Hemiculter leucisculus
(common sawbelly)

Pictures

Picture	Title	Caption	Copyright
Title Adult Caption Adult female. L = 124 mm. W = 15.7 g. Abs. fecundity = 4600 eggs. Muynak Canal, Low Amu Darya, Uzbekistan, 20th March 2003. Copyright Ernest Khurshut	Adult	Adult female. L = 124 mm. W = 15.7 g. Abs. fecundity = 4600 eggs. Muynak Canal, Low Amu Darya, Uzbekistan, 20th March 2003.	Ernest Khurshut

Identity

Preferred Scientific Name

• Hemiculter leucisculus (Basilewsky, 1855)

Preferred Common Name

• common sawbelly

Other Scientific Names

• Chanodichthys leucisculus (Basilewsky, 1855)
• Culter leucisculus Basilewsky, 1855
• Cultriculus akoensis Oshima, 1920
• Hemiculter clupeoides Nichols, 1925
• Hemiculter eigenmanni (Jordan & Metz, 1913)
• Hemiculter kneri Warpachowski, 1887
• Hemiculter schrencki Warpachowski, 1888
• Hemiculterella eigenmanni Jordan & Mertz, 1913
• Kendallia goldsboroughi Evermann & Shaw, 1927
• Parapelecus eigenmanni Jordan & Metz, 1913
• Squaliobarbus annamiticus Tirant, 1883

International Common Names

• English: kili fish; knifefish; Korean sawbelly; minnow; sharpbelly
• Chinese: bai tiao; huahua

Local Common Names

• Germany: Beilbauch-Weißfish
• Iran: kuli-e mordab; shakam tiz; tizeh kuli
• Kazakhstan: bileu balyq
• Korea, DPR: chili; chiri
• Russian Federation/Russian Far East: koreyskaya vostrobryushka; obyknovennaya vostrobryushka
• Uzbekistan: oddiy qirraqorin balig'i

Summary of Invasiveness

Outside of its native area, H. leucisculus was first reported from Central Asia in the Amu Darya Basin in 1958, and in the Syr Darya Basin in 1961. In Iran, it was first found in the Anzali Lagoon (Holcík and Razavi, 1992) where it was probably introduced with Asian carp in 1967.

H. leucisculus is considered as a pest in fish farms where it competes with juveniles of commercial species. It also harms the local fish fauna, and displaces the small, native species, most probably by predation.

Taxonomic Tree

• Domain: Eukaryota
•     Kingdom: Metazoa
•         Phylum: Chordata
•             Subphylum: Vertebrata
•                 Class: Actinopterygii
•                     Order: Cypriniformes
•                         Family: Cyprinidae
•                             Genus: Hemiculter
•                                 Species: Hemiculter leucisculus

Description

The dorsal fin of H. leucisculus has a strong spine. Dorsal spines: 2-3; dorsal soft rays: 7; anal spines: 2-3; anal soft rays: 10-14 (mostly 11-12). Moderate-sized scales that easily fall off. Scale number in the lateral line: 40-59 (mostly 46-52). The gill raker count of the first arch 15-21 (mostly 16-18). Pharyngeal teeth are hooked at the tip: 2,4,4-5,4,2; 2,4,5-4,4,2; 2,3,5-4,3,2. Has a sharp scale-less keel from the throat to the anus. The lateral line goes downward behind the head and then parallels the lower body margin, at the anal fin it curves upward and extends along the middle part of the caudal peduncle. Dark above, green grey and silvery on the back, white on the belly. There is a dark stripe along the upper flank.

Distribution

The native range of H. leucisculus is East Asia: from Far East Russia and Mongolia in the north, through to China (including Hong Kong and Taiwan) and West Korea, to North Vietnam in the south.

Exotic distribution

H. leucisculus was unintentionally introduced into the Aral Sea Basin, Central Asia. It is currently widespread in the plains of the region up to foothills, and in the drainages of the Amu Darya, Syr Darya, Zarafshan, Qashqadarya, and Tedzhen rivers. In Iran it was reported from the Caspian Sea (Safid River, Aras River, Golestan Province) and Tigris basins. It is thought to be widespread in Iran, although this may be the native fish the Danube bleak (Chalcalburnus chalcoides), which is very similar.  H. leucisculus was probably introduced from Central Asia again with Asian carp (Holcík and Razavi, 1992).

Distribution Table

The distribution in this summary table is based on all the information available. When several references are cited, they may give conflicting information on the status. Further details may be available for individual references in the Distribution Table Details section which can be selected by going to Generate Report.

