Keevin, T.M., L.G. Nico, and D.C. Taphorn. 2015. Obituary: Jamie Edward Thomerson (1935-2015). Copeia 2015:1096-1101. (pdf available from author)
Leo Nico, Ph.D.
Biography
EDUCATION
Ph.D., Zoology, University of Florida, 1991
Dissertation: Trophic Ecology of Piranhas (Characidae: Serrasalminae) from Savanna and Forest Regions in the Orinoco River Basin of Venezuela. (Committee Co-Chairs: Horst Schwassmann and Carter Gilbert)
M.S., Biology, Southern Illinois University, 1982
Thesis: Life History and Ecology of Orinoco Basin Annual Killifish. (Committee Chair: Jamie E. Thomerson)
B.A., Biology with Departmental Honors, Southern Illinois University, 1979
RESEARCH
Leo Nico is a Research Fishery Biologist with the US Department of Interior and US Geological Survey (1993-present). The mission of his USGS research program is to conduct basic and applied research on invasive and other nonindigenous fishes. Over the course of his non-government and government career, Nico has conducted research throughout the USA and in other parts of the world, including Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador (including the Galapagos), Southeast Asia (Thailand), and Micronesia (e.g., Guam, Palau). He has authored over 50 scientific and popular publications including two books on nonindigenous fishes and is one of the DOI’s authorities on nonindigenous fishes.
Nico is basically an ichthyologist by training and his research is diverse. Together with an assortment of US and foreign collaborators, he has conducted research and published widely on a variety of both invasive and native fishes, covering such topics as natural history, ecology, aquatic biology, taxonomy/systematics, biogeography, genetics, age and growth, risk assessments and ecological impacts of invasive fishes, geographic distribution and dispersal of invasive fishes, eradication of invasive fishes, among other fields. A few of the nonindigenous fishes that he has studied include Asian swamp eel (Synbranchidae), black carp (Cyprinidae), suckermouth armored catfishes (Loricariidae), and various cichlids (e.g., tilapia).
Nico is involved in various new projects--including collaborative research on parasites and introduction pathways of Asian swamp eel and an analysis and assessment of methods to eradicate invasive fish populations.
BACKGROUND
Leo Nico was born in Illinois and grew up in a small town in the southern part of the state. He received his BSc (1979) and MSc (1982) degrees in Biological Sciences from Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville. Upon completion of his MSc, Nico spent the next two years in Venezuela where he was affiliated with the University of the Llanos (UNELLEZ) and collaborated with professor Don Taphorn conducting research and field work on freshwater fishes. Following that hiatus, he was acceptted into the University of Florida – Department of Zoology – where he received his PhD in 1991. For his MSc and PhD research Nico conducted field work in South America and intermittently continued to travel and conduct research on freshwater fishes in the Neotropics – ultimately -- between 1980 and 2010 spending some 5+ years in that region of the world.
Science and Products
Date published: April 4, 2019
Status: Active Survey and Assessment of Live Food Markets as an Invasion Pathway
Live food markets may be a source of the increasing number of non-native wild invertebrate and fish species, like Asian swamp eels and snakeheads. USGS is surveying such markets around the United States to identify and document species that might be of concern if released live into the wild to assess if the live food market is a possible invasion pathway.
Contacts: Leo Nico, Ph.D.
Date published: February 19, 2019
Status: Active Risk Analysis of Invasive Freshwater Fishes in Hawaii and Micronesia
Invasive species threaten biodiversity around the world, especially on islands. USGS scientists are helping to identify fish species that have the greatest potential to invade the fresh waters of Microneisa.
Contacts: Stephen Walsh, Ph.D., Leo Nico, Ph.D.
Date published: April 17, 2016
Parasites of Imported and Non-Native Wild Asian Swamp Eels
In parts of Asia, wild-caught and aquaculture-reared swamp eels are widely consumed as food by humans and are a common source of human gnathostomiasis, a food-borne zoonosis caused by parasitic nematodes of the genus Gnathostoma spp. In humans, the larvae of these nematodes can cause tissue damage and, in some instances, death. Over the past two decades, many thousands of Asian swamp eels have...
