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A Component of the Aquatic Invasive Species-HazardAnalysis and Critical Control Point (AIS-HACCP) Program

Non-Native Fish andNative Look-a-Likes

This guide highlights harmfulaquatic invasive fish that posethreats to the recreational,environmental, and economicvalue of the Great Lakes region.Similar-looking native speciesare included for comparison.

The non-native species identi-fied in this guide could spreadduring harvest, stocking, orfishery and law enforcementoperations.These fishes havethe potential to displace nativespecies, harm habitats, anddegrade lakes, rivers, streams,and wetlands.

The purpose of this guide is toassist private and public fisheriespersonnel in identifying andreporting potentially invasivefish species. It is also designedto accompany Aquatic InvasiveSpecies-Hazard Analysis andCritical Control Point (AIS-

HACCP) training workshops,curriculum, video (From Net toSale), and other programmaterials. For details, visitwww.seagrant.umn.edu/ais/haccp.

Specimens of non-native fishare needed to confirm sightingsand infestations, but manyGreat Lakes jurisdictions havediffering rules regardingpossession and transport. Somenon-natives represented inthis field guide are regulatedunder state or provincial laws.Other non-native or nativespecies can be harvested, trans-ported, or sold commercially.

Contact your local naturalresource management agencyfor instructions. Never dumplive fish from one body of waterinto another without a permit.

Fish Invaders

This Field Guide Contains:

• Full-color illustrations for 38 invasive and commonlook-a-like fishes

• Key characteristics to aid accurate identification*

*Size estimates taken from Page, L. M. and B. M. Burr. 1991. FreshwaterFishes, Peterson Field Guides. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York.

Group 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Fourspine SticklebackThreespine SticklebackNinespine SticklebackBrook Stickleback

Group 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Round GobyTubenose GobySpoonhead SculpinSlimy SculpinMottled SculpinDeepwater Sculpin

Group 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8RuddGolden ShinerRedfin ShinerGoldfish

Group 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Bigmouth BuffaloBighead CarpSilver CarpBlack CarpGrass CarpCommon Carp

Group 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12RuffeWalleyeSaugerTrout-perchYellow PerchLogperch

Group 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14White PerchWhite BassYellow BassYellow PerchFreshwater Drum

Group 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Inland SilversideBrook Silverside

Group 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17Rainbow SmeltEmerald ShinerCisco (Lake Herring)

Group 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Northern SnakeheadBowfinBurbot

A Field Guide to

Fish Invadersof the Great Lakes Region

Guide to Key Features

dorsal fin

pectoral finpelvic fin

anal fin

caudal (tail) finadipose fin

To count lateral line scales: count the number ofscales along the line formed by a series of pore-likeopenings from behind the gill cover to the tail.

cheek

gill cover keel: a sharpcompressed edgealong the belly

countingfin rays(e.g., totalrays = 11)

Each page includes one or more invasive fish and its nativelook-a-likes with key characteristics such as length and color.

How to Use This Guide

dorsal finorigin

Denotes Invasive Fish Denotes Native Fish

Pungitius pungitius

Length: Up to 3.5 in. (9 cm)Coloring: Body is olive green to pale green

Culaea inconstans

Length: Up to 3.5 in. (9 cm)Coloring: Body is olive green to dark green with

light spots

• Nine short dorsal spines

• Scaleless body sometimeswith bony plates

Ninespine Stickleback

• Five to six shortdorsal spines

• Scaleless body with nobony plates

Brook Stickleback

• Four dorsal spines;first two spines arelonger than secondtwo spines

• Scaleless body withno bony plates

Apeltes quadracus

Length: Up to 2.5 in. (6.4 cm)Coloring: Body is olive green with dark mottling

Fourspine Stickleback

Gasterosteus aculeatus

Length: Up to 4 in. (10 cm)Coloring: Body is silvery with dark mottling

• Three dorsal spines;first two spines arelonger than third

• Scaleless body withbony plates

• Native to Lake Ontario

Threespine Stickleback

Group 1 Page 5Group 1

• Two separate pelvic fins

• Large head with largespine on each sidedirected upward andinward; two lower spinescovered by skin

• No spot on first dorsal fin

• Scaleless bodyCottus cognatus

Length: Up to 4.5 in. (12 cm)Coloring:Mottled brown to olive-green body

Slimy Sculpin


• Large head with largespine on each sidedirected upward andinward; two lower spinescovered by skin

