A Field Guide to Fish Invaders of the Great Lakes Region

Home , Gymnocephalus, Ninespine stickleback

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. (25 cm) well in front of eye Length: Up to 7.75 in. (20 cm) Coloring: Body is olive to golden brown on back, paler Coloring: Body is pale olive or silvery to almost • Very slimy when handled on side with yellowish-white underside translucent

Walleye Yellow Perch • Spiny and soft dorsal • Spiny and soft dorsal fins are separated fins are separated • Single dark spot on rear • Dusky coloration on base of spiny dorsal fin the front and back of • Bottom of caudal fin the spiny dorsal fin, but white-tipped no distinct spots Sander vitreus Perca flavescens • Large mouth; jaw • Upper jaw reaches to extends beyond middle Length: Up to 36 in. (91 cm) the pupil of the eye Length: Up to 16 in. (40 cm) of eye Coloring: Body is olive brown to golden brown Coloring: Body is green above, 6-9 green-brown to yellow saddles extend down yellow sides

Sauger Logperch • Spiny and soft dorsal • Spiny and soft dorsal fins are separated fins are separated • Rows of dark spots on • Lightly barred both dorsal fins dorsal fin • Large mouth; upper • Dark vertical bands jaw extends beyond on sides middle of eye Sander canadense Percina caprodes • Pig-like snout; upper • Caudal fin not white- Length: Up to 25 in. (63 cm) jaw does not reach Length: Up to 7.25 in. (18 cm) tipped as in walleye Coloring: Body is sandy to dull brown with 3-4 to the eye Coloring: Body is yellowish green with dark olive- dark saddles along back and sides black markings

Group 5 Page 12 Group 5 Page 13 White Perch Yellow Bass • Anal fin has three • Anal fin has three spines; spines; second and second and third spines third spines are the are the same length same length • Sides have 6-7 dark • Back or sides generally horizontal stripes; lowest have no lines or stripes stripes lines offset about midbody • Two dorsal fins slightly Morone mississippiensis joined by membrane • Two dorsal fins are not joined Length: Up to 18 in. (46 cm) at base, 11–12 rays on Coloring: Golden-yellow body second dorsal fin • Native to Mississippi River Basin Morone americana Length: Up to 22.8 in. (58 cm) Coloring: Silvery-green to brownish-black body Yellow Perch • Anal fin has two spines • Several dark vertical bands extend over back and down sides • Two dorsal fins are not joined White Bass Perca flavescens • Anal fin has three Length: Up to 16 in. (40 cm) spines of different Coloring: Body is green above, 6-9 green-brown lengths, stair-stepped saddles extend down yellow sides • Six or more dark hori - zontal stripes on sides • Two dorsal fins are Freshwater Drum not joined • Anal fin has two spines, the second is greatly enlarged • Two dorsal fins are Morone chrysops connected; long Length: Up to 17.8 in. (45 cm) second dorsal fin, Coloring: Silvery to pale-green body with 24–32 rays • Rounded tail Aplodinotus grunniens Length: Up to 35 in. (89 cm) Coloring: Body is silvery to bronze with no stripes

Group 6 Page 14 Group 6 Page 15 Inland Silverside Rainbow Smelt • Has single dorsal fin • Anal fin has one spine and an adipose fin and 18 or fewer rays • Large teeth on both • 36 –44 lateral scales jaws and especially on • Beak-like mouth, tongue considerably upturned • Large mouth, protruding • First dorsal fin origin in lower jaw, upper jaw Osmerus mordax front of anal fin origin extends to middle of Length: Up to 12 in. (30 cm) eye or beyond Coloring: Silvery body with steel blue along back; • 11-14 pectoral fin rays white belly

Menidia beryllina Length: Up to 6 in. (15 cm) Coloring: Silvery body with bands that extend Emerald Shiner (and other shiners, Notropis species) caudally For all shiners: • Single dorsal fin and no adipose fin • No large teeth on jaws or tongue • Small mouth, lower jaw Notropis atherinoides Brook Silverside does not protrude, Length: Up to 4 in. (10 cm) • Anal fin has one spine upper jaw does not Coloring: Silvery body with slightly darker back and 22 or more rays extend past front of eye and silvery-white belly • 75 –84 lateral scales • Beak-like mouth, almost horizontal near tip Cisco (formerly Lake Herring) • First dorsal fin origin (and other Coregonines ) directly above anal • Single dorsal fin and an fin origin adipose fin • No teeth on jaws Labidesthes sicculus • Large mouth, upper jaw does not extend beyond Length: Up to 5 in. (13 cm) pupil of eye Coloring: Translucent to silvery body Coregonus artedi • 15-16 pectoral fin rays Length: Up to 20 in. (51 cm) (14-18 for all species in Coloring: Silvery body with iridescence along this group) back; white belly

Group 7 Page 16 Group 8 Page 17 Northern Snakehead • Single long dorsal fin • Long anal fin • Square tail • Head has large scales • Jaws with canine-like teeth Channa argus Length: Up to 33 in. (84 cm) Coloring: Dark brown body or tan with irregular blotches

Bowfin • Single long dorsal fin • Short anal fin • Caudal eyespots found on juveniles and adult males • No scales on head, large scales on body Amia calva • Jaws with canine-like Length: Up to 43 in. (109 cm) When you leave a body of water: teeth Coloring: Dark olive to brown body • Inspect your boat, trailer, and equipment and remove visible aquatic plants, fish or animals, and mud. • Drain water from bait buckets, livewell, bilge, transom, and motor. • Dispose of unwanted live bait and worms in the trash. Burbot • Spray/wash your boat, trailer, and equipment with high pressure • Two dorsal fins or hot water before going to other waters, OR • Long anal fin • Dry everything for at least five days. • Single median chin barbel Prevention guidelines for public and private aquaculture and baitfish managers and researchers can be found in Sea • Scales so small they Grant’s “Aquatic Invasive Species-Hazard Analysis and are almost invisible Lota lota Critical Control Point Training Curriculum,” Appendix 1. • Jaws with many tiny Length: Up to 33 in. (84 cm) teeth in wide bands Coloring: Light yellow body that is mottled dark brown or black dorsally

Group 9 Page 18 A Field Guide to Fish Invaders of the Great Lakes Region

Citation: Jesse Anderson, Doug Jensen, Jeff Gunderson, and Marie Zhuikov. 2008. A Field Guide to Fish Invaders of the Great Lakes Region . University of Minnesota Sea Grant Program, Duluth, MN. USA.

Product Number: X 105

Illustration Credits: Images used with permission. Some images are copyrighted and other uses may require the artist’s consent. Credits: Joe Tomelleri (Cimarron Trading Company), Ted Walke (Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commision), Duane Raver (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), Susan Trammell (SusanTrammell.com, Inc.), and the New York Department of Environmental Conservation.

Technical Assistants: Corey Boeck and Sean Dobie

Editor: Sharon Moen

Original Design: Evan Heisler 2007

Revision Design: Chris Benson 2008

For more information, contact: University of Minnesota Sea Grant Program 2305 E 5 St. Duluth, MN 55812 (218) 726–8106 or [email protected] www.seagrant.umn.edu Produced by the University of Minnesota Sea Grant Program on behalf of the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network. Funding was provided by a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to the National Sea Grant College Program through an appropriation by Congress based on the National Invasive Species Act.

The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity employer and educator. cms inches

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