New records of the Non-native Amazon sailfin catfish Pterygoplichthys pardalis (Castelnau, 1985) in Bangka Island Indonesia

The freshwater species known as Pterygoplichthys pardalis (Castelnau, 1985), commonly referred to as the Sailfin catfish, is native to temperate and tropical regions of South America, with a particular prevalence in the Amazon. Due to insufficient regulation of the pet fish industry, certain species from this family have been inadvertently or deliberately introduced to various places worldwide. In Indonesia, the occurrence of the sailfin catfish has been recorded in the natural freshwater habitats of Java and Sumatra. The introduction of non-indigenous fish species into natural aquatic environments has had adverse effects on biodiversity due to factors such as competition for resources, modification of habitats, and transfer of diseases so the presence of the P. pardalis is a danger alert. This study presents the first evidence of the presence of the sailfin catfish P. pardalis on Bangka Island, located in the western region of Indonesia. During the field trip conducted in August 2023, a total of twenty specimens were obtained from the Rangkui River, Pangkal Pinang.