• Large dark spots all overfirst dorsal fin

• Scaleless body

Cottus bairdii

Length: Up to 6 in. (15 cm)Coloring: Body is light to dark brown with mottled

back and sides

Mottled Sculpin


• Head is wide and flatwith four conspicuousspines on each side; topspine directed upward,others downward

• No spot on first dorsal fin

• Scaleless body

Myoxocephalus thompsonii

Length: Up to 9 in. (23 cm)Coloring: Body is gray brown with light mottling

on back and sides

Deepwater Sculpin

• Pelvic fins are fused toform a single scallop-shaped fin

• Large head with frog-likeraised eyes

• Black spot on rear offirst dorsal fin

• Fine scales on bodyApollonia melanostomus

Length: Up to 10 in. (25.4 cm)Coloring:Mottled olive and brown body

Round Goby

• Pelvic fins are fused toform a single scallop-shaped fin

• First nostrils extendbeyond lower lip

• Black lines on first dorsalfin; no black spot

• Fine scales on body

Proterorhinus semilunaris

Length: Up to 4 in. (10 cm)Coloring:Mottled brown body, usually with five

dark bars on sides

Tubenose Goby


• Large head with well-developed spine on eachside, curving upward andbackward

• All fins are lightly speckledexcept pelvic fins, whichare clear

• Scaleless body

Cottus ricei

Length: Up to 5 in. (13 cm)Coloring: Head and body are light brown and tan,mottled with small dark speckles

Spoonhead Sculpin

Group 2 Page 6 Group 2 Page 7

Ictiobus cyprinellus

Length: Up to 35 in. (90 cm)

Coloring: Olive-brown to bronze body; sides andbelly lighter

Carassius auratus

Length: Up to 16 in. (41 cm)Coloring: Body is gold to olive green with white or

black patches

• Buffalos, Quillback,Carpsuckers (Ictiobusand Carpoides species)

For all members ofthese groups:

• No barbels

• Single, long sickle-shaped dorsal finwithout serratedspine; 22-32 soft rays

• Large scales, 33-40 inlateral line

Bigmouth Buffalo (Carp Look-a-Likes)

• No barbels

• No keel along belly

• Single serrated spineon long dorsal finwith more than 15soft rays

• Large scales, 27–30 inlateral line

Goldfish• Scaled keel along belly,

from pelvic to anal fins

• Bright red-orange fins

• 38–42 lateral line scales

• Iris of eye has red spotdorsally

Scardinius erythrophthalmus

Length: Up to 19 in. (48 cm)Coloring: Golden bronze body; white belly

Rudd

• No keel along belly

• Fins typically clearexcept in breedingmales, which have pinkor orange tinted fins

• Small dark or duskyspot at anterior base ofdorsal fin


Lythrurus umbratilis

Length: Up to 3.5 in. (9 cm)Coloring: Body is bluish with silvery tints

Redfin Shiner

• No scales on keelalong belly from pelvicto anal fins

• Breeding males haveorange on pelvic andanal fins, otherwisetheir fins are yellowish


• No red spot on iris of eye

Notemigonus crysoleucas

Length: Up to 12 in. (30 cm)Coloring: Silvery to golden body with green to brown

back; yellowish to yellow-silvery belly

Golden Shiner

Group 4 Page 9Group 3 Page 8

Non-native carps to compare with the Bigmouth Buffalo are featuredon the next two pages.

• Broad, blunt head withslight downturnedmouth, no barbels

• No keel

• Pointed dorsal fin with7–8 soft rays

• Dark-edged scales, givea cross-hatched effect,39-46 in lateral line

Mylopharyngodon piceus

Length: Up to 48 in. (122 cm)Coloring: Blackish-brown to dark olive body;

blackish-gray fins; white belly

Black Carp

• Two barbels on eachside of the upper jaw

• No keel

• Single serrated spineon long dorsal finwith more than 16soft rays

• Large scales, 32–41 inlateral line

Cyprinus carpio

Length: Up to 48 in. (122 cm)Coloring: Bronze to golden-yellow body;

yellowish-white belly

Common Carp

• Broad, blunt head withslight downturnedmouth, no barbels

• No keel

• Pointed dorsal fin with8–10 soft rays

• Scales are silver to graywith a prominent darkedge, giving a cross-hatched effect, 34–45 inlateral line

