Title |
Colossal Aggregations of Giant Alien Freshwater Fish as a Potential Biogeochemical Hotspot
|
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Published in |
PLOS ONE, October 2011
|
DOI | 10.1371/journal.pone.0025732 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Stéphanie Boulêtreau, Julien Cucherousset, Sébastien Villéger, Rémi Masson, Frédéric Santoul |
Abstract |
The ubiquity and fascinating nature of animal aggregations are widely recognised. We report here consistent and previously undocumented occurences of aggregations of a giant alien freshwater fish, the Wels catfish (Silurus glanis). Aggregative groups were on average composed of 25 (± 10 SD, ranging from 15 to 44) adults with estimated average total biomass of 651 kg (386 - 1132) and biomass density of 23 kg m(-2) (14 - 40). Aggregations always occurred within the same location. No foraging, reproductive or anti-predator behaviour were observed during the aggregations. A mass-balance model estimated that these colossal aggregations of an alien species can locally release, through excretion only, up to 70 mg P m(-2) h(-1) and 400 mg N m(-2) h(-1), potentially representing the highest biogeochemical hotspots reported in freshwater ecosystems and another unexpected ecological effect of alien species. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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United States | 1 | 25% |
Unknown | 3 | 75% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
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Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 2 | 50% |
Members of the public | 1 | 25% |
Scientists | 1 | 25% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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France | 2 | 3% |
Portugal | 1 | 1% |
Italy | 1 | 1% |
Brazil | 1 | 1% |
Czechia | 1 | 1% |
Spain | 1 | 1% |
United States | 1 | 1% |
Unknown | 62 | 89% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
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Researcher | 17 | 24% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 16 | 23% |
Student > Master | 13 | 19% |
Professor | 5 | 7% |
Student > Bachelor | 4 | 6% |
Other | 9 | 13% |
Unknown | 6 | 9% |
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Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 38 | 54% |
Environmental Science | 21 | 30% |
Linguistics | 1 | 1% |
Unknown | 10 | 14% |