Invasive Suckermouth Armored Catfish Ecology and Management
Summary
Suckermouth armored catfish of the family Loricariidae, notably species of the genus Pterygoplichthys, have established invasive populations across tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Their broad environmental tolerance, protective bony plating and specialised oral disc enable attachment to diverse substrates, promoting persistence in both flowing and still waters. High reproductive output, rapid growth and omnivorous grazing on periphyton destabilise benthic habitats, alter nutrient cycling and reduce habitat quality for native fauna. Aggregations can generate biogeochemical hotspots, concentrating excreted nutrients and further reshaping ecosystem processes. Management efforts combine physical removal, targeted fishing incentives, habitat manipulation and early detection via environmental DNA surveys. Regulatory frameworks and community engagement are essential to restrict further releases from aquaculture and the aquarium trade. Adaptive strategies must account for local phenotypic variation and habitat-specific invasion dynamics. Integrated research on life-history traits, ecological impacts and socio-economic drivers is vital to develop evidence-based control measures and to mitigate the global spread of these resilient invaders.
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Invasive Suckermouth Armored Catfish Ecology and Management publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in invasive suckermouth armored catfish ecology and management across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Lotic: Pertaining to flowing water habitats such as rivers and streams.
Lentic: Relating to still or standing water bodies including lakes and reservoirs.
Allometric growth: Differential growth rates of body parts relative to overall size, affecting morphology and life history.
Von Bertalanffy growth function: A mathematical model describing individual length-at-age based on asymptotic growth parameters.
Biogeochemical hotspot: A spatially confined area where biological activity sharply enhances nutrient cycling and chemical transformations.
References
- Phenotypic Divergences in Growth and Reproduction Underpin the Invasion of Suckermouth Armored Catfish Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus (Loricariidae) into Lotic and Lentic Habitats in Vietnam. Water (2023).
- Spatial distribution and circadian locomotor activity of invasive armored catfish (Loricariidae) in the freshwater and brackish water. PLOS ONE (2023).
- Invasive Fishes Generate Biogeochemical Hotspots in a Nutrient-Limited System. PLOS ONE (2013).
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