RECENT INTRODUCTIONS OF THE RUFFE (GYMNOCEPHALUS-CERNUUS) TO 3 UNITED-KINGDOM LAKES CONTAINING COREGONUS SPECIES

Although a native of the United Kingdom fish fauna, the distribution o f the ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernuus) was, until recently, largely restr icted to lowland England. However, it has now been introduced, probabl y by anglers fishing with ruffe as bait, to numerous localities elsewh ere in the UK. This expansion has provoked concern because it has incl uded introductions to lakes containing nationally-rare Coregonus albul a or C. lavaretus. This paper documents the history of these introduct ions to Loch Lomond (Scotland), Llyn Tegid (Wales) and Bassenthwaite L ake (England), describes pertinent aspects of the local ecology of ruf fe, and discusses implications for the continued survival of the coreg onids.