History of Introduction and Spread

In 1958, H. leucisculus was unintentionally introduced in Turkmenistan to the Karametniyaz fish farm and the Karakum Canal from the Yangtze River. Then in 1961 it was introduced (again with larvae of Asian carp) in Uzbekistan to the Akkurgan (later Balykchi) fish farm in the Tashkent region. It was transferred, with fish seed, to other fish farms of the region. H. leucisculus has escaped from fish farms and via the extensive network of irrigation canals has spread to the plains of the Aral Sea Basin to the drainages of the Amu Darya, Syr Darya, Zarafshan, Qashqa Darya, and Tedzhen rivers.

In Iran, H. leucisculus was first reported from the Anzali Lagoon by Holcík and Razavi (1992) where it was probably introduced by accident along with Asian carp from Central Asia in 1967 (Holcík and Razavi, 1992). Esmaeili and Gholamifard (2011) reported a significant range extension and the presence in two new drainage basis in Iran, over 370 km southwest of the nearest previous records from the Caspian Sea basin. They also warn that the presence of the species in the Tedzhen River of Turkmenistan may eventually lead to H. leucisculus being found throughout the entire Tedzhen (=Hari) River basin of Iran.

In the Razdolnaya River (Far East Russia) H. leucisculus was unintentionally introduced from Khanka Lake and probably from China as a result of aquaculture activity (Kolpakov et al., 2010). In the Artemovka River (Far East Russia) H. leucisculus was unintentionally introduced from Khanka Lake as a result of aquaculture activity.

Introductions

Risk of Introduction

The main pathway of introduction is the transfer of fish seed between fish farms. H. leucisculus then escapes from fishponds and spreads to the wild via irrigation canals. To help prevent spread of this species all transported fish seed should be properly checked for the presence of H. leucisculus before release into ponds.

Habitat

H. leucisculus is found in rivers, lakes, reservoirs, canals, and marshes. It keeps to the water surface in stagnant waters.

Habitat List

Biology and Ecology

Genetics

Molecular studies have been carried out on European cyprinids (Zardoya and Doadrio, 1999) and Asian cyprinids (Liu and Chen, 2003); both papers make reference to H. leucisculus.

The complete mitogenome of H. leucisculus was determined to be 16.62 kbp (Dong, et al., 2015; Xiang et al., 2016).

Reproductive Biology

In Uzbekistan sexual maturity is attained at the age of 2-3 years and at a length of 7-10 cm. Spawning is fractional and takes place from May to July. The average absolute fecundity is 19.9±2.2 thousand eggs and relative fecundity is 583±42 eggs per gram of total body weight (Khurshut, 2013). The average egg diameter is 0.58±0.01 mm. In Kazakhstan the absolute fecundity is 6000-13400 eggs (Mamilov, 2011).

In Erhai Lake, Yunnan Province, China the average batch fecundity is 11934±5921 eggs, while relative batch fecundity is 560±137 eggs g⁻¹ wet weight (Wang et al., 2014).

Physiology and Phenology

Longevity - 7 years.

Nutrition

H. leucisculus is an omnivorous species with a broad feeding plasticity.

In the native area, e.g. in the Amur drainage, H. leucisculus mainly feeds on macrophytes, zooplankton, algae and insects (Markovtsev, 1980). Nikolski (1956) indicated that the basis of diet for this species in Lake Khanka was zooplankton and in particular cladocerans.

The diet of introduced H. leucisculus in Peter the Great Bay (Far East Russia) is discussed in Dolganova et al. (2008).

In water bodies of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan the diet of this fish consists mostly of vegetative food both by the frequency of encounters and volume. Of the animal food, a significant part consists of crustaceans, insects and their larvae. Cases of predation have also been reported (Borisova, 1971; Shakirova and Nikolaev, 1991; Mitrofanov et al., 1992).

The intestines of H. leucisculus from Uzbekistan mainly contained detritus, and remnants of higher plants and algae (Khurshut and Rakhmatullaeva, 2005). Of the animals, the most frequently recorded were different stages of insects and crustaceans. Of the insects H. leucisculus prefers the larvae of dragonflies, chironomids and the larvae of other dipterans; of crustaceans, cladocerans are reported most frequently.

Climate

Latitude/Altitude Ranges

Air Temperature

Water Tolerances

Natural enemies

Notes on Natural Enemies

In Central Asia, H. leucisculus is predated upon by Sander lucioperca, Silurus glanis and Aspius aspius. However, it is more resistant to predators than similar native species such as Alburnoides oblongus. The last strong spine of the dorsal fin serves as a deterrent to predators.

In Taiwan, H. leucisculus is eaten by the invasive fish species Parambassis siamensis and Channa micropeltes.

