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L E RE T TVol. 16No.3

December, 1997

INSIDE

President's Corner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFrom TheNet:

Aquatic Nuisance Species Task ForceMeeting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2Foreign Shrimp Regulation 2EDF Aquaculture Report. . . . . . . . . . . 2Zebra Mussel Conference. . . . . . . . . . .2Yaqui Catfish. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2The Use or Non-use of NonindigenousSpecies in Aquaculture/Mariculture . . .2Mutant Seaweed Threatens

Mediterranean Marine Life. . . . . . . . . 2FAD Database on Introductions ofAquatic Species. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3TexasShrimp Escape. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Survival Strategies for Age-OldShasta Crayfish. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3California Fish Kill Mounts AfterPoisoning by State. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Zebra Mussels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 4

EscapedBlueShrimp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4New Publications Focus on Aquatic

Nuisance Species Research andInformation/Education. . . . . . . . . . 4

US Oyster Farms Fear Green Crab. . . . . 5Hybrids Consummate Species Invasion. . 5Closing the Door to Nuisance Fish in

Chicago. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6The Importance of an Historical Perspec

tive: Fish Introductions. . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Compilation of Aquatic Nuisance SpeciesEducation Mateirals Available. . .. ..8

Newsletter Editor:John R. Cassani

---7=' Lee County HyacinthControl District

P.O.Box 60005, Fort Myers,FL 33906 USA

E-mail:

jcassani@peganet.com

IntroducedFishSection

President's Corner

Hello IFS members. I hope youryear is busy and going well. I have beenthinking about our potential activities forthe year.

Annual MeetingI am requesting feedback on two

potential ideas. First, the idea of a work-shop as discussed at our business meetingin Monterey. In general, the workshopwould focus upon reintroduction and aug-mentation of native species. I am veryfamiliar with these activities at my ownlocal level, but am interested in whatexperience others in the Section mayhave. I am quite sure that I can get onespeaker other than myself to participate.I think one or two more would be a greatbenefit. Additionally, despite this latedate, I think there may still be time to putforth a recommendation for a symposiumsponsored by our Section. I will contactthe Program Chair and offer a proposal. Iwould suggest a focus on either the ef-fects of non-natives on native species orthe effects of non-natives on amphibians.I am more than willing to participate andam looking for others with an interest.What do you think?

MembershipOne of our most serious issues

is membership. I propose that we use thediversity of interestswithin the Sectiontotarget student membership. I think thatvery few students are approachedby par-ticular Sections and are likely to take aninterest in those Sections that take aninterest in them. I think if they are ex-

American Fisheries Society

posed to the potential of having a voicethey will be willing participants. Irecom-mend that each of us volunteer to targetone or two students to attend the business

meeting in Hartford. The interests of ourmembers are so diverse (management,conservation, aquaculture, genetics etc.)that I think many of us will be attendingvery different sessions at the annualmeeting. More often than not, a fewstudents speak at each session. I wouldrecommend that we approach these stu-dents and invite them to attend the meet-

ing. If their talks are after the meeting,approach them anyway and let themknow what the Section is about. At the

very least, they will likely take a look atthe web page. We could follow up withan email. Please drop me a note and letme know what you think.

BylawsWe were officially notified that

our request to amend our Bylaws to addan affiliate membership category wasapproved. We will revise our Bylaws toreflect the requested change.

Web-site of interest

As you cruise through theinternet take a look at what the DesertFishes Council has to offer. For those ofyou unfamiliar with the society, it fo-cuses on aquatic desert species but theinformation obtained through thehomepage and its links includes speciesof fish from all over. This group focusesheavily on conservation and is useful toanyone interestedineither fish or conser-vation.

Page I

Introduced Fish Section / IFS*/ f) f;V

May,1997

Exotic Seaweed,continued from page 2

else disappears. There are no more sea

anemones, starfish, crabs, shrimps andvery few fishes."

Biologists in Nice are preparedto send out an anny of Caribbean Snails.The theory is that they would gobble upthe seaweed, then die fromcold inwinter.But French officials aren't convinced.

