Checklist of aquatic alien species established in large river basins of Belarus

The assessment of risks associated with alien invasive organisms implies a detailed knowledge of their taxonomical composition and distribution within an assessment unit. In this paper we used both literature data and results from our field surveys of more than forty sites, conducted in 2006-2008, to compile a checklist of aquatic alien species (invertebrates and fish) established in the three large river basins of Belarus (Dnieper, Pripyat, Neman). Thirty six alien species have been revealed, most of which are of Ponto-Caspian origin. The discovery of several new species during our surveys indicates that the rate of introductions has substantially increased over the last two decades.