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Phylogenetic Relatedness Predicts Extinction Risk of Native Freshwater Fishes From Non-Native Fishes Across a
Yingqiu Zhang1,2,3, Yuefei Li1,2,3, Fangmin Shuai1,2,3
1Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
Global Change Biology
|July 3, 2025
Summary
Non-native fish pose extinction risks to native species, particularly those phylogenetically close. This risk varies with latitude, with higher extinction probability for closely related native species at higher latitudes.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Conservation Science
Background:
- Interspecific interactions between non-native and native species impact invasion outcomes.
- Phylogenetic relatedness and latitude influence interaction strength and invasion impacts.
- Impacts of non-native fish on native species, especially phylogenetically close ones, are poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- Test the phylogenetic niche conservatism hypothesis in co-occurring freshwater fishes.
- Assess if non-native fishes drive extinctions of closely related native species.
- Evaluate how these extinction risks vary with latitude and biogeographical realm.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive analysis of global freshwater fish occurrence data.
- Examined morphometric trait dissimilarity versus phylogenetic distance.
- Compared phylogenetic relatedness of extinct native fishes to co-occurring non-native species.
Main Results:
- Phylogenetic niche conservatism confirmed: trait dissimilarity correlated with phylogenetic distance.
- Extinct freshwater fishes were more closely related to co-occurring non-native species.
- Extinction risk relationship with phylogenetic relatedness was latitude-dependent.
Conclusions:
- Non-native fish extinction risks are spatially variable and depend on phylogenetic relatedness to native species.
- Higher latitudes show increased extinction probability for native species closely related to invaders.
- Lower latitudes show decreased extinction probability for native species closely related to invaders.
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