As some would say in Califor-nia, 'Well duh!"

Reprinted from the San FranciscoChronicle, 10/97

FAO DATABASE ONINTRODUCTIONS OF

AQUATIC SPECIES

The FAO Database on Intro-

ductions of Aquatic Species (DIAS) isavailable to Web users at:

http://www .fao. org/waicent/faoinfo/fishery /statist/fisoft/dias/index.htm

The database can be searchedthrough the Search Fonn and users cansend new datanot already includedin thedatabase by filling in the Input Fonn.Other Web pages on "Highlights on In-troductions", statistics on the databaseand a glossary are linked to the Homepage. It is located through the FAOFisheries Home page selecting "Data-bases and Statistics" where DIAS islisted with other "on-line Databases."

This Web sit isexpectedto growas users provide new records of introduc-tions and as new infonnation and rel-evant publications become available. Inlight of the international interest in intro-duced species by groupssuch asthe Con-vention on Biological Diversity, NGO'sand the private aquaculture sector, thissite represents an important source ofinfonnation onboth thebenefitsandrisksof species introductions.

Details are in preparation to ex-plain the data structure for those whoneed thecompletedatabaseondisk. Feed-back from Internet users of DIAS, or

Organizations interested in access to the

complete database, or Organizationswithout full Internet access should ad-

dress inquiries to devin.bartley@fao.org**** ******** ****** ** **

Dr. Devin Bartley, Fishery ResourcesOfficer,InlandWaterResourcesandAquacultureServiceFisheries DepartmentFood and Agriculture Organization ofthe United NationsPhone: 39-6-57054376Via delleTenne di Caracalla FAX: 39-6-5705302000I00 RomeItaly

~:....~,x:~IM~

number of conservation efforts exist with

potential to benefit Shasta crayfish. Since1981, the midsections of the Pit Riverhave been closed to crayfishing and theuse of crayfish as bait, although someareas are now open for crayfishing whereintroduced species have become abun-dant.

Non-native signal crayfish in-vaded the Sucker Springs Creek popula-tion in 1996. Actions needed to preventthe crayfish's extinction include protect-ing populations by eradicating or pre-venting invasions by non-native cray-fish, restoring habitat, eliminating im-pacts from land management practices.All comments and requests for plansshould be addressed to the Field Super-visor, Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Of-fice, 3310El Camino Avenue, Suite 130,Sacramento,CA95821-6340. Commentsmust be received by December29, 1997.

Reprinted from USFWS News Release

CALIFORNIA-;;.

FISH KILL MOUNTSAFTER POISONING

BY STATE

PORTOLA, Calif., October 16.Thousands of dead and dying fish werescooped from the surface of picturesqueLake Davis today, poisoned by Califor-nia Wildlife officials in an effort to stopthe voraciousNorthern pike from wipingout the state's trout and salmon fisheries.

The poisoning ofthis reservoirin the eastern foothills of the Sierra Ne-vada triggered an angry confrontationWednesday between law enforcementofficials and local residents, who dependupon the lake as their principal drinkingsupply. The state isproviding an alterna-tive source of drinking water to residentsthat will last for several months.

But today, only a handful oflocal residents from this nearby commu-nity of 2,500 watched glumly as stateworkers, in boats, began to skim deadpike, trout and other fish from the lakeand loadthem intoplastic bags. Officials

Continued on page 4

Page 3

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In early October, 1997, theTexas Department of Parks and Wildlifeconfinned the presence of non-nativePacific white shrimp in Matagorda Bay.This species is cultivated by Texas shrimpaquaculture operations and are believedto have escaped from or been released byone or more of the four shrimp fannslocated in the vicinity ofMatagorda Bay.{Wall Street Journal]

SURVIVAL STRATEGIESFOR AGE-OLD

SHAST A CRAYFISH

Strategies for recoveringCalifornia's last remaining crayfish arespelled out in a draft plan now availablefor review from the U.S. Fish and Wild-lifeService.TheendangeredShastacray-fish is protected by both the Federal andCalifornia endangered species acts.

