A Field Guide to Fish Invaders of the Great Lakes Region

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

A Field Guide to Fish Invaders of the Great Lakes Region Non-Native Fish and Native Look-a-Likes A Component of the Aquatic Invasive Species-Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (AIS-HACCP) Program Fish Invaders This guide highlights harmful HACCP) training workshops, aquatic invasive fish that pose curriculum, video ( From Net to threats to the recreational, Sale ), and other program environmental, and economic materials. For details, visit value of the Great Lakes region. www.seagrant.umn.edu/ais/ Similar-looking native species haccp. are included for comparison. Specimens of non-native fish The non-native species identi - are needed to confirm sightings fied in this guide could spread and infestations, but many during harvest, stocking, or Great Lakes jurisdictions have fishery and law enforcement differing rules regarding operations. These fishes have possession and transport. Some the potential to displace native non-natives represented in species, harm habitats, and this field guide are regulated degrade lakes, rivers, streams, under state or provincial laws. and wetlands. Other non-native or native species can be harvested, trans - The purpose of this guide is to ported, or sold commercially. assist private and public fisheries personnel in identifying and Contact your local natural reporting potentially invasive resource management agency fish species. It is also designed for instructions. Never dump to accompany Aquatic Invasive live fish from one body of water Species-Hazard Analysis and into another without a permit. Critical Control Point (AIS- This Field Guide Contains: • Full-color illustrations for 38 invasive and common look-a-like fishes • Key characteristics to aid accurate identification* *Size estimates taken from Page, L. M. and B. M. Burr. 1991. Freshwater Fishes , Peterson Field Guides. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York. A Field Guide to How to Use This Guide Fish Invaders Each page includes one or more invasive fish and its native of the Great Lakes Region look-a-likes with key characteristics such as length and color. Denotes Invasive Fish Denotes Native Fish Guide to Key Features Gro up 1 . 4 Gro up 5 . 12 dorsal fin Fourspine Stickleback Ruffe adipose fin caudal (tail) fin Threespine Stickleback Walleye dorsal fin Ninespine Stickleback Sauger origin Brook Stickleback Trout-perch Yellow Perch Gro up 2 . 6 Logperch Round Goby Tubenose Goby Gro up 6 . 14 pectoral fin anal fin Spoonhead Sculpin White Perch pelvic fin Slimy Sculpin White Bass Mottled Sculpin Yellow Bass Deepwater Sculpin Yellow Perch To count lateral line scales: count the number of Freshwater Drum scales along the line formed by a series of pore-like openings from behind the gill cover to the tail. Gro up 3 . 8 Rudd Gro up 7 . 16 Golden Shiner Inland Silverside Redfin Shiner Brook Silverside Goldfish Gro up 8 . 17 Gro up 4 . 9 Rainbow Smelt counting Bigmouth Buffalo Emerald Shiner cheek fin rays Bighead Carp Cisco (Lake Herring) (e.g., total Silver Carp gill cover keel: a sharp rays = 11) Black Carp Gro up 9 . 18 compressed edge Grass Carp Northern Snakehead along the belly Common Carp Bowfin Burbot Fourspine Stickleback Ninespine Stickleback • Four dorsal spines ; • Nine short dorsal spines first two spines are • Scaleless body sometimes longer than second with bony plates two spines • Scaleless body with no bony plates Apeltes quadracus Pungitius pungitius Length: Up to 2.5 in. (6.4 cm) Length: Up to 3.5 in. (9 cm) Coloring: Body is olive green with dark mottling Coloring: Body is olive green to pale green Threespine Stickleback Brook Stickleback • Three dorsal spines ; • Five to six short first two spines are dorsal spines longer than third • Scaleless body with no • Scaleless body with bony plates bony plates • Native to Lake Ontario Gasterosteus aculeatus Culaea inconstans Length: Up to 4 in. (10 cm) Length: Up to 3.5 in. (9 cm) Coloring: Body is silvery with dark mottling Coloring: Body is olive green to dark green with light spots Group 1 Page 4 Group 1 Page 5 Round Goby Slimy Sculpin • Pelvic fins are fused to • Two separate pelvic fins form a single scallop- • Large head with large shaped fin spine on each side • Large head with frog-like directed upward and raised eyes inward; two lower spines • Black spot on rear of covered by skin first dorsal fin • No spot on first dorsal fin Apollonia melanostomus Cottus cognatus • Fine scales on body • Scaleless body Length: Up to 10 in. (25.4 cm) Length: Up to 4.5 in. (12 cm) Coloring: Mottled olive and brown body Coloring: Mottled brown to olive-green body Tubenose Goby Mottled Sculpin • Pelvic fins are fused to • Two separate pelvic fins form a single scallop- • Large head with large shaped fin spine on each side • First nostrils extend directed upward and beyond lower lip inward; two lower spines • Black lines on first dorsal covered by skin fin; no black spot Proterorhinus