Reduced growth and reproductive investment of Hemiculter leucisculus (Cyprinidae) in a reservoir with introduced icefish Neosalanx taihuensis (Salangidae)

Neosalanx taihuensis is an important zooplanktivorous commercial fish that has been widely introduced into Chinese freshwaters. Introduction of this species has induced decline and even extinction of native fish species in some waters. In this study, impacts of N. taihuensis introduction on growth a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental biology of fishes 2013-07, Vol.96 (7), p.895-903
Main Authors: Wang, Xinglu, Xiang, Jianguo, Liu, Jiashou, Liu, Ming, Wu, Lang, Murphy, Brian R., Xie, Songguang
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agnatha. Pisces
Animal and plant ecology
Animal populations
Animal reproduction
Animal Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Applied ecology
Autoecology
Biological and medical sciences
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife
Cyprinidae
Environment
Fish
Freshwater
Freshwater & Marine Ecology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Hemiculter leucisculus
Life Sciences
Nature Conservation
Neosalanx taihuensis
Nonnative species
Parks, reserves, wildlife conservation. Endangered species: population survey and restocking
Physical growth
Salangidae
Vertebrata
Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution
Zoology
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Summary:Neosalanx taihuensis is an important zooplanktivorous commercial fish that has been widely introduced into Chinese freshwaters. Introduction of this species has induced decline and even extinction of native fish species in some waters. In this study, impacts of N. taihuensis introduction on growth and reproductive characteristics of an indigenous zooplanktivorous fish Hemiculter leucisculus were investigated by comparing population traits of the latter species in two reservoirs that differ only in whether N. taihuensis has been introduced. Huangshi Reservoir (HSR) and Mengquan Reservoir (MQR) are geographically proximate and display similar nutrient regimes and native fish faunas, but N. taihuensis has been stocked only in HSR. Populations of H. leucisculus in both reservoirs consisted of three age groups, ranging from age 1 to 3. Standard length (SL), body weight and back-calculated SL-at-age of H. leucisculus in HSR were significantly less than in MQR for both males and females in each age group. Female H. leucisculus also tended to produce fewer and smaller eggs (indicated by lower absolute fecundity, gonad weight and smaller egg diameter) in HSR than in MQR for each age group. We suggest that reduced growth and reproductive investment by H. leucisculus in HSR are likely the result of N. taihuensis introduction.
ISSN:0378-1909
1573-5133
DOI:10.1007/s10641-012-0085-3