The life history traits of the Chinese sleeper (Perccottus glenii), an invasive alien species in Ukraine
Perccottus glenii Dybowski, 1877 is one of the freshwater fishes listed in the IAS list of Union Concern as an important invasive alien fish species. In Ukraine, it was recorded for the first time in the 1970s and now is widespread in all Ukrainian large river basins. Chinese sleeper from eight loca...
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Zoodiversity| _version_ | 1869381609109585920 |
|---|---|
| author | Shukh, A. Honcharov, H. Didenko, O. Podobailo, A. Kutsokon, Y. |
| author_facet | Shukh, A. Honcharov, H. Didenko, O. Podobailo, A. Kutsokon, Y. |
| author_institution_txt_mv | [
{
"author": "A. Shukh",
"institution": "I. I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology NAS of Ukraine"
},
{
"author": "H. Honcharov",
"institution": "V. N. Karazin National University of Kharkiv, Ukraine"
},
{
"author": "O. Didenko",
"institution": "I. I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology NAS of Ukraine"
},
{
"author": "A. Podobailo",
"institution": "Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine"
},
{
"author": "Y. Kutsokon",
"institution": " I. I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology of NAS of Ukraine"
}
] |
| author_sort | Shukh, A. |
| baseUrl_str | https://ojs.akademperiodyka.org.ua/index.php/Zoodiversity/oai |
| collection | OJS |
| datestamp_date | 2026-06-29T16:20:36Z |
| description | Perccottus glenii Dybowski, 1877 is one of the freshwater fishes listed in the IAS list of Union Concern as an important invasive alien fish species. In Ukraine, it was recorded for the first time in the 1970s and now is widespread in all Ukrainian large river basins. Chinese sleeper from eight localities was studied: seven from the Dnipro River basin and one from the Siverskiy Donets River basin. In total, 403 specimens were examined. Standard length of Chinese sleeper in our samples varied from 10 mm to 143.6 mm. Total weight varied from 0.05 g to 79 g. The largest female had a standard length of 138.6 mm. The biggest male had a standard length of 143.6 mm. Chinese sleeper become mature at age 1+ with a length near 40 mm. Males predominated in all samples.  Immature specimens were dominating in five samples, while mature fish prevailed only in two samples. The a values varied from 0.000012 to 0.000059. The growth coefficient (b) ranged from 2.68 to 3.19. |
| doi_str_mv | 10.15407/zoo2026.03.267 |
| first_indexed | 2026-06-30T01:00:28Z |
| format | Article |
| fulltext |
DOI 10.15407/zoo2026.03.267
UDC 597.584.2:591.5-036.92
THE LIFE HISTORY TRAITS OF THE CHINESE
SLEEPER, PERCCOTTUS GLENII (PERCIFORMES,
ODONTOBUTIDAE), AN INVASIVE ALIEN
SPECIES IN UKRAINE
A. Shukh 1, *, H. Honcharov 2, O. Didenko 1, 3,
A. Podobailo 4, & Y. Kutsokon 1, 5
1 I. I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology of NAS of Ukraine,
vul. B. Khmelnytskogo, 15, Kyiv, 01054 Ukraine
2 V. N. Karazin National University of Kharkiv,
pl. Svobody, 4, Kharkiv, 61022 Ukraine
3 Institute of Fisheries of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine,
vul. Obukhivska, 135, Kyiv, 03164 Ukraine
4 Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv,
vul. Volodymyrska, 60 Kyiv, 01033 Ukraine
5 Plant Science and Biodiversity Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences,
Dúbravská cesta 9, Bratislava, SK-84523, Slovakia
* Corresponding author
E-mail: fg54ilwgor3sa@gmail.com
A. Shukh (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9567-0776)
H. Honcharov (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5174-7054)
O. Didenko (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4062-8033)
A. Podobailo (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2958-8445)
Y. Kutsokon (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9721-5638)
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B53C4A16-994F-4E8E-841E-A72187FC08B3
The life history traits of the Chinese sleeper, Perccottus glenii (Perciformes, Odontobutidae),
an invasive alien species in Ukraine. Shukh, A., Honcharov, H., Didenko, O., Podobailo, A.,
Kutsokon, Y. — Perccottus glenii Dybowski, 1877 is one of the freshwater fishes listed in the IAS
list of Union Concern as an important invasive alien fish species. In Ukraine, it was recorded
for the first time in the 1970s and now is widespread in all Ukrainian large river basins. Chinese
sleeper from eight localities was studied: seven from the Dnipro River basin and one from the
Siverskiy Donets River basin. In total, 403 specimens were examined. Standard length of Chinese
sleeper in our samples varied from 10 mm to 143.6 mm. Total weight varied from 0.05 g to 79 g.
