Aquatic invasive species in Canada
Encyclopedia
Canadian aquatic invasive species
are all forms of life that traditionally has not been native
to Canada
's waterways. In Eastern Canada, non-native plant and animal species are a concern to biologists
. Bringing non-native species such as invasive fishes into Canada can damage the environment and ecosystem
by repressing native species due to food competition
or preying. Invasive fishes enter the fresh waters of Canada in several ways including drifting, deliberate introduction, accidental release, experimental purposes and, most commonly, through the attachment on international boat hulls
.
, followed by alien invasive species. Fifteen invasive species of fish and two invasive species of plant are reported to affect native listed wildlife. The two most common of them are the brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus) and the pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus).
catch from Lake Huron
and Lake Superior
dropped from about 6.8 million kg (15 million lbs) to 136,077 kg (300,000 lbs), about two percent of its former level, largely attributed to the introduction of sea lamprey
s.
The Sea Lamprey
made its way into the Canadian ocean through a canal system that was initially built by man in he early 1830s. Their physical structure is built to attack and feed on other fishes with different species. Their mouth has a suction that sucks and attach to other fishes, then use then use its blade sharp teeth and tongue to puncture holes into the body of other fishes such as: salmon brown trout, whiten fish and yellow fish. The Sea lamprey feeds on the blood of other fish species. After puncturing the body of a different fish species; the Sea Lamprey then leave the fish with an open wound which in turn causes them to bleed till death. Rarely a different fish survive a Lamprey puncture.
, originating in Asian waters. They first appeared in North-America in 1988 in Lake St Clair. The Zebra mussels are (filter feeders) and fully grown mussels have the potential of filtering up to a liter (1 quart) of water per day. With the large population of mussels found in Canadian waters, this means the waters are being filtered each day, which causes an unpleasant habitat for native fish species that rely on algae
for food. The filtering habit of the mussels increases the clarity of the water and invites direct UV rays into the water that damage other fish species and laid eggs while forcing fishes like the Walleye
, that are sensitive to sunlight, to seek new habitats.
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
are all forms of life that traditionally has not been native
Indigenous (ecology)
In biogeography, a species is defined as native to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention. Every natural organism has its own natural range of distribution in which it is regarded as native...
to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's waterways. In Eastern Canada, non-native plant and animal species are a concern to biologists
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
. Bringing non-native species such as invasive fishes into Canada can damage the environment and ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
by repressing native species due to food competition
Food competition
-Food competitions – Drink competitions:Food or drink competitions reward products primarily for their gustative worth in the form of an award or a medal. These competitions can be classified into different categories. Most awards are product-specific such as for wines, beers, and cheeses. Others...
or preying. Invasive fishes enter the fresh waters of Canada in several ways including drifting, deliberate introduction, accidental release, experimental purposes and, most commonly, through the attachment on international boat hulls
Glossary of nautical terms
This is a glossary of nautical terms; some remain current, many date from the 17th-19th century. See also Wiktionary's nautical terms, :Category:Nautical terms, and Nautical metaphors in English.- A :...
.
Species at risk
Of the fish and other marine life under threat in Canada the primary threat is loss of habitat and degradationDegradation (geology)
In geology, degradation refers to the lowering of a fluvial surface, such as a stream bed or floodplain, through erosional processes. It is the opposite of aggradation. Degradation is characteristic of channel networks in which either bedrock erosion is taking place, or in systems that are...
, followed by alien invasive species. Fifteen invasive species of fish and two invasive species of plant are reported to affect native listed wildlife. The two most common of them are the brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus) and the pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus).
Sea lampreys and the collapse of the trout fisheries in the 1940s
Between the early 1940s and the 1960s the lake troutLake trout
Lake trout is a freshwater char living mainly in lakes in northern North America. Other names for it include mackinaw, lake char , touladi, togue, and grey trout. In Lake Superior, they can also be variously known as siscowet, paperbellies and leans...
catch from Lake Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
and Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
dropped from about 6.8 million kg (15 million lbs) to 136,077 kg (300,000 lbs), about two percent of its former level, largely attributed to the introduction of sea lamprey
Sea lamprey
The sea lamprey is a parasitic lamprey found on the Atlantic coasts of Europe and North America, in the western Mediterranean Sea, and in the Great Lakes. It is brown, gray, or black on its back and white or gray on the underside and can grow up to 90 cm long. Sea lampreys prey on a wide...
s.
The Sea Lamprey
Sea lamprey
The sea lamprey is a parasitic lamprey found on the Atlantic coasts of Europe and North America, in the western Mediterranean Sea, and in the Great Lakes. It is brown, gray, or black on its back and white or gray on the underside and can grow up to 90 cm long. Sea lampreys prey on a wide...
made its way into the Canadian ocean through a canal system that was initially built by man in he early 1830s. Their physical structure is built to attack and feed on other fishes with different species. Their mouth has a suction that sucks and attach to other fishes, then use then use its blade sharp teeth and tongue to puncture holes into the body of other fishes such as: salmon brown trout, whiten fish and yellow fish. The Sea lamprey feeds on the blood of other fish species. After puncturing the body of a different fish species; the Sea Lamprey then leave the fish with an open wound which in turn causes them to bleed till death. Rarely a different fish survive a Lamprey puncture.
Zebra mussels in the (Great Lakes)
Another example of the migration of non-native species is Dreissena Polymorpha, common name Zebra MusselZebra mussel
The zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha, is a small freshwater mussel. This species was originally native to the lakes of southeast Russia being first described in 1769 by a German zoologist Peter Simon Pallas in the Ural, Volga and Dnieper rivers. They are still found nearby, as Pontic and Caspian...
, originating in Asian waters. They first appeared in North-America in 1988 in Lake St Clair. The Zebra mussels are (filter feeders) and fully grown mussels have the potential of filtering up to a liter (1 quart) of water per day. With the large population of mussels found in Canadian waters, this means the waters are being filtered each day, which causes an unpleasant habitat for native fish species that rely on algae
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
for food. The filtering habit of the mussels increases the clarity of the water and invites direct UV rays into the water that damage other fish species and laid eggs while forcing fishes like the Walleye
Walleye
Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...
, that are sensitive to sunlight, to seek new habitats.
External links
- A Canadian Action Plan to Address the Threat of Aquatic Invasive Species by the Canadian Council of Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministers Aquatic Invasive Species Task Group
- welcome to the Species at Risk Public Registry by Species at Risk Public Registry
- http://nationalatlas.gov/articles/biology/a_zm.html