Means of Movement and Dispersal

Accidental Introduction

H. leucisculus has been accidentally transferred with juveniles of Asian carp.

Impact Summary

Economic Impact

H. leucisculus is considered as a pest on fish farms and competitor of juveniles of commercial species. It has also been reported to feed on farmed fish eggs and fry.

Environmental Impact

Impact on Biodiversity

H. leucisculus may compete with the native species and might also feed on their eggs and fry. It has displaced native species in the Aral Sea Basin due to its higher resistance to predators, the high fecundity and its ability to eat a wide range of food.

Threatened Species

Risk and Impact Factors

• Invasive in its native range
• Proved invasive outside its native range
• Has a broad native range
• Abundant in its native range
• Highly adaptable to different environments
• Tolerates, or benefits from, cultivation, browsing pressure, mutilation, fire etc
• Capable of securing and ingesting a wide range of food
• Benefits from human association (i.e. it is a human commensal)
• Has high reproductive potential
• Gregarious

• Damaged ecosystem services
• Negatively impacts aquaculture/fisheries
• Reduced native biodiversity
• Threat to/ loss of endangered species
• Threat to/ loss of native species

• Competition
• Predation
• Rapid growth

• Difficult to identify/detect in the field
• Difficult/costly to control

Uses

Economic Value

In the native range has a minor commercial importance as a food fish (because it is very bony) and as bait.

In Central Asia and Iran H. leucisculus may be confused with the valuable commercial native species Chalcalburnus chalcoides.

Detection and Inspection

H. leucisculus is easily distinguishable from the native species by the strong spine in the dorsal fin, the elongate anal fin and the curved lateral line, which goes downward behind the head and then parallels the lower body margin, at the anal fin it curves upward and extends along the middle part of the caudal peduncle.

Similarities to Other Species/Conditions

H. leucisculus may be confused with the native species Alburnoides oblongus, Chalcalburnus chalcoides, and fingerlings of Aspius aspius. However, it is easy to recognize with its strong dorsal spine, an elongate anal fin and lateral line, which goes downward behind the head and then parallels the lower body margin, at the anal fin it curves upward and extends along the middle part of the caudal peduncle.

Prevention and Control

Due to the variable regulations around (de)registration of pesticides, your national list of registered pesticides or relevant authority should be consulted to determine which products are legally allowed for use in your country when considering chemical control. Pesticides should always be used in a lawful manner, consistent with the product's label.

Prevention

To prevent spread all transported fish seed should be properly checked for the presence of H. leucisculus before release in ponds.

Gaps in Knowledge/Research Needs

Data on environmental requirements and interactions with native species are insufficient.

References

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Aliev DS, Verigina IA, Svetovidova AA, 1963. The species composition of fish imported along with grass carp and silver carp from China. In: Problems of fishing of herbivorous fish in the reservoirs of the USSR. Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 178-180

Baensch HA, Fischer GW, 1998. Aquarien Atlas., Germany: Mergus

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Borisova AT, 1971. Materials on distribution and biology of sawbelly (Hemiculter bleeker) in water bodies of Kalgan-Chirchik fish farm. In: The biological basics of fishery in Uzbekistan [ed. by The biological basics of fishery in Uzbekista]. Fan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan 281-289

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Wang Teng, Huang Dan, Shen JianZhong, Chen YuShun, Sun GuangWen, Wang HaiSheng, 2014. Batch fecundity and spawning frequency of invasive Hemiculter leucisculus (Basilewsky, 1855) in Erhai Lake, China. Environmental Biology of Fishes, 97(10), 1161-1168. http://rd.springer.com/journal/10641 doi: 10.1007/s10641-013-0205-8

Wang XingLu, Xiang JianGuo, Liu JiaShou, Liu Ming, Wu Lang, Murphy, B. R., Xie SongGuang, 2013. Reduced growth and reproductive investment of Hemiculter leucisculus (Cyprinidae) in a reservoir with introduced icefish Neosalanx taihuensis (Salangidae). Environmental Biology of Fishes, 96(7), 895-903. http://rd.springer.com/journal/10641 doi: 10.1007/s10641-012-0085-3

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Links to Websites

Contributors

16/10/2016 Updated by: 

Ernest Khurshut, Center of Genomics and Bioinformatics, Uzbek Academy of Sciences, 2 Universitet St., Tashkent 111215. Toshkent vil., Qibray tum., Uzbekistan

25/07/11 Original text by:

Ernest Khurshut, Institute of Zoology, Uzbek Academy of Sciences, 1 Niyazov St., Tashkent 100095. Uzbekistan

Reviewers' names are available on request.

Distribution Maps