Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
2019, Vol 19, Num, 12 (Pages: 1039-1048)
Fish Community Structure in the Mediterranean Temperate Lake Volvi at Two Different Stages of Pumpkinseed Invasion: are Natives in Threat?
Dimitra Bobori 1 ,Olga Petriki 1 ,Chaido Aftzi 1
1 Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Biology, Department of Zoology, PO Box 134, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece
DOI :
10.4194/1303-2712-v19_12_06
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Lepomis gibbosus (L., 1758) (pumpkinseed) has been introduced in Greece accidentally
and since then it has expanded its range and adapted successfully to several surface
water bodies. Here, we provide baseline data on the status of fish community structure
in the Mediterranean temperate Lake Volvi (Northern Greece) at the begging and
three years after pumpkinseed`s invasion. Additionally, we present some aspects on
pumpkinseed`s population characteristics to test the hypotheses of its invasion success
and the potential impacts imposed to native fish populations. Fish sampling was
conducted by benthic and pelagic, Nordic type, gillnets. A breeding population had
become established in the lake within the three-years period studied. At the same time
a decline in the abundance of some native fish species was observed. Pumpkinseed
preferred the shallower habitats and exhibited trait similarity with the most native
species, imposing thus a potential competed threat for local populations, especially for
endemics that allocate the same habitats and compete for the same food resources
with it. The efforts that should be implemented for the depreciation of species
population and assessment of the general impacts of pumpkinseed invasion on natives
are discussed.
Keywords :
Introduced, Abundance, k-dominance curves, Invasiveness hazards, Lepomis gibbosus