A newly identified population of &ITGambusia affinis &IT(Baird and Girard, 1853), a non-native invasive species, in Lake Kenyir, Malaysia: implications for management

Gambusia affinis (Baird and Girard, 1853), a notorious non-native invasive fish species, has negatively impacted aquatic ecosystems around the world. This species was recently identified in Lake Kenyir, one of the largest impoundments in South East Asia, using DNA barcoding. The coxl sequence of Gambusia caught in Lake Kenyir was compared with the sequences of topotypic voucher specimens of G. affinis and two other candidate Poeciliidae. The species was found to cluster with G. affinis but not with monophyletic clades of either G. holbrooki or P. reticulata thus confirming species identity. The fish is yet to be widely established in the lake with the current distribution limited to areas of anthropogenic disturbance.