Species that are considered uncertain risk need a more in-depth assessment beyond the Risk Summary to better define the species’ risk to U.S. environments.
Lepthoplosternum pectorale is a small catfish native to the Paraguay River basin in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil and Bolivia. It is used in the aquarium trade in North America and is reported to be a host to Eustrongylides sp. (larva), a fish-infecting nematode with zoonotic potential. L. pectorale has a medium climate match in the United States, with high matches in Florida and patches along the coast from South Carolina to Texas. Only one source reported occurrence of L. pectorale outside its native range; the species appears to have undergone a range expansion as a result of a fish passage fish passage
Fish passage is the ability of fish or other aquatic species to move freely throughout their life to find food, reproduce, and complete their natural migration cycles. Millions of barriers to fish passage across the country are fragmenting habitat and leading to species declines. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Fish Passage Program is working to reconnect watersheds to benefit both wildlife and people.
Learn more about fish passage construction project. No information concerning impacts of this range expansion have been reported. The potential impacts of Lepthoplosternum pectorale in the contiguous U.S. are unknown. The overall risk of this species is uncertain.
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Uncertain Risk
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