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NAS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species |
Common Name: Oriental weatherfish
Synonyms and Other Names: dojo, weather loach, Japanese weatherfish, Amur weatherfish
Identification: Eel-like body, brown with greenish grey-brown marble markings dorsally, pale silver ventrum. The mouth is small, narrow and subinferior surrounded by six barbels. The lips are thick and fleshy. Short lateral line, not exceeding the length of the pectoral Has a stout spine on its pectoral fin. Dorsal fin origin is above the pelvic fin origin. There are 9 dorsal rays, 6-7 pelvic rays, and 7-8 anal rays. Distinguishing characteristics were given by Berg (1949), Sterba (1973), Masuda et al. (1984), Page and Burr (1991), and Talwar and Jhingran (1992). The species is included in identification keys provided by Nichols (1943), Berg (1949), Moyle (1976a), Talwar and Jhingran (1992), and Laird and Page (1996). Illustrations or photographs appeared in Nichols (1943), Berg (1949), Masuda et al. (1984), and Axelrod et al. (1985).
Size: 25 cm.
Native Range:
Eastern Asia (Berg 1949; Masuda et al. 1984; Talwar and Jhingran 1992).
Alaska |
Hawaii |
Caribbean |
Interactive maps: Continental US, Alaska, Hawaii, Caribbean
Nonindigenous Occurrences:
Specimens were collected from a three-mile reach of the Westminster flood control channel in Orange County, California, in 1968 (St. Amant and Hoover 1969). Additional established populations were discovered upstream from the original collection sites in 1977 and in the adjacent Bolsa Chica Channel in 1979 (Shapovalov et al. 1981). It has also been recorded for
Ecology: Oriental weatherfish are found in muddy or silty substrates in low-gradient, shallow water, often in aquatic macrophyte beds (Tabor et al. 2001).Their diet is comprised mostly of small benthic invertebrates and detritus; Tabor (2001) found that cladocerans and chironomids were the most frequently ingested prey items collectively. Misgurnus does not forage by sight, but rather, requires chemical stimuli to induce feeding behavior (Watanabe and Hidaka 1983). Weatherfish are capable of using their intestine as an additional respiratory organ, enabling them to live in oxygen-poor waters and to bury themselves in soft substrates in case of long lasting droughts (Ip et al. 2004). Tabor et al (2001) also found that the average length of female oriental weatherfish is considerably larger than that of the males.
Means of Introduction:
California populations were apparently descended from individuals that had escaped from a local goldfish farm, possibly as early as the 1930s (St. Amant and Hoover 1969). Similarly, populations in the upper Shiawassee River system, Michigan, were believed to have descended from individuals imported from Kobe, Japan, that had escaped from a nearly aquarium supply company in Oakland County before 1951 and possibly as early as about 1939 (Schultz 1960; Courtenay et al. 1984). In Hawaii, the species was presumably introduced by Asian immigrants during the 1800s, probably to serve as a source of food (Maciolek 1984; Devick 1991b). Brock (1960) stated that its use as bait for fish was apparently instrumental in its spread in
Status:
Established in
Impact of Introduction: Unknown.
Remarks:
In addition to appearing in the aquarium trade, M. anguillicaudatus has been introduced into several parts of the world for aquaculture purposes and as a bait fish (Welcomme 1988). It is considered a cool-water species (Welcomme 1988); individuals burrow into soft substrates and tolerate low oxygen conditions by breathing atmospheric air (Sterba 1973). As its name suggests, this fish becomes more active in response to changes in barometric pressure; thus it frequently has been cited as a harbinger of storms (Sterba 1973; Axelrod et al. 1985). There is concern that if M. anguillicaudatus becomes more abundant and spreads, it will reduce populations of aquatic insects important as food to native fishes (Page and Laird 1993). Maciolek (1984) categorized Misgurnus along with several other introduced fishes as species having an intermediate impact on Hawaiian streams, this conclusion based on their preferred habitat and diet and on their numbers. The Bolsa Chica Channel, California, cited by Shapovalov et al. (1981), likely represents the Huntington Beach, Orange County site reported by other authors (e.g., Courtenay et al. 1986; Page and Burr 1991).
