Abstract
We compared the life-history traits of native and invasive fish species from Catalan streams in order to identify the characters of successful invasive fish species. Most of the exotic fish species were characterized by large size, long longevity, late maturity, high fecundity, few spawnings per year, and short reproductive span, whereas Iberian native species exhibited predominantly the opposite suite of traits. Species native to the southeastern Pyrenees watershed were also significantly different from species native to the rest of the Iberian Peninsula but not native to this watershed. Iberian exotic species come predominantly from large river basins, whereas Catalan streams (and other small, coastal river basins) correspond to basins and streams of a smaller size and different hydrology, with differences in species composition and life-history traits of fish. The occurrence and spread of invasive species was not significantly related to life-history traits but to introduction date. The successful predi ction of future invasive species is limited due to small differences in life-history and ecological traits between native and exotic species. Fecundity, age at maturity, water quality flexibility, tolerance to pollution and habitat seem the most discriminating life-history variables.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Aparicio E and de Sostoa A (1998) Reproduction and growth of Barbus haasi in a small stream in the N.E. of the Iberian peninsula. Archiv für Hydrobiologie 142: 95–110
Aparicio E, Vargas MJ, Olmo JM and de Sostoa A (2000) Decline of native freshwater fishes in a Mediterranean watershed on the Iberian Peninsula: a quantitative assessment. Environmental Biology of Fishes 59: 11–19
Baltz DM (1984) Life history variation among female surfperches (Perciformes: Embiotocidae). Environmental Biology of Fishes 10: 159–171
Baltz DM and Moyle PB (1993) Invasion resistance of an assemblage of native California stream fishes. Ecological Applications 3: 140–255
Boyce MS (1979) Seasonality and patterns of natural selection for life histories. American Naturalist 114: 569–583
Bruslé J and Quignard JP (2001) Biologie des poissons d’eau douce Européens. Techinque & Documentation, Paris
Casals F (1985) Biología i ecologia de Leuciscus cephalus cephalus (L., 1758) en el riu Matarranya. PhD Thesis, Department of Zoology, University of Barcelona, 171 pp
Chappaz R, Brun G and Olivari G (1989) Données nouvelles sur la biologie et l’Écologie d’un poisson Cyprinidépeu étudié Chondrostoma toxostoma (Vallot, 1836). Comparison avec Chondrostoma nasus (L., 1766). Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences, Paris 309: 181–186
Cohen D (1967) Optimizing reproduction in a randomly varying environment when a correlation may exist between the conditions at the time a choice has to be made and the subsequent outcome. Journal of Theoretical Biology 16: 1–14
Copp GH, Fox MG and Kóvac V (2002) Growth, morphology and life-history traits of a cool-water European population of pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus. Archiv für Hydrobiologie 155: 585–614
Crivelli AJ and Mestre D (1988) Life history traits od pumpkinseed, Lepomis gibbosus, introduced into the Camargue, a Mediterranean wetland. Archiv für Hydrobiologie 111: 449–466
Doadrio I (1988) Delimitation of areas in tha Iberian Peninsula on the basis of frehwater fishes. Bonner Zoologische Beiträge 39: 113–128
Doadrio I (2001) Atlas y libro rojo de los peces continentales de España. Dirección General de Conservación de la Naturaleza, Madrid, 364 pp
Doadrio I, Elvira B and Bernat Y (1991) Peces continentales españoles. Inventario y clasificación de zones fluviales, ICONA, Madrid, 221 pp
Elvira B (1995) Conservation status of endemic freshwater fish in Spain. Biological Conservation 72: 129–136
Elvira B (1998) Impact of introduced fish on the native freshwater fish fauna of Spain. In: Cowx IG (ed) Stocking and Introduction of Fish, pp 186–190. Fishing New Books, Oxford
Elvira B and Almodóvar A (2001) Freshwater fish introductions in Spain: facts and figures at the beginning of the 21st century. Journal of Fish Biology 59: 323–331
Fernández-Delgado C (1989) Life-history patterns of the mosquito-fish, Gambusia a nis, in the estuary of the Guadalquivir River of south-west Spain. Freshwater Biology 22: 395–404
Fernández-Delgado C (1990) Life history patterns of the common carp, Cyprinus carpio, in the estuary of the Guadalquivir River in south-west Spain. Hydrobiologia 206: 19–28
García-Berthou E and Moreno-Amich R (1993) Multivariate analysis of covariance in morphometric studies of the reproductive cycle. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 50: 1394–1399
Grandmottet JP (1983) Principales exigencies des téléostéens dulcicoles vis àvis de l’habitat aquatique. Annales Scientifiques de l’Universitéde Franche-Comté 4: 3–32
Holcik J (1967) Life history of the rudd-Scardinius erythrophthalmus (Linnaeus, 1758) in the Klícava Valley Reservoir. Acta Societatis Zoologicae Bohemoslovenicae 31: 335–348
Lehtonen H, Hansson S and Winkler H (1996) Biology and exploitation of pikeperch, Stizostedion lucioperca (L.), in the Baltic Sea area. Annales Zoologici Fennici 33: 525–535
Lelek A (1980) Threatened Freshwater Fishes of Europe. Council of Europe. Strasbourg, 269 pp
Lobón-Cerviá J and Zabala A (1984) Observations on the reproduction of Cobitis paludicola de Buen, 1930 in the Jarama River. Cybium 8: 63–68