semilunaris • Large dark spots all over Cottus bairdii • Fine scales on body Length: Up to 4 in. (10 cm) first dorsal fin Length: Up to 6 in. (15 cm) Coloring: Mottled brown body, usually with five • Scaleless body Coloring: Body is light to dark brown with mottled dark bars on sides back and sides Spoonhead Sculpin Deepwater Sculpin • Two separate pelvic fins • Two separate pelvic fins • Large head with well- • Head is wide and flat developed spine on each with four conspicuous side, curving upward and spines on each side; top backward spine directed upward, • All fins are lightly speckled others downward except pelvic fins, which Cottus ricei • No spot on first dorsal fin Myoxocephalus thompsonii are clear Length: Up to 5 in. (13 cm) • Scaleless body Length: Up to 9 in. (23 cm) • Scaleless body Coloring: Head and body are light brown and tan, Coloring: Body is gray brown with light mottling mottled with small dark speckles on back and sides Group 2 Page 6 Group 2 Page 7 Rudd Goldfish • Scaled keel along belly, • No barbels from pelvic to anal fins • No keel along belly • Bright red-orange fins • Single serrated spine • 38–42 lateral line scales on long dorsal fin • Iris of eye has red spot with more than 15 dorsally soft rays Scardinius erythrophthalmus • Large scales, 27–30 in Length: Up to 19 in. (48 cm) lateral line Coloring: Golden bronze body; white belly Carassius auratus Length: Up to 16 in. (41 cm) Golden Shiner Coloring: Body is gold to olive green with white or • No scales on keel black patches along belly from pelvic to anal fins • Breeding males have orange on pelvic and anal fins, otherwise Bigmouth Buffalo (Carp Look-a-Likes) their fins are yellowish Notemigonus crysoleucas • 44–54 lateral line scales Length: Up to 12 in. (30 cm) • Buffalos, Quillback, • No red spot on iris of eye Coloring: Silvery to golden body with green to brown Carpsuckers ( Ictiobus back; yellowish to yellow-silvery belly and Carpoides species) For all members of these groups: Redfin Shiner • No barbels • No keel along belly • Single, long sickle- • Fins typically clear shaped dorsal fin without serrated except in breeding Ictiobus cyprinellus males, which have pink spine; 22-32 soft rays Length: Up to 35 in. (90 cm) or orange tinted fins • Large scales, 33-40 in • Small dark or dusky lateral line Coloring: Olive-brown to bronze body; sides and spot at anterior base of belly lighter dorsal fin Lythrurus umbratilis • 41–48 lateral line scales Length: Up to 3.5 in. (9 cm) Coloring: Body is bluish with silvery tints Non-native carps to compare with the Bigmouth Buffalo are featured on the next two pages. Group 3 Page 8 Group 4 Page 9 Bighead Carp Black Carp • Broad, blunt head with • Large scaleless head slight downturned with upturned mouth, mouth, no barbels no barbels • No keel • Eyes forward, below midline and project • Pointed dorsal fin with downward 7–8 soft rays • Scaleless keel extends • Dark-edged scales, give Mylopharyngodon piceus only from anal fin to a cross-hatched effect, Length: Up to 48 in. (122 cm) pelvic fin 39-46 in lateral line Coloring: Blackish-brown to dark olive body; • Single dorsal spine is blackish-gray fins; white belly moderately stiff but not serrated, followed by 8 Aristichthys nobilis soft rays Length: Up to 44 in. (112 cm) • Very tiny scales (trout- Coloring: Body is dark gray dorsally to silver white Grass Carp like), 91 –120 in lateral line on sides. Many dark irregularly shaped • Broad, blunt head with slight downturned • Long and comb-like gill blotches are scattered over body mouth, no barbels rakers • No keel • Pointed dorsal fin with 8–10 soft rays • Scales are silver to gray Ctenopharyngodon idella Silver Carp with a prominent dark Length: Up to 49 in. (125 cm) • Scaleless head with large edge, giving a cross- Coloring: Body has dark olive shading with upturned mouth, no hatched effect, 34 –45 in brownish-yellow sides; white belly barbels lateral line • Eyes forward, below midline and project downward Common Carp • Scaleless keel extends all • Two barbels on each the way from anal fin to side of the upper jaw base of gills • Dorsal spine moderately • No keel stiff but not serrated, • Single serrated spine followed by 8 soft rays Hypophthalmichthys molitrix on long dorsal fin with more than 16 • Very tiny scales (trout- Length: Up to 41 in. (104 cm) like), 91 –124 in lateral line soft rays Cyprinus carpio Coloring: Body is olive green dorsally; silver but • Gill rakers appear sometimes bronze to red sides • Large scales, 32–41 in Length: Up to 48 in. (122 cm) spongy lateral line Coloring: Bronze to golden-yellow body; yellowish-white belly Group 4 Page 10 Group 4 Page 11 Ruffe Trout-perch • Spiny and soft dorsal • Single dorsal fin with fins are connected two spines (usually • Rows of dark spots quite soft) and an between dorsal spines adipose fin • Many sharp spines on • Rows of black spots on gill cover back and sides Gymnocephalus cernuus Percopsis omniscomaycus • Small downturned • Jaw ends below nostril, mouth Length: Up to 10 in.
