First record of the leopard pleco, Pterygoplichthys gibbiceps (Actinopterygii, Loricariidae) in the Brda River in the centre of Bydgoszcz (northern Poland)

Abstract

Background. The presently reported finding of leopard pleco, Pterygoplichthys gibbiceps (Kner, 1854) (Loricariidae), in open waters of the Brda River in the centre of Bydgoszcz, constitutes the first record of a south-American loricariid fish species in Poland. The specimen found is described and illustrated. The finding is discussed in association with other alien species sightings in Poland. The described leopard pleco is possibly the next example of an emerging alien fish species in inland Polish waters.

Keywords

• fish
• leopard pleco
• exotic species
• alien species