What's New Goby population in Lake Michigan explodes The Muskegon Chronicle (1/12) The round goby snuck into the Great Lakes in ballast tanks two decades ago and is now laying siege to Lake Michigan. The invasive species accounted for nearly one-quarter of all prey fish in the lake last year, by weight.
Overview
The goby is a bottom-dwelling fish that has great potential for causing impacts on Great Lakes fisheries. Originally the round goby and the tubenose goby were introduced into the St. Claire River in 1990, probably via contaminated ballast water of transoceanic ships.
Round goby are thriving in the Great Lakes Basin because they are aggressive, voracious feeders which can forage in total darkness. The round goby takes over prime spawning sites traditionally used by native species, competing with native fish for habitat and changing the balance of the ecosystem. The round goby is already causing problems for other bottom-dwelling Great Lakes native fish like mottled sculpin, logperch and darters. Goby can also survive in degraded water conditions, and spawn more often and over a longer period than native fish. Unfortunately, they have shown a rapid range of expansion through the Great Lakes.
Many of the characteristics of the round goby invasion parallel that of the Eurasian ruffe.
Photo Credit: David Jude, Center for Great Lakes Aquatic Sciences
Round Goby (Neogobius melanostomus) Sea Grant Nonindigenous Species Site (SGNIS) Includes scientifically reviewed articles as well as images from Sea Grant researchers.
Round Goby Fact Sheet U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Great Lakes Science Center Outlines potential impacts of goby populations in the Great Lakes, current research and barriers being tested.
Round Goby ID Card Minnesota Sea Grant Program Informative fact sheet on the round goby, 1998.
Round Goby Invades Lake Michigan Illinois Natural History Survey Article describes the expansion of the round goby range into Lake Michigan. INHS Reports November-December 1995.