Suwannarat Nannaphat, Ribas Alexis, Miquel Jordi, Poonlaphdecha Srisupaph
Program in Fishery Science and Aquatic Resources, Department of Agricultural Technology, King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Prince of Chumphon Campus, Chumphon, Thailand.
Parasitology Section, Department of Biology, Healthcare and Environment, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Science, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Front Vet Sci. 2025 Feb 7;12:1529827. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1529827. eCollection 2025.
This study investigates the helminth absence in the invasive blackchin tilapia () in Thailand, testing the Enemy Release Hypothesis (ERH). The ERH suggests that invasive species thrive in new habitats due to the lack of natural parasites that control their populations in native environments. The recent introduction of in Thailand has raised concerns about its ecological and economic impacts.
We surveyed 164 blackchin tilapia from six different locations in Chumphon Province, Thailand, including the sea, estuary, canal, and shrimp farms, examining them for helminths. Fishermen provided data on the first capture dates in the surveyed areas to determine how long the populations have been established.
No helminths were detected in any of the examined fish. The absence of parasites was consistent across all surveyed environments, suggesting a lack of parasitic burden in the population.
The absence of helminths may contribute to the successful expansion of in Thailand, supporting the Enemy Release Hypothesis.
本研究调查了泰国入侵性黑鳍罗非鱼（）体内蠕虫缺失的情况，以检验“天敌释放假说”（ERH）。“天敌释放假说”认为，入侵物种在新栖息地能够蓬勃发展，是因为缺乏在原生环境中控制其种群数量的天然寄生虫。黑鳍罗非鱼近期在泰国的引入引发了对其生态和经济影响的担忧。
我们对来自泰国春蓬府六个不同地点（包括海洋、河口、运河和虾养殖场）的164条黑鳍罗非鱼进行了调查，检查它们是否感染蠕虫。渔民提供了调查区域内首次捕获日期的数据，以确定鱼群在当地建立的时间长度。
在所有检查的鱼中均未检测到蠕虫。所有调查环境中寄生虫的缺失情况一致，表明该种群缺乏寄生虫负担。
蠕虫的缺失可能有助于黑鳍罗非鱼在泰国的成功扩张，支持了“天敌释放假说”。
