| This species was introduced into European Russia, where it is an invasive species dispersing from the Moscow and Nizhnii Novgorod regions through small bodies of water and eliminating indigenous fish species. This is used as bait, one of the reasons why it is widely distributed in Russia (Ref. 80038). This species is also reported from the St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad regions (Ref. 26334) and northwestern Sakhalin (Ref. 37812). Dissections of specimens collected from Lake Glubokoe Reserve show that they consume a wide range of animal prey (Ref. 80031). Accidentally introduced together with Chinese carp fry. Has partially displaced local species in Tashkent where the species shows a better growth rate and higher fecundity than in native waters (Ref. 1739). Rapidly expanded its range after introduction and has now widely established self-sustaining populations (Ref. 45022).They have been causing the decline of macroinvertebrates, non noxious (tadpoles) amphibians and indigenous fish in the area (Ref. 80031, 80047). Colonization of the species in the Amur resulted to a decrease in native species. The species took the place of eliminated native fish species in the food web of the Amur inhabited by semi-aquatic snakes and became part of the parasite system which included the snakes (Ref. 93666).
Ref:
Bogutskaya, N.G. and A.M. Naseka, 2002
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