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Amazonian invaders in an Asian biodiversity hotspot : Understanding demographics for the management of the armoured sailfin catfish, Pterygoplichthys pardalis in Kerala, India
Author(s) -
Raj Smrithy,
Kumar Appukuttannair Biju,
Raghavan Rajeev,
Dahanukar Neelesh
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of fish biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1095-8649
pISSN - 0022-1112
DOI - 10.1111/jfb.14243
Subject(s) - biology , catfish , overexploitation , biodiversity , biodiversity hotspot , population , fishery , fishing , hotspot (geology) , ecology , fish <actinopterygii> , demography , geophysics , geology , sociology
Invasion of armoured catfish, Pterygoplichthys spp . , is a major threat to global aquatic biodiversity, and developing effective strategies for their control and eradication is both a concern and a research priority. A length‐based population assessment of invasive Pterygoplichthys pardalis in southern India, a hotspot for endemic aquatic biodiversity, indicated that rapid growth, high growth performance index and continuous recruitment have aided their successful invasion. Increasing fishing pressure on the adults is not adequate for population management, and only targeting young individuals (<30 cm) will result in overexploitation and population collapse.