ANSRP Bulletin, Vol-09-1 April 2009 NNoonn--NNaattiivvee SSuucckkeerrmmoouutthh AArrmmoorreedd CCaattffiisshheess iinn FFlloorriiddaa:: DDeessccrriippttiioonn ooff NNeesstt BBuurrrroowwss aanndd BBuurrrrooww CCoolloonniieess wwiitthh AAsssseessssmmeenntt ooff SShhoorreelliinnee CCoonnddiittiioonnss by Leo G. Nico, Howard L. Jelks, and Travis Tuten burrows in shoreline slopes for use reaches of some waterways (e.g., Purpose as spawning and nesting sites Florida’s St. Johns River) burrows (Figure 2). The burrows are re- created by Pterygoplichthys num- Non-native populations of the portedly excavated and maintained ber in the hundreds or even thou- Neotropical family Loricariidae, by adult males. In places where sands. The burrows are thought to the suckermouth armored cat- these catfish are abundant and the cause or exacerbate bank erosion. fishes, have been introduced and shore habitat suitable, burrows are Presumably, greater burrow densi- become established in many common. Burrows typically occur ties increase the likelihood of bank warm-climate regions of the in aggregates with individual colo- failure. However, there are no world, including parts of the nies consisting of a few to perhaps quantitative data available to United States (e.g., Florida and dozens of burrows. In larger adequately evaluate possible Texas). In Florida, the most com- mon loricariid catfishes are mem- bers of the genus Pterygoplichthys (Figure 1). Over the past 20 years these catfishes have invaded most inland drainages in the central and southern parts of the Florida pen- insula. In certain rivers, canals, and lakes, they are widespread and abundant, accounting for a large proportion of the total fish bio- mass. Adult Pterygoplichthys at- tain sizes well over 40 cm long. In both their native and intro- Figure 1. Adult male Pterygoplichthys taken from Oklawaha River drainage, duced ranges, Pterygoplichthys Florida on 4 June 2006. Fish measured 536 mm total length (415 mm standard and certain other loricariid cat- length) and weighed 1.4 kg. At time of capture this catfish was stationed at the fishes excavate and maintain entrance of a nest burrow containing eggs. (Photograph by L. G. Nico) In this Issue: Non-Native Suckermouth Armored Catfishes in Florida: Description of Nest Burrows and Burrow Colonies with Assessment of Shoreline Conditions ........................................................................................................................................1 Form Approved Report Documentation Page OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington VA 22202-4302. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to a penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number. 1. REPORT DATE 3. DATES COVERED 2. REPORT TYPE APR 2009 00-00-2009 to 00-00-2009 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER Aquatic Nuisance Species Research Program Vol 9-1 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION Environmental Laboratory,3909 Halls Ferry REPORT NUMBER Rd,Vicksburg,MS,39180-6133 9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S ACRONYM(S) 11. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S REPORT NUMBER(S) 12. DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENT Approved for public release; distribution unlimited 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT 15. SUBJECT TERMS 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF 18. NUMBER 19a. NAME OF ABSTRACT OF PAGES RESPONSIBLE PERSON a. REPORT b. ABSTRACT c. THIS PAGE Same as 30 unclassified unclassified unclassified Report (SAR) Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39-18 Nelson 2006). Although there is dramatic variation in body shape and dentition, as a group lori- cariids are characterized by a depressed body covered by large bony plates, a unique pair of max- illary barbels, and a ventral suctorial mouth (Covain and Fisch-Muller 2007). The sucker mouth of loricariids enables ad- herence to the substrate even in fast-flowing water and, in combi- nation with specialized teeth, is an adaptation for feeding by scraping submerged substrates to consume algae, small invertebrates, organic sediments (e.g., detritus and mud), Figure 2. Nest burrows of loricariid catfishes in their native range in South and even wood (Schaefer and America: Cano Mavaquita, upper Orinoco River basin, Venezuela. Type locality Stewart 1993, Nico and Taphorn for