Environmental DNA (eDNA) reveals potential for interoceanic fish invasions across the Panama Canal

Interoceanic canals can facilitate biological invasions as they connect the world’s oceans and dissolve dispersal barriers between bioregions. As a consequence, multiple opportunities for biotic exchange arise and the resulting establishment of migrant species often causes adverse ecological and economic impacts. The Panama Canal is a key region for biotic exchange as it connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans in Central America. In this study, we used two complementary methods (environmental DNA (eDNA) and gillnetting) to survey fish communities in this unique waterway. Using COI (cytochrome oxidase subunit I) metabarcoding, we detected a total of 142 taxa, including evidence for the presence of sixteen Atlantic and eight Pacific marine fish inside different sections of the Canal. Of these, ten are potentially new records of marine taxa detected in the freshwater segment of the Canal. Molecular data did not capture all species caught with gillnets, but generally provided a more complete image of the fish fauna. Diversity indices based on eDNA surveys revealed significant differences across different sections of the Canal reflecting in part the prevailing environmental conditions. The observed increase in the presence of marine fish species in the Canal indicates a growing potential for interoceanic exchange of fishes across the Isthmus. Monitoring using eDNA is a rapid and efficient way to assess potential changes in the fishes of this important waterway.

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eDNA reveals widespread presence of marine fish in the Panama Canal

ARPHA Conference Abstracts ◽

10.3897/aca.4.e64951 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

Author(s):

Lennart Schreiber ◽

Gustavo Castellanos-Galindo ◽

D. Ross Robertson ◽

Mark Torchin ◽

Karina Chavarria ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Marine Fish ◽

Native Species ◽

Fish Community ◽

Salt Water ◽

Fish Fauna ◽

Diversity Indices ◽

Molecular Data ◽

Panama Canal ◽

Salt Water Intrusion ◽

Species Dispersal

Shipping corridors can be hotspots for biological invasions as they connect the world’s oceans and dissolve dispersal barriers between these aquatic systems. As a consequence, multiple opportunities for biotic exchange arise and the resulting establishment of non-native species often causes adverse ecological and economic impacts. In this study, a combined effort of traditional gillnetting and eDNA-based surveys was implemented to characterize the fish community of the Panama Canal, which is a key region for biotic exchange as it connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans in Central America. The Canal was recently expanded and new lock systems installed potentially providing novel opportunities for fish to enter the Canal. Using COI metabarcoding, we detected a total of 142 taxa, including thirteen potentially new records for the freshwater part of the Canal. Furthermore, we found evidence for the presence of 16 Atlantic and 10 Pacific non-native marine fish inside different sections of the Canal. Identifications based on molecular data did not cover all species caught with gillnets, but generally provided a more complete image of the fish fauna. Diversity indices based on eDNA surveys revealed significant differences across different sections of the Canal reflecting in part the prevailing environmental conditions. The observed changes in the fish community may be attributed to the recent expansion of the lock systems, which facilitates species migration directly by enlarging the canal entrances on either side of the Isthmus and indirectly by allowing more salt water to enter the Canal and thus increasing the overall salinity. Given the potential ecological and socio-economic consequences of non-native species crossing the Canal and establishing in the ocean basins on either end, it seems advisable to evaluate limiting salt water intrusion as well as implementing additional barriers to species dispersal (acoustic/electric/chemical deterrents) as a precautionary measure.

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Length–weight relationships of 12 marine fish species from the Pacific coast of Guatemala associated with small‐scale fisheries

Journal of Applied Ichthyology ◽

10.1111/jai.14093 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 36 (6) ◽

pp. 863-865

Author(s):

Juan Carlos Hernández‐Padilla ◽

Norberto Capetillo‐Piñar ◽

Fernando Aranceta‐Garza ◽

Josué Alonso Yee‐Duarte ◽

Nurenskaya Vélez‐Arellano ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Marine Fish ◽

Fish Species ◽

Pacific Coast ◽

Small Scale ◽

Marine Fish Species ◽

Small Scale Fisheries ◽

The Pacific

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Twelve new records of Coral associated fish from the Saint Martin’s island based on morphometric and molecular approaches

