BLETTLER, MARTÍN CESAR MARIA; BAIGÚN, CLAUDIO; WANTZEN, KARL MATTHIAS; DOS SANTOS, LUCIANO NEVES

BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2022

1387-3547

The present study is a full review of thenon-native freshwater fsh species introduced intoArgentina and their relationship to the main environmental features and introduction vectors of eachfreshwater ecoregion. The total number of non-nativefreshwater fsh species was compiled through a literature survey; information on spatial?temporal patternsof species records and invasion vectors was retrievedfor all ten freshwater ecoregions of Argentina. Oursurvey revealed that 18?22 non-native fsh species had been recorded up to 1999, and a total of 40 introduced fsh species, of which 18 are invasive andfve potentially invasive, had been registered in sevenArgentinean ecoregions as of May 2020. Accordingto georeferenced records, the rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss and common carp Cyprinus carpiowere the non-native fsh species with the greatestnumber of records and largest invaded areas, probablydue to their species-specifc ecological traits. Invasivefsh species difered clearly between the Patagonia,Lower Paraná, and Lower Uruguay ecoregions, probably because of a combination of the environmental conditions, structure of native assemblages, and invasion pathways in each ecoregion. Except for the recognized impact of non-native salmonids, the adverseefects of introduced fsh species have been little studied, indicating the need for further research to clarifythe role of ecological shifts triggered by the introduction and establishment of non-native fsh species inArgentina. In contrast to the high diversity of aquaticspecies and freshwater environments, the spread andimpact of invasive fsh species in Argentina is little known, particularly compared with other SouthAmerican countries.