Forecasting the distribution of the invasive round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) in Wisconsin tributaries to Lake Michigan

2010 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 553-562 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew S. Kornis ◽  
M. Jake Vander Zanden
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Great Lakes ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Lake Michigan ◽  
Round Goby ◽  
Neogobius Melanostomus ◽  
Small Streams ◽  
Large Populations ◽  
Round Gobies ◽  
Watershed Slope

The Laurentian Great Lakes host more than 180 non-native species, including several that have resulted in major economic and ecological effects. This list includes the round goby ( Neogobius melanostomus ), an aggressive, benthic Ponto-Caspian fish that has established large populations in coastal Great Lakes habitats. Here, we document the inland dispersal of round gobies into Wisconsin tributaries of Lake Michigan. Round gobies were detected in 26 of 73 streams (36%) and found >10 km upstream of Lake Michigan in nine watersheds. Round goby presence–absence was modeled using landscape-scale data from these invaded streams. We forecasted the future spread of round goby within Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan basin using our best model (80% accuracy), which included watershed area, stream gradient, and watershed slope as predictors. Round gobies were predicted to invade 1369 km of stream habitat up to the first stream barrier, and 8878 km of stream was identified as suitable looking beyond barriers at the broader Lake Michigan watershed (Wisconsin only). Our results depict the Great Lakes as a springboard for invasive species to disperse into inland ecosystems and, because round gobies are not usually reported in small streams in their native range, emphasize the utility of data from invaded regions when forecasting invasive species distributions.

Burbot: Ecology, Management, and Culture

2008 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Dreissena Polymorpha ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Lake Michigan ◽  
Round Goby ◽  
Lake Huron ◽  
Lower Growth ◽  
Quagga Mussels ◽  
Western Lake ◽  
Round Gobies

<em>Abstract.</em>—Burbot <em>Lota lota </em>is a native species of cod (Gadidae) found in the coldwater regions of all five Laurentian Great Lakes. Burbot age-at-length data from along western Lake Huron showed that fish reached 18 years of age. Fish age 7 and younger grew more slowly in southern Lake Huron than in north-central and northern Lake Huron, while this trend was reversed for fish ≥ 8 years old. Burbot growth and diet data were recorded for fish collected near Leland, Fairport, and Bridgman (D. C. Cook nuclear power plant), Michigan and Washington Island, Wisconsin in Lake Michigan and Alpena, Michigan in northern Lake Huron to determine changes in growth and diet with the recent invasion of the nonindigenous round goby <em>Neogobius melanostomus</em>. We compared burbot growth at four length intervals (500–800 mm) among these locations and found significantly lower growth at Alpena compared with the other sites; burbot from Bridgman at 500 and 600 mm were the lightest among all sites. Burbot diets have changed substantially in some areas from native fish and invertebrate species to a diet that includes large proportions of the nonindigenous round goby (77% by wet weight in Lake Huron near Alpena, 53% in Lake Michigan near Fairport). Establishment of round gobies in the open waters of the Great Lakes is likely to change coldwater food webs, including replacement of sculpins (<em>Cottus </em>spp.) at depths up to 70 m, where round gobies have been found. Burbot, whose diets were composed of large amounts of round gobies, showed lower growth, and there is a potential for decreased bioaccumulation of toxic substances because round gobies consume zebra mussels <em>Dreissena polymorpha </em>and quagga mussels <em>D. bugensis</em>, which are lower in the food chain than organisms that native species eat.

21. Invasion of Asian Carp in the Great Lakes

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kassandra Smrekar ◽  
Shingo Tanaka ◽  
Lavie Williams
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Great Lakes ◽  
Mississippi River ◽  
North American ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Lake Michigan ◽  
Fundamental Problem ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Asian Carp ◽  
Freshwater Species

A recent threat posed to the Great Lakes and adjoining waterways is the Asian Carp.  This large bodied fish originated from Asia and was first imported to the North American between 1960 to 1970. Their migration northward through the Mississippi River eliminated native freshwater species through competition of habitat and food resources. It is imperative to focus on the potential invasion of the Asian Carp because the risk assessment is high that the carp would eliminate all native species.  Currently the carp are at the border of entering Lake Michigan, which would then provide access to the rest of the freshwater regions in the surrounding area. Ultimately, the loss of lake biodiversity is the fundamental problem and is coupled with economic issues.  Bowfin Environmental Consulting INC and various invasive species awareness programs have been utilized to provide guidance on undertaking a project that involves an aggressive invasive species.  The challenge faced will be to determine a method in which to prevent the invasion of Asian Carp.  Examining their migration patterns, importation laws of live fish, and the policies of invasive species, will provide insight on the approach that should be taken to eliminate the threat of Asian Carp.  It is also important to analyze which native species are most susceptible to becoming extinct.  Overall, the intention is not only to increase government, scientific, and public awareness of this issue, but also to provide methods that can be implemented to prevent and eradicate the spread of Asian Carp in North American waterways.

