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First record of the Mayan Cichlid Mayaheros urophthalmus (Günther, 1862) in South Asia and its potential implications
Author(s) -
Chelapurath Radhakrishnan Renjithkumar,
Kuttanelloor Roshni,
Raghavan Rajeev,
Kutty Ranjeet
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of applied ichthyology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.392
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1439-0426
pISSN - 0175-8659
DOI - 10.1111/jai.14069
Subject(s) - cichlid , biology , south asia , colonization , ecology , fishery , zoology , ethnology , fish <actinopterygii> , sociology
We provide the first record of the Mayan Cichlid, Mayaheros urophthalmus from South Asia, based on specimens collected from the River Chalakudy in Kerala, India. Genetic analysis of the Indian sample showed close affinity with those from Philippines suggesting their potential South East Asian origin, and introduction through the unmanaged aquarium trade. Ecological plasticity, opportunistic predatory behaviour and eurytopic nature of M. urophthalmus could facilitate colonization in the new environment, unless urgent management strategies are developed and implemented.