Quenton M. Tuckett

Landscape-scale survey of non-native fishes near ornamental aquaculture facilities in Florida, USA

The Tampa Bay region of Florida exhibits the highest concentration of ornamental aquaculture facilities in the USA. Because of the diversity of aquaculture products (~800 species and varieties) and extensive production history (began in the 1930s and 1940s), this region could be a hotspot for escaped ornamental fish. We evaluated the scope of ornamental fish invasions in this region by examining (1) escape vectors and (2) the distribution of escaped fish. We investigated potential pathways of fish escape including theft/vandalism, fish transport, bird carry-off, and through effluent discharge. Fish were sampled at the effluent discharge and continued into the surrounding environment. The dominant escape vector was through farm effluents; there was no evidence that theft/vandalism, fish transport, or bird carry-off contributed to fish escape. Most captured fish were natives, especially the ubiquitous Eastern Mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki). Ornamental species and varieties were also captured, especially cichlids and poeciliids such as the Green Swordtail (Xiphophorus hellerii) and Southern Platyfish (Xiphophorus maculatus). Ornamental fish were often found in the immediate vicinity of fish farms but were rarely captured in the surrounding environment. Catch per unit effort and ornamental fish diversity declined when moving away from the aquaculture facility effluent and was reduced at sites with a detention pond. The observed fish distribution might be due to relatively cold water in sub-tropical Florida, predatory fish in the environment, and additional factors related to the physical or biological habitat. Ultimately, few ornamental fishes have established in this region despite a long period of extensive culture.

Implementation and Enforcement of Best Management Practices for Florida Ornamental Aquaculture with an Emphasis on Nonnative Species

AbstractTropical ornamental aquaculture is dominated by the production of nonnative species and is an important industry in Florida. However, the escape of nonnative species can pose challenges to the industry and also natural resource managers. Escapement of nonnative species and their potential impacts has led to suggestions that ornamental aquaculture is unregulated and lacks transparency. Comprehensive regulation of Florida aquaculture began in 1999 with the creation of the Division of Aquaculture (Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; FDACS) along with aquaculture best management practices (BMPs). Although FDACS regulates commercial aquaculture through application of BMPs, which includes provisions for escapement of nonnative species, the implementation of aquaculture BMPs has been largely unverified. Our objective was to examine how aquaculture BMPs have been implemented to prevent the escape of nonnative species, how facilities are inspected, and the rates and causes of noncompli...

Lower Lethal Temperature for Arapaima Arapaima gigas: Potential Implications for Culture and Establishment in Florida

AbstractArapaima Arapaima gigas is a large, predatory, obligate air-breathing fish native to the Amazon River basin. Aquaculture producers have identified this species as a candidate for commercial culture in Florida. For this species, a preliminary risk assessment using the Fish Invasiveness Screening Kit indicated a medium to high risk of invasiveness to parts of central and southern Florida. However, data on lower lethal temperature were not available, which was a data gap identified by the risk assessment. Lower lethal temperature is an important physiological characteristic, limiting not only the culture of tropical fishes in subtropical Florida but also the potential for establishing nonnative populations. This study is the first known experimental test of low-temperature tolerance for Arapaima. Our findings suggest Arapaima will not survive temperatures at or below 16°C. When compared with established nonnative fishes in Florida, this species is extremely cold sensitive, similar to that of Butterfl...

Risk Screen of Freshwater Tropical Ornamental Fishes for the Conterminous United States

AbstractThe trade in ornamental fish is increasingly viewed as a major source for the introduction of invasive species into the environment. However, few ornamental fishes are established and widespread in the conterminous United States, and fewer still are thought to cause noticeable environmental impacts. To better evaluate the risk of this pathway, we conducted a risk screen of 34 important freshwater ornamental fish species by using the Fish Invasiveness Screening Kit (FISK) version 2 for the conterminous United States. Screens from three to five independent assessors resulted in categorization of 91–100% of the species as noninvasive. The low climate match of these mostly tropical species largely confines establishment risk to subtropical regions, primarily peninsular Florida, and to isolated thermal refuges (e.g., geothermal springs) in otherwise unsuitable climates. Few data on impacts exist for tropical ornamental fish in the conterminous United States, and there is little evidence for the occurre...

Lower Lethal Temperatures for Two Commonly Traded Species of Lionfishes: Implications for Establishment beyond Pterois volitans and P. miles

The subfamily Pteroinae, a widely distributed Indo-Pacific group, contains five genera and 27 species, including the well-known, invasive Red Lionfish Pterois volitans and Devil Firefish P. miles. Other species are imported in the marine ornamental trade; however, basic biological information for most is scarce or absent, which can make the determination of invasion risk difficult. Thermal tolerance is an important physiological characteristic which can limit the distribution of non-native fishes. Here we assess the thermal tolerances of two commonly traded lionfishes in the ornamental pathway, Shortfin Turkeyfish Dendrochirus brachypterus and Zebra Turkeyfish Dendrochirus zebra, using chronic lethal methodology. Average chronic lethal minimum temperature was 11.8°C for Shortfin Turkeyfish and 14.7°C for Zebra Turkeyfish, compared to 10.0°C for Red Lionfish. Our results suggest a narrower potential distribution in the Atlantic for both species if they were to establish outside captivity. These findings are useful for future risk assessment which can inform regulatory actions, if necessary, and ultimately mitigate deleterious introductions.