Aquatic Exotics In Wisconsin A Presentation Developed by Wisconsin Sea Grant Advisory Services March...

Aquatic Exotics In Wisconsin

A Presentation Developed

by

Wisconsin Sea Grant Advisory Services

March 2004

Aquatic Exotics In Wisconsin• Wisconsin has become host to several

aquatic species that never existed here naturally

• Some Atlantic Ocean species came in through the Welland Canal: – Lampreys, 1930’s– Alewife, 1949– White perch, 1989– Three-spine stickleback 1991


• Some were intentionally introduced:– Chinook and Coho salmon 1963 – Rainbow trout 1963– Brown trout 1960’s– Carp in 1880’s


• Some escaped from lakes, ponds or as bait:– Smelt– Goldfish– Grass Carp– Rusty Crayfish– Purple Loosestrife


• Some recent invaders came in the ballast water of sea-going ships:– Ruffe in 1986 – Zebra Mussels in 1988– Spiny water flea in 1990– Round goby in 1995

• Invasive species traits:– High reproductive rate – Mature quickly– Eat various types of food– Tolerate poor water quality– Easily adapt to new habitats


• Native species traits: – Have narrow food preferences– Require certain spawning habitat– Intolerant of poor water quality


• A Quick look at six recent invaders:– Zebra mussels– Round goby– Ruffe– Purple loosestrife– Eurasian milfoil– Spiny water fleas


Zebra MusselMax. size ~ 2’’

Introduced via ballast water from Europe

First found in Lake St. Claire (MI) in 1988

Eats plankton, filters up to 1 liter of water per day

Produce 40,000 eggs/year

Densities up to 700,000 per sq. meter = 43,000 on a piece of notebook paper

Zebra Mussel

Milwaukee

Green Bay

Madison

Settle to bottom and attach to substrate

Planktonic up to 1 month

Zebra Mussel Life Cycle

JuvenileAdult

Byssal Threads

4-5 Years

Egg

VeligerPost Veliger

3-5 Days

Can be seen

Microscopic

Can be felt

Wisconsin Sea Grant Advisory Services

Zebra Mussels Colonize Lots of Things

Zebra mussels get moved to new lakes by water in and weeds on boats.

Wisconsin Waters Infested with Zebra Mussels

Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, Mississippi River and 52 inland waters:

Brown County (1)

Lower Fox River

Calumet County(1)

Lake Winnebago

Dane County (1)

Lake Monona

Fond du Lac (2)

Lake Winnebago

Long Lake

Forest County (1)Lake Metonga

Kenosha County (5)

Silver Lake

Lake Andrea

Elizabeth Lake

Lake Mary

Powers Lake

Manitowoc County (1)

Cedar Lake

Oconto County (1)

Machickanee Flowage

Sheboygan County (4)

Sheboygan Marsh

Big Elkhart Lake

Crystal Lake

Lake Ellen

Racine County (4)

Racine Quarry

Waubeesee Lake

Wind Lake

Tichigan lake

Shawano County (1)

Shawano Lake

Walworth County (4)

Lake Geneva

Beulah Lake

Delavan Lake

Lauderdale Chain of Lakes


Lac La Belle

Oconomowoc Lake

Oconomowoc River

Lake Nagawicka

Little Muskego Lake

Lower Nashotah Lake

Upper and

Lower Nemahbin Lakes


Bark River

Crooked Lake

Pewaukee Lake

Okauchee Lake

North lake

Fowler Lake

Golden lake

Upper and

Lower Phantom Lake

Waukesha County (17)

Washington County (3)

Big Cedar Lake

Little Cedar Lake

Pike Lake

Waushara County (1)

Long Lake

Adams County (1)

Arrowhead Lake

Winnebago County (4)

Lake Winnebago

Lake Butte des Morts

Lake Poygan

Lake Winneconne

Wood County (1)

Lake Nepco

Wisconsin River


(17 counties, 51 (17 counties, 51 lakes)lakes)

Zebra Mussels 2004

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Year

Tota

l Num

ber

Wisconsin Lakes With Zebra Wisconsin Lakes With Zebra MusselsMussels ?51

Ruffe

3-4’’ Long

Max. 10’’

Introduced via ballast water from Southern Europe

Affects perch, whitefish and minnows

Eats fish eggs, bottom-dwelling insects and worms

First found in 1986 in Lake Superior

Now Present in Lakes Superior, Huron and Michigan

S. Zienert

Milwaukee

Green BayRuffe

Superior

Madison

Round Goby

3-4’’ Long

Max. 10’’


Affects sculpins and other bottom-dwelling species

Eats fish eggs, bottom-dwelling insects and worms

Present in all the Great Lakes, Chicago River

Round Goby

Green Bay

Madison

Superior

Milwaukee

Sturgeon Bay

Purple Loosestrife

4-Sided Stem

Destroys Habitat

Controlled by:

Physical Removal

Beetles

Displaces Native Vegetation

2 Million Seeds per Year

Galerucella beetles: biocontrol for purple loosestrife

Purple Loosestrife

Eurasian Watermilfoil

- Displaces native vegetation- Clogs boating and swimming areas- Spread by boaters through fragmentation

Control:Northern milfoil beetleChemical

Eurasian milfoil compared to Northern milfoil

Eurasian MilfoilPresent in:Present in:> 52 > 52 counties > counties > 400 waters400 waters

• Native to southern U.S.• Introduced with bait• Aggressive• Destroys vegetation as they feed• Displaces native crayfish• Present in many Wisconsin lakes• Often spread as bait

Rusty Crayfish

Rusty CrayfishDocumentedDocumentedSuspectedSuspected

Spiny Water Flea - ‘BC’ & ‘CP’


Foul fishing lines and nets (look fuzzy or gooey)

Long spines make them hard for fish to eat

Present in all the Great Lakes

Bythotrephes cederstroemi& Cercopagis pengoi 5mm Long

Max. 1/3’’

Spiny Zooplankton

Milwaukee

Green Bay

Madison

Superior

Drain bilge water

Dispose of live bait

Clean off weeds

Preventing The Spread

If You Catch An Aquatic Exotic

KEEP It:

FREEZE It:

Put it in a plastic bag or foil

Put it in a freezer or ice chest

REPORT It:Call: Wisconsin DNR

Wisconsin Sea Grantor

• How Can You Help?– Learn To Identify Them– Report If You Catch One– Know Their Effects on the Ecosystem– Prevent Their Spread– Teach Others


For More Information

• Visit the Sea Grant Nonindigenous Species Sites:

• www.sgnis.org• www.seagrant.wisc.edu• Or Call:

– Wisconsin Sea Grant• (920) 683-4697

– Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources• (608) 266-9270

Aquatic Exotics In Wisconsin A Presentation Developed by Wisconsin Sea Grant Advisory Services March...

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