Publication Abstract

Disease threat to European fish

R.E. Gozlan, S. St-Hilaire, S.W. Feist, P. Martin and M.L. Kent

The outcome of deliberate biological introductions has been termed the 'Frankenstein Effect' because so many well-intentioned introductions have had unexpected negative consequences. In Europe, where the realisation of the "global village" is advanced, the removal of barriers to travel and commerce represents a major risk to aquatic biodiversity through the introduction of alien diseases, which are increasingly suspected of causing exclusion or local extinction of native species. Here we show for the first time that an invasive fish, the Asian cyprinid Pseudorasbora parva, acts as a total spawning inhibitor of a native fish, the endangered European cyprinid Leucaspius delineatus, and leads to its rapid extinction. We used microcosm and tank experiments to indicate that this effect is caused by a new intracellular eukaryotic pathogen, a rosette-like agent. These results have two major biological implications: first that the most invasive fish species in Europe is a carrier for a deadly non-specific pathogen that could threaten aquaculture trade, especially that of salmonids; second, that this Emerging infectious diseases (EID) could pose a substantial threat to the conservation of global fish diversity in Europe.

Reference:

R.E. Gozlan, S. St-Hilaire, S.W. Feist, P. Martin and M.L. Kent (2005) Disease threat to European fish. Nature, 435: 1046