Aquatic Invasive Species

Aquatic invasive species enter Ontario in a variety of ways.  They can use canals to enter our inland lakes and rivers, and are carried in bait buckets, on boats, and in ballast water. With thousands of rivers, lakes and streams in Ontario, aquatic invasive species are a major threat to our environment, economy, society, and health.

Both round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) and zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha)

 are aquatic invasive species present in Ontario.
Photo: Eric Engbretson - US Fish and Wildlife Service

As of 2009, 186 non-native species were present in the Great Lakes Basin. These include invasive species like the sea lamprey, zebra mussel, round goby, spiny water flea and purple loosestrife. These invasive species can have direct impacts on biodiversity and spread viruses and parasites.

Many invasive species enter Ontario through the Great Lakes and their connecting channels.  For example, the zebra mussel was discovered in Lake St. Clair in 1988, probably in the ballast water of an ocean going ship. Since then, the zebra mussel has spread to all the Great Lakes, as well as the Trent Severn Waterway, the Rideau Canal and many other inland lakes and rivers in Ontario. Zebra mussels spread so far and so fast because we transport them unknowingly in live wells, bilge water, bait buckets and fishing gear. They also attach themselves to boat hulls and spread when we move our boats from one lake to another. Zebra mussels clog water intake pipes, foul beaches, kill native clams and disrupt lake ecosystems. They also threaten commercial and recreational fishing. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent fighting zebra mussels and repairing damage they do to industrial water supplies.  

The following links provide information on some aquatic invasive species that are, or could become, a concern in Ontario:

Fish

• Asian carps  View in HTML  View in PDF (4.7 Mb)
• Goldfish PDF 478 Kb
• Northern Snakehead PDF 593 Kb
• Rainbow smelt PDF 759 Kb
• Round goby PDF 434 Kb
• Rudd PDF 441 Kb
• Ruffe
• Sea lamprey PDF 608 Kb
• Tench PDF 415 Kb
• Tubenose goby PDF 698 Kb

Fish Parasites & Diseases

• Asian fish tapeworm parasite (a fact sheet will be posted soon)
• Koi herpesvirus (KHV)

Invertebrates

• Bloody red shrimp PDF 486 Kb
• Spiny and fishhook water flea PDF 645Kb
• Rusty Crayfish PDF 857Kb
• Zebra mussel

Aquatic Plants

• There are a number of invasive aquatic plants that are of concern to Ontario. This list includes species that are present in the province, as well as those that are at risk of being introduced. These invasive plants pose a threat to Ontario’s environment, economy and/or society when present in natural waters. Please visit the following link to view Ontario’s Invasive Aquatic Plant List identified by MNR:

  • Ontario Invasive Aquatic Plant List PDF 580 Kb
  • The following links provide information on some aquatic invasive plants that are, or could become, a concern in Ontario:
    • Eurasian water milfoil PDF 981 Kb
    • European frog-bit PDF 580
    • Fanwort PDF 644 Kb
    • Hydrilla PDF 791 Kb
    • Phragmites  Fact Sheet PDF 301Kb  Best Management Practices PDF 3Mb
    • Flowering rush
    • Purple loosestrife PDF 910Kb
    • Water chestnut PDF 464Kb
    • Water lettuce PDF 413Kb
    • Water soldier PDF 397Kb
    • Yellow Iris PDF 972Kb

     

    Many of these species have had negative economic and ecological impacts on the Great Lakes basin. For example, the invasion of the zebra mussel has resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars being spent to control and maintain industrial water supplies. Many species have negative effects on native fish communities and important recreational and commercial fisheries.