Morphology Zoodiversity, 60(3): 267–279, 2026
© Publisher Publishing House “Akademperiodyka” of the NAS of Ukraine, 2026. The article is
published under an open access license CC BY-NC-ND (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/
by-nc-nd/4.0/)
ISSN 2707-725X. Zoodiversity. 2026. Vol. 60, No. 3
A. Shukh, H. Honcharov, O. Didenko, A. Podobailo & Y. Kutsokon
ISSN 2707-725X. Zoodiversity. 2026. Vol. 60, No. 3
268
The largest female had a standard length of 138.6 mm. The biggest male had a standard length
of 143.6 mm. Chinese sleeper become mature at age 1+ with a length near 40 mm. Males pre-
dominated in all samples. Immature specimens were dominating in five samples, while mature
fish prevailed only in two samples. The a values varied from 0.000012 to 0.000059. The growth
coefficient (b) ranged from 2.68 to 3.19.
Ke y words : age, Chinese sleeper, Dnipro basin, length-weight relationship, Perccottus glenii,
Siverskiy Donets basin.
Introduction
The Chinese sleeper, Perccottus glenii Dybowski, 1877, is one of the most invasive
freshwater fishes in Eurasia. The native range of Chinese sleeper includes north-east-
ern China, the northern part of the Korean Peninsula and the Russian Far East
(Nikolsky, 1956).
Chinese sleeper was brought to St. Petersburg (Russia) in 1916 and it has been
spreading very fast in eastern and central Europe (Reshetnikov, 2013; Kottelat &
Freyhof, 2007). In the 1950s, it was found in shallow waters of the Gulf of Finland in
the Baltic Sea. In the 1960s, the Chinese sleeper was introduced to Kazakhstan, Uz-
bekistan and the Lake Baikal mixed with Chinese carps. The history of the Central
European population of the Chinese sleeper started in 1972, when it was found in
the Velykyi Lubin fish farm (the Dniester River basin) near Lviv, Ukraine (Kutsokon,
2017). In the late 1980s, it was recorded in the Vishnya River (tributary of the San)
by Movchan (1989). There were numerous later records from the Vistula River basin
in western Ukraine, including the Lakes Shatsky (Bigun & Afanasyev, 2010), rivers of
the Danube basin (Didenko et al., 2010; Markovych & Kutsokon, 2012), the lower
Danube (Kvach, 2012), Southern Buh (Kutsokon et al., 2014), Dnipro (Sabodash et
al., 2002) and its tributaries (Kutsokon, 2017), and Siversky Donets (Honcharov &
Drohvalenko, 2024).
Invasion of Chinese sleeper into new localities still continues, via both active
and passive dispersal. Human activities, such as fish cultivation, are considered
one of the primary causes for introduction of the Chinese sleeper into geograph-
ically distant locations (Grabowska et al., 2020). The Chinese sleeper is included
in the IAS list of Union Concern (European Commission, 2020) as an important
invasive alien fish species.
The Chinese sleeper prefers lentic waters, canals, lakes, ponds, backwaters, and
swamps with dense submerged vegetation and avoids lotic habitats (Kottelat & Frey-
hof, 2007; Rechulicz et al., 2015; Kutsokon, 2017). It is resistant to oxygen deficiency,
moderate chemical pollution and significant temperature drops (Bogutskaya &
Naseka, 2002), and can survive in low-productivity water bodies (Kutsokon et al.,
2021). Moreover, this species is a wide-spectrum, omnivorous fish with a general
preference for zooplankton in juvenile stages switching to benthos and smaller fish
(including cases of cannibalism) in later stages (Koščo et al., 2008; Rau et al., 2017).
