Invasive Fishes in the Three Gorges Reservoir

Abstract: The Three Gorges Dam had completed its 175m target of impoundment in October 2010, and the Three Gorges Reservoir has become a vacant ecological niche and closed lake-liked ecosystem. In recent years, it showed a growing tendency of invasive fish species in the reservoir and 23 invasive fish species had been found, some populations had been in the stage of outbreak. Increased nutrient inputs and primary productivity is often conducive to survival of the wide adaptability and exotic fish species in the initial times of reservoir storage, and played the facilitating role in invasion and population outbreak of exotic fish species. Exotic fish had a distinct advantage on ecological niche competition to the indigenous fish, which may be seriously harmful to ​​the fishery resources and aquatic ecological systems in the Three Gorges Reservoir. Therefore, We should pay close attention to the related effects and other issues caused by the invasive fish in the Three Gorges Reservoir, to build the ​​early warning and prevention systems of invasive fish, to assess of intentional introduced activities rigorously, and intensive study the successful invasive reasons and mechanisms of exotic invasive fish.

 

Keywords: Reservoirs; biological invasion; impoundment; monitor; invasive harm and control

Jiawen BA,Daqing Chen(*)

Key Field Station of Fishery Resources and Environment in the Upper-middle Reaches of Yangtze River, Ministry of AgricultureG

Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuhan 430223, P.R.China

e-mail: chdq@yfi.ac.cn