DOCSLIB.ORG

Minnesota Fishes: Just How Many Species Are There Anyway?

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Minnesota Fishes: Just How Many Species Are There Anyway? B Spring 2015 American Currents 10 MINNESOTA FISHES: JUST HOW MANY SPECIES ARE THERE ANYWAY? Jay Hatch Dept. of Postsecondary Teaching and Learning and James Ford Bell Museum of Natural History, University of Minnesota INTRODUCTION FIGURING OUT THE COUNT In terms of fish diversity, for a state at the northern edge and Were they ever really here? halfway between the east–west extremes of the contiguous On the surface, this one appears pretty simple, but it can USA, Minnesota doesn’t do badly. Of the five states and two cause way more gray hairs than you might think. For ex- Canadian provinces bordering it, only Wisconsin boasts as ample, what do you do if Minnesota’s ichthyological fore- many or more species. We (my fish biology colleagues and )I fathers—like Albert Woolman and Ulysses Cox—reported believe this is true, but counting species is not quite as easy species such as the Chestnut Lamprey (Icthyomyzon casta- as it seems. You’re asking: What could be easier? Just find out neus) from the Minnesota River basin or the Longnose Gar if a fish species swims in your lakes or streams, then count it, (Lepisosteus osseus) from the Red River of the North basin right? Well, as they used to say in the Hertz rental car com- (see Figure 1 for Minnesota’s 10 major basins), but no one mercial, “not exactly.” else has ever collected these species in those basins over the What kinds of issues lead to “not exactly?” Quite a few, last 120 years? Look at the specimens, right? Good luck; including the uncertainty of old or historical records, the they no longer exist. You might entertain the notion that the uncertainty of the presence of rare species, difficulty in as- Chestnut Lamprey was misidentified, especially given that sessing the reproductive status of rare or invading species, the similar Silver Lamprey (Ichthyomyzon unicuspis) is an questions of what to do about failed introductions, the issue inhabitant of the Minnesota River, but how could they mis- of species that occur only across the border in a shared body identify gar? A Longnose might have been called a Short- of water, and last—but not least—difficulties in determin- nose, or vice versa, but no gar of any species has ever been ing what a species is. Often, two or more of these issues in- verified from the Red. Was it a really bad day? A smudge of tersect for a given species, making it even harder to decide the pencil? We will probably never know for sure. So, with- whether or not to count it. Depending on how such issues out specimens to examine, following in the boot steps of our are resolved, the total count for Minnesota could be as low as mentors, my colleagues and I choose not to list these species 153 or as high as 164 species. The potential impact on counts in these basins. “No specimens, no ✓” seems like a good rule. within major basins or smaller river systems can be similarly Then we have the Silver Chub (Macrhybopsis storeriana), high. Let’s look at some examples. again clearly on the state list, but never listed for the Mis- Photos by Konrad Schmidt unless otherwise indicated. sissippi Headwaters basin. There was a single collection by F. Washburn from Lake Mille Lacs in 1886. Unable to lo- Jay Hatch is H.T. Morse Distinguished Teaching Professor in cate the specimen, Eddy and Underhill (1974) did not count the College of Education and Human Development and Re- search Associate in the James Ford Bell Museum of Natural it. We think we have located Washburn’s specimen at the PhotosHistory by at thethe authorUniversity unless of otherwiseMinnesota. indicated. He began studying en- U. S. National Museum, but have not yet examined it. Obvi- vironmental impacts on Midwestern fishes in 1971 with James ously, we cannot count it until we’ve verified it—except that Gammon at DePauw University and later with David Etnier in in 1989 Konrad Schmidt (NANFA Fellow) collected three his capacity as consultant for WAPORA, Inc. He completed a specimens from the Crow Wing River just where it enters PhD in 1982 with James Underhill at the University of Minne- the Mississippi, which is well into the Headwaters basin. So, sota, working on the natural history of darters. After teaching we can definitely count it, right? Well, no. We are sure of briefly at Macalester College in St. Paul, he returned to the Uni- versity of Minnesota, where he has been for the past 32 years. He the identification this time, but we can’t find Konrad’s speci- was Associate Curator of Fishes in the Bell Museum from 1986 mens either. Ouch! No specimens, no √—at least not yet. So through 2006. far, pretty simple. Just to make you as crazy as I am, here are A 11 American Currents Vol. 40, No. 2 but they have no impact on the overall state count. There are plenty of Bluegill, Longnose Gar, Chestnut