SCENT

Scaning chemical pollution as an ecological impact of non-native fish introductions: an experimental approach

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'The proposed MC Fellowship will look for the first time into the concept of pheromone pollution within biological invasions, as we strongly suspect this is facilitating the establishment of introduced fish species in novel ecosystems from the results of preliminary experiments. In the same way that introduced species can disrupt native species genetics through hybridisation, they can also disrupt highly-evolved reproductive behaviours through a complex exchange of pheromones signals in chemical complexes of similar character. Species-specific modifications to separate similar pheromone systems, and prevent a generic response, have not previously been required due to geographical isolation, whereas today these species are increasing living in sympatry in European freshwaters. Correspondingly, a dominant individual of an invasive fish that uses chemical signals to modify behaviours among subordinates could, when introduced, also affect the individual behaviours of native species. This has been discovered in the most invasive fish in Europe, topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva, which has a sexual pheromone complex that causes the total inhibition of spawning in two small-bodied, nest-guarding cyprinids from continental Europe (sunbleak Leucaspius delinateus; IUCN Red List of Threatened Species) and North America (fathead minnow Pimephales promelas). Therefore, the overall aim of the project is to examine the concept of pheromone pollution as a facilitator of the establishment and invasion of P. parva in novel ecosystems. This will be completed through experimental studies of reproductive pheromone interactions between P. parva, and both L. delineatus and P. promelas, and so has high significance for the conservation of European fish diversity. The project will then provide fundamental information for guiding the formulation and implementation of EU policy and management decisions on the invasive species that are impacting most on the biodiversity of Member States.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

A recent research project has investigated whether invasive fish species can influence native species through pheromone signalling.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Europe's most common invasive fish species, topmouth gudgeon, has impacted on the native sunbleak (in Europe) and the fathead minnow (in North America). There is a hypothesis that the topmouth gudgeon is interfering with reproduction of those species through its own pheromone signalling.

This concept of pheromone pollution was the focus of the EU-funded SCENT project. Specifically, SCENT investigated whether pheromone pollution facilitated the invasiveness of topmouth gudgeon, particularly against the fathead minnow.

The project spent some time establishing an experimental laboratory system of tanks and video cameras. Over a reproductive season, fathead minnows were continuously exposed to pheromones from male topmouth gudgeon.

Researchers found no impact of topmouth gudgeon pheromones on fathead minnow reproduction despite a significant impact of evidence of female fathead minnow preference for topmouth gudgeon hidden sex signals.

SCENT also spent some time isolating and characterising the chemical structure of these pheromones. Overall, the project contributed to scientists' understanding of pheromone pollution and invasion biology in general.