African tilapia in Lake Nicaragua: ecosystem in transition

Lake Nicaragua, which is the largest tropical lake outside of Africa, is integrated with the surrounding coastal ecosystems along the Caribbean, and is home to more than 40 species of fish. The highly productive fisheries in the region are an important economic and agricultural resource for native p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Bioscience 1995-06, Vol.45 (6), p.406-406
Main Authors: McKaye, K.R. (University of Maryland System, Frostburg, MD.), Ryan, J.D, Stauffer, J.R. Jr, Lopez Perez, L.J, Vega, G.I, Berghe, E.P. van den
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
ADMINISTRACION PESQUERA
AMERICA CENTRAL
AMERIQUE CENTRALE
CENTRAL AMERICA
ESPECE
ESPECIES
FISHERY MANAGEMENT
FISHERY RESOURCES
Freshwater
FRESHWATER FISHES
GESTION DES PECHES
HISTOIRE
HISTORIA
HISTORY
INTRODUCED VARIETIES
OREOCHROMIS
PECES DE AGUA DULCE
Pisces
POISSON D'EAU DOUCE
RECURSOS PESQUEROS
RESSOURCE HALIEUTIQUE
SPECIES
VARIEDADES NATURALIZADAS
VARIETE INTRODUITE
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Summary:Lake Nicaragua, which is the largest tropical lake outside of Africa, is integrated with the surrounding coastal ecosystems along the Caribbean, and is home to more than 40 species of fish. The highly productive fisheries in the region are an important economic and agricultural resource for native populations. The lake has been stocked with African tilapia since the 1980s, leading to reductions in stocks of cichlid populations. Given the hardiness and reproductivity of these fish, the introduction threatens the collapse of the ecosystem, particularly if the fish migrate into other waterways.
ISSN:0006-3568
1525-3244
DOI:10.2307/1312721