1. Michigan Fishes II
6 November 2012

2. Non-native species 26 total in Michigan!
Petromyzontidae: Petromyzon marinus – sea lamprey
Anguillidae: Anguilla rostrata – American eel
Clupeidae: Alosa pseudoharengus - alewife
Osmeridae: Osmerus mordax – rainbow smelt
Gobiidae: Neogobius melanostomus – round goby
Cyprinidae: Cyprinus carpio – common carp
Salmonidae: Oncorhynchus mykiss – rainbow trout
Salmonidae: Salmo trutta – brown trout
Centrarchidae: Lepomis microlophus – redear sunfish

3. Threatened species
~35 threatened, endangered, or extirpated in Michigan
Acipenseridae: Acipenser fulvescens – lake sturgeon (T)
Hiodontidae: Hiodon tergisus – mooneye (T)
Lepisosteus oculatus – spotted gar (SC)
Noturus stigmosus – northern madtom (EN)
Noturus miurus – brindled madtom (SC)
Source:

4. Commercially important fishes
Esocidae: Esox masquinongy – muskellunge
Salmonidae: Coregonus clupeaformis – lake whitefish
Percidae: Stizostedion vitreum – walleye
Centrarchidae
Ambloplites rupestris – rock bass
Lepomis macrochirus – bluegill
Lepomis gibbosus – pumpkinseed
Micropterus spp. – smallmouth and largemouth bass

5. Misc.
Lepisosteidae: Lepisosteus osseus – longnose gar

6. Petromyzontidae Petromyzon marinus – sea lamprey
Lampreys: family characteristics
Body eel-like
Mouth is a sucking disc
No jaws, no paired fins,
no scales
Single median nostril
Seven external gill openings on each side
Petromyzon marinus – sea lamprey
Separate dorsal fins
Teeth in radiating rows
Adults parasitic – disc as wide as body
Big – commonly cm or more
Native to Finger Lakes of New York, introduced to Great Lakes in mid-1800s, decimated local fish populations in 1930s and 40s
Control efforts, including electric current, chemical lampricides, and barriers, vary in success

7. Anguillidae Anguilla rostrata – American eel
Freshwater eels: family characteristics
Body anguilliform
Pectoral fins present, pelvic fins absent
Terminal mouth, jaws well toothed
Small, embedded, linear scales
Median fins (dorsal, caudal, anal) continuous
Anguilla rostrata – American eel
Sharp pointed head, jaws present
Only eel species in Michigan
Catadromous
Leptocephalus larval stage
Introduced to Great Lakes in 1800s – stocked in rivers in Illinois, thrown overboard from ships carrying them as rations
Impacts in Michigan unknown, but in Texas and S. Carolina have brought Asian nematode

8. Clupeidae Alosa pseudoharengus – alewife
Shads and herrings: family characteristics
Compressed body
Thin cycloid scales
Head naked
Midline of belly with spiny scutes
No lateral line
Gill rakers numerous and long
Alosa pseudoharengus – alewife
Body more elongate and streamlined than Dorosoma cepedianum
Upper margin of mandible forms strong shoulder
Invaded Lake Ontario in late 1800s, successful due to overfishing of large Salmonid predators
Distributed to Great Lakes in mid-1900s
Impact: restructures food web
May be responsible for decline of native salmonids (e.g., lake herring, arctic grayling)
Periodic large-scale die-offs in 1960s  annoying and a health hazard!

9. Osmeridae Osmerus mordax – rainbow smelt
Smelts: family characteristics
Body slender and compressed
Single soft-rayed dorsal fin
Adipose fin
Head naked, body scales cycloid, mod. size
Large mouth with strong teeth
Tongue with fangs!
Osmerus mordax – rainbow smelt
Only Osmerid in Michigan
Long slender body
Closely resembles Salmonids (both families in Order Salmoniformes)
Like many salmon species, spawn in streams (in this species, in early spring)
Rainbow smelt eggs were stocked in 1912 in Crystal Lake which drains into Lake Michigan
Now commercial fishery
May have contributed to loss of blue pike from Great Lakes, compete with juvenile lake trout