The Chinese sleeper can reduce the diversity of macroinvertebrates, amphibians,
reptiles, and fishes (Koščo et al., 2008; Grabowska et al., 2009; Pupina et al., 2018;
Reshetnikov, 2003, 2013) and can be considered as a serious threat to European
freshwater ecosystems.
The Life History Traits of the Chinese Sleeper, Perccottus Glenii
ISSN 2707-725X. Zoodiversity. 2026. Vol. 60, No. 3
269
There are few papers about growth of the Chinese sleeper in European popula-
tions, but for Ukrainian populations there are only data on its distribution (Kut-
sokon, 2017), feeding (Bigun & Afanasyev, 2010), and parasites (Kvach et al., 2020;
2022). The aim of this study was to describe the age and sex structure, length-weight
relationship of the Chinese sleeper populations in Ukraine.
Material and Methods
Study area and sampling
Sampling was conducted at eight locations in Ukraine during warm season (Table 1,
Fig. 1). All sampling locations were lentic water bodies with dense macrophyte cov-
ers. A beach seine (8 m long, 0.5 cm mesh size) and a dip net (mesh size 0.5 cm) were
used for sampling. All samples were captured near the shore at depths of approxi-
mately 1.5 m. In total, 403 specimens were sampled and examined. For each sam-
pling site, other co-occurring fish species were also recorded and counted including
predators and alien invasive species.
The research did not involve animal experimentation or harm.
The PE and KA samples were sampled in the Poltava Region. The PE sample was
collected from the slow flowing river Perevod near Sasynyvka village. The substrate
at the sampling site was silty with many macrophytes. The KA sample was collected
in a large lake near Kaplyntsi village (Poltava Region). The substrate at the sampling
site was sandy.
The RY and RZ samples were sampled in Rzyshchiv (Kyiv Region). The RY sam-
ple was collected in a small bay of the Kaniv Reservoir in Rzyshchiv. The sampling
site has dense macrophyte cover and a very silty bottom. The RZ sample was collect-
ed in a small lake within Rzyshchiv.
Table 1 . Sampling locations
Locality ID Latitude, N Longitude, E Date Number
of other species
Waterbody
type
Area
(ha)
Perevod River PE 50.299501 32.408467 29.07.2023 18 River –
Rybalska bay,
Dnipro
RY 49.977691 31.0578289 18.06.2023 15 River bay –
Zalissya, Lake
Verkhne Velyke
ZA 50.763391 30.834580 7.08.2023 10 Lake 23
Zalissya, Lake
Beztravne
ZB 50.72342 30.87195 5.09.2024 1 Lake < 1
Rzyschyv, Lake RZ 49.978390 31.057450 12.05.2023 1 Lake 0.15
Kaplyno, Uday
River
KA 50.305448 32.612611 1.08.2022 3 Lake 8.4
Sukhiy Zhykhor
quarry
SZ 49.951149 36.246979 16.09.2023 5 Quarry 1.4
Lake Berizka,
Kyiv
BE 50.439164 30.579012 29.09.2021 9 Lake 2.6
A. Shukh, H. Honcharov, O. Didenko, A. Podobailo & Y. Kutsokon
ISSN 2707-725X. Zoodiversity. 2026. Vol. 60, No. 3
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The BE sample is from Lake Berizka in Kyiv. The bottom at the sampling site was
silty with dense macrophyte beds.
The ZA and ZB samples were both taken in the Zalissya National Park (Kyiv
Region). The ZA sample was collected from Lake Verkhne Velyke, while the ZB was
sampled from Lake Beztravne. The ZA sample site is a large lake overgrown with
macrophytes. The ZB is small forest lake.
The SZ sample was collected from the artificial quarry on the Sukhiy Zhykhor
River (the Siverskiy Donets River basin) in Kharkiv (Kharkiv Region).
Sample process ing
All samples after catching were preserved in a 4% formaldehyde solution. For
each specimen standard length (SL) was measured to the nearest 0.01 mm using a
slide caliper. Total weight was determined to the nearest 0.01 g with electronic scales.
