Aquatic Invasive Species

Suckermouth Catfish (Hypostomus plecostomus)

Description:

• Grows up to 50 cm, body covered in armored plates (CABI, 2021)
• Popular ornamental fish native to northern South America (CABI, 2021)

Habitat:

• Prefers quiet, slow moving waters (Neilson, 2021)
• In the US, introduced populations reside in shallow areas of lakes, rivers, and reservoirs (CABI, 2021)`

Impacts & Concern:

• Compete for food and space with native species due to abundance (Neilson, 2021)
• Create burrows which cause increased erosion and sedimentation (CABI, 2021)

Introduction:

• Introduced to Hawaiʻi through aquarium release (Neilson, 2021)

Distribution in Hawaii:

• Kauai: Not documented
• Oʻahu: Present (Neilson, 2021)
• Molokai: Not documented
• Lanai: Not documented
• Maui: Present in Kanaha Pond (Neilson, 2021)
• Big Island: Not documented

References:

• Neilson, M.E. (2021) Hypostomus sp. (watwata group): U.S. Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL. https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?SpeciesID=763
• CABI, 2021. Hypostomus plecostomus. In: Invasive Species Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/114927