Non-native Species Found in Lake Superior since 1883

Why Are They Here?

Introduction Number of Species Percent
Unintentional 47 55
Unknown 19 22
Intentional 21 24

How Are They Getting Here?

Mechanism Number of Species Percent1
Ballast Water Discharge 30 35
Cultivation 19 22
Stocked Fish 12 13
Unknown 9 10
Diseases and Parasites with Fish 9 10
Canals and Diversions 6 7
Aquarium Releases 4 5
Live Bait Releases by Anglers 3 3
Recreational Boaters 2 2
Railroads and Highways 1 1
Packaging Hitchhiker 1 1
Other Release 1 1

1exceeds 100% since six species arrived via multiple pathways

List of Species

Species Scientific Name Earliest Record Earliest Location Unintentional or Intentional Transport or Release Mechanism(s)
Fish: (n=25, 29%)
Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus <1953 E. Lake Superior Unintentional Canals
American eel Anguilla rostrata 1970 Brule River, WI Unintentional Canals
Atlantic salmon Salmo salar 1972 Lake Superior, WI Intentional Stocked
Brown trout Salmo trutta 1883 Lake Superior, MI Intentional Stocked
Brook silverside Labidesthes sicculus 2002 St. Louis River Unintentional Unknown
Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha 1967 Lake Superior, MI Intentional Stocked
Coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch 1966 Lake Superior, MI Intentional Stocked
Common carp Cyprinus carpio 1897 Lake Superior, WI Intentional Stocked
Eurasian ruffe Gymnocephalus cernuus 1986 St. Louis River Unintentional Ballast Water
European flounder Platichthys flesus 1981 Keweenaw Peninsula, MI Unintentional Ballast Water
Fourspine stickleback Apeltes quadracus 1986 Thunder Bay, ON Unintentional Ballast Water or Live Bait
Freshwater drum Aplodinotus grunniens ? ? Intentional Stocked (assumed)
Gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum ? ? Unintentional Live Bait or Aquaria
Goldfish Carassius auratus 1975 St. Louis River Intentional Stocked (assumed)
Kokanee salmon Oncorhynchus nerka ? ? Intentional Stocked (assumed)
Pink salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha 1956 Thunder Bay, ON Intentional (unplanned) Stocked
Rainbow smelt Osmerus mordax 1930 Whitefish Bay, E. Lake Superior Unintentional Canals
Rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss 1895 W. Lake Superior Intentional Stocked
Round Goby Apollonia melanostomus 1995 St. Louis River Unintentional Ballast Water
Sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus 1938 Two Harbors, MN Unintentional Canals
Splake Salveninus fontinalis x S. namaycush ? ? Intentional Stocked
Threespine stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus 1987 Thunder Bay, ON Unintentional Ballast Water
Tubenose goby Proterorhinus semilunaris 2000 St. Louis River Unintentional Ballast Water
White Perch Morone Americana 1986 St. Louis River Unintentional Ballast Water
Aquatic Invertebrates: (n=21, 24%)
Aquatic oligochaete Ripistes parasita 1987 Thunder Bay, ON Unintentional Ballast Water
Aquatic oligochaete Vejdovskyella intermedia 1980 Unknown Unintentional Ballast Water?
Asian clam Corbicula fluminea 1999 St. Louis River Unintentional Ballast Water
Bosmonid waterflea Eubosmina coregoni 1970s Unknown Unintentional Ballast Water
Calanoid copepod Eurytemora affinis 1960s Unknown Unintentional Ballast Water
Cyclopoid copepod Cyclops strenuous ? ? Unintentional Ballast Water?
European valve snail Valvata piscinalis 1985? St. Louis River Unintentional Ballast Water or Aquaria
Faucet snail Bithynia tentaculata 2005 St. Louis River Unintentional Ballast Water or Aquaria
Gammarid amphipod Echinogammarus ischnus 2001 Thunder Bay, ON Unintentional Ballast Water, Packaging or Other Release
Gammarid amphipod Gammarus fasciatus 2001 Widespread Unintentional Ballast Water
Greater European pea clam Pisidium amnicum 1985? St. Louis River Unintentional Ballast (Solid)?
Henslows pea clam Pisidium henslowanum 2005 St. Louis River Unintentional Ballast Water?
Hump-backed pea clam Pisidium supinum 2005 St. Louis River Unintentional Ballast Water?
Lumholtzs waterflea Daphnia lumholtzi 2005 St. Louis River Unintentional Ballast Water?
Moitessiers pea clam Pisidium moitessierianum 1985? St. Louis River Unintentional Ballast Water?