Every specimen was eviscerated and sex was determined by examining gonads vis-
ually. Age determination was conducted using scales as in some previous studies of
Chinese sleeper (Skoric et al., 2017; Czerniejewski et al., 2020; Grabowska et al.,
2011). Scales were prepared according to the classical method (Bagenal, 1978). For
each specimen, ten scales were extracted from the area above the lateral line, beneath
the dorsal fin.
Scale preparation for microscopy followed laboratory protocols (Bagenal, 1978).
Scales were immersed in a 3% ammonia solution and individually separated using
needles. After cleaning off epithelial residues, each scale was placed between two
tightly pressed slides. Labels indicating specimen ID, weight, and length were affixed
to each slide. The prepared slides were then left to dry.
Examination of dried scales was conducted using a Konus Crystal 7x-45x stereo
microscope. Digital images were captured using a digital SIGETA M3CMOS 15.0MP
camera with a FMA050 lens. Total scale radius and annuli radii were measured using
ToupTek ToupView 3.7.2270 software. Measurements were taken from the scale
center to the outer edge of each annulus along the largest diameter (Fig. 2).
Fig. 1. Sample cites locations. ID listed in Table 1
The Life History Traits of the Chinese Sleeper, Perccottus Glenii
ISSN 2707-725X. Zoodiversity. 2026. Vol. 60, No. 3
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Statistical analysis
Growth parameters were calculated using the Bertalanffy’s method (Ricker, 1975):
Lt = L∞ (1 – exp (–K × (t–t0))
Where: Lt = Fish length at age t (years); L∞, K, t0 are coefficients.
The length-weight relationship (LWR) was calculated using the function (Rick-
er, 1975):
W = a × SL^b
Where: W = Weight (g); SL = Standard length (mm); a = Scaling coefficient; b =
Shape parameter (allometric growth coefficient).
A value of b = 3 indicates isometric growth, while values deviating from 3 sug-
gest allometric growth (Tesch, 1971), when b < 3 the fish grows faster in length than
in weight, and when b > 3 the fish grows faster in weight than in length (Karachle &
Stergiou, 2012).
Fulton’s condition factor (K) was calculated using the following formula (Froese,
2006):
K = 100 × TW × SL–3
Where:TW = total weight (g); SL = standard length (cm).
Statistical analyses were performed as follows:
1. The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to assess the normality of data distribution.
2. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Mann-Whitney test were used to com-
pare standard lengths among different groups (Sheskin, 2000).
All statistical tests were conducted with a significance level of α = 0.05. Statistical
processing was performed using PAST and R software.
Results
Among samples collected, there were two samples from rivers and six samples from
lakes. Two river samples were PE and RY. PE was sampled in the slow-flowing the
Perevod River overgrown with vegetation. Chinese sleeper is not a common species
in the Perevod River, it was small there and reached 66.9 mm SL. RY was sampled in
the small bay on the Dnipro River. As opposed to PE sample Chinese sleeper from
Fig. 2. Scales of the Chinese sleeper at age 6+ (a) and 0+ (b)
a b
A. Shukh, H. Honcharov, O. Didenko, A. Podobailo & Y. Kutsokon
ISSN 2707-725X. Zoodiversity. 2026. Vol. 60, No. 3
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Fig. 3. Length-weight
relationships of the Chinese
sleeper populations (SL —
standard length in mm,
TW — total weight in g)
RY sample reached 121.4 mm SL. There was not a big amount of Chinese sleeper in
both samples, but in the RY sample there were more adult age groups while most of
the specimens in PE were immature and very small.
Samples from large lakes (area more than 1 ha) were SZ, KA, BE, ZA. ZA and SZ
are both artificial lakes with no connection with nearest rivers while BE and KA are
not. In these samples, sizes of Chinese sleeper highly varied. Specimens from the ZA
sample were the smallest and reached 56.7 mm SL, in the SZ sample specimens were
slightly larger and reached 78.7 mm SL. In the BE and KA, maximum standard
length exceeded 115 mm.
RZ and ZB were sampled from small lakes (area less than 1 ha). In both samples
Chinese sleeper formed abundant populations, and its standard length exceeded 110 mm.
Standard length of Chinese sleeper in samples varied from 10.0 mm to 143.6 mm
(Fig. 3). Total weight varied from 0.05 g to 79 g. Mean standard length varied across
sampling sites from 25.23 ± 13.12 mm (PE) to 66.42 ± 27.34 mm (RY) (Table 2).
