First record of the invasive chinese sleeper, perccottus glenii dybowski, 1877 (Gobiiformes: Odontobutidae) in the black sea

Abstract

Here, we report on the finding of an Asian invasive fish, the Chinese sleeper (Perccottus glenii), in the Gulf of Yahorlyk in the Black Sea. On 11 October 2019, a single mature Perccottus glenii female was captured in the Gulf, representing the first record of this fish in Black Sea open waters. This observation of an individual distant 100 km from the nearest freshwater population suggests that the Chinese sleeper may be tolerant to mesohaline waters and thus could spread between the riverine mouths along the coast line. If confirmed, it is highly likely that the Chinese sleeper will invade small rivers in southern Ukraine in the near future.