| No voucher: [Large] [Zoom] upl_232424.jpg [607475] Approved=Yes Submission by: Vitule, Jean Ricardo Simões on 2008-02-08 Photographed by: Umbria, S.C. Clarias gariepinus Standard Length: 760 mm Locality: During the 1990s, C. gariepinus started to be cultivated in fish farms throughout Europe, Asian and Latin America including Brazil. It was cultivated in fish farms in Paraná state (south region of Brazil), even though Brazil has one of the most diverse catfish faunas in the world and the Environmental Federal Brazilian Legislation, prohibits the introduction, transfer, cultivation and commercialization of C. gariepinus in the Amazon and Paraguay hydrographic basins. However, it was not popular in the local markets, therefore fish farmers began using this species in sport fish ponds (in Brazil named as pesque-pague = âfish-and-payâ), stimulating an increase in the number of such ponds. Unfortunately, the catfish ponds do not have any protective apparatus to avoid the escape of species, resulting in the invasion of this species into rivers and lakes. Specimens captured in Brazilian Atlantic Rain Forest. We record the introduction of the African catfish Clarias gariepinus into the Guaraguaçu River basin. (Abstract of article: Introduction of the African catfish Clarias gariepinus (BURCHELL, 1822) into Southern Brazil. Vitule, JRS et al. Biological Invasions (2006) 8: 677â681. Copyright©S.C. Umbria, All Rights Reserved. |