Primary threats to this animalinclude the introduction of non-nativecrayfish and fishes and water diversionprojects. Shasta crayfish are believed tohave remainedrelativelyunchanged dur-ing the period of recorded time. Theylive primarily in cool, clear, spring-fedheadwaters with clean volcanic cobblesand boulders on top of sand or gravel. A

Introduced Fish Section / IFS

% I){ 5'"'1'

California Fish Kill,continued from page 3

May, 1997

said the cleanup process will take about10 days.

State officials said the poisoningwas necessary to prevent the pike from

getting into nearby rivers and the mam-moth Oroville Reservoir, which is a prin-cipal storage site for California's water-ways. If this happened, they said, thepike would quickly destroy native speciesof rainbow trout and salmon. Pike are not

native to the West and officials speculatethey may have been introduced into thelake by a pike-loving fisherman who didn'trealize they would destroy the trout forwhich this lake is famed. Dead pike easilyoutnumbered trout floating on the surfaceof the lake today.

"It's like the Alamo," said Tim

Tyson, a California highway patrolman,who was guarding Grizzly Dam, behindwhich the waters of the man-made Lake

Davis are stored. "If the Northern pike getout of here, it's all over for the Californiafishery. "

But opponents of the project,including local residents who for twoyears tried to block the state from poison-ing the lake, saw a different kind ofprece-dent.

"It's a disgrace for the state ofCalifornia to put a known cancer-causingagent in the drinking water," said FranRoudebush, who represents the Portolaarea on the Plumas County Board of Su-

pervisors. Roudebush said that whilemost local residents support the effort torid the lake of the steel-jawed pike, theywanted to do so by using a pesticide thatdoes not contain a know carcinogen. Thestate Fish and Game Department is usingan older, powder form of the pesticiderotenone, which contains the cancer-caus-ing ingredient trichloroethylene, or TCE.

The Environmental Protection

Agency prohibits TCE from being used inpesticides manufactured today, but oldsupplies of rotenone that contain TCEmay still be used. The poison causes allorganisms that breathe through gills tosuffocate.

Even if the pike in Lake Davisare totally wiped out, it is by no meanscertain that the problem will be stopped.

Curtis said the department was "worried"about the recent discovery of a Northernpike in the Truckee River near Reno, 50miles from here, and was conferring withNevada officials about the possibility of apike invasion.

The controversy has caused con-siderable anguish in the Fish and Game

Department, which usually is seen as a pro-tector -- not destroyer -- of wildlife. PatrickFoy, a department biologist, acknowledgedthat officials did not like to be cast in the ro Ie

of poisoners but said that stopping the pikein Lake Davis was a "necessary act of bio-

logical preservation."Foy said that a similar poisoning

in 1991 at Frenchman Reservoir, some 15miles to the southwest, had been successful

and that reports of Northern pike being seenrecently there were mistaken. Anglers hadcaught another, less troublesome fish knownas a squaw fish. Frenchman Reservoir,unlike Lake Davis, is not used as a drinking

supply. Foy also said the lake will be re-stocked with rainbow trout as soon as tests

show that it is safe to do so, probably earlyin December.

Reprinted from GREENline

ZEBRA MUSSELS

In early September 1997, the U.S.Geological Survey released a new statusreport on zebra mussels, indicating that theyhave been detected in 19 states, with zebramussels found in 13 additional inland lakes

during the last year. [Assoc. Press]

'j. fJ\T~~~t;';;K"~~

In mid-September 1997, SouthCarolina Natural Resources Department bi-ologists reported that nearly two dozen Ven-ezuelan blue shrimp had been caught inCharleston County, South Carolina, watersin the past week. These shrimp were thoughtto have escaped from shrimp farms and raiseconcern that they may carry non-native vi-rus that could infect native shrimp. [Assoc.Press]

NEW PUBLICATIONS

FOCUS ON AQUATICNUISANCE SPECIES

RESEARCH ANDINFORMATION/

EDUCATION

ANN ARBOR, Mich. TheGreat Lakes Panel on Aquatic Nui-sance Species has released four newpublications addressing aquatic nui-sance species and their effects on theGreat Lakes and other inland andcoastal waters.

