News Forum - Invasive sucker fish crisis threatens Thailand’s waterways

[Thaiger]

Thailand is currently grappling with a severe invasive sucker fish crisis, exacerbated by human actions that have released non-native fish into waterways without considering the environmental impact. These invasive species are wreaking havoc on Thailand’s native ecosystems, causing environmental, economic, and health-related damage. This issue is frequently highlighted in various media outlets. In a recent … …

The story Invasive sucker fish crisis threatens Thailand’s waterways as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

[LeReynard]

Absolutely garbled: "The sucker fish is scientifically known as Hypostomus plecostomus, originates from South America, and is predominantly found in Brazil. It is related to other species such as the Pleco, common in Thailand. The sucker fish has a unique appearance, with a large head, downward-facing mouth, and thick and robust lips used for attaching to surfaces and grazing."

 The name plecomostus or pleco or plec, is widely used for most loricariids in the aquarium trade, although there is truly only one Hypostomus plecomostus. Because the loricariids are New World endemics, their presence in Thailand, or anywhere in the Old World, is through human activity. Loricariids are not the only benthic fishes with a 'suckermouth' appearance and function, but they are the most diverse. By the way the image is of a loricariid called a bristlenose catfish (they are catfish) of the genus Ancistrus. Not a H. plecomostus.