Lamprey, and even Silver Chub elsewhere in the state. However, there are three cases that affect the state count. Let’s start with the very appropriately named Ghost Shiner (Notropis buchanani) (Figure 2A). It was reported Lake of the Woods 35 times from the Mississippi River between 1944 and 1953, and Rainy River but strangely never again. The collectors included John Ap- pelget, John Greenbank, Ray Johnson, Melvin Monson, and Red River of the North Lake others. These guys were sharp and probably knew what they Superior had, and fortunately George Becker (Fishes of Wisconsin) found and examined three specimens from Pool 7 that were Mississippi cataloged at UW-Stevens Point. Our initial attempts to ex- Headwaters St. Croix amine these specimens or to locate any others from the hey- River day of this species in Minnesota failed. Then in 2010 Bob Hrabik—A Field Guide to the Fishes of Nebraska and new edition of The Fishes of Missouri, both forthcoming—lo- cated and verified the Stevens Point specimens. Somewhat Minnesota later, Wisconsin’s current fish guru, John Lyons, told Konrad River Schmidt that the collections from the Mississippi River sur- Mississippi veys were in the uncataloged materials of the University of Southeast Des Moines Wisconsin Zoological Museum. He kindly allowed Kon to Missouri River Cedar rummage through them and, sure enough, there they were, River River worse for the wear but definitely Ghost Shiners (they have all now been cataloged into UWZM). So, this species was Figure 1. Locations of the 10 major basins in Minnesota (map by Nick Proulx, Minnesota Department of Natural Resouces). in Minnesota and not just in Pool 7, but apparently it is now extirpated (we’ll revisit this one under “Are they still here?” two more examples in this category. No specimen, no re- below). Count it as historical! cord, right? Well, in the Des Moines River basin, we have 64 Now comes a complicated case, the Blue Catfish (Icta- records of Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) from 15 different lurus furcatus) (Figure 2B). To be sure, we have no speci- lakes and 2 streams. These fish were collected in 23 different mens, so why even bring it up? Well, Ulysses Cox started years between 1955 and 2012. They were collected and iden- the cobble tumbling through the riffle by listing Ameiurus tified by at least 11 different biologists, including many DNR lacustris, the “Great Fork-tailed or Mississippi Cat,” in his biologists, Konrad Schmidt, and James Underhill (author of 1897 Fishes of Minnesota. He admitted he had “no definite Northern Fishes and Fishes of the Minnesota Region). Add to record of occurrence of this fish in Minnesota,” but he also this evidence the fact that the Bluegill is vouchered widely in acknowledged that “dark slaty-blue” cats “reaching a weight all nine remaining major basins of Minnesota, and we find of one hundred pounds or more” had been reported by “fish- it rather ridiculous not to acknowledge its presence in the ermen,” which we believe included both anglers and com- Des Moines. A similar example is the Bowfin( Amia calva) mercial fishers. Yes, Channel Catfish (I. punctatus) have in the Rainy River basin. We have 140 records reported by deeply forked tails and can be slaty-blue, but do they weigh dozens of biologists going back to 1950. They come from 38 over 100 pounds? Flathead Catfish (Pylodictis olivaris), yes. lakes and two streams in the Big Fork River system, mostly But Flatheads don’t have deeply forked tails and slaty-blue in the southern portion. We’re not prepared to say how they color, and even record-setting Channel Cats in our stretch got there (they were introduced into Lake of the Woods in of the river struggle to reach 40 pounds. The largest ever re- 1984—see Stewart and Watkinson, 2004), but it is absurd to ported anywhere is only 58 pounds (from South Carolina). conclude they are not there (I note that specimens collected So, were fishers exaggerating? Likely, but more than double in the Baudette and Grand Rapids areas will soon be cata- the weight? Further, by 1943 enough of these reports had loged). There are several other basin-specific species that fall accumulated so that Samuel Eddy and Thaddeus Surber in into this category. their first edition ofNorthern Fishes stated, “It [Blue Catfish] The examples we’ve considered so far affect the number is frequently taken during the warmer months of the year of species attributed to a basin (and that is very important), from Lake Pepin southward in the Mississippi River.” (They A Spring 2015 American Currents 12 that it once occurred in the “Mississippi River north to St.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Tennessee Fish Species