Inventories are now avail-

able listingresearch and information/education materials on aquatic nui-sance species in the Great lakes re-gion. Both reports also include de-tailed, panel-approved recommenda-tions for strengthening regional ANSresearchandpublic educationefforts.

The panel's highly popularBiological Invasions brochure hasbeen updated and reprinted. Thisfull-colorpublicationprovidesa com-prehensive overview of the ANS is-sue and is ideal for communicatingwith both policymakers and the gen-eral public.

In addition, the panel hasreleased its 1996annual report,whichsummarizes panel initiatives as wellas the ANS-related activities of fed-eral, state, and provincial agenciesand organizations in the Great lakesBasin.

Aquatic nuisance speciespose a serious and growing threat totheGreatLakesBasinecosystem. Ex-otic animals and plants, such as thezebra mussel, ruffe and purpleloosestrife, have widespread effectson native species as well as docu-mented economic impacts.

According to a Panel ChairMark Coscarelli of Michigan's De-partment of Environmental Quality,Great lakesjurisdictions have been atthe forefront of efforts to controlaquatic nuisance species and mini-mize their effects. "These publica-

Continued on page 5

Page 4

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~,

Introduced Fish Section / IFS

1'-1(, :1..3

May, 1997

Aquatic Nuisance SpeciesContinued from page 4

tions highlight our accomplishmentsandthe challenges we face," he says. "Asother regions confront the ANS threat, Iurge them to learn from the Great Lakesexperience and take advantage of theresources available to address this criti-cal issue."

Please see complete descrip-tions of the publications, cost, and order-ing information below.

**Aquatic Nuisance SpeciesResearch Relevant to the Great Lakes

Basin: Research Guidance and Descrip-tive Inventory. A descriptive listing of250 ANS-related research projects and aseries of detailed findings and recom-mendations concerning research gapsand needs related to the collective, re-gional researcheffort. Intended for agen-cies and institutions that conduct, man-age, fund or apply aquatic nuisance spe-cies research. 125 pages, plus appendi-ces. Cost: $15 U.S. / $20 Can.

**Aquatic Nuisance SpeciesInformation and Education MaterialsRelevant to the Great Lakes Basin: Rec-ommendations and Descriptive Inven-tory. Descriptive listing of292 publica-tions, including brochures, fact sheets,posters, signs, reports, classroom/audio-visual materials, newsletters and publicservice announcements. Topics ad-dressed include the major aquatic nui-sance species in the Great Lakes, as wellas ANS policies and regulations, ballastwater management,monitoring, and pre-vention and control. The report is in-tended for agencies, organizations andother entities involved in ANS publicinformation and outreach. 69 pages,plusappendices. Cost: $15 U.S. / $20 Can.

**Biological Invasions. Pro-vides a comprehensive overview of howaquatic nuisance species are enteringNorth American waters, their environ-mental and economic impacts, and rec-ommendations for strengtheningpreven-tion and control efforts. Originally pub-lished in 1996,this eight-page, full-colorbrochure has been updated and reprintedto reflect the passage of the nationalInvasive Species Act and other recentdevelopments. Cost: First copy free,

additional copies $1 with a 10 percentdiscount on ordersof 10or more.

**1996 Annual Report of theGreat LakesPanel and AquaticNuisanceSpecies. Summarizes current initiativesand accomplishmentsof the Great Lakespanel. Includes policy positions, an in-formation and education strategy, rec-ommendations on funding and programissues, and updates from other entitiesworking on ANS issues. Covers theperiod September 1995 through August1996. 33 pages, plus appendices. Cost:$5 U.S. / $7 Can.

All publications are availableuponrequest from the Great LakesCom-mission, 400 fourth Street, Ann Arbor,MI 48103;phone313-6659I35,fax313-665-4370, email: mdoss@g1c.org.