ANOVA did not show significant differences in fish body sizes among most
samples (Appendix 1).
Mature specimens predominated only in two samples (RY and RZ). In the RY
sample, there were 85,7% of mature specimens. In RZ and SZ, the ratio between ma-
ture and immature fish was near 50/50: 53,1% of mature specimens in the RZ sample
and 44,1% in the SZ sample. BE and PE had the highest share of immature specimens
(85,5% and 85% respectively). ZA had 72,7% of immature specimens, ZB had 63,2%
of immature specimens and KA had 59,3% of immature specimens.
Males predominated in all examined samples. Due to unequal presence of males
and females in samples, only three samples, which had the most females, were used
The Life History Traits of the Chinese Sleeper, Perccottus Glenii
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273
for comparison (KA, SZ, RZ, ZB). Among those three samples, significant differenc-
es between length of males and females was found only in KA (Table 3).
The length-weight relationships (LWR) for examined samples:
PE TW = 0.000059 × TL2.68; r2 = 0.97.
RY TW = 0.000012 × TL3.19; r2 = 0.99.
ZA TW = 0.000023 × TL3.07; r2 = 0.99.
RZ TW = 0.000022 × TL3; r2 = 0.99.
KA TW = 0.000025 × TL2.99; r2 = 0.99.
SZ TW = 0.000037 × TL2.92; r2 = 0.98.
BE TW = 0.000029 × TL2.95; r2 = 0.96.
ZB TW = 0.000021 × TL3.04; r2 = 0.98.
P << 0.05 for all samples.
Table 2 . Length and weight of the Chinese sleeper populations
Sample N
Standard length, mm Total weight, g
Min Max Mean Standard
deviation Min Max Mean Standard
deviation
PE 20 10.07 66.85 25.23 13.12 0.05 6.38 0.66 1.40
BE 76 21.76 118.56 34.53 15.24 0.25 48.21 1.94 5.90
RZ 32 30.44 110.14 50.46 19.47 0.63 29.96 4.50 7.17
RY 21 18.85 121.42 66.42 27.34 0.11 53.71 12.12 15.53
KA 86 14.76 138.55 53.39 38.39 0.07 59.0 9.99 15.39
SZ 59 11.54 78.71 38.33 14.50 0.05 16.63 2.35 3.14
ZA 22 21.65 56.69 32.20 10.33 0.22 5.87 1.31 1.46
ZB 87 16.52 143.63 43.11 26.43 0.16 78.95 4.82 10.89
Table 3 . Standard lengths (mm) for different sexes of the Chinese sleeper populations
Sample Sex N Min Max Mean Standard deviation p
KA Males 26 69.75 131.71 90.06 17.85 0.02 *
Females 9 71.04 138.55 113.51 23.15
SZ Males 18 36.21 78.71 49.18 12.54 0.68
Females 8 38.85 69.66 52.72 13.15
RZ Males 5 43.21 88.41 55.46 18.69 0.71
Females 12 41.86 110.14 59.47 26.47
ZB Males 19 41.24 143.63 71.05 24.86 1
Females 13 48.32 127.57 72.06 21.96
PE Males 2 40.00 66.85 53.43 18.99 —
Females 1 40.04 40.04 — —
BE Males 9 40.35 118.56 67.48 23.43 —
Females 2 48.2 51.43 49.82 2.28
RY Males 15 48.34 121.42 67.66 22.42 —
Females 3 61.28 116.05 94.56 29.23
ZA Males 4 39.71 56.69 47.91 6.98 —
Females 2 40.93 51.21 46.07 7.27
*p < 0.05.
A. Shukh, H. Honcharov, O. Didenko, A. Podobailo & Y. Kutsokon
ISSN 2707-725X. Zoodiversity. 2026. Vol. 60, No. 3
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The a values varied from 0.000012 to 0.000059. The growth coefficient (b) ranged
from 2.68 to 3.19. Chinese sleeper growth was isometric only in the RZ sample,
while it was allometric in others. All LWR were highly significant (p < 0.05 for all
samples), with coefficient of determination (r2) values exceeding 0.95, indicating a
strong positive correlation between length and weight across all samples.
