Comment on “Multiple tools to investigate the origin of the exotic species Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Walbaum, 1792) (Salmonidae) in the world's largest chocked coastal lagoon (Gonçalves et al., 2025)"

Abstract

Gowertetal. (2025) reported the presence of an adult female Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchust shawytscha) in the Patos Lagoon, Brazil. The authors presented their findings as ‘the firsts cientific record’ of non-native Chinook salmon in this location, based on a combination of techniques that confirmed species identity (DNA barcoding) and its anadromous life history (stable isotopes). However, Gowert et al. (2025) discounted the early report by Figueroa-Muñoz et al. (2023), which previously documented the presence of this salmonid in the same location as the northern most record of the species in the Atlantic Ocean. Gowert et al. (2025) erroneously suggested that Figueroa Muñoz et al. (2023) likely confused the Patos Lagoon in Brazil with a homonymous system in Chile. Here we clarify the details of our original report (Figueroa-Muñoz et al., 2023) to reaffirm the geographic accuracy of our description of Chinook salmon in the Patos Lagoon, Brazil. We also highlight the need for collaborative research efforts and communication across researchers about the species´ invasive range to avoid potential misunderstandings or misinformation.