    The Angler’s Guide To TennesseeIncluding Aquatic Nuisance SpeciesFish Published by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Cover photograph Paul Shaw Graphics Designer Raleigh Holtam Thanks to the TWRA Fisheries Staff for their review and contributions to this publication. Special thanks to those that provided pictures for use in this publication. Partial funding of this publication was provided by a grant from the United States Fish & Wildlife Service through the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force. Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Authorization No. 328898, 58,500 copies, January, 2012. This public document was promulgated at a cost of $.42 per copy. Equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from programs of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is available to all persons without regard to their race, color, national origin, sex, age, dis- ability, or military service. TWRA is also an equal opportunity/equal access employer. Questions should be directed to TWRA, Human Resources Office, P.O. Box 40747, Nashville, TN 37204, (615) 781-6594 (TDD 781-6691), or to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office for Human Resources, 4401 N. Fairfax Dr., Arlington, VA 22203. Contents Introduction ...............................................................................1 About Fish ..................................................................................2 Black Bass ...................................................................................3 Crappie ........................................................................................7
    [Show full text]
  • Iowa Darter Etheostoma Exile ILLINOIS RANGE
    Iowa darter Etheostoma exile Kingdom: Animalia FEATURES Phylum: Chordata The Iowa darter averages about two and three- Class: Osteichthyes fourths inches in length. It is a brown or green- Order: Perciformes brown fish with eight to 10 dark marks on the back and 10 to 14 dark blotches on the side separated by Family: Percidae red spaces. There is a dark, teardrop mark under the ILLINOIS STATUS eye and a dark bar in front of the eye, as well as bars on the fins. The lateral line is short, extending to common, native about the second dorsal fin. There are two spines in the anal fin. The cheeks have scales. The breeding male has a blue tint to the back, green side blotches separated by rust-red spaces, wide bands of blue and orange in the first dorsal fin and orange along the lower sides. BEHAVIORS The Iowa darter may be found in glacial lakes in northeastern Illinois, a few streams in northern Illinois and a few limestone quarries in Vermilion County. It lives in clear lakes, sloughs and creeks that have many aquatic plants. In streams it can be found in quiet pools over a mud or clay bottom with dead material and brush. Spawning occurs in April in shallow water over roots, vegetation or debris. The young Iowa darter eats plankton, while the adult feeds on immature insects and small crustaceans. ILLINOIS RANGE © Illinois Department of Natural Resources. 2020. Biodiversity of Illinois. Unless otherwise noted, photos and images © Illinois Department of Natural Resources. female © Konrad P. Schmidt, University of Minnesota male © Konrad P.
    [Show full text]
  • Fish Species of Saskatchewan
    Introduction From the shallow, nutrient -rich potholes of the prairies to the clear, cool rock -lined waters of our province’s north, Saskatchewan can boast over 50,000 fish-bearing bodies of water. Indeed, water accounts for about one-eighth, or 80,000 square kilometers, of this province’s total surface area. As numerous and varied as these waterbodies are, so too are the types of fish that inhabit them. In total, Saskatchewan is home to 67 different fish species from 16 separate taxonomic families. Of these 67, 58 are native to Saskatchewan while the remaining nine represent species that have either been introduced to our waters or have naturally extended their range into the province. Approximately one-third of the fish species found within Saskatchewan can be classed as sportfish. These are the fish commonly sought out by anglers and are the best known. The remaining two-thirds can be grouped as minnow or rough-fish species. The focus of this booklet is primarily on the sportfish of Saskatchewan, but it also includes information about several rough-fish species as well. Descriptions provide information regarding the appearance of particular fish as well as habitat preferences and spawning and feeding behaviours. The individual species range maps are subject to change due to natural range extensions and recessions or because of changes in fisheries management. "...I shall stay him no longer than to wish him a rainy evening to read this following Discourse; and that, if he be an honest Angler, the east wind may never blow when he goes a -fishing." The Compleat Angler Izaak Walton, 1593-1683 This booklet was originally published by the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority with funds generated from the sale of angling licences and made available through the FISH AND WILDLIFE DEVELOPMENT FUND.