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]
  • Labidesthes Sicculus
    Version 2, 2015 United States Fish and Wildlife Service Lower Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office 1 Atherinidae Atherinidae Sand Smelt Distinguishing Features: — (Atherina boyeri) — Sand Smelt (Non-native) Old World Silversides Old World Silversides Old World (Atherina boyeri) Two widely separated dorsal fins Eye wider than Silver color snout length 39-49 lateral line scales 2 anal spines, 13-15.5 rays Rainbow Smelt (Non -Native) (Osmerus mordax) No dorsal spines Pale green dorsally Single dorsal with adipose fin Coloring: Silver Elongated, pointed snout No anal spines Size: Length: up to 145mm SL Pink/purple/blue iridescence on sides Distinguishing Features: Dorsal spines (total): 7-10 Brook Silverside (Native) 1 spine, 10-11 rays Dorsal soft rays (total): 8-16 (Labidesthes sicculus) 4 spines Anal spines: 2 Anal soft rays: 13-15.5 Eye diameter wider than snout length Habitat: Pelagic in lakes, slow or still waters Similar Species: Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax), 75-80 lateral line scales Brook Silverside (Labidesthes sicculus) Elongated anal fin Images are not to scale 2 3 Centrarchidae Centrarchidae Redear Sunfish Distinguishing Features: (Lepomis microlophus) Redear Sunfish (Non-native) — — Sunfishes (Lepomis microlophus) Sunfishes Red on opercular flap No iridescent lines on cheek Long, pointed pectoral fins Bluegill (Native) Dark blotch at base (Lepomis macrochirus) of dorsal fin No red on opercular flap Coloring: Brownish-green to gray Blue-purple iridescence on cheek Bright red outer margin on opercular flap
    [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]
  • A Synopsis of the Biology and Life History of Ruffe
    J. Great Lakes Res. 24(2): 170-1 85 Internat. Assoc. Great Lakes Res., 1998 A Synopsis of the Biology and Life History of Ruffe Derek H. Ogle* Northland College Mathematics Department Ashland, Wisconsin 54806 ABSTRACT. The ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernuus), a Percid native to Europe and Asia, has recently been introduced in North America and new areas of Europe. A synopsis of the biology and life history of ruffe suggests a great deal of variability exists in these traits. Morphological characters vary across large geographical scales, within certain water bodies, and between sexes. Ruffe can tolerate a wide variety of conditions including fresh and brackish waters, lacustrine and lotic systems, depths of 0.25 to 85 m, montane and submontane areas, and oligotrophic to eutrophic waters. Age and size at maturity dif- fer according to temperature and levels of mortality. Ruffe spawn on a variety ofsubstrates, for extended periods of time. In some populations, individual ruffe may spawn more than once per year. Growth of ruffe is affected by sex, morphotype, water type, intraspecific density, and food supply. Ruffe feed on a wide variety of foods, although adult ruffe feed predominantly on chironomid larvae. Interactions (i.e., competition and predation) with other species appear to vary considerably between system. INDEX WORDS: Ruffe, review, taxonomy, reproduction, diet, parasite, predation. INTRODUCTION DISTRIBUTION This is a review of the existing literature on Ruffe are native to all of Europe except for along ruffe, providing a synopsis of its biology and life the Mediterranean Sea, western France, Spain, Por- history. A review of the existing literature is tugal, Norway, northern Finland, Ireland, and Scot- needed at this time because the ruffe, which is na- land (Collette and Banarescu 1977, Lelek 1987).
