The predatory Atlantic red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus, has invaded the western Taiwanese coast in the Indo-West Pacific

Abstract

The red drums, Sciaenops ocellatus, are predatory marine fish from Atlantic American coast. They were introduced to Taiwan for aquaculture purpose in 1987 and have been reported in the wild along the southwest coast of Taiwan since 1998. Their current distribution is on the western coast of Taiwan and the Matsu Islands of Fujian Province where there are sand and mud bottoms. However, the discontinuous populations of Taiwan and Matsu indicated different sources of introduction. The facts that there are consecutive records of red drums for 7 years including every single month, at multiple localities, and the fish’s larger size all point to their survival in the wild. The mechanisms of their introductions are probably the escapes from net cages as well as the deliberate releases to improve fisheries and for religious activities. This paper documents for the first time a marine fish has invaded and established in coastal water off western Taiwan and the Indo-West Pacific. The ecological impact of red drums on the local fish community is still unknown and calls for further studies.