Contacts: Leo Nico, Ph.D.
Date published: April 17, 2016
Status: Active Development of an Environmental Assessment and Eradication Plan to Remove Tilapia from Ponds and Wetlands in National Parks on the Island of Hawai’i
Mozambique tilapia, a highly invasive non-native fish of the family Cichlidae, were discovered in a wetland in Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park on the Big Island of Hawai'i. As the U.S. National Park Service works to restore the natural communities and functions of wetland ecosystems on the island, the eradication of the tilapia population is considered necessary to fully achieve...
Contacts: Leo Nico, Ph.D.
Date published: April 5, 2016
Status: Active Genetic Analysis of Wild and Captive Black Carp in the Mississippi River Basin
Black carp have likely been present in the Mississippi River since the 1990s, but their current distribution and spread is not well understood. Genetics is helping to shed light on this species, including its diversity, the relatedness of wild and captive fish, and its introduction history.
Contacts: Margaret Hunter, Ph.D., Leo Nico, Ph.D.
Year Published: 2019
Asian swamp eels in North America linked to the live-food trade and prayer-release rituals
We provide a history of swamp eel (family Synbranchidae) introductions around the globe and report the first confirmed nonindigenous records of Amphipnous cuchia in the wild. The species, native to Asia, is documented from five sites in the USA: the Passaic River, New Jersey (2007), Lake Needwood, Maryland (2014), a stream in Pennsylvania (2015),...
Nico, Leo; Kilian, Jay V.; Ropicki, Andrew J.; Harper, Matthew
Year Published: 2019
Environmental DNA assays for invasive populations of the Black Carp, Mylopharyngodon piceus, in North America
The Black Carp, Mylopharyngodon piceus, is an increasingly widespread invasive species in North America that threatens freshwater mussel populations. We developed four qPCR assays for detecting environmental DNA (eDNA) from these Black Carp populations. Assays were designed to target four mitochondrial DNA loci and were based on 34 complete...
Guan, Xin; Monroe, E.M.; Bockrath, K.D.; Mize, Erica L.; Rees, C.B.; Lindsay, Denise L.; Baerwaldt, Kelly L.; Nico, Leo; Lance, Richard F.Attribution: Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Ecosystems, Region 2: South Atlantic-Gulf (Includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), Region 4: Mississippi Basin
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Guan, X., Monroe, E.M., Bockrath, K.D., Mize, E.L., Rees, C.B., Lindsay, D.L., Baerwaldt, K.L., Nico, L.G., and Lance, R.F., 2019, Environmental DNA assays for invasive populations of the Black Carp, Mylopharyngodon piceus, in North America: Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, First Published, https://doi.org/10.1002/tafs.10195.
Year Published: 2017
Serrasalmidae — Piranhas and Pacus
The family Serrasalmidae is a morphologically and ecologically diverse group of South American freshwater fishes consisting of 16 genera and about 91 valid species. This chapter is a summary of the current state of knowledge on serrasalmid taxonomy, species richness, and ecology, and provides an identification key to the genera and references to...
Nico, Leo; Jegu, Michel; Andrade, Marcelo CAttribution: Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Ecosystems, Region 2: South Atlantic-Gulf (Includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), Region 4: Mississippi Basin
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Nico, L.G., Jégu, Michel, and Andrade, M.C., 2017, Family Serrasalmidae – Piranhas and Pacus, in van der Sleen, P. and Albert, J.S., eds., Field Guide to the Fishes of the Amazon, Orinoco, and Guianas, p. 172-196: Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, https://press.princeton.edu/titles/11146.html.
Year Published: 2017
Distribution and status of five non-native fish species in the Tampa Bay drainage (USA), a hot spot for fish introductions
The Tampa Bay region of Florida (USA) is a hot spot for non-native freshwater fishes. However, published information on most non-native fishes in the basin is not current. Systematic sampling efforts targeting non-native fishes in the region were conducted from 2013–2015 by the University of Florida Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory. Data from these...