Reprinted from Fish Ecology ListServer, 9/25/97

US OYSTER FARMSFEAR GREEN CRAB

AN INYADING Europeangreen crab that preys on young shellfishis this summer's big new threat to U.S.west coast oyster farms.

Discovered initially in SanFrancisco Bay, the green crab has overseveral seasons multiplied and movednorth. In March, the first to be identifiedin Oregonwas foundinsidea meshoysterset.

Now a task force in Coos Bay,Oregon's southernoyster centre, iswarn-ingfarmers of this peril. Thestate leases3500 acres of tideland to some 35 grow-ers whoproduce 40,000 gallons of oystermeat annually.

"We never saw this crab be-fore," saidTim Smithof the PacificCoastOyster Growers Association. "It hasstrong pincers that can crack a youngoyster like nothing."

Tolerant of wide temperaturesand salinity, Carcinus maenas has beenspreading north towards Yaquina Bayand Tillamook Bay, where 90% ofOregon's shellfish are produced.

Bay task forces are preparingfor the menace. Green crab tops the

growing list of problems faced by farm-ers. Already they mustcontend with mudand ghost shrimp infestations, and notinfrequent closures.

Despiteobstacles, oyster outputis increasing. Coos Bay growers havebeen encouraged by a recent $12m up-grading of sewage treatment, and waterquality has improved. Nonetheless oys-ter closures due to pollution are on therIse.

This is due to the implementa-tion of a state-wide shellfish sanitationscheme, which the oyster industryhelped develop. Through it grows tolittle more than 3in across, the Europeangreen crab may in the long run prove asdifficult to combat.

Reprinted from Fish Farming Interna-

tional, August 1997

8~T6m\~Y-~.ItCIE~;,.'t!::«.su,:(O

by Wade Roush

BOULDER, COLORADO -When biologists think of comings andgoings of species they often think of war- of new species invading and pushingout the old. In mid-western lakes, how-ever, love seems to be the driving force.In lake after lake, an invading crayfishspecies is pushing local crayfish to ex-tinction. But biologists at the Universityof Notre Dame in Indiana are findingthat the local crayfish are having theirown effect on the invader, as the twospecies produce a new population ofvig-orous hybrids.

The finding is a surprise, re-searchers say because ecologists oftenexpect animal hybrids to be sterile, un-able to play more than a bit part in speciesinvasions. But at the annual evolutionand natural history meetings here,* Wil-liam Perry, a graduate student in the labsof ecologist David Lodge and biologistJeff Feder, described molecular studiesshowing that hybrids of Kentucky nativeOrconectes rusticus, or the rusty cray-fish, and a native crayfish, O.propinquus(the blue crayfish), are indeed fertile.

Continued on page 6

Page 5

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Introduced Fish Section / IFS

Species Invasioncontinued from page 5

Other work by Perry, Lodge, and Federsuggests that these hybrids areoutcompeting both natives and invaders.The rusty crayfish, it appears, is takingover by assimilation.

That's useful information forconservation, notes Christopher Taylor,a crayfish systematist atthe IllinoisNatu-ral History Survey, because rusty cray-fish and similar intruders are slowlypushing natives to extinction: Of the 340species of crayfish found in NorthAmerica, about 30 may soon be com-pletely eliminated by invaders, whichusually arrive innew lakesas baitbroughtby anglers. "If we know how they aredoing it," say Taylor, "maybe we canthink of a way to slow them down."

Researchers noticed 2 decadesago that some Wisconsin crustaceans areintermediate in color and in the size ofvarious body parts between the largerrusty crayfish - which firstappearedinnorthern lakes inthe 1960's-and the bluecrayfish. That suggested to Lodge andhis colleagues that invading and localspecies sometimes interbreed. But rustycrayfish themselves vary greatly in form,making it difficult to identify hybridsreliably. So the extent of hybridizationremained unclear, and in any case, hy-brids were assumed to be less importantthan other species-replacement mecha-nisms.

