How might an exotic fish disrupt spawning success in a sympatric native species?
Robert G. Doupé A B , Jason Schaffer A , Matthew J. Knott A and Damien W. Burrows AA Australian Centre for Tropical Freshwater Research, James Cook University, Townville, Qld 4811, Australia.
B Corresponding author. Email: Rob.Doupe@jcu.edu.au
Marine and Freshwater Research 60(5) 379-383 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF08184
Submitted: 19 June 2008 Accepted: 10 September 2008 Published: 25 May 2009
Abstract
Little is known of the underlying behavioural mechanisms that allow invasive species to gain an ecological foothold in novel environments. We tested how the exotic Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) might affect spawning success in groups of the native Australian eastern rainbowfish (Melanotaenia splendida splendida) under experimental tank conditions using the presence of either an isolated O. mossambicus male or a small breeding group of O. mossambicus males and females. Both egg production and the proportion of eggs fertilised in M. s. splendida were significantly reduced by over 70% and 30%, respectively, in the presence of O. mossambicus breeding groups, but were not significantly affected by the presence of only a single O. mossambicus male. These results suggest that the reproductive activities of O. mossambicus may severely disrupt the spawning success of this native rainbowfish and indicates that the ecological impacts of O. mossambicus might be far more serious than is currently thought.
Additional keywords: exotic species impacts, fish reproductive behaviour, invasive species, Mozambique tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus.
Acknowledgements
The use of sentient animal subjects was approved by the James Cook University Animal Experimentation Ethics Review Committee (Permit No. A1245). This work was financially supported by the Natural Heritage Trust program through the Department of Environment and Water, and via the Far North Queensland Natural Resource Management Group. Blair McDonald assisted with fish husbandry and egg management, and Mike Kingsford kindly commented on the draft. We also acknowledge the contributions of the editor and referees to the manuscript.
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