Ctenopharyngodon idella

Length: Up to 49 in. (125 cm)Coloring: Body has dark olive shading with

brownish-yellow sides; white belly

Grass Carp

• Large scaleless headwith upturned mouth,no barbels

• Eyes forward, belowmidline and projectdownward

• Scaleless keel extendsonly from anal fin topelvic fin

• Single dorsal spine ismoderately stiff but notserrated, followed by 8soft rays

• Very tiny scales (trout-like), 91–120 in lateral line

• Long and comb-like gillrakers

Aristichthys nobilis

Length: Up to 44 in. (112 cm)Coloring: Body is dark gray dorsally to silver white

on sides.Many dark irregularly shapedblotches are scattered over body

Bighead Carp

Hypophthalmichthys molitrix

Length: Up to 41 in. (104 cm)Coloring: Body is olive green dorsally; silver but

sometimes bronze to red sides

• Scaleless head with largeupturned mouth, nobarbels

• Eyes forward, belowmidline and projectdownward

• Scaleless keel extends allthe way from anal fin tobase of gills

• Dorsal spine moderatelystiff but not serrated,followed by 8 soft rays

• Very tiny scales (trout-like), 91–124 in lateral line

• Gill rakers appearspongy

Silver Carp


• Single dorsal fin withtwo spines (usuallyquite soft) and anadipose fin

• Rows of black spots onback and sides

• Jaw ends below nostril,well in front of eye

Percopsis omniscomaycus

Length: Up to 7.75 in. (20 cm)Coloring: Body is pale olive or silvery to almost

translucent

Trout-perch

• Spiny and soft dorsalfins are separated

• Dusky coloration onthe front and back ofthe spiny dorsal fin, butno distinct spots

• Upper jaw reaches tothe pupil of the eye

Perca flavescens

Length: Up to 16 in. (40 cm)Coloring: Body is green above, 6-9 green-brown

saddles extend down yellow sides

Yellow Perch


• Lightly barreddorsal fin

• Dark vertical bandson sides

• Pig-like snout; upperjaw does not reachto the eye

Percina caprodes

Length: Up to 7.25 in. (18 cm)Coloring: Body is yellowish green with dark olive-

black markings

Logperch

• Spiny and soft dorsalfins are connected

• Rows of dark spotsbetween dorsal spines

• Many sharp spines ongill cover

• Small downturnedmouth

• Very slimy when handled

Gymnocephalus cernuus

Length: Up to 10 in. (25 cm)Coloring: Body is olive to golden brown on back,paler

on side with yellowish-white underside

Ruffe


• Single dark spot on rearbase of spiny dorsal fin

• Bottom of caudal finwhite-tipped

• Large mouth; jawextends beyond middleof eye

Sander vitreus

Length: Up to 36 in. (91 cm)Coloring: Body is olive brown to golden brown

to yellow

Walleye


• Rows of dark spots onboth dorsal fins

• Large mouth; upperjaw extends beyondmiddle of eye

• Caudal fin not white-tipped as in walleye

Sander canadense

Length: Up to 25 in. (63 cm)Coloring: Body is sandy to dull brown with 3-4

dark saddles along back and sides

Sauger


• Anal fin has three spines;second and third spinesare the same length

• Sides have 6-7 darkhorizontal stripes; loweststripes lines offset aboutmidbody

• Two dorsal fins are notjoined

• Native to MississippiRiver Basin

Morone mississippiensis

Length: Up to 18 in. (46 cm)Coloring: Golden-yellow body

Yellow Bass

• Anal fin has two spines

• Several dark verticalbands extend overback and down sides

• Two dorsal fins arenot joined

Perca flavescens

Length: Up to 16 in. (40 cm)Coloring: Body is green above, 6-9 green-brown

saddles extend down yellow sides

Yellow Perch

• Anal fin has twospines, the second isgreatly enlarged

• Two dorsal fins areconnected; longsecond dorsal fin,with 24–32 rays

• Rounded tail Aplodinotus grunniens

Length: Up to 35 in. (89 cm)Coloring: Body is silvery to bronze with no stripes

Freshwater Drum

• Anal fin has threespines; second andthird spines are thesame length

• Back or sides generallyhave no lines or stripes

• Two dorsal fins slightlyjoined by membraneat base, 11–12 rays onsecond dorsal fin