But when Perry collected speci-mens from some Wisconsin lakes and

analyzed enzymes that serve as distinc-tive species markers, he found that exten-sive hybridization is under way betweenrusty and blue crayfish. Further compari-sons revealed that backcrosses between

hybrids and rusty crayfish were nearly ascommon as first-generation hybrids, in-dicating that hybrids are fertile and thatthey tend to mate with rusty crayfishrather than with each other. Together, thefirst-generation hybrids and backcrossesaccounted for 30% of the crayfish in onelake.

From laboratory observations,Lodge and his colleagues had thoughtthat most of the interspecies matcheswould be between the large, aggressive

rusty males and the blue females. But

when Perry examined the hybrids' mito-chondrial DNA - which is inherited onlyfrom the mother he found, to his surprise,that 89% were offspring of the oppositematch, between rusty females and nativeblue males. "We were looking for love inall the wrong places," he quips.

The apparent prowess of thehybrids may be speeding the invasion.When Perry put rusty and blue crayfish intanks with similarly sized hybrids, thehybrids beat both species in competitionfor food - such as insects and aquaticplants - and for shelter under rock piles."They are actually more competitive thanthe invader," Say Perry. "They're prettynasty." The crayfish invasion may startwith love, but it ends up in war after all.

*Joint meetings of the Societyfor the Study of Evolution,the American Society ofNaturalists, and the Societyof Systematic Biologists,Boulder, Colorado, 14-18 June.

Reprinted from Science, Vol. 277,18July 1997

CLOSING THE DOORTO NUISANCE FISH IN

CHICAGO

The introduction and spread ofaquatic nuisance species across NorthAmerica has accelerated rapidly in thelater half of the twentieth century. Manyof these unwanted translocations have

been facilitated by increased shippingtraffic and interbasin watertransfers. The

round goby, a fish native to Eurasia, isamong the most recent of these opportu-nistic species to establish expanding popu-lations at distant sites around many por-tions of the Great Lakes. These small,

bottom dwelling fish are aggressivefeeders that prey upon vulnerable lifestages of native fish species. Populationsof mottled sculpin, a species native to theGreat Lakes that occupies a niche similarto that of round goby, have already de-clined at certain goby infested sites.

Dense concentrations of round

goby (up to 50 fish/m2)occur along por-tions of the southwest shore of Lake

May, 1997

Michigan between Chicago, Illinois andGary,Indiana.Therangeof thislacustrinepopulation has started to expand into theheadwatersof the Illinois Waterway Sys-tem (IWS) and the Mississippi Riverdrainage basin. This is the samepath thatwas taken by the now infamous zebramussel, another Eurasian native, earlierthis decade. In the wake of the ecologicand economic harm caused by zebramussels, there is increasing concern forthe potential adverse impacts of roundgoby shouldtheirrange expand widely toother portions of the Mississippi RiverBasin. Conversely, fauna and flora na-tive to the Great Lakes may be similarlyat risk from populations of other exoticspecies that now reside in portions of theIWS (e.g., big head carp, grass carp) andhave the potential to move upstream intoLake Michigan.

Limited surveillance of roundgoby distribution in the IWS was startedin October 1996 and expanded in June1997. These cooperative efforts wereorganized by the U.S. Fish and WildlifeService and included partners from sev-eral local, state, and federal natural re-source agencies, as well as members ofacademiaandpublic interest groups. Theresultsofbothsurveys indicatedthe rangeof round goby extended downstream torivermile321ofthe LittleCalumetRiver,about 12miles inland from Lake Michi-

gan. Round goby were not captured inconnecting channels downstream of thispoint, as far away as Joliet (river mile286), nor in upstream portions of theChicago Ship and Sanitary canal, Chi-cago River, and North Shore Channel.This information will help guide mem-bers of an interagency task force chargedwith enacting measures to prevent andreduce the spread of round goby andothernonidigenous aquaticnuisance spe-ciesbetweenthe Great Lakesand Missis-

sippi River basin.Electrical barriers and limited

use offish toxicants have been identified

asthe mostenvironmentallysound meth-ods of round goby control in the IWS.However, the window of opportunity forsuccessfully implementing these actionsis small and diminishing daily. Feasibil-

Continued on page 7

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