New Zealand mudsnail Potamopyrgus antipodarum 2001 Thunder Bay, ON Unintentional Ballast Water
Quagga mussel Dreissena bugensis 2005 St. Louis River Unintentional Ballast Water
Rusty crayfish Orconectes rusticus 1991 Thunder Bay, ON Unintentional Ballast Water, Live Bait, or Aquaria
Spiny waterflea Bythotrephes longimanus 1987 E. Lake Superior, ON Unintentional Ballast Water
Tiger sideswimmer Gammarus tigrinus 1985?/td> St. Louis River Unintentional Ballast Water
Zebra Mussel Breissena polymorpha 1989 St. Louis River Unintentional Ballast Water
Diseases & Parasites: (n=9, 11%)
Bacterial kidney disease Corynebacterium ssp. <1975 Not Available Unintentional Fish disease
Furunculosis Aeromonas salmonicida Unknown Unknown Unintentional Fish disease
Parasite (microsporidian) Glugea herwigi 1930s Unknown Unintentional Fish parasite
Whirling disease Myxobolus cerebralis Unknown Unknown Unintentional Fish disease
Parasite Sphaeromyxa sevastopoli 1995 St. Louis River Unintentional Fish parasite
Parasite Ichthyocotylurus pileatus 1995 St. Louis River Unintentional Fish parasite
Parasite Tryponasoma acerinae 1986 St. Louis River Unintentional Fish parasite
Parasite Dactylogirus amphibothrium 1986 St. Louis River Unintentional Fish parasite
Parasite Dactylogirus hemiamphibothrium 1986 St. Louis River Unintentional Fish parasite
Wetland, Aquatic Plants and Shoreland Woody Plants: (n=31, 36%)
Barnyard Grass Echinochloa crusgalli <1972 E. Lake Superior, MI Intentional Cultivation
Birdsfoot trefoil Lotus corniculatus 1975 Kadunce Creek, MN Unknown Cultivation
Bitter dock Rumex obtusifolius <1985 E. Lake Superior, MI Unknown Unknown
Bur reed Sparganium glomeratum 1936 Superior Bay Unknown Unknown
Common mullein Verbascum thapsus ? Unknown Unknown Unknown
Crack Willow Salix fragilis <1985 E. Lake Superior, MI Intentional Cultivation
Creeping yellow cress Rorippa sylvestris <1985 E. Lake Superior, MI Unknown Ballast (solid)?
Curlyleaf pondweed Potamogeton crispus 1988, 1996 Knife River Marina, MN; Washburn Harbor, WI Unitentional With Fish or Recreational Boats
Eurasian watermilfoil Myriophyllum spicatum 1996 Chequamegon Bay, WI Unintentional Aquaria or Recreational Boats
Field sow thistle Sonchus arvensis <1996 E. Lake Superior, MI Unintentional Cultivation
Flowering rush Butomus umbellatus Unknown Unknown Unknown Cultivation
Giant chickweed Stellaria aquatica <1985 E. Lake Superior, MI Unknown Unknown
Glossy buckthorn Rhamnus frangula <1985 E. Lake Superior, MI Intentional Cultivation
Hairy willow herb Epilobium hirstutum <1998 Knife River mouth, Knife River, MN Unintentional Cultivation
Hairy willow herb Epilobium parviflorum <1998 Knife River mouth, Knife River, MN Unknown Unknown
Hawkweed Hieracium scabriscullum <1996 Sugar Loaf, MN Unknown Cultivation
Hawkweed Hieracium scabrum <1996 Sugar Loaf, MN Unknown Unknown
Indian balsam Impatiens glandulifera 1984, 1998 Grand Marais, MN, Lake Superior, ON Unknown Cultivation
King-devil Hieracium piloselloides <1996 Sugar Loaf, MN Unknown Cultivation
Lady’s thumb Polygonum caespitosum <1985 E. Lake Superior, MI Unknown Unknown
Lupine Lupinus polyphyllus 1982 Beaver Bay, MN Intentional Cultivation
Marsh thistle Cirsium palustre <1990 E. Lake Superior, MI Unknown Unknown
Narrow-leaved cattail Typha angustifolia <1972 E. Lake Superior, MI Unknown Canals or Cultivation
Oak-leaved goose foot Chenopodium glaucum <1985 E. Lake Superior, MI Unknown Railroads or Highways
Orange hawkweed Hieracium scabriscullum, Hieracium scabrum <1996 Sugar Loaf, MN Unknown Cultivation
Poison hemlock Conium maculatum <1985 E. Lake Superior, MI Unknown Cultivation
Purple loosestrife Lythrum salicaria 1907 Duluth, MN Intentional Cultivation
Redtop Agrostis gigantean <1972 E. Lake Superior, MI Intentional Cultivation
Spotted knapweed Centaurea maculosa (biebersteinii) <1989 Sugar Loaf, MN Unknown Unknown
True forget-me-not Myosotis scorpioides <1989 Widespread Intentional Cultivation
Water cress Rorippa nasturtium aquaticum <1985 E. Lake Superior, MI Intentional Cultivation
Yard dock Rumex longifolius 1901 Isle Royale, MI Unknown Cultivation
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