Module 1: Introducing tilapia of Gunther Schmida photo courtesy Module 1: Introducing tilapia Objectives Key messages • Participants will gain an understanding of • Pest fish are a major threat to your local why pest fish are a problem and what the waterways main species are, with particular emphasis • Pest fish spread very quickly on Mozambique tilapia • Pest fish are believed to be mainly spread by • Participants will gain a broad knowledge human activities of tilapia including their characteristics, • Tilapia are threatening to invade the biology, distribution, why they have become Murray–Darling Basin a problem and how they spread Learning resources Intended participants • PowerPoint • All stakeholder groups • Case studies • Learning activities 6 What makes an animal a pest? What is a pest fish? Despite the best efforts of humans to eradicate The term ‘pest fish’ refers to fish species them, many pest animals continue to thrive. that are not native to an area and that have But what is it that makes these animals potential negative social, economic or so persistently invasive? Aside from the environmental impacts. Populations of pest inconsistent attitudes of people to pests, fish have successfully established in many of explanations can be found in the special our local waterways and are a major threat to characteristics of a pest. A pest’s success in the high diversity of native freshwater fish in Australia can mostly be attributed to specific Queensland and New South Wales. aspects of its biology, combined with habitat disturbance that provides favourable conditions The presence of pest fish in natural waterways and a lack of predators and diseases that might can have some serious impacts such as: otherwise limit its numbers and distribution. Habitat • decreased water quality • increased water turbidity and siltation • increased nutrient loads Native fauna and flora • introduction of diseases and parasites • decreased biomass and diversity of rooted water plants • reduced numbers and diversity of native aquatic fauna (through direct competition for food or space, or predation) • decreased numbers and diversity of aquatic insects • altered food chains and other ecological processes • increased dominance of waterbodies by pest fish Economic and recreational • increased pressure on recreationally significant species through competition, etc. • reduced environmental and conservation value of infested waterbodies • diminished recreational value of infested waterbodies • reduced value of recreational and/or commercial fisheries. Furthermore, pest fish such as tilapia and gambusia often exhibit aggressive behaviour, resulting in reduced condition, increased risk of infection from wounds and a higher mortality of native fish. Although the presence of pest fish can potentially have some devastating results, their impacts on a particular area will depend on the specific case; it is important to note that pest fish are often a symptom of a degraded habitat, Stop the spread not a cause. 7 Module 1: Introducing tilapia There are four particular pest fish species that are having serious negative impacts on waterways in New South Wales and southern Queensland: carp (Cyprinus carpio), Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus), redfin (Perca fluviatilis) and eastern gambusia (Gambusia holbrooki). Of these species, the Mozambique tilapia (also known as the Mozambique mouth-brooder) is the only one currently not present in the Murray–Darling Basin (MDB). This pest fish has been listed in the top 100 of the world’s worst introduced species and is regarded as Figure 1.3 Redfin (Perca fluviatilis) photo courtesy of NSW DPI one of the greatest threats to Australia’s native biodiversity. Tilapia were first introduced into Australia in the 1960s as ornamental fish and now dominate many Queensland waterways. The species’ success as an invader can be attributed to its ability to easily and rapidly breed, general hardiness, rapid growth rate and environmental plasticity. Figure 1.4 Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) Figure 1.1 Carp (Cyprinus carpio) Figure 1.2 Eastern gambusia (Gambusia holbrooki) 8 Things to know about tilapia Breeding The Mozambique tilapia is a mouth-brooder, which means that eggs and larvae are reared and protected in the adult’s mouth. The female collects the fertilised eggs into her mouth from a circular pit or nest built (and aggressively defended) by the male. This technique ensures a high juvenile survival rate of 50–90 per cent. Furthermore, tilapia can often reproduce year-round, adding to their ability to quickly establish large populations in a waterway. Figure 1.7 Female Mozambique tilapia carrying In poor environmental conditions, tilapia can juveniles in her mouth use a breeding