Tinca tinca

History of Spread

Tinca tinca (Tench) is native to Western Europe, except Northern Scandinavia, and probably the British Isles. The likely native range includes the Baltic, Caspian and Black Sea Basins, Caucasus, and east to Ob & Yenisei Rivers and Lake Baikal (Courtenay et al. 1984). They were introduced into ponds in Druid Hill Park, Baltimore MD, by the United States Fish Commission (USFC) in 1877 (Baughman 1947), and later reared in the USFC hatchery in Washington DC. 138,000 T. tinca were distributed to private applicants and rivers in 32 states in 1894, including MD, DC, and VA. Tinca tinca were introduced from Italy to CA in 1922 by a farm pond owner (Baughman 1947). The present status of T. tinca in North America is somewhat uncertain, but populations may persist in one CT lake, and in CA, CO, ID, OR, WA and British Columbia (Courtenay et al. 1984; Fuller et al. 1999; Lever 1996; Page and Burr 1991). A population is apparently established and spreading in the Richelieu River, Quebec (Societe de la faune de des parcs Quebec 2002).

Tinca tinca escaped from the USFC hatchery into the Potomac River in 1889 during floods (Baird 1893). However, some apparently escaped before then, since one was collected in Broad Creek,VA, a Potomac tributary in 1882 (U.S. National Museum of Natural History 2001). Smith and Bean (1898) wrote 'Escaped into the Potomac and now becoming common. Some are sent to market from district waters.' Tinca tinca were stocked in the Delaware River tributaries (1888-93), in the Patuxent (1888-89), the Susquehanna (PA, 1888-89), and the Appomattox (James River drainage, 1891-92). Altogether, 8,064 Tinca tinca were planted in Chesapeake tributaries (Baughman 1947). Many years later, fish may have escaped from fish-farming operations into the Monocacy River at Thurmont MD. However, there are no records from the Chesapeake drainage since 1911 (Jenkins and Burkhead 1993; Musick 1972a; Schwartz 1964). Tinca tinca were established and causing problems before 1947 in Deep Creek Lake MD (Ohio drainage), but were reduced or eliminated by stocking Micropterus salmoides (Baughman 1947).

Baughman (1947) sugested that the T. tinca was unable to coexist with centrarchid predators, particularly Micropterus spp. ('black basses'), but also Lepomis gulosus (Warmouth) and Lepomis cyanellus (Green Sunfish). 'Most of the states in which planting was done lie within the Micropterus spp. belt of the United States, and it seems reasonable to believe that a fish such as the tench would hardly be able to gain a foothold and thrive in the face of such opposition. In western states, they seemed to do better where salmonids were the chief predators' (Baughman 1947).

Tinca tinca have been introduced to the British Isles (probably), Norway, Finland, India, Indonesia, southern Africa, Australia and New Zealand (Baughman 1947; Lever 1996).

History References - Baird 1893; Baughman 1947; Cadwallader 1977; Courtenay et al. 1984; Fuller et al. 1999; Lever 1996; Jenkins and Burkhead 1993; Musick 1972a; Schwartz 1963; Schwartz 1964; Smith and Bean 1898; Societe de la faune de des parcs Quebec 2002; U.S. National Museum of Natural History 2001

Invasion Comments