Chinese sleeper becomes mature at age 1+ with length near 40 mm. We
could not determine the age at maturity only in KA, because of absence speci-
mens with length between 35 and 70 mm, but all small specimens there were
immature. In the SZ sample, the smallest mature specimens had a length of 36
mm. In RY, RZ and ZB samples, there were some immature specimens with a
length 40–47 mm, so we could assume that some Chinese sleeper could reach
maturity a little bit later.
The age structure in each sample is shown in Appendix 2. The absence of the 0+
group in the RZ sample was due to the sampling time (May) when the spawning
season of this species had not started yet.
In most samples, 0+ was the most common age group. All specimens at this age
were immature. Older age groups were represented in small amounts. The standard
length at age by sex is shown in Appendix 3, but no comparisons among age groups
were provided due to their small sizes. Maximum age of the Chinese sleeper depend-
ed on the sample and varied from 3+ to 7+.
Von Bertalanffy’s equation estimated parameters are shown in Table 4.
Fig. 4. Fulton’s condition
factor of Chinese sleeper
The Life History Traits of the Chinese Sleeper, Perccottus Glenii
ISSN 2707-725X. Zoodiversity. 2026. Vol. 60, No. 3
275
Fulton’s condition factors for all samples are shown in Figure 4. Fulton’s condi-
tion factor values varied from 0.01 to 0.07 in all samples.
Among our samples, half included more than 10 species (PE, BE, ZA, RY). We
observed that Gibel carp Carassius gibelio (Bloch, 1782) was present in seven out of
eight samples (absent only in KA). The crucian carp C. carassius (Linnaeus, 1758)
was recorded in one sample (ZA). The full species list is shown in Appendix 4.
Discussion
Literature data show that the size of Chinese sleeper varies considerably in its geo-
graphic range. The largest specimens reach a total length of 250 mm and 10 years of
age (Reshetnikov, 2003). In Central Europe, the fish were younger and characterized
by smaller lengths (Nyeste et al., 2017; Skoric et al., 2017; Czerniejewski et al., 2020)
than in its natural range. The largest males (130 mm SL) and females (142 mm SL)
were observed in the Włocławek Reservoir at the Vistula River, Poland (Grabowska
et al., 2011). In our samples the largest female was recorded in the KA sample (138.6
mm). The largest male was recorded in the ZB sample (143,6 mm). The smallest were
fishes from two rivers (PE, BE) and one lake (ZA), the largest specimens from these
three samples did not reach the size of 100 mm. Maximum length in other samples
was 110 mm or more.
The obtained a values were smaller than those recorded in native areas (Liu et
al., 2013, Huang et al., 2014), but fall within a range from 3*10-7 to 7*10-5 recorded
for European populations (Czerniejewski et al., 2020; Nyeste et al., 2017; Skorić et al.,
2017). The recorded b values fall within the range of 2.5–3.5, which is considered to
be common (Froese, 2006). The values reported for the Chinese sleeper in its native
range are 2.6-3.08 (Liu et al., 2013; Huang et al., 2014). For European populations, b
values varied from 2.92 to 3.32 (Grabowska et al., 2011; Nyeste et al., 2017; Skorić et
al., 2017). All our samples except PE fell within European range, but PE result was
closer to b value in native range (b = 2.68). All examined populations except RZ were
characterized by allometric growth. In ZA, ZB and RY samples, the Chinese sleeper
gained weight faster than length, while in others samples, Chinese sleeper grew fast-
er in length than in weight.