Lawson, Katelyn M.; Tuckett, Quenton M.; Ritch, Jared L.; Nico, Leo; Fuller, Pam L.; Matheson, Richard E.; Hill, Jeffrey E.Attribution: Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Ecosystems, Region 2: South Atlantic-Gulf (Includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), Region 4: Mississippi Basin
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Lawson, K.M., Tuckett, Q.M., Ritch, J.L., Nico, L.G., Fuller, P.L., Matheson, R.E., Gestring, Kelly, and Hill, J.E., 2017, Distribution and status of five non-native fish species in the Tampa Bay drainage (USA), a hot spot for fish introductions: BioInvasions Records, v. 6, no. 4, p. 393-406, https://doi.org/10.3391/bir.2017.6.4.15.
Year Published: 2017
Detection limits of quantitative and digital PCR assays and their influence in presence-absence surveys of environmental DNA
A set of universal guidelines is needed to determine the limit of detection (LOD) in PCR-based analyses of low concentration DNA. In particular, environmental DNA (eDNA) studies require sensitive and reliable methods to detect rare and cryptic species through shed genetic material in environmental samples. Current strategies for assessing...
Hunter, Margaret; Dorazio, Robert M.; Butterfield, John S.; Meigs-Friend, Gaia; Nico, Leo; Ferrante, Jason A.Attribution: Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Ecosystems, , Region 2: South Atlantic-Gulf (Includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), Region 4: Mississippi Basin
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Hunter, M.E., Dorazio, R.M., Butterfield, J.S.S., Meigs-Friend, G., Nico, L.G., and Ferrante, J.A., 2016, Detection limits of quantitative and digital PCR assays and their influence in presence-absence surveys of environmental DNA: Molecular Ecology Resources, Accepted Online Early, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.12619.
Year Published: 2015
Evaluating the piscicide rotenone as an option for eradication of invasive Mozambique tilapia in a Hawaiian brackish-water wetland complex
Mozambique tilapia Oreochromis mossambicus were recently discovered in ‘Aimakapā Fishpond, a 12-hectare brackish-water wetland complex in Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park, on the Island of Hawai’i. As a possible eradication method, we evaluated rotenone, a natural piscicide used in fish management and the active...
Nico, Leo; Englund, Ronald A.; Jelks, Howard L.
Year Published: 2015
Genetic analysis of invasive Asian Black Carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) in the Mississippi River Basin: evidence for multiple introductions
Invasive Asian Black Carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) have been present in USA aquaculture facilities since the 1980s and wild Black Carp have been found in the Mississippi River Basin since the early 1990s. This study characterizes the genetic diversity and relatedness of the Basin’s Black Carp and clarifies the introduction history. Analyses...
Hunter, Margaret E.; Nico, Leo G.
Year Published: 2015
One carp, two carp: are there more carp in the Wailoa River?
The February, 2015 issue of Hawaii Fishing News included the annual list of Hawai`i records for the largest fish of various species caught in the state. Among the new records was one for a 15-pound grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) caught by Avery Berido in the Wailoa River at Hilo on September 13, 2013. A photograph taken by Mr. Berido of the...
Mundy, Bruce C; Nico, Leo; Tagawa, AnnetteAttribution: Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Ecosystems, , Region 2: South Atlantic-Gulf (Includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), Region 4: Mississippi Basin, Hawaii, United States of America
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Mundy B., Nico, L.G., and Tagawa, A., 2015, One carp, two carp: Are there more grass carp in the Wailoa River?: Hawaii Fishing News, v. 40, no. 6, p. 18-19.
Year Published: 2014
Gnathostoma spinigerum in live Asian swamp eels (Monopterus spp.) from food markets and wild populations, United States
In Southeast Asia, swamp eels (Synbranchidae: Monopterus spp.) are a common source of human gnathostomiasis, a foodborne zoonosis caused by advanced third-stage larvae (AL3) of Gnathostoma spp. nematodes. Live Asian swamp eels are imported to US ethnic food markets, and wild populations exist in several states. To determine whether these eels are...
Cole, Rebecca A.; Choudhury, Anindo; Nico, Leo G.; Griffin, Kathryn M.Attribution: National Wildlife Health Center, Ecosystems
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Gnathostoma spinigerum in live Asian swamp eels (Monopterus spp.) from food markets and wild populations, United States; 2014; Article; Journal; Emerging Infectious Diseases; Cole, Rebecca A.; Choudhury, Anindo; Nico, Leo G.; Griffin, Kathryn M.
