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Establishment And Dispersal Of A Reproducing Population Of Amphipnous Cuchia In Bayou St. John, New Orleans, Louisiana
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2021
[PDF-5.56 MB]
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Description:Cuchia (Amphipnous cuchia) is a species of obligate air-breathing Synbranchiform eel
native to Southeast Asia that was discovered in Bayou St. John in New Orleans in June 2019. We
studied the invasion dynamics of this recently introduced species during the past two years by
quantifying distribution and abundance at ten sites throughout Bayou St. John, three sites in City
Park, and two nearby sites in Lake Pontchartrain. Sampling methods included dip netting,
seining, removal and inspection of littoral vegetation, throw trapping, and deployment of leaf
packs and minnow traps. We collected several age and size classes of Cuchia in both 2019 and
2020. Presence of young-of-year during both years indicates this is the first reported reproducing
population established in the United States. Distribution has increased modestly in Bayou St.
John during the past two years, but Cuchia have not yet been detected in the lagoons of City Park
or nearby sites in Lake Pontchartrain. Laboratory experiments indicate that young-of-year are
tolerant of salinities typical of the Lake Pontchartrain Estuary. Range expansion into the Lake
Pontchartrain Estuary and potentially the Mississippi River Basin is of concern because Cuchia
is an opportunistic predator that is difficult to control or eradicate because it is resistant to
ichthyotoxins and occupies vegetated and fossorial habitats that are extremely difficult to
sample. Data on abundance, distribution and ecology of Cuchia will help inform methods for
future management and monitoring.
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