    [Show full text]
  • Northern Pike Esox Lucius ILLINOIS RANGE
    northern pike Esox lucius Kingdom: Animalia FEATURES Phylum: Chordata The northern pike's average life span is eight to 10 Class: Osteichthyes years. The average weight is two pounds. It may Order: Esociformes attain a maximum length of 53 inches. The fins are rounded, and all except the pectoral fins have dark Family: Esocidae spots. Scales are present on the cheek and half of ILLINOIS STATUS the gill cover. The eyes are yellow. The long, green body has yellow spots on the sides. The belly is common, native white to dark yellow. The duckbill-shaped snout is easily seen. BEHAVIORS The northern pike lives in lakes, rivers and marshes. It prefers water without strong currents and with many plants. This fish reaches maturity at age two to three years. Spawning occurs in March. The female deposits up to 150,000 eggs that are scattered in marshy areas or other shallow water areas. Eggs hatch in 12-14 days. This fish eats fishes, insects, crayfish, frogs and reptiles. ILLINOIS RANGE © Illinois Department of Natural Resources. 2020. Biodiversity of Illinois. Unless otherwise noted, photos and images © Illinois Department of Natural Resources. close up of head close up of side © Illinois Department of Natural Resources. 2020. Biodiversity of Illinois. Unless otherwise noted, photos and images © Illinois Department of Natural Resources. © Engbretson Underwater Photography adult Aquatic Habitats lakes, ponds and reservoirs; rivers and streams; marshes Woodland Habitats none Prairie and Edge Habitats none © Illinois Department of Natural Resources. 2020. Biodiversity of Illinois. Unless otherwise noted, photos and images © Illinois Department of Natural Resources..
    [Show full text]
  • ECOLOGY of NORTH AMERICAN FRESHWATER FISHES
    ECOLOGY of NORTH AMERICAN FRESHWATER FISHES Tables STEPHEN T. ROSS University of California Press Berkeley Los Angeles London © 2013 by The Regents of the University of California ISBN 978-0-520-24945-5 uucp-ross-book-color.indbcp-ross-book-color.indb 1 44/5/13/5/13 88:34:34 AAMM uucp-ross-book-color.indbcp-ross-book-color.indb 2 44/5/13/5/13 88:34:34 AAMM TABLE 1.1 Families Composing 95% of North American Freshwater Fish Species Ranked by the Number of Native Species Number Cumulative Family of species percent Cyprinidae 297 28 Percidae 186 45 Catostomidae 71 51 Poeciliidae 69 58 Ictaluridae 46 62 Goodeidae 45 66 Atherinopsidae 39 70 Salmonidae 38 74 Cyprinodontidae 35 77 Fundulidae 34 80 Centrarchidae 31 83 Cottidae 30 86 Petromyzontidae 21 88 Cichlidae 16 89 Clupeidae 10 90 Eleotridae 10 91 Acipenseridae 8 92 Osmeridae 6 92 Elassomatidae 6 93 Gobiidae 6 93 Amblyopsidae 6 94 Pimelodidae 6 94 Gasterosteidae 5 95 source: Compiled primarily from Mayden (1992), Nelson et al. (2004), and Miller and Norris (2005). uucp-ross-book-color.indbcp-ross-book-color.indb 3 44/5/13/5/13 88:34:34 AAMM TABLE 3.1 Biogeographic Relationships of Species from a Sample of Fishes from the Ouachita River, Arkansas, at the Confl uence with the Little Missouri River (Ross, pers. observ.) Origin/ Pre- Pleistocene Taxa distribution Source Highland Stoneroller, Campostoma spadiceum 2 Mayden 1987a; Blum et al. 2008; Cashner et al. 2010 Blacktail Shiner, Cyprinella venusta 3 Mayden 1987a Steelcolor Shiner, Cyprinella whipplei 1 Mayden 1987a Redfi n Shiner, Lythrurus umbratilis 4 Mayden 1987a Bigeye Shiner, Notropis boops 1 Wiley and Mayden 1985; Mayden 1987a Bullhead Minnow, Pimephales vigilax 4 Mayden 1987a Mountain Madtom, Noturus eleutherus 2a Mayden 1985, 1987a Creole Darter, Etheostoma collettei 2a Mayden 1985 Orangebelly Darter, Etheostoma radiosum 2a Page 1983; Mayden 1985, 1987a Speckled Darter, Etheostoma stigmaeum 3 Page 1983; Simon 1997 Redspot Darter, Etheostoma artesiae 3 Mayden 1985; Piller et al.