Year Published: 2013
Validation of eDNA surveillance sensitivity for detection of Asian carps in controlled and field experiments
In many North American rivers, populations of multiple species of non-native cyprinid fishes are present, including black carp (Mylpharyngodon piceus), grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis), silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), common carp (Cyprinus carpio), and goldfish (Carassius auratus). All six...
Mahon, Andrew R.; Jerde, Christopher L.; Galaska, Matthew; Bergner, Jennifer L.; Chadderton, W. Lindsay; Lodge, David M.; Hunter, Margaret E.; Nico, Leo G.Attribution: Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Ecosystems, Region 2: South Atlantic-Gulf (Includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands)
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Validation of eDNA surveillance sensitivity for detection of Asian carps in controlled and field experiments; 2013; Article; Journal; PLoS ONE; Mahon, Andrew R.; Jerde, Christopher L.; Galaska, Matthew; Bergner, Jennifer L.; Chadderton, W. Lindsay; Lodge, David M.; Hunter, Margaret E.; Nico, Leo G.
Year Published: 2012
Discovery of South American suckermouth armored catfishes (Loricariidae, Pterygoplichthys spp.) in the Santa Fe River drainage, Suwannee River basin, USA
We report on the occurrence of South American suckermouth armored catfishes (Loricariidae) in the Suwannee River basin, southeastern USA. Over the past few years (2009-2012), loricariid catfishes have been observed at various sites in the Santa Fe River drainage, a major tributary of the Suwannee in the state of Florida. Similar to other...
Nico, Leo G.; Butt, Peter L.; Johnston, Gerald R.; Jelks, Howard L.; Kail, Matthew; Walsh, Stephen J.Attribution: Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Ecosystems, Region 2: South Atlantic-Gulf (Includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands)
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Discovery of South American suckermouth armored catfishes (Loricariidae, Pterygoplichthys spp.) in the Santa Fe River drainage, Suwannee River basin, USA; 2012; Article; Journal; BioInvasions Records; Nico, Leo G.; Butt, Peter L.; Johnston, Gerald R.; Jelks, Howard L.; Kail, Matthew ; Walsh, Stephen J.
Year Published: 2012
Eastern mosquitofish resists invasion by nonindigenous poeciliids through agonistic behaviors
Florida is a hotspot for nonindigenous fishes with over 30 species established, although few of these are small-bodied species. One hypothesis for this pattern is that biotic resistance of native species is reducing the success of small-bodied, introduced fishes. The eastern mosquitofish Gambusia holbrooki is common in many freshwater habitats in...
Thompson, Kevin A.; Hill, Jeffrey E.; Nico, Leo G.Attribution: Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Ecosystems, Region 2: South Atlantic-Gulf (Includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands)
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Eastern mosquitofish resists invasion by nonindigenous poeciliids through agonistic behaviors; 2012; Article; Journal; Biological Invasions; Thompson, Kevin A.; Hill, Jeffrey E.; Nico, Leo G.
Pre-USGS Publications
Nico, L.G. & S.J. Walsh. 2011. Nonindigenous freshwater fishes on tropical Pacific islands: a review of eradication efforts. Pages 97-107 in C. R. Veitch, M. N. Clout, and D. R. Towns, editors. Island Invasives: Eradication and Management. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Gland, Switzerland and Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity (CBB), Auckland, New Zealand.
Nico, L.G., H.L. Jelks, & T. Tuten. 2009. Non-Native suckermouth armored catfishes in Florida: Description of nest burrows and burrow colonies with assessment of shoreline conditions. Aquatic Nuisance Species Research Bulletin 9: 1-30. [Link]
Montaña, C.G., D.C. Taphorn, L.G. Nico, C.A. Lasso, O. León-Mata, A. Giraldo, O.M. Lasso-Alcalá, C. DoNascimiento, & N. Milani.2006. Lista de los peces identificados para la cuenca del río Ventuari. Apéndice 7) p 214- 223 in C.A. Lasso, J.C. Señaris, L.E. Alonsi, & A.L. Flores (editors). Rapid assessment of the biodiversity of the aquatic ecosystems of the Ventuari and its confluences with the Orinoco River, Amazonas State, Venezuela. RAP Bulletin of Biological Assessment 30. Conservation International, Washington, D.C.