Voucher specimens:
Aitkin, K. - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Lacey, WA.
Axelrod, H. R., C. W. Emmens, D. Sculthorpe, W. Vorderwinkler, R. Socolof, and N. Pronek. 1967. Exotic tropical fishes. Tropical Fish Hobbyist Publications, Inc.,
Berg, L. S. 1948-1949. Freshwater fishes of the U.S.S.R. and adjacent countries, 4th edition. Three volumes. Translated from Russian, 1962-1965, for the Smithsonian Institution and the National Science Foundation, by
Charlotte HarborNEP. 2004. Minutes of the Technical Advisory Committee, Habitat Conservation Subcommittee. February 19, 2004, Punta Gorda.
Courtenay, W. R., Jr., D. A. Hensley, J. N. Taylor, and J. A. McCann. 1984. Distribution of exotic fishes in the continental
Courtenay, W. R., Jr., D. A. Hensley, J. N. Taylor, and J. A. McCann. 1986. Distribution of exotic fishes in
DeLong, J. 1999. The Great NANFA Loach Hunt of '99.
Devick, W. S. 1991a. Disturbances and fluctuations in the Wahiawa Reservoir ecosystem. Project F-14-R-15, Job 4, Study I. Division of Aquatic Resources, Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. 21 pp.
Devick, W. S. 1991b. Patterns of introductions of aquatic organisms to Hawaiian freshwater habitats. Pages 189-213 in new directions in research, management and conservation of Hawaiian freshwater stream ecosystems. Proceedings of the 1990 symposium on freshwater stream biology and fisheries management, Division of Aquatic Resources, Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources.
Etnier, D. - University of
Ip, Y. K., S. F. Chew, and D. J. Randall. 2004. Five tropical air-breathing fishes, six different strategies to defend against ammonia toxicity on land. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, 77(5):768-782.
Laird, C. A., and L. M. Page. 1996. Non-native fishes inhabiting the streams and lakes of
Logan, D. - Department of Fisheries and Wildlife,
Maciolek, J. A. 1984. Exotic fishes in
Masuda, H., K. Amaoka, C. Araga, T. Uyeno, and T. Yoshino, editors. 1984. The fishes of the Japanese Archipelago.
Moyle, P. B. 1976a. Inland fishes of
Nichols, J. T. 1943. The freshwater fishes of
Page, L. M., and B. M. Burr. 1991. A field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of
Page, L. M., and C. A. Laird. 1993. The identification of the nonnative fishes inhabiting
Pierce, L. - Scappoose Watershed Council,
Schultz, E. E. 1960. Establishment and early dispersal of a loach, Misgurnus anguillicaudatus (Cantor), in
Shapovalov, L., A. J. Cordone, and W. A. Dill. 1981. A list of freshwater and anadromous fishes of
St. Amant, J. A., and F. G. Hoover. 1969. Addition of Misgurnus anguillicaudatus (Cantor) to the
Sterba, G. 1973. Freshwater fishes of the world. English translation and revision from German. Two volumes. Tropical Fish Hobbyist Publications, Inc.,
Tabor, R. -
Tabor, R., E. Warner, and S. Hager. 1999. Oriental weatherfish (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) population established in
Talwar, P. K., and A. G. Jhingran, editors. 1992. Inland fishes of
Watanabe, K and T Hidaka. 1983. Feeding behavior of the Japanese loach, Misgurnus anguillicaudatus (Cobitididae). Journal of Ethology, 1(1-2): 86-90.
Other Resources:
Misgurnus anguillicaudatus factsheet - Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission
Oriental Weather Loach introduced to
The Great NANFA Loach Hunt of 1999!
Oriental Weatherfish in Florida
An Oriental weatherfish population established in Washington State
Great Lakes Water Life Photo GalleryAuthor: Leo Nico and Pam Fuller
Contributing Agencies:
NOAA - GLERL
Revision Date: 4/13/2009 Citation for this information:
Leo Nico and Pam Fuller. 2009. Misgurnus anguillicaudatus. USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL.
<http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.asp?speciesID=498> Revision Date: 4/13/2009
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