scholarly journals Spatiotemporal variability in energetic condition of alewife and round goby in Lake Michigan

2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (11) ◽  
pp. 1982-1992 ◽  
Author(s):  
David B. Bunnell ◽  
Steven A. Pothoven ◽  
Patricia M. Armenio ◽  
Lauren Eaton ◽  
David M. Warner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Lake Michigan ◽  
Round Goby ◽  
Neogobius Melanostomus ◽  
Spatiotemporal Variability ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Alosa Pseudoharengus ◽  
Prey Fish ◽  
Important Prey ◽  
Energetic Condition

Pelagic-oriented alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) and benthic-oriented round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) are two important prey fishes in the Laurentian Great Lakes. In 2015, we evaluated their seasonal total energy (TE) across nine Lake Michigan transects. Round goby contained at least 48% more kilojoules of TE than alewife of equal length during spring and summer. TE varied spatially for both species, but only large alewife exhibited a consistent pattern, with higher values along the eastern shoreline. Variation in TE was not explained by site-specific prey densities for either species. Round goby energy density (ED) was higher in Lake Michigan than in central Lake Erie, but comparable to other regions of the Great Lakes. Alewife ED in 2015 was similar to that in 2002–2004 in Lake Michigan, with the exception of November (small alewife ED was 21% higher) and April (large alewife ED was 30% lower). Despite oligotrophication, our study suggests that starvation of juvenile and adults has not been directly contributing to overall declining prey fish abundance, although future research should evaluate the potential for overwinter starvation.

scholarly journals Ecological responses to elevated water temperatures across invasive populations of the round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) in the Great Lakes basin

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Bauer Reid ◽  
Anthony Ricciardi
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Climate Warming ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Elevated Temperatures ◽  
Round Goby ◽  
Neogobius Melanostomus ◽  
Acclimation Temperature ◽  
Feeding Rates ◽  
Western Basin ◽  
St Lawrence River

Climate warming is expected to alter the distribution, abundance, and impact of non-native species in aquatic ecosystems. In laboratory experiments, we measured the maximum feeding rate and critical thermal maximum (CTmax) of an invasive Eurasian fish, the round goby (Neogobius melanostomus), acclimated to a range of temperatures (18–28°C) reflecting current and projected future thermal conditions for the nearshore Great Lakes. Fish were collected from four distinct populations along a latitudinal gradient from the western basin of Lake Erie to Hamilton Harbour (Lake Ontario) and the upper St. Lawrence River. Thermal tolerance increased with acclimation temperature for populations in lakes Erie and Ontario. However, the St. Lawrence River populations had lower acclimation capacity and exhibited an unexpected decline in CTmax at the highest acclimation temperature. Maximum feeding rates peaked at 18–24°C and declined with temperatures above 24°C. Northern populations in the basin appear poorly adapted to elevated temperatures such that their performance and impact could be reduced by climate warming. Thermal response data from latitudinally distributed populations are needed to inform invasive species risk assessment.

Gorging on gobies: beneficial effects of alien prey on a threatened vertebrate

2006 ◽  
Vol 84 (1) ◽  
pp. 108-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
R B King ◽  
J M Ray ◽  
K M Stanford
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Round Goby ◽  
Neogobius Melanostomus ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Water Snake ◽  
Round Gobies ◽  
Water Snakes

Invasive species often have rapid and far-reaching negative impacts on populations and ecological communities. These effects are most common when invasive species have few competitors or predators. Although higher level carnivores do consume invasive species, quantitative effects of new and abundant food sources on predators have rarely been documented and, as a consequence, potentially positive effects of invasive species may be under appreciated. We investigated the effects of the invasive round goby (Neogobius melanostomus (Pallas, 1814)) on diet composition, growth rate, and body size of the Lake Erie Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon insularum (Conant and Clay, 1937)), which is threatened in the USA and endangered in Ontario, Canada. Water Snakes have shifted their diet, and round gobies now constitute >92% of prey consumed. This shift in diet has occurred in just one or two Water Snake generations, yet has resulted in more rapid growth and attainment of larger body size in Water Snakes. These positive effects may reduce predation, speed reproductive maturity, increase offspring production, and fuel population growth of this threatened species.

