Journal ArticleDOI
Salinity mediates the competitive interactions between invasive mosquitofish and an endangered fish.
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This study confirms previous field observations that salinity limits the invasive success of mosquitofish and provides one of the few experimental demonstrations that it may mediate behavioural and competitive interactions between fish species.Abstract:
The interplay of abiotic factors and competition has a long history in ecology, although there are very few studies on the interaction of salinity and competition in fish. Mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) are among the most invasive fish worldwide, with well documented ecological impacts on several taxa such as amphibians and small native fish. It has been previously hypothesized, based on field observations, that salinity limits the invasive success of mosquitofish and provides a competitive refuge for Mediterranean cyprinodonts. We experimentally tested this hypothesis by examining the agonistic behaviour and food competition between mosquitofish and an endangered native cyprinodont (Aphanius fasciatus) at three salinities (0, 15, 25 per thousand). Intraspecific aggressive behaviour for both species was not significantly affected by salinity. As salinity increased, mosquitofish decreased their aggressive behaviour towards cyprinodonts and captured less prey. In contrast, the cyprinodonts did not change their behaviour with different salinity treatments, with the possible exception of increased defensive acts in higher salinities, but captured more prey with increasing salinity because of the reduced efficiency of mosquitofish. Our study confirms previous field observations that salinity limits the invasive success of mosquitofish and provides one of the few experimental demonstrations that it may mediate behavioural and competitive interactions between fish species. Condition-specific competition of mosquitofish might be expected with other species and ecosystems worldwide and illustrates the importance of integrating biotic and abiotic factors in the study of interspecific interactions.read more
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Progress toward understanding the ecological impacts of nonnative species
TL;DR: 19 testable hypotheses that explain temporal and spatial variation in impact are identified and reviewed and highlight the importance of the functional ecology of the nonnative species and the structure, diversity, and evolutionary experience of the recipient community as general determinants of impact.
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Ecological Impacts of Nonnative Freshwater Fishes
TL;DR: The present study provides an illustrative conspectus of the most recent literature reporting ecological impacts of non-native freshwater fishes from a wide range of species and geographic locations and concludes with a prospectus of needed areas of scientific inquiry.
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Species Invasions: Insights into Ecology, Evolution, and Biogeography
TL;DR: This book touches on nearly every facet of the invasive plant issue, making it suitable for use as a textbook for those in need of one and whether one is a fan of models or not.
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Scientific uncertainty and the assessment of risks posed by non‐native freshwater fishes
TL;DR: This article argued that the majority of intentional freshwater fish introductions associated with aquaculture (fish species providing societal benefits) have not been reported as having an ecological impact, and they find little to argue with his suggestion that low risk of ecological impact coupled with high market value encourages further development.
References
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