strategy called stunting, where earlier maturation at a smaller size enables the fish to concentrate their energy on reproduction instead of growth. Figure 1.8 Female Mozambique tilapia with juveniles Habitat preference Tilapia are habitat generalists, meaning Figure 1.5 Mozambique tilapia nests they can adapt to many environments, including disturbed environments where they often flourish. Tilapia can prey shift allowing them to utilise available food sources under a wide range of environmental conditions. The stunting mechanism allows tilapia to exist in extremely high densities and to outcompete natives for food and space. They can survive in conditions too poor to support native fish species, as they can tolerate polluted and turbid waters. In environments with low levels of dissolved oxygen, tilapia can supplement their oxygen requirements by gulping air at the water’s surface. Tilapia are hardy fish, tolerant of a broad range Figure 1.6 Female Mozambique tilapia carrying eggs of environmental conditions such as poor water in her mouth quality, high salinity and high temperatures. They are reportedly able to survive and grow in seawater. They can also survive in water temperatures ranging from 8 °C to 42 °C, Stop the spread 9 Module 1: Introducing tilapia giving them the potential to live in habitats Diet covering a large portion of Australia. The lower temperature range, however, can be a limiting Although tilapia prefer a diet of organic material factor as they require temperatures greater than such as algae, animal waste and microscopic 16 °C to remain active and feed; temperatures organisms, they are known to be flexible in their greater than 20 °C are generally required for food choices and can adapt to alternative food them to breed. sources available in their environment. Reports have shown that tilapia range from being Generally speaking, tilapia inhabit mud- herbivorous to totally carnivorous. Despite what bottomed, well-vegetated areas in slow-flowing some people believe, tilapia also prey on other rivers and streams or still-water habitats. fish; they have even been known to resort to Tilapia also thrive in habitats that consist of cannibalism. the invasive wetland weed para grass (Urochloa mutica). Distribution Tilapia have established populations worldwide and pose severe ecological threats in most countries. In Australia, populations currently exist in a number of locations in tropical and subtropical areas, including both northern and southern Queensland. Tilapia are established in Western Australian rivers that closely resemble systems in the semi-arid north-west of the MDB. Although there are currently no reports of tilapia in the MDB, established populations are known to exist in waterways only a short distance away, such as Boondooma Dam in the Upper Burnett River system. Figure 1.9 An area infested by para grass (Urochloa mutica) Many populations of tilapia also exist in the greater Brisbane area, including: • the Pine Rivers catchment (including North Pine Dam and Lake Kurwongbah) • the Caboolture River • drains near Deception Bay • the Brisbane River (including Lakes Wivenhoe and Somerset) • the Bremer River near Ipswich • the Tingalpa Reservoir • parts of the Lockyer Valley • the lower Albert and Logan rivers • drainages near the Gold Coast. In order to best use the resources available to tackle pest fish incursions, Queensland has refocused its activities to give priority to vulnerable catchments and ‘hot spots’ within those catchments. The focus is also on increasing community awareness, which, in combination with surveillance by fisheries teams, will increase the chances of early detection. The MDB has been identified as one of these vulnerable catchments. Figure 1.10 Para grass (Urochloa mutica) 10 To prevent the introduction of tilapia into the Tilapia hot spots in and around the MDB MDB, specific areas are currently targeted for community education, pest fish monitoring and Caboolture River surveillance, and control and eradication where Dalby necessary. These areas (listed opposite) are Kingaroy targets because of their direct links with the Lake Kurwongbah, Petrie MDB, as well as demographic and geographic factors that put them at risk of an incursion. Maroon Dam, Boonah Some of these sites already contain established Moogerah Dam (near Aratula) populations of tilapia and are regularly Oakey monitored for changes in the population dynamics that could increase the chance of Roma tilapia spreading further. Toowoomba Upper Burnett River Upper Stanley River Warwick Wivenhoe Dam Stop the spread 11 Module 1: Introducing tilapia Figure 1.11 Oreochromis mossambicus distribution throughout Queensland, as at April 2011 12 How pest fish spread The term ‘new incursion’ is used when a pest 1977 Tingalpa