The growth of the Chinese sleeper varies in different populations that is typical
of fish with a wide range of distribution (Mann, 1991). At the invaded areas, the
length gain is higher than in native range (Grabowska et al., 2011). However, a de-
crease in length gain occurs in non-native populations sooner (predominantly after
two years of life) (Nyeste et al., 2017) in comparison to native Chinese sleeper popu-
Table 4 . Von Bertalanffy equation for the Chinese sleeper populations
Sample PE RY ZA RZ KA SZ BE ZB
N 20 21 22 32 43 59 76 87
L∞ 111.34 189.11 73.74 188.75 246.17 119.33 178.96 276.21
K 0.24 0.12 0.33 0.11 0.11 0.14 0.13 0.05
t0 –0.89 –0.34 –1.36 -0.6 –0.96 –1.87 –0.32 –0.84
A. Shukh, H. Honcharov, O. Didenko, A. Podobailo & Y. Kutsokon
ISSN 2707-725X. Zoodiversity. 2026. Vol. 60, No. 3
276
lations (Nikolsky, 1956). This probably results from a decrease in the length gain af-
ter the fish have reached maturity. The Chinese sleeper reaches maturity at the age of
2+ and 3+ in its native range (Bogutskaya & Naseka, 2002) whereas the age at matu-
rity varies in non-native populations. According to Grabowska et al. (2011), females
reached their maturity at the age of 1+ and males at the age of 2+, but according to
Czerniejewski et al. (2020), both sexes reached their maturity at age 1+. However, in
the Rakamazi-Nagy-Morotva, Carpathian basin, Hungary (Nyeste et al., 2017) 0+
specimens were mature. All specimens in our samples were mature at age 2+ for both
sexes, the Chinese sleeper reaches maturity at age of 1+ with a length of approxi-
mately 40 mm.
Faster maturity, smaller sizes, short-life spawn, multiple spawning events, ex-
tended breeding season and care of the offspring are factors that help the Chinese
sleeper to invade faster (Grabowska and Przybylski, 2015). There are data about
growth differences between males and females during the first two years of life. In
the Habdziński Canal, Poland (Czerniejewski et al., 2020), the Włocławek Reservoir,
Poland (Grabowska et al., 2011) and the Danube River (Nyeste et al., 2017) males
growth faster and are larger than females. It could be due to gonad development
during the first two years of life, because the energy channelled into the gonads de-
tracts from somatic growth (Kozłowski, 1996). In our study, there were small
amounts of females to provide analysis, but only in one sample (KA) there were sig-
nificant differences between length of males and females, where females were larger.
The sex ratio of Chinese sleeper in invasive populations is usually close to 1:1
(Grabowska et al., 2011; Nyeste et al., 2017). Only Czerniejewski et al. (2020) showed
a different trend with males’ dominance. The same trend was observed in all our
samples, where females were were less abundant than males. All samples were taken
in the nearshore area. Males guard their eggs until they hatch and defend the nest
aggressively (Grabowska et al., 2011; Wałowski & Wolnicki, 2010), therefore they
can be more easily caught by the dip net than females.
Rechulicz et al. (2015) found a correlation between the occurrence of P. glenii
with C. gibelio and the spined loach Cobitis taenia Linnaeus, 1758. We can assume
that our data confirms the correlation between the presence of C. gibelio and P. glenii
in water bodies. Also, there are some data about Chinese sleeper`s impact on species
richness (Rechulicz et al., 2015; Reshetnikov, 2003). In some oxbow lakes of the Wie-
prz valley (Rechulicz et al., 2015), in which Chinese sleeper was found, it accounted
for a significant share of the ichthyofauna (40% of the total fish abundance). We had
two samples with only these two species: ZB and RZ. Both are small lakes with areas
less than 1 ha. RZ could have connection with the Dnipro River during spring floods,
but ZB is a lake in the middle of the forest without connection with other water bod-
ies. A low abundance of Gibel carp was recorded in this sampling site, so we can as-
sume that there would be a monospecific population of Chinese sleeper one day.
Piscivorous species such as the northern pike Esox lucius Linnaeus, 1758 and
European perch Perca fluviatilis Linnaeus, 1758 were recorded only in half of the
samples. For example, P. glenii was observed in the diet of P. fluviatilis in the Kaniv
Reservoir (Didenko & Gurbyk, 2016). Also, there is study about potential of E. lucius
and P. fluviatilis being able to exterminate P. glenii due to their foraging on differ-
ent-sized prey (Rakauskas et al., 2019).
The Life History Traits of the Chinese Sleeper, Perccottus Glenii
ISSN 2707-725X. Zoodiversity. 2026. Vol. 60, No. 3
277
Conclusion
Chinese sleeper is one of the most invasive alien species in Ukrainian waterbodies.
