The black bullhead ( Ameiurus melas , Rafinesque, 1820) - a new invasive fish species in Somes river, Romania.

摘要

The black bullhead (Ameiurus melas) is an Ictalurid North American fish species with greatpotential for invading new areas. It was introduced in Europe in the 19th century. Usually mistaken withthe brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus), the correct identification of this species in Europe has provento be problematic. Scientific literature has, in some cases, been inaccurate in presenting informationregarding the non-native areas of A. melas in Europe, mainly because the meristic characteristics of theblack bullhead and brown bullhead overlap. In Romania, the black bullhead has been previously reportedin Ier, Barc?u and Danube rivers and the catchment of the Cri? river. In this study, the presence of A.melas in Some? river, Romania, is recorded. Six specimens were captured in 2018 and identified basedon the pectoral spine morphology and other biological traits. Morphometric measurements were taken,and age determination was made. To our knowledge, this is the first report of A. melas in Some? river.