A CRITICAL NOTE ON BIOINVASION OF ALIEN SPECIES LORICARRID VERMICULATED SAILFIN CATFISH IN SOUTHERN TAMIL NADU

The taxa of vermiculated sailfin catfish Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus (Weber, 1991) falls under Animalia > Chordata > Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Siluriformes (Catfish) > Loricariidae (Armored catfishes) > Hypostominae; Found native to tropical America, Amazon and Madeira River basin. Various indices were calculated and presented in Table 1.

A total of 35 fishes were collected (Fig.1&2) and calculated (Graph 1) well being of the fish was found to be 0.8592 (0.7763 to 0.9517).  This confirms the occurrence and abundance of the Non native, invasive species established in lotic and lentic systems and also spreads along the water bodies causing environmental, ecological and economical damage.