Leporacanthicus triactis (Isbrücker et al. 1992). (Photograph by L. G. Nico) 1994, Yossa and Araujo-Lima 1998, Delariva and Agostinho associations between presence and 2001). Many members of the fam- abundance of burrows and bank Introduction ily are popular aquarium fishes instability. The suckermouth armored cat- used for controlling algae in tanks. The goal of the present study fishes (family Loricariidae) are an Several members of three lori- was to obtain baseline information extremely large and diverse group cariid genera (Hypostomus, Ptery- on the burrows of Pterygoplich- of New World freshwater fishes. goplichthys, and Ancistrus), all thys in Florida and to provide a The family includes six subfami- belonging to the subfamily Hypo- preliminary assessment of shore- lies, an estimated 90 genera, and stominae, have been introduced line conditions, including factors approximately 700 described spe- outside their native ranges. All or associated with bank stability and cies (Armbruster and Page 2006, most introductions into the wild erosion. Specific objectives in- Nelson 2006) with many more are likely linked to the ornamental cluded: 1) survey portions of se- species remaining to be described fish trade (Fuller et al. 1999, Nico lected rivers and canals in penin- (Reis et al. 2003, Birindelli et al. and Martin 2001, Vidthayanon sular Florida to determine the 2007). The natural distribution of 2005, Page and Robins 2006). number and location of loricariid this catfish family extends from Some of these non-native popula- catfish nest burrows; 2) measure the La Plata River of southern tions are firmly established in a and characterize burrow structures South America northward to Costa number of warm-climate regions and surrounding habitats; 3) iden- Rica of Central America, or from around the world. Among intro- tify shoreline features correlated about 35° S to 12° N latitude duced loricariids, members of the with the presence of burrows; and (Berra 2001). Members of the genus Pterygoplichthys are the 4) categorize bank condition and family may be found from low most widely introduced (Figure 1) erosion. To better understand the elevations up to 3,000 m and, de- with reproducing non-native popu- likely impacts associated with pending on species, adult lori- lations now documented as occur- these catfish and their burrows, cariids range in body size from ring in North and Central Amer- literature on the burrows of lori- relatively small, less than one or a ica, Asia, the Caribbean, and cariid catfishes and other animals few centimeters long, to over 1 m Hawaii. Pterygoplichthys are one was also reviewed. total length (Fuller et al. 1999, of the most abundant fish species 2 ANSRP Bulletin, Vol-09-1, March 2009 in certain habitats within their have not been determined. Collec- Hypostomus are known to exca- native range (Saint-Paul et al. tions or sightings of Pterygoplich- vate burrows along the sloped 2000) and introduced populations thys or Hypostomus have also shorelines of lentic and lotic habi- are large and, in some places, they been reported from other locations tats. However, there is little in- comprise a substantial proportion outside their native ranges, al- formation in the scientific litera- of the total fish biomass (personal though there is as yet little or no ture on the burrows and nesting observation. Leo G. Nico). evidence of natural reproduction. behaviors of these catfishes. This In North America Pterygop- For example, a specimen identi- shortage of information is surpris- lichthys are particularly common fied as P. disjunctivus was re- ing, given the broad distribution in certain drainages in the south- cently taken from the Asi River in and abundance of these catfishes ern United States in Florida and Turkey (Ozdilek 2007). within and outside their native Texas (Fuller et al.1999, Nico and Pterygoplichthys are medium ranges. Martin 2001) and in Mexico to moderately large fishes (Fig- This bulletin describes the bur- (Mendoza et al. 2006, Wakida- ure 1). Captured adults from intro- rows and burrow colonies of Kusunoki et al. 2007). Reproduc- duced populations generally mea- Pterygoplichthys based on field ing populations are also known sure 30 to 55 cm total length (TL) observations on non-native popu- from the islands of Oahu in Ha- although maximum size probably lations inhabiting canal and river waii (Sabaj and Englund 1999, exceeds 70 cm TL (Liang