Gambusia fish

July 19, 2023

The Andhra Pradesh government has released approximately 10 million Gambusia fish into the state’s water bodies to combat mosquito-borne diseases like malaria and dengue.
Gambusia affinis is native to south-eastern United States.
Fish, also known as mosquitofish, is widely used as a biological agent for controlling mosquito larvae.
A single full grown fish eats about 100 to 300 mosquito larvae per day.
Multiple countries, including India have listed Gambusia as invasive species.
Fish has a high breeding capacity. A single female may produce between 900 and 1,200 offsprings during its lifespan.
They are known to eat the eggs of competing fishes and frog tadpoles.
Its high adaptability has allowed the fish to survive on six out of seven continents and has made the International Union for Conservation of Nature declare Gambusia one of the 100 worst invasive alien species in the world.