    [Show full text]
  • A Taxonomic Study of Recently Introduced Populations of The
    Short Papers and Notes 303 A TaxonomicStudy of RecentlyIntroduced Populations of the Banded Darter,Etheostoma zonale (Cope), in the Susquehanna River. Etheostoma zonale (Cope), the banded darter, has an who supplied banded darters from Pine Creek. extensive distribution in the Mississippi drainage from A sample of 20 adult specimens was obtained from the Louisiana and Mississippi in the south to Minnesota and mouth of Stony Creek, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, New York in the north. It is readily collected in the (lower Susquehanna drainage, 42 to 56 mm standard Allegheny tributaries of western Pennsylvania. length), from Pine Creek, Lycoming County, Pennsylva- The banded darter was first reported in Little Pine nia (upper Susquehanna drainage, 42 to 60 mm), and Creek, Lycoming County, Susquehanna River drainage from French Creek, Crawford County, Pennsylvania (Atlantic slope) in Kneib (1972) who suggested a bait (Allegheny drainage, 38 to 55 mm). They were examined bucket introduction. Denoncourt et al. (1975) reported for cheek, breast and belly squamation as described in TABLE 1. Meristic data from samples of three populations of the banded darter, Etheostoma zonale from Stony Creek (lower Susquehanna River), from Pine Creek (upper Susquehanna River) and from French Creek (Allegheny River). Lateral line scales 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 k ANOVA (p = .05) Stony Creek 1 1 7 5 2 1 3 - -- 45.1 NS Pine Creek - 1 2 4 5 4 3 - - 1 46.2 French Creek - 2 3 6 3 - 4 2 - - 45.8 Scales above lateral line 4 5 6 R ANOVA (p = .05) Stony Creek 3
    [Show full text]
  • Fisheries Full Issue PDF Volume 39, Issue 3
    This article was downloaded by: [American Fisheries Society] On: 24 March 2014, At: 13:30 Publisher: Taylor & Francis Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Fisheries Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ufsh20 Full Issue PDF Volume 39, Issue 3 Published online: 21 Mar 2014. To cite this article: (2014) Full Issue PDF Volume 39, Issue 3, Fisheries, 39:3, 97-144, DOI: 10.1080/03632415.2014.902705 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03632415.2014.902705 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes.