It successfully spreads in new areas due to its biological characteristics. In all stud-
ied locations Chinese sleeper grows fast and reaches maturity with standard length
around 40 mm at the second year of life. Immature specimens are the most com-
mon in populations, but maximum age varies from 3+ to 7+ depending on the
sample. We can assume that our data confirms the correlation between the pres-
ence of C. gibelio and P. glenii in water bodies. Chinese sleeper can impact on the
species richness; in two studied lakes there was a tendency to monospecific popu-
lation of Chinese sleeper.
Acknowledgements. The authors express their appreciation to the anonymous
reviewers, the Handling editor, and the Thematic editor for their invaluable com-
ments and assistance in preparing this article. YK was supported by the EU Next-
GenerationEU through the Recovery and Resilience Plan for Slovakia by the EU
NextGenerationEU under the project No. 09I03-03-V01-00004.
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Received 17 January 2026
Accepted 30 June 2026
|
| id | oai:ojs.akademperiodyka.org.ua:article-921 |
| institution | Zoodiversity |
| keywords_txt_mv | keywords |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-30T01:00:28Z |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publisher | Publishing House "Akademperiodyka" of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine |
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| spelling | oai:ojs.akademperiodyka.org.ua:article-9212026-06-29T16:20:36Z The life history traits of the Chinese sleeper (Perccottus glenii), an invasive alien species in Ukraine Shukh, A. Honcharov, H. Didenko, O. Podobailo, A. Kutsokon, Y. age Chinese sleeper Dnipro basin length-weight relationship Perccottus glenii Siverskiy Donets basin Perccottus glenii Dybowski, 1877 is one of the freshwater fishes listed in the IAS list of Union Concern as an important invasive alien fish species. In Ukraine, it was recorded for the first time in the 1970s and now is widespread in all Ukrainian large river basins. Chinese sleeper from eight localities was studied: seven from the Dnipro River basin and one from the Siverskiy Donets River basin. In total, 403 specimens were examined. Standard length of Chinese sleeper in our samples varied from 10 mm to 143.6 mm. Total weight varied from 0.05 g to 79 g. The largest female had a standard length of 138.6 mm. The biggest male had a standard length of 143.6 mm. Chinese sleeper become mature at age 1+ with a length near 40 mm. Males predominated in all samples. &nbsp;Immature specimens were dominating in five samples, while mature fish prevailed only in two samples. The a values varied from 0.000012 to 0.000059. The growth coefficient (b) ranged from 2.68 to 3.19. Publishing House "Akademperiodyka" of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine 2026-04-27 Article Article application/pdf https://ojs.akademperiodyka.org.ua/index.php/Zoodiversity/article/view/921 10.15407/zoo2026.03.267 Zoodiversity; Vol. 60 No. 3 (2026): Zoodiversity Zoodiversity (Vestnik Zoologii); Том 60 № 3 (2026): Zoodiversity 2707-7268 2707-725X 10.15407/zoo2026.03 en https://ojs.akademperiodyka.org.ua/index.php/Zoodiversity/article/view/921/397 Copyright (c) 2026 Yuliya (Iuliia) Kutsokon |
| spellingShingle | Shukh, A. Honcharov, H. Didenko, O. Podobailo, A. Kutsokon, Y. The life history traits of the Chinese sleeper (Perccottus glenii), an invasive alien species in Ukraine |
| title | The life history traits of the Chinese sleeper (Perccottus glenii), an invasive alien species in Ukraine |
| title_full | The life history traits of the Chinese sleeper (Perccottus glenii), an invasive alien species in Ukraine |
| title_fullStr | The life history traits of the Chinese sleeper (Perccottus glenii), an invasive alien species in Ukraine |
| title_full_unstemmed | The life history traits of the Chinese sleeper (Perccottus glenii), an invasive alien species in Ukraine |
| title_short | The life history traits of the Chinese sleeper (Perccottus glenii), an invasive alien species in Ukraine |
| title_sort | life history traits of the chinese sleeper (perccottus glenii), an invasive alien species in ukraine |
| topic_facet | age Chinese sleeper Dnipro basin length-weight relationship Perccottus glenii Siverskiy Donets basin |
| url | https://ojs.akademperiodyka.org.ua/index.php/Zoodiversity/article/view/921 |
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