Montaña, C.G., D.C. Taphorn, L.G. Nico, C.A. Lasso, O. León-Mata, A. Giraldo, O.M. Lasso-Alcalá, C. DoNascimiento, & N. Milani.2006. Lasso-Alcalá, O., DoNascimiento C., & Milani, N.bPeces del bajo río Ventuari: Resultados del Proyecto de Investigación Biocentro-FLASA-Terra Parima (Capítulo 8), p 123-128. in: Lasso, C., Señarìs, J., Alonso, L., & Flores, A. (Editores). Evaluación Rápida de la Biodiversidad de los Ecosistemas Acuáticos en la Confluencia de los ríos Orinoco y Ventuari, Estado Amazonas (Venezuela). Boletín RAP de Evaluación Biológica 30. Conservation International. Washington DC.
Montaña, C.G., D.C. Taphorn, L.G. Nico, C.A. Lasso, O. León-Mata, A. Giraldo, O. M. Lasso-Alcalá, C. DoNascimiento, & N. Milani.2005. Fishes of the Ventuari River drainage, Amazonas State, Venezuela: 1) results of investigation; and 2) list of fish species. Pages 123-128 and 214-223, in C.A. Lasso, J.C. Señaris, L.E. Alonsi, and A.L. Flores, (editors). Rapid assessment of the biodiversity of the aquatic ecosystems of the Ventuari and its confluences with the Orinoco River, Amazonas State, Venezuela. RAP Bulletin of Biological Assessment, volume 30. Conservation International, Washington, D.C.
Fuller, P., L.G. Nico, & J.D. Williams. 1999. Nonindigenous fishes introduced to inland waters of the United States. American Fisheries Society Special Publication 27. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 27, Bethesda, Maryland. 620 pp. [Link]
Nico, L.G., & J.E. Thomerson. 1989. Ecology, food habits and spatial interactions of Orinoco Basin annual killifish. Acta Biologica Venezuelica 12 (3-4): 106-120. (pdf available from Leo Nico)
Nico, L.G. 1989. Geographic distribution: Siren intermedia nettingi. SSAR Herpetological Review 20(1): 11.
Nico, L.G., & D.C. Taphorn. 1988. Food habits of piranhas in the low llanos of Venezuela. BioTropica 20(4): 311-321.
Nico, L.G., D.C. Taphorn & J.E. Thomerson. 1987. Limnological data on the habitat of annual fishes (Cyprinodontidae) in the Venezuelan Llanos with a key to fish identification. BioLlania 5: 129-144. (In Spanish.) (pdf available from author)
Nico, L.G., & D.C. Taphorn. 1986. Those bitin' fish from South America. Tropical Fish Hobbyist 34 (4): 24-27,30-34,36,40-41,56-57. (pdf available from author)
Nico, L.G., & D.C. Taphorn. 1985. Diet of Acestrorhynchus microlepis (Pisces: Characidae) in the low llanos of Venezuela. Copeia1985(3): 794-796.
Nico, L.G., & D.C. Taphorn. 1984. Biology of the tropical drum, Plagioscion squamosissimus, in the "Fernando Corrales" module of UNELLEZ, Apure State. Revista UNELLEZ de Ciencia y Tecnologia, No. 2, pp. 31-39. (In Spanish.)
Nico, L.G., & D.C. Taphorn. 1984. Limnology of Orinoco Basin annual killifish pools. Journal of the American Killifish Association, Technical Paper 24: 3-16.
Nico, L.G. 1983. Avian ecological investigation of the Horseshoe Lake Recreation Area. Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville. Final report submitted to Illinois Department of Conservation. i-iv + 80 p + 4 appendices. (pdf available from author)
Nico, L.G. 1981. Avian ecological investigation of Kaskaskia River Fish and Wildlife Area. Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville. Final report submitted to Illinois Department of Conservation. i-iii + 72 pp. (pdf available from author)