Vol. 57, 2018 (update: 2018.02.01; 02.14) The Global Invasion of the Suckermouth Armored Catfish Genus Pterygoplichthys (Siluriformes: Loricariidae): Annotated List of Species, Distributional Summary, and Assessment of ImpactsAlexander Benjamin Orfinger1,*, and Daniel Douglas Goodding1 doi:10.6620/ZS.2018.57-07
1Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, 4000 Central Florida Blvd. Orlando, Florida, USA 32825 (Received 1 November 2017; Accepted 25
January 2018; Communicated by Hin-Kiu Mok) Alexander
Benjamin Orfinger and Daniel Douglas Goodding (2018) The
suckermouth armored catfish genus Pterygoplichthys
(Siluriformes: Loricariidae) includes popular aquarium fishes and
constitutes one of the most successful freshwater invasive taxa, having
achieved global distribution. To date, however, no comprehensive
distributional record nor impact assessment exist for the spread of the
genus, precluding informed management strategies. To provide these
tools, our study aims to (1) provide an annotated checklist of species
for this taxonomically confusing genus, (2) survey all available
literature on the spread of the genus and summarize and map its
invasive distribution, and (3) assess the overall socioeconomic and
environmental impact of the genus on a global scale using the Generic
Impact Scoring System (GISS). First, we provide an updated annotated
species list. We then summarize seventy-one unique invasion records
along with twenty-one instances of demonstrated impacts. Species of the
genus Pterygoplichthys have
now invaded five continents and twenty-one countries, and show an
extended range in their native South America. Impact analysis yielded a
GISS score of 18 to 19, indicating low to moderate levels of
socioeconomic and environmental threats. However, to bolster the
confidence in this analysis in future iterations, more research should
aim to move beyond just "first records" and instead empirically
evaluate species’ effects on native ecosystems. Key words: Generic Impact
Scoring System, Armored sailfin catfish, Distribution, Aquarium trade,
Fisheries. *Correspondence: Tel: +13862902505. E-mail:
aborfinger@gmail.com Supplementary Material: Appendix 1 |