Prussian carp Carassius gibelio: a silent invader arriving to the Iberian Peninsula

In the last decades, the invasive Prussian carp, Carassius gibelio, has been detected in most of the European countries. The Prussian carp has been undetected in many European countries since it is morphologically indistinct from the long-established goldfish Carassius auratus. In this study, genetic markers were used to identify the Prussian carp in several locations of the Iberian Peninsula (Portugal and Spain). The presence of polyploid C. gibelio is confirmed for the first time in Iberian Peninsula, in four large river systems (Guadalquivir, Guadiana, Tagus and Douro). The introduction of C. gibelio to these Iberian drainages is discussed in light of the potential vector to the Iberian Peninsula.