Lobón-Cerviá J, Montañés C and Sostoa A de (1986) Reproductive ecology and growth of a population of brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) in an aquifer-fed stream of Old Castille (Spain). Hydrobiologia 135: 81–94
Lobón-Cerviá J, Montañés C and Sostoa A de (1991) Influence of environment upon the life history of gudgeon, Gobio Gobio (L.): a recent and successful colonizer of the Iberian Peninsula. Journal of Fish Biology 39: 295–300
Mackay I and Mann KH (1969) Fecundity of two cyprinid fishes in the River Thames, reading, England. Journal of Fisheries Research Board of Canada 26: 2795–2805
Mann RHK (1978) Observations on the biology of the perch, Perca fluviatilis, in the River Stour, Dorset. Freshwater Biology 8: 229–239
Mann RHK, Mills CA and Crisp DT (1984) Geographical variation in the life-history tactics of some species of freshwater fish. In: Potts GW and Wootton RJ (eds) Fish Reproduction: Strategies and Tactics, pp 171–186. Academic Press, London
Mills CA and Eloranta A (1985) The biology of Phoxinus phoxinus (L.) and other littoral zone fishes in Lake Konnevsi, central Finland. Annales Zoologici Fennici 22: 1–12
Minckley WL and Meffe GK (1987) Differential selection by flooding in stream-fish communities of the arid American Southwest. In: Matthews WJ and Heins DC (eds) Community and Evolutionary Ecology of North American Stream Fishes, pp 93–104. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman
Miñano PA, Oliva-Paterna FJ, Fernández-Delgado C and Torralva M (2000) Edad y crecimiento de Barbas graellsii Steindachner, 1866 y Chondrostoma miegii, Steindachner, 1866 (Pisces, Cyprinidae) en el río Cinca (Cuenca Hidrográfica del Ebro, NE España). Miscellània Zoològica 23.2: 9–19
Moyle PB (1995) Conservation of native freshwater fishes in the Mediterranean-type climate of California, USA: a review. Biological Conservation 72: 271–279
Moyle PB, Smith JJ, Daniels RA and Baltz DM (1986) Distribution and ecology of the fishes of Sacramento-San Joaquín drainage system, California: a review. University of California Publications of Zoology 115: 225–256
Oberdor T, Pont D, Hugueny B and Porchers JP (2002) Deveolpment and validation of a fish-based index for the assessment of ‘river health’ in France. Freshwater Biology 47: 1720–1734
Oliva-Paterna FJ, Torralva MM and Fernández-Delgado C (2002) Age, growth and reproduction of Cobitis paludica in a seasonal stream. Journal of Fish Biology 60: 389–404
Penaz M and Kokes J (1981) Notes on the diet, growth and reproduction of Carassius auratus gibelio in two localities in Southern Slovakia. Folia Zoologica 30: 83–94
Pimpicka E (1990) Formation of fecundity of tench Tinca tinca (L.) females in Lake Drweckie. Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria 20: 53–75
Rincón PA and Lobón-Cerviá J (1989) Reproductive and growth strategies of the red roach, Rutilus arcasii (Steindachner, 1866), in two contrasting tributaries of the River Duero, Spain. Journal of Fish Biology 34: 687–705
Ross ST (1991) Mechanisms structuring stream fish assemblages: are there lessons from introduced species? Environmental Biology of Fishes 30: 359–368
Sostoa A de (1990) Història natural dels països Catalans: peixos. [Natural history of Catalan countries: fishes.] Enciclopèdia Catalana, Barcelona, 487 pp
Vargas MJ and Sostoa A de (1997) Life-history pattern of the Iberian toothcarp Aphanius iberus (Pisces, Cyprinodontidae) from a Mediterranean estuary, the Ebro Delta (Spain). Netherlands Journal of Zoology 47: 143–160
Verneaux J (1981) Les poisons et la qualitédes cours d’eau. Annales Scientifiques de l’Universitéde Franche-Comté 2: 33–41
Vila-Gispert A and Moreno-Amich R (2000) Fecundity and spawning mode of three introduced fish species in Lake Banyoles (Catalunya, Spain) in comparison with other localities. Aquatic Sciences 61: 154–166
Vila-Gispert A, Moreno-Amich R and García-Berthou E (2002) Gradients of life-history variation: an intercontinental comparison of fishes. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries 12: 417–427
Viñolas D (1986) Biologia i ecologia de Blennius fluviatilis (Asso, 1801) en el riu Matarranya. PhD Thesis. Department of Zoology, University of Barcelona, 231 pp
Williamson MH and Fitter A (1996) The characters of successful invaders. Biological Conservation 78: 163–170
Winemiller KO (1989) Patterns of variation in life-history among South American fishes in periodic environments. Oecologia 81: 225–241
Winemiller KO and Rose KA (1992) Patterns of life-history diversification in North American fishes: implications for population regulation. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 49: 2196–2218
Wright RM and Schoesmith EA (1988) The reproductive success of pike, Esox lucius: aspects of fecundity, egg density and survival. Journal of Fish Biology 33: 623–636
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2005 Springer
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Vila-Gispert, A., Alcaraz, C., García-Berthou, E. (2005). Life-history traits of invasive fish in small Mediterranean streams. In: Issues in Bioinvasion Science. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-3870-4_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-3870-4_10
Received:
Accepted:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-2902-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-3870-9
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)