Pumpkinseed

Type Description

"The body of the pumpkinseed is flattened from the sides and is quite high. Its total length is 20 cm on average. The maximum length it reaches in its natural distribution areas is 40 cm (Page and Burr, 1991). Their weight is normally less than 450 grams. Lepomis gibbosus is a deep-bodied, laterally compressed, almost disk-like fish.
Their appearance is very attractive, with bright blue spots on their yellow body towards the front of the body. On the gill covers there is a black spot surrounded by red coloration. During the breeding season, the coloration of both males and females becomes even more striking (Maitland and Campbell, 1992).
The head and upper parts of the body are colored from brown to olive green. The abdomen has irregular, wavy, interconnected blue-green stripes. The ventral surface is bronze to red-orange in color. The sides of the body and head may have olive green, orange or red, blue, emerald green reflections.
Vertical bars extending over the body are prominent. Depending on the condition of the individual, water clarity and ecosystem coloration, the patterns on the body can be tonal.
The mouth is positioned upwards and is small. It has very sharp teeth inside the mouth and ctenoid scales.
As in all Centrarchids, there are spines on the dorsal and anal fins. The head is quite deep; quite long, 26.1-31.5% of the total length; and the jaws have needle-like teeth (Scott and Crossman, 1973). Lateral line is complete. The peritoneum is silvery in color. The number of vertebrae varies between 28-29."

Habitat

"In its natural distribution areas, L. gibbosus reproduces in both lakes, reservoirs and waterways (Copp and Fox, 2007). However, this species is most commonly associated with lacustrine ecosystems. The species is present in almost all lake ecosystems in northern Europe (Cucherousset et al., 2009).
In southern latitudes, especially in the Iberian Peninsula, populations of L. gibbosus are found in rivers and reservoirs (Ferreira et al., 2007; Hermoso et al., 2008). However, the species is less successful in natural streams (Mesquita et al., 2006; Almeida et al., 2009).

The species is native to North America (Scott and Crossman, 1973). In Europe, it was reported that the species was first inoculated from Canada to France in 1877 (Arnold, 1990) and brought to Germany in the early 1880s (Copp et al., 2005). In Turkey, this species was first found in Thrace in 1983 (Erk'akan, 1984) and in the following years it was reported from various localities especially in Western Anatolia (Barlas et al., 2001; Şaşı and Balık, 2003; Barlas et al., 2001; Dirican and Barlas 2005; Özcan, 2007; Top 2011, Top et al., 2016, Saç and Özuluğ, 2016).

There are a wide variety of factors affecting the distribution of the species. These include escape (Klaar et al., 2004), fishing (Copp and Fox, 2007), flooding and other natural disasters (Klaar et al., 2004), food, deliberate release (Lever, 1977), live food or feed trade, ornamental use, pet trade, research (Kramer, 1971; Kramer, 1972; Kramer, 1973) and stocking."

Reproductive Information

Their reproductive period is quite long and they reach sexual maturity early. They have a high reproductive potential. Females can produce up to 1000 eggs.

Lifecycle

Males build nests in shallow water near the shore and wait for females. The pair then swims in a circular direction above the nest; eggs and sperm are laid at intervals. The male protects the eggs and young until some time after hatching, although much shorter periods of parental care have been reported in Europe (Balon, 1959). The male then prepares a nest for another spawning with the same or different females. The species can live up to 10 years in its native range, but in European waters it has been found to live up to 8 years at most (Copp et al., 2004).

Nutrition Information

The pumpkinseed L. gibbosus is a carnivorous species in the Centrarchidae family of the Perciformes order. Like other members of the group, they feed mainly on invertebrates.

General Impact Information

"Introduced from North America to Europe in the late 1800s (Maes, 1898), L. gibbosus has been reported from at least 28 countries in Europe and Asia (Copp and Fox, 2007). This species was blamed for the decline of Perca fluviatilis in the 1930s, but this hypothesis has never been proven.
These fishes tend to negatively affect the ecological balance of their environment and can exhibit aggressive behavior towards species that share the same habitat (Almeida et al., 2014).
Thanks to their reproductive characteristics and rapid growth, pumpkinseed can maintain their presence in the ecological environment they enter in a short time and form populations (Ekmekçi et al., 2013).
They can have negative impacts on natural benthic communities. They negatively affect aquaculture and fisheries. They are known to cause threats and losses to endangered species. They also put pressure on native species. They can transmit diseases. They are known to interact with other invasive species. They can show predatory characteristics.
The studies conducted to date are not sufficient to explain the risk and impact factors created by the species (Witkowski, 2002), and the information on how they spread so rapidly in European countries is not clear. However, it is speculated that the popularity of the species in the aquarium trade due to their attractive colors may be the main reason for their rapid distribution (Przybylski and Zięba, 2011).
There is little direct evidence of negative impacts on the species. The species is not listed on any conservation alert lists."

General Management Information

Accidental international transportation of the species is possible. Controlling the species is difficult and costly.

General Pathway Information

Entry into Turkey and distribution route: Floods and natural disasters, fishing, pet trade, ornamental use

Notes

"One of the most common uses of the species is as animal feed. The colors of the species are attractive. It is also used in sporting activities (hunting, shooting, fishing, racing, etc.). It can be kept as a pet, which is why it is used in the aquarium trade.

In addition to these significant risks in terms of habitat balance and fauna, the species has no positive impact on human health and well-being due to the fact that it is very awned and has an undesirable taste and odor (Süle, 2011)."

References