scholarly journals First Occurrence of the Round Goby, Neogobius melanostomus, in the St. Lawrence River at Cornwall, Ontario

2005 ◽  
Vol 119 (4) ◽  
pp. 582 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Brian C. Hickey ◽  
Adrienne R. Fowlie
Keyword(s):  
Round Goby ◽  
Scuba Diving ◽  
Neogobius Melanostomus ◽  
Benthic Fish ◽  
First Occurrence ◽  
Round Gobies ◽  
St Lawrence River

We document the first reported occurrence of the Round Goby, Neogobius melanostomus, a small benthic fish native to the Black and Caspian seas, in the St. Lawrence River near Cornwall. On 7 September 2004, we observed approximately 20 Round Gobies while SCUBA diving at a depth of 7 m, downstream of the Saunders Generating Station at Cornwall, Ontario. Round Gobies appear to have arrived recently in this reach of the river and have not previously been detected despite extensive fish surveys conducted in the area.

Parasites of round goby, Neogobius melanostomus, currently invading the Elbe River

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuriy Kvach ◽  
Markéta Ondračková ◽  
Michal Janáč ◽  
Vadym Krasnovyd ◽  
Mária Seifertová ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Round Goby ◽  
Parasite Community ◽  
Neogobius Melanostomus ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Tidal Zone ◽  
New Host ◽  
The North ◽  
Round Gobies ◽  
The Elbe River ◽  
The One

Abstract The round goby, Neogobius melanostomus, is a Ponto-Caspian fish species currently found in many parts of Europe, including the North Sea riverine deltas. The objective of this study was to examine the parasite community of fish caught in the lower Elbe (Süderelbe – tidal zone; Geesthacht – non-tidal) in Germany and compare it with published data from the upper Elbe (Ústí nad Labem) in the Czech Republic. Twelve parasite taxa were recorded in the lower Elbe, six in the Süderelbe and nine near the city of Geesthacht. Süderelbe fish were mainly infected with Angullicola crassus larvae, while gobies from Geesthacht – with glochidia and sporadically occurring Pomporhynchus laevis, and the opposite situation was observed at Ústí nad Labem. It appears that a large tidal weir at Geesthacht significantly contributes to the division of the round goby population, with the Geesthacht parasite community being more similar to that at Ústí nad Labem than the one from the Süderelbe, thus increasing the likelihood that shipping from Hamburg was the introduction vector to Ústí nad Labem. We also recorded Acanthocephalus rhinensis in the Elbe for the first time, and in a new host – the round goby. Thus, round gobies may represent a new vector for the introduction of this parasite along the Elbe.

Aggression and sociality: conflicting or complementary traits of a successful invader?

Behaviour ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 152 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pauline M. Capelle ◽  
Erin S. McCallum ◽  
Sigal Balshine
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Round Goby ◽  
Invasion Biology ◽  
Neogobius Melanostomus ◽  
Conspecific Density ◽  
Species Invasions ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Successful Invader ◽  
Forming Behaviour

Invasion biology research has identified two juxtaposing behavioural traits, aggressiveness and sociality, that may both increase the success of species invasions. Highly aggressive invaders can out-compete native species for resources, while social gregarious invaders can tolerate high conspecific density. In order to tease apart the effects of aggressive versus social tendencies on the success of invasive species, we studied round goby (Neogobius melanostomus), a highly successful invasive fish species now common in the Laurentian Great Lakes. While round goby are well known for being aggressive, much less is known about their tendency to affiliate with conspecifics, in spite of the fact that they thrive in extremely high densities in many of their invaded habitats. We collected round goby from Hamilton Harbour, ON, Canada and conducted three separate experiments to explore group-forming behaviour by measuring preference for conspecifics. We found that round goby have a strong preference to associate with a single conspecific, and that both males and females showed this preference. No overall preference was detected for large versus small groups of conspecifics. Females chose the safety of a shelter over associating with a conspecific but males were equally attracted to conspecifics as shelter. Our results provide new insight into how interactions between aggressive and social behaviours play a role in the rapid spread of invasive round goby.

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