Round Goby: How it Got Into the Great Lakes and How to Keep Them from Spreading



http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/ais/roundgoby

 Habitat:

     Round goby are widespread in the Sea of Marmara and in the rivers of its basin.  They can also be found in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov along all coasts and freshwaters of their basins.  Round gobies also inhabit the rivers of Crimea and Caucasus.  Since the year 1990, the round goby is considered to be an "introduced" or "invasive" species in the Great Lakes region of the United States and in certain regions of Europe.  Round goby were accidentally introduced to the Great Lakes via ballast water transfer in cargo ships.  They were first found in America in the St. Clair River in 1990.  Since their introduction, round gobies have had a profound impact on native ecosystems and on the economy due to their interference with the actions of sport fishing anglers.

How to prevent them from spreading:
-Learn to identify the round goby from the ruffle, another fish species.
-Inspect and remove aquatic plants, animals, and mud from boats, motors and trailers.
-Drain the water from boats, livewell, and bilge before leaving any water access point.
-Dispose of unwanted bait and worms in the trash; don't dump them into the water.
-Never dump live fish into any body of water.
-If you catch a round goby, kill it and freeze it.