    [Show full text]
  • APPENDIX M Common and Scientific Species Names
    Bay du Nord Development Project Environmental Impact Statement APPENDIX M Common and Scientific Species Names Bay du Nord Development Project Environmental Impact Statement Common and Species Names Common Name Scientific Name Fish Abyssal Skate Bathyraja abyssicola Acadian Redfish Sebastes fasciatus Albacore Tuna Thunnus alalunga Alewife (or Gaspereau) Alosa pseudoharengus Alfonsino Beryx decadactylus American Eel Anguilla rostrata American Plaice Hippoglossoides platessoides American Shad Alosa sapidissima Anchovy Engraulidae (F) Arctic Char (or Charr) Salvelinus alpinus Arctic Cod Boreogadus saida Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Thunnus thynnus Atlantic Cod Gadus morhua Atlantic Halibut Hippoglossus hippoglossus Atlantic Mackerel Scomber scombrus Atlantic Salmon (landlocked: Ouananiche) Salmo salar Atlantic Saury Scomberesox saurus Atlantic Silverside Menidia menidia Atlantic Sturgeon Acipenser oxyrhynchus oxyrhynchus Atlantic Wreckfish Polyprion americanus Barndoor Skate Dipturus laevis Basking Shark Cetorhinus maximus Bigeye Tuna Thunnus obesus Black Dogfish Centroscyllium fabricii Blue Hake Antimora rostrata Blue Marlin Makaira nigricans Blue Runner Caranx crysos Blue Shark Prionace glauca Blueback Herring Alosa aestivalis Boa Dragonfish Stomias boa ferox Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis Brown Bullhead Catfish Ameiurus nebulosus Burbot Lota lota Capelin Mallotus villosus Cardinal Fish Apogonidae (F) Chain Pickerel Esox niger Common Grenadier Nezumia bairdii Common Lumpfish Cyclopterus lumpus Common Thresher Shark Alopias vulpinus Crucian Carp
    [Show full text]
  • Esox Lucius) Ecological Risk Screening Summary
    Northern Pike (Esox lucius) Ecological Risk Screening Summary U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, February 2019 Web Version, 8/26/2019 Photo: Ryan Hagerty/USFWS. Public Domain – Government Work. Available: https://digitalmedia.fws.gov/digital/collection/natdiglib/id/26990/rec/22. (February 1, 2019). 1 Native Range and Status in the United States Native Range From Froese and Pauly (2019a): “Circumpolar in fresh water. North America: Atlantic, Arctic, Pacific, Great Lakes, and Mississippi River basins from Labrador to Alaska and south to Pennsylvania and Nebraska, USA [Page and Burr 2011]. Eurasia: Caspian, Black, Baltic, White, Barents, Arctic, North and Aral Seas and Atlantic basins, southwest to Adour drainage; Mediterranean basin in Rhône drainage and northern Italy. Widely distributed in central Asia and Siberia easward [sic] to Anadyr drainage (Bering Sea basin). Historically absent from Iberian Peninsula, Mediterranean France, central Italy, southern and western Greece, eastern Adriatic basin, Iceland, western Norway and northern Scotland.” Froese and Pauly (2019a) list Esox lucius as native in Armenia, Azerbaijan, China, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco, 1 Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Ukraine, Canada, and the United States (including Alaska). From Froese and Pauly (2019a): “Occurs in Erqishi river and Ulungur lake [in China].” “Known from the Selenge drainage [in Mongolia] [Kottelat 2006].” “[In Turkey:] Known from the European Black Sea watersheds, Anatolian Black Sea watersheds, Central and Western Anatolian lake watersheds, and Gulf watersheds (Firat Nehri, Dicle Nehri).
    [Show full text]
  • Ruffe (Gymnocephalus Cernua) Ecological Risk Screening Summary
    U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernua) Ecological Risk Screening Summary US Fish and Wildlife Service, February 2011 Revised, July 2014 Revised, June 2015 Photo: USFWS 1 Native Range, and Status in the United States Native Range From Fuller et al. (2014): “Northern Europe and Asia (Berg 1949; Holcik and Hensel 1974; Wheeler 1978; Page and Burr 1991).” Status in the United States From Fuller et al. (2014): “The ruffe was first identified by Wisconsin DNR in specimens collected from the St. Louis River at the border of Minnesota and Wisconsin in 1987 (Pratt 1988; Pratt et al. 1992; Czypinski et al. 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003). Following that report, reexamination of archived samples revealed misidentified larval specimens of ruffe had been collected from the same area in 1986 (Pratt 1988). The ruffe subsequently spread into Duluth Harbor in Lake Superior and several tributaries of the lake (Underhill 1989; Czypinski et al. 1999, 2000, 2004; Scheidegger, pers. comm.; J. Slade, pers. comm.). It is found in the Amnicon, Flag, Iron, Middle, Raspberry, and Bad rivers, Chequamegon Bay, and Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin (Czypinski et al. 