Pterygoplichthys loose in the Scotland

[bekateen]

Munson A, Bifi AG, Campos D, McColl D, Wong M, Yeomans WE, Killen SS (2024) First records of the introduced sailfin catfish Pterygoplichthys in the United Kingdom. Biolnvasions Records 13(1): 241-250.
https://doi.org/10.3391/bir.2024.13.1.22

ABSTRACT
Sailfin catfish, Pterygoplichthys, is a genus of fish common in the ornamental aquarium trade. Originally from South America, they are now invasive in numerous locations around the globe. We report the first records of Pterygoplichthys in the United Kingdom. We captured one

Pterygoplichthys joselimaianus

and one

Pterygoplichthys pardalis

in an artificial side channel of the River Kelvin in Glasgow, Scotland on 30 August 2021 and 6 September 2021, respectively. Further monitoring and public education will be important as river temperatures increase to prevent establishment of these species, which have become invasive in other parts of the world.

Key words: Armored catfish, aquarium trade, ornamental, invasive, Loricariidae

[Jools]

Near that area in Glasgow is a botanical garden that has a hothouse with some indoor ponds. There are MANY odd fish in that pond but you can't properly see them. Haven't been for a while but I do recall Oscars and Pacu.

This isn't the first (loricariid) sighting in Scotland. The first was Hypostomus in the Union Canal IIRC. I don't know if I posted that here or maybe Insta. Will check when I can...

Jools

Cheers,

Jools

[Bas Pels]

How couold they survive the winters? Finding a pleco in a lake in September does not tell me much, finding it in March would be a much larger problem

[Kirin]

I seem to remember there have been others but none have been caught alive. It's likely these fishes were only introduced during the summer, one really doesn't look in the greatest health either.