Bangladesh Journal of Zoology ◽

10.3329/bjz.v48i2.52367 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 48 (2) ◽

pp. 253-262

Author(s):

Mst Mashruba Naznin ◽

Mohammad Abdul Baki ◽

Md Muzammel Hossain ◽

Sujan Kumar Datta ◽

Md Sagir Ahmed

Keyword(s):

Coral Reef ◽

Marine Fish ◽

Fish Species ◽

Management Strategy ◽

New Records ◽

Marine Fish Species ◽

Molecular Approaches ◽

Saint Martin ◽

Argyrosomus Regius ◽

Thalassoma Lunare

The study was conducted to know the diversity of coral associated fishes of the Saint Martin Island from December 2017 to April 2019. A total of 46 coral associated marine fish species were recorded, among them 12 species; sunajtuLiughcliug , Lutjanus russellii, Parupeneus indicus, Siganus sutor, Thalassoma lunare, Gazza achlamys, Pomadasys andamanensis, Pomadasys kaakan, Lethrinus crocineus, Argyrosomus regius, Istigobius ornatus and Cryptocentrus cyanotaenia under six family were newly recorded from this Island. We assume that there are more species to be explored and need proper management strategy for conservation of coral reef and its associated biodiversity. Bangladesh J. Zool. 48(2): 253-262, 2020

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Detection of a Diverse Marine Fish Fauna Using Environmental DNA from Seawater Samples

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0041732 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 7 (8) ◽

pp. e41732 ◽

Cited By ~ 424

Author(s):

Philip Francis Thomsen ◽

Jos Kielgast ◽

Lars Lønsmann Iversen ◽

Peter Rask Møller ◽

Morten Rasmussen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Marine Fish ◽

Fish Fauna ◽

Environmental Dna ◽

Seawater Samples

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An Updated Checklist Of Parasitic Helminths Of Marine Fish From Turkey

Transylvanian Review of Systematical and Ecological Research ◽

10.1515/trser-2015-0017 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 55-96 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ahmet Öktener

Keyword(s):

Marine Fish ◽

Parasite Species ◽

New Records ◽

Marine Fishes ◽

Helminth Parasites ◽

Marine Fish Species ◽

Migratory Species ◽

Host Fish ◽

Species List ◽

Parasitic Helminths

Abstract An updated checklist carried out indicated the occurrence of 161 helminth species from wild marine fish species in Turkey, which includes 49 monogeneans, 63 digeneans, 18 cestodes, 17 nematodes, 11 acanthocephalans and three annelids, from 88 different fish (86 native, two migratory) species. Since the publication of the checklist of helminth parasites of marine fishes in Turkey over nine years ago (Öktener, 2005), there have been a number of new records. This update includes these additional records and has allowed the correction of those errors and omissions that were present in the previous version. The parasite species list is arranged by phylum and class, providing parasite species name, host fish, location of host fish capture and author, and date of published record. The host list consists of all parasite species listed by host species. All parasites and their hosts are confirmed with the recent systematic accounts and full taxonomic account.

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The squat lobsters of the genus Sadayoshia Baba, 1969 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura: Munididae): new records including six new species from the Pacific Ocean

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.3589.1.2 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 3589 (1) ◽

pp. 30 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

ENRIQUE MACPHERSON ◽

KEIJI BABA

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Pacific Ocean ◽

New Records ◽

Molecular Data ◽

Careful Examination ◽

Species Discrimination ◽

Dichotomous Key ◽

The Pacific ◽

The Pacific Ocean ◽

Squat Lobsters

Careful examination of the morphology of recently obtained specimens as well as previously reported specimens of thegenus Sadayoshia, initiated by unpublished molecular data that suggest the existence of several different species, led usto describe six new species. The species are very similar to one another and distinguished by very slight morphologicaldifferences. Some of the characters that were previously considered as intraspecifically variable in some species, proved to be valid for species discrimination. A dichotomous key to all species of the genus is provided.

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