    [Show full text]
  • Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science
    Ecology of the Southernmost Sympatric Population of the Brook Stickleback, Culaea inconstans, and the Ninespine Stickleback, Pungitius pungitius, in Crooked Lake, Indiana 1 - 3 Joseph S. Nelson, Indiana University Abstract The southernmost locality where Culaea inconstans, the brook stickle- back, and Pungitius pungitius, the ninespine stickleback, occur in sympatry is Crooked Lake, Indiana. Both species were first found in Crooked Lake in 1966 with rotenone, gillnets, and Plexiglas traps. Culaea and Pungitius occur between Zy2 and 10 m and 5 and 3 m, respectively. The summer range in pH for the two species is 7.6 to 8.6 and 7.4 to 8.6, respectively. The temperature range is between 12 and 24 and 6 and 24, respectively. Both sticklebacks probably spawn in rooted aquatics. Pungitius adults, however, generally occur below the zone of rooted aquatics. Fully ripe eggs were found in the limited number of Culaea adults between June 26 and July 19. Pimgitius with fully ripe eggs were found from April to August. Identifiable young of Culaea and Pungitius, 12 mm standard length, were first collected July 19 and June 15, respectively. The largest Culaea was 38 mm while the largest Pungitius was 59 mm standard length. Culaea was found in the stomachs of Micropterus salmoides and Perca flavescens. Stomachs of the latter two species and of Esox americanus contained Pungitius. Introduction Culaea (—Eucalia) inconstans (Kirtland), the brook stickleback, occurs in lakes, ponds, and streams across northern North America from northeastern British Columbia to New Brunswick and south to Indiana. Pungitius pungitius (Linnaeus), the ninespine stickleback, oc- curs in the freshwaters and along the coastlines of northern Asia, Europe, and northern North America.
    [Show full text]
  • Eurasian Ruffe (Gymnocephalus Cernua), Native to Northern Europe and Asia, Have Threatened the Great Lakes and Surrounding States Since the Late 1980S
    State of Michigan’s Status and Strategy for Eurasian Ruffe Management Scope Invasive Eurasian ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernua), native to northern Europe and Asia, have threatened the Great Lakes and surrounding states since the late 1980s. The goals of this document are to: • Summarize the current understanding level of the biology and ecology of Eurasian ruffe. • Summarize the current management options for Eurasian ruffe in Michigan. • Identify possible future directions of Eurasian ruffe management in Michigan. Biology and Ecology I. Identification Eurasian ruffe, also known as blacktail Gary Cholwek – National Biological Service or river ruffe, is a member of genus Gymnocephalus within Percidae. Eurasian ruffe is a small, aggressive, benthic fish native to Europe and Asia. The species resemble yellow perch with distinct walleye markings (McLean 1997). The Eurasian ruffe can be distinguished from other perch by their large, jointed dorsal fin composed of 11 to 16 spines with rows of dark spots between each spine. Adult ruffe are typically five to six inches long with large individuals rarely exceeding 10 inches. They have a small, downturned mouth, lack scales on their head, and are slimy when handled (McLean 1997). Eurasian ruffe have two dorsal fins, one spiny (anterior) and one soft (posterior), and are commonly mistaken for troutperch, which have only a single dorsal fin. Their coloration consists of an olive-brown dorsal surface, pale sides, and a yellow underside (Fuller 2014, Hajjar 2002). Eurasian ruffe have two ventral fins with sharp spines on the leading edges; the anterior fin has only one spine where the posterior fin has two spines.
    [Show 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.