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004; Tilmant 1999). In August 1994, it was found in Saxon Harbor, Wisconsin, and in the upper peninsula of Michigan at the mouths of the Black and Ontonagon rivers (K. Kindt, pers. comm.). In the lower Peninsula of Michigan along Lake Huron, the first three specimens were caught at the mouth of the Thunder Bay River in August 1995 (K. Kindt, pers. comm.). This species has also been collected in Michigan in Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, Torch Lake, Little Bay de Noc in Escanaba, Big Bay de Noc, Misery River, Ontonagon River, Thunder Bay, and Sturgeon River Sloughs (Czypinski et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Low-Head Dams Facilitate Round Goby Neogobius Melanostomus Invasion
    Biol Invasions (2018) 20:757–776 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-017-1573-3 ORIGINAL PAPER Low-head dams facilitate Round Goby Neogobius melanostomus invasion Dustin Raab . Nicholas E. Mandrak . Anthony Ricciardi Received: 9 July 2017 / Accepted: 23 September 2017 / Published online: 3 October 2017 Ó Springer International Publishing AG 2017 Abstract Round Goby Neogobius melanostomus inclusion of both reservoir-associated abiotic variables invasion of the Grand River (Ontario, Canada) and Round Goby abundance as model terms. To presents an opportunity to assess the role of abiotic determine establishment potential of the uninvaded gradients in mediating the establishment and impact of reach immediately upstream, four environmental nonnative benthic fishes in rivers. In this system, habitat characteristics were used in discriminant sequential low-head dams delineate uninvaded and function analysis (DFA) to predict three potential invaded river reaches and create upstream gradients of outcomes of introduction: non-invaded and either increasing water velocity. We hypothesized that flow lower or higher Round Goby abundance (low and high refugia created by impounded reservoirs above low- invasion status, respectively) than the median number head dams enhance local Round Goby abundance. of Round Goby at invaded sites. Our DFA function Round Goby influence on the native fish community correctly classified non-invaded and high-abundance was determined by variance partitioning, and we used invasion status sites [ 85% of the time, with lower generalized additive models to identify small-bodied (73%) success in classifying low-abundance invasion benthic fish species most likely to be impacted by status sites, and the spatial pattern of our results Round Goby invasion.
    [Show full text]
  • AN ANALYSIS of SEXUAL DIMORPHISM in LENGTH and WEIGHT RELATIONSHIPS of IOWA DARTERS Margaret a Harings Northland College, CB: 853 1411 Ellis Ave Ashland, WI 54806
    AN ANALYSIS OF SEXUAL DIMORPHISM IN LENGTH AND WEIGHT RELATIONSHIPS OF IOWA DARTERS Margaret A Harings Northland College, CB: 853 1411 Ellis Ave Ashland, WI 54806 ABSTRACT Iowa darters, Etheostoma exile, are commonly found throughout the Lake Superior watershed. However, given their abundance and non-game status, little is known about basic life history characteristics of these fish. Iowa darters were seined from Inch Lake (Bayfield County, WI) in May of 2010 and 2011 to assess sexual dimorphism in sizes. Collected fish were immediately frozen and later thawed and measured for total length (TL) and total weight (TW), and dissected to remove the gonads which were also weighed. Somatic weight (SW) was calculated for each fish. The mean TL of males and females did not differ. There was a weak difference in the relationships between log(TW) and log(TL) between male and female Iowa darters. There was a strong difference in the relationships between the log(GW) and log(TL) for males and females. However, a significant difference did not exist between log(somatic weight) and log(TL) between males and females. The weak difference in the TL-TW relationship between males and females appear to be due to the strong difference in the TL-GW relationship between the sexes. Additional research is planned to determine whether differences between males and females occur in age structure and diet. INTRODUCTION Iowa darters are small fish that are typically found in clear to slightly turbid, light brown water of small lakes, bogs, and small streams (Becker 1983). The range of Iowa darters extends east to New York, west to Montana, north to southern Canada, and south to portions of Illinois (Scott and Crossman 1973; Lee and Gilbert 1978).
    [Show full text]