Morone americana

Length: Up to 22.8 in. (58 cm)Coloring: Silvery-green to brownish-black body

White Perch

Morone chrysops

Length: Up to 17.8 in. (45 cm)Coloring: Silvery to pale-green body

• Anal fin has threespines of differentlengths, stair-stepped

• Six or more dark hori-zontal stripes on sides

• Two dorsal fins arenot joined

White Bass


• Has single dorsal finand an adipose fin

• Large teeth on bothjaws and especially ontongue

• Large mouth, protrudinglower jaw, upper jawextends to middle ofeye or beyond

• 11-14 pectoral fin rays

Osmerus mordax

Length: Up to 12 in. (30 cm)Coloring: Silvery body with steel blue along back;

white belly

Rainbow Smelt

For all shiners:

• Single dorsal fin and noadipose fin

• No large teeth on jawsor tongue

• Small mouth, lower jawdoes not protrude,upper jaw does notextend past front of eye

Emerald Shiner(and other shiners,Notropis species)

• Single dorsal fin and anadipose fin

• No teeth on jaws

• Large mouth, upper jawdoes not extend beyondpupil of eye

• 15-16 pectoral fin rays(14-18 for all species inthis group)

Coregonus artedi

Length: Up to 20 in. (51 cm)Coloring: Silvery body with iridescence along

back; white belly

Cisco (formerly Lake Herring)(and other Coregonines)

Notropis atherinoides

Length: Up to 4 in. (10 cm)Coloring: Silvery body with slightly darker back

and silvery-white belly

• Anal fin has one spineand 18 or fewer rays

• 36–44 lateral scales

• Beak-like mouth,considerably upturned

• First dorsal fin origin infront of anal fin origin

Menidia beryllina

Length: Up to 6 in. (15 cm)Coloring: Silvery body with bands that extend

caudally

Inland Silverside

Labidesthes sicculus

Length: Up to 5 in. (13 cm)Coloring: Translucent to silvery body

• Anal fin has one spineand 22 or more rays

• 75–84 lateral scales

• Beak-like mouth, almosthorizontal near tip

• First dorsal fin origindirectly above analfin origin

Brook Silverside


• Single long dorsal fin

• Long anal fin

• Square tail

• Head has large scales

• Jaws with canine-liketeeth Channa argus

Length: Up to 33 in. (84 cm)Coloring: Dark brown body or tan with irregular

blotches

Northern Snakehead

• Single long dorsal fin

• Short anal fin

• Caudal eyespots foundon juveniles and adultmales

• No scales on head, largescales on body

• Jaws with canine-liketeeth

Amia calva

Length: Up to 43 in. (109 cm)Coloring: Dark olive to brown body

Bowfin

• Two dorsal fins

• Long anal fin

• Single median chinbarbel

• Scales so small theyare almost invisible

• Jaws with many tinyteeth in wide bands

Lota lota

Length: Up to 33 in. (84 cm)Coloring: Light yellow body that is mottled dark

brown or black dorsally

Burbot

Group 9 Page 18

Prevention guidelines for public and private aquacultureand baitfish managers and researchers can be found in SeaGrant’s “Aquatic Invasive Species-Hazard Analysis andCritical Control Point Training Curriculum,” Appendix 1.

When you leave a body of water:

• Inspect your boat, trailer, and equipment and remove visible

aquatic plants, fish or animals, and mud.

• Drain water from bait buckets, livewell, bilge, transom, and motor.

• Dispose of unwanted live bait and worms in the trash.

• Spray/wash your boat, trailer, and equipment with high pressure

or hot water before going to other waters, OR

• Dry everything for at least five days.

The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity employer and educator.

A Field Guide to Fish Invaders of the Great Lakes Region

Citation:Jesse Anderson, Doug Jensen, Jeff Gunderson, and Marie Zhuikov. 2008.A Field Guide to Fish Invaders of the Great Lakes Region. University ofMinnesota Sea Grant Program, Duluth, MN. USA.

Product Number:X 105

Illustration Credits:Images used with permission. Some images are copyrighted and otheruses may require the artist’s consent. Credits: Joe Tomelleri (CimarronTrading Company), Ted Walke (Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commision),Duane Raver (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), Susan Trammell(SusanTrammell.com, Inc.), and the New York Department ofEnvironmental Conservation.

Technical Assistants:Corey Boeck and Sean Dobie

Editor:Sharon Moen

Original Design:Evan Heisler 2007

Revision Design:Chris Benson 2008

For more information, contact:University of Minnesota Sea Grant Program2305 E 5 St.Duluth, MN 55812(218) 726–8106 or [email protected]

Produced by the University of Minnesota Sea Grant Program on behalf ofthe Great Lakes Sea Grant Network. Funding was provided by a grantfrom the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to theNational Sea Grant College Program through an appropriation byCongress based on the National Invasive Species Act.

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