    [Show full text]
  • Caviar, Soup and Other Dishes Made of Eurasian Ruffe, Gymnocephalus
    Svanberg and Locker Journal of Ethnic Foods (2020) 7:3 Journal of Ethnic Foods https://doi.org/10.1186/s42779-019-0042-2 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Open Access Caviar, soup and other dishes made of Eurasian ruffe, Gymnocephalus cernua (Linnaeus, 1758): forgotten foodstuff in central, north and west Europe and its possible revival Ingvar Svanberg1* and Alison Locker2 Abstract Background: Many freshwater fish species that were earlier appreciated by consumers have disappeared in the central, north and west European foodways. Although they were regarded as healthy and tasty, commercially captured marine species and highly processed products have nowadays replaced these fishes. The global transformations of the food system contribute to the erosion of many local foodstuffs. Habitual tastes disappear. Methods: The article is based on a vast amount of scattered original data found in sources such as in local ethnographical studies, fishing reports, topographic literature, zoological literature, archaeological fish reports, and cookery books Results and discussion: This article discusses how Eurasian ruffe, Gymnocephalus cernua (L., 1758), once was used, and the reason for its disappearance, as foodstuff in some parts of Europe. Actually, it is a fish with potential for a revival as fine food. The authors discuss the chances of its rediscovery as a foodstuff, which could be used for instance within the concept of the New Nordic Cuisine and beyond. There are also environmental reasons to increase the use of local biodiversity not to mention making tastier
    [Show full text]
  • Reproductive Cycle and the Related Spatial and Temporal Distribution Of
    Reproductive cycle and OCEANOLOGIA, 44 (4), 2002. pp. 475–490. the related spatial and 2002, by Institute of temporal distribution of Oceanology PAS. the ninespine stickleback KEYWORDS (P ungitius pungitius L.) Ninespine stickleback in Puck Bay Breeding period Spawning Stages of maturity Puck Bay Ewa Sokołowska Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstańców Warszawy 55, PL–81–712 Sopot, Poland; e-mail: [email protected] Krzysztof E. Skóra Marine Station, Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdańsk, Morska 2, PL–84–150 Hel, Poland; e-mail: [email protected] Manuscript received 3 July 2002, reviewed 23 October 2002, accepted 28 October 2002. Abstract The cycle of gonad development and related changes in the length structure and spatial-temporal distribution of ninespine sticklebacks (Pungitius pungitius L.) in Puck Bay were studied. Observations were carried out in the shallow shore zones, as well as in the deeper epipelagic zone of the Bay. Ninespine sticklebacks reproduce in the brackish environment of Puck Bay, breeding in its warmer, inshore zones. Reproduction takes place in the spring and summer months, from April to July. One female spawns several clutches of eggs during one breeding season. The average length of ninespine sticklebacks in Puck Bay was about 40 mm, and the sex ratio in the population was close to 1:1. However, both length structure and sex ratio were subject to local and periodic variations, resulting from possible breeding-related territorial divisions. Higher gonadosomatic indices in females in early spring represented the transition of fish to the advanced vitelligenous phase. The lowest GSI of males during the breeding season indicated the termination of spermatogenesis.
    [Show full text]
  • Baitfish Primer
    2018 THE BAITFISH PRIMER A GUIDE TO IDENTIFYING AND PROTECTING ONTARIO'S BAITFISHES 2018 Version Produced by Fisheries and Oceans Canada Burlington, ON Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Peterborough, ON Bait Association of Ontario Peterborough, ON and The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters Peterborough, ON Published by: Communications Branch Fisheries and Oceans Canada Burlington, Ontario L7S 1A1 DFO/2018-2000 (c) Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada 2018 Catalogue number: Fs134-7/2018E ISBN: 978-0-660-20453-6 Catalogue number for PDF: Fs134-7/2018E-PDF ISBN: 978-0-660-20452-9 Printed on recycled paper. This publication is available upon request in multiple formats by contacting Fisheries and Oceans Canada at [email protected] or (613) 993-0999. Cette publication est aussi disponible en français. THE BAITFISH PRIMER by Becky Cudmore and Nicholas E. Mandrak TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE 4 INTRODUCTION PAGE 6 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS PAGE 7 SUMMARY OF LEGISLATION & REGULATIONS RELATED TO BAITFISHES PAGE 9 POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF HARVEST AND USE OF BAITFISHES PAGE 11 BAITFISH HABITAT PAGE 12 ANATOMICAL KEY PAGE 13 PICTORIAL KEY OF FISH FAMILIES IN ONTARIO PAGE 16 SPECIES ACCOUNTS PAGE 38 WHAT YOU CAN DO TO MINIMIZE IMPACTS TO AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS PAGE 39 FURTHER READING PAGE 39 CONTACTS 3 THE BAITFISH PRIMER INTRODUCTION Recreational angling is a popular pastime in lead to further declines and possible Ontario - well over one million residents extinction. Even within fish families and visitors enjoy angling every year. generally considered legal baitfishes, there Angling supports many aspects of the are individual fish species that cannot be Ontario economy, including the baitfish used.
    [Show full text]