Water@Leeds, School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, Private Bag 1015, Makhanda, Eastern Cape, 6140, South Africa.
BMC Ecol Evol. 2024 Nov 6;24(1):136. doi: 10.1186/s12862-024-02321-3.
This review compiles and synthesises the existing information concerning non-native poeciliid introductions to Africa. The recent upsurge in research on invasive poeciliids has revealed their widespread occurrence in Africa.
Within the 87 relevant articles, 74% reported on the presence of Gambusia spp., 33% on P. reticulata, 19% on X. hellerii, 11% on X. maculatus, and 5% on other ornamental poeciliids. Overall, poeciliids have been documented as introduced to 25 different countries in Africa. With Gambusia spp. being introduced to 16 countries and P. reticulata to 19 countries. Our results are representative of the current state of research on invasive poeciliids in Africa. There was a concentration of studies in South Africa, with limited research elsewhere. Current distribution data is relatively patchy, although widespread surveys of multiple river systems in Morocco and South Africa, confirmed widespread and abundant established poeciliid populations. The ecological impacts of invasive poeciliids in Africa remain understudied but evidence indicates deleterious effects on native fish, invertebrates, and amphibians, many of which are critically endangered or endemic.
Current research is limited in reporting from certain countries and ecological impacts. An increased effort to monitor species composition in vulnerable waterbodies, especially in the many African countries where invasive poeciliids are reported, should be completed to reveal further established populations. Future research should prioritise quantifying the ecological impacts of invasive poeciliids in the field and identifying both vulnerable and resistant native ecosystems to guide future management decisions.
本综述汇集并综合了有关非本地胎生鱂鱼引入非洲的现有信息。最近对入侵胎生鱂鱼的研究热潮揭示了它们在非洲的广泛存在。
在 87 篇相关文章中，74%报道了胎生鱂属的存在，33%报道了圆尾斗鱼，19%报道了虹彩圆口鱂，11%报道了蓝斑鱂，5%报道了其他观赏胎生鱂。总体而言，胎生鱂已被记录为引入非洲 25 个不同的国家。其中，胎生鱂属被引入 16 个国家，圆尾斗鱼被引入 19 个国家。我们的结果代表了非洲入侵胎生鱂研究的当前现状。南非的研究较为集中，其他地区的研究有限。目前的分布数据相对零散，尽管在摩洛哥和南非的多个河流系统进行了广泛的调查，证实了广泛而丰富的胎生鱂种群的存在。非洲入侵胎生鱂的生态影响仍研究不足，但有证据表明它们对本地鱼类、无脊椎动物和两栖动物造成了有害影响，其中许多物种处于极度濒危或特有状态。
目前的研究在某些国家和生态影响方面的报告有限。应该加强对脆弱水体中物种组成的监测，特别是在许多报道有入侵胎生鱂的非洲国家，以揭示更多已建立的种群。未来的研究应优先在实地量化入侵胎生鱂的生态影响，并确定脆弱和抵抗的本地生态系统，以指导未来的管理决策。
