Aquarium trade and fish farms as a source of non-native freshwater fish introductions in French Guiana
Résumé
Rivers of French Guiana are still little invaded by non-native fish, but several fish introductions
were recently recorded through the development of aquarium fish trade and fish farms. Here we report
records of 11 non-native fish species. Among them, four (Cichla monoculus, Heros efasciatus, Mesonauta
guyanae and Poecilia reticulata) are established and one of them (Heros efasciatus) is rapidly increasing its
spatial range. Two species (Hyphessobrycon eques and Pterophyllum scalare) were not retrieved in recent
records and are probably extinct from French Guiana. The establishment status of the five other species
(Arapaima gigas, Colossoma macropomum, Cyprinus carpio, Oreochromis mossambicus and
Osteoglossum bicirrhosum) is uncertain and only a few specimens were observed in the wild.
Nevertheless, these species, intensively reared in nearby countries, belong to highly invasive species able to
cause detrimental impacts on recipient ecosystems. Those first occurrences of invasive fish species in French
Guiana should therefore act as an early warning for both researchers and environmental managers.
Origine : Publication financée par une institution