10. Gobiidae Neogobius melanostomus– round goby
Gobies: family characteristics
Large head, sharp teeth, usually terminal mouth
Two dorsal fins
Flexible spine at beginning of anal fin and 2nd dorsal fin
Pelvic fins fused to form disc-like cup
Family extremely speciose
Neogobius melanostomus– round goby
No opercular spines – distinguish from?
Black spot at posterior of first dorsal fin
Native to Eurasia
Compete with native species for food
Feed on eggs and fry of sculpin and darters

11. Non-native review species
Cyprinidae: Cyprinus carpio – common carp
Native to Eurasia
Records in all states but Alaska
Deteriorates habitat by eating vegetation, increasing turbidity
Salmonidae: Salmo trutta (brown trout) and Oncorhynchus mykiss (rainbow trout)
Both stocked for fisheries
Centrarchidae: Lepomis microlophus – redear sunfish
Native to Southeast/lower Midwest
Intentionally stocked for sportfishing
Molluscivorous, so may compete with L. gibbosus

12. Acipenseridae Acipenser fulvescens – lake sturgeon
Sturgeons: family characteristics
Body with five rows of bony plates
Caudal fin heterocercal
Mouth ventral and protrusible
Conical snout with two pairs of elongate barbels
Partly cartilaginous skeleton
Acipenser fulvescens – lake sturgeon
Juveniles with long, pointed nose and large bony plates
Barbels (usually 4) surround mouth
Threatened due to:
Overharvesting
Pollution
Closing of migratory channels

13. Hiodontidae Hiodon tergisus – mooneye Mooneyes: family characteristics
Body compressed and herring-like
Midline of belly keeled but without spiny scutes
Large eye, no adipose fin, single short dorsal fin
Hiodon tergisus – mooneye
Silvery body
Lateral line distinct
Moth strongly toothed, including toothed plate on tongue
One of only two Osteoglossomorph spp in N America
Impact factors:
Isolated populations
Intolerant to silt and turbidity
Agriculture and industrialization

14. Review threatened species
Ictaluridae: Noturus miurus & N. stigmosus
Intolerant to pollutants
Sensitive to increased turbidity, siltation, and stream flow alterations
Are in decline all across range
N. miurus competes for spawning ground and cover with round goby
Lepisosteidae: Lepisosteus oculatus
Requires clear vegetated water  these habitats in decline across range
Sensitive to siltation, dredging, and harbor improvements

15. Esocidae Esox musquinongy – muskellunge Pikes: family characteristics
Body elongate, terete
Single dorsal, opposed to anal, far back on body
Snout duck-like with canine teeth
Caudal fin forked
Esox musquinongy – muskellunge
Scales on only upper half of cheek and opercle
Dorsal, caudal, and anal fins with dusky spots
Dark bars on light background (not always visible in large specimens)
“Legendary for its size” – record 65” and 70 lb

16. Salmonidae Coregonus clupeaformis – lake whitefish
Trouts: family characteristics
Body terete to moderately compressed
Single soft-rayed dorsal fin, adipose fin present
Cycloid scales on body, head naked
Coregonus clupeaformis – lake whitefish
Mouth subterminal
Snout rounded
Axillary scale present
Two flaps between nostrils
Most important commercial fish in lakes Ontario and Huron
More than $5mill in catches from these two lakes in 1 yr
Critical component in Lake Michigan commercial fishery
Popular sport fish in all of the Great Lakes

17. Percidae Stizostedion vitreum - walleye
Perches: family characteristics
Body usually elongate
Two dorsal fins that may be contiguous or separate
Anal fin with 1 or 2 spines
Lateral line usually complete
Stizostedion vitreum - walleye
Dusky blotch on webbing between last dorsal spines (1st dorsal)
Tip of lower lobe of caudal fin and anal fin white
Grow to 25” and 5 lb
In peak years, make up half the value of Lake Erie fishery

18. Lepisosteidae Lepisosteus osseus – longnose gar
Gars: family characteristics
Body elongate with ganoid (rhombic) scales
Snout and jaws extended into strong flattened beak with conical teeth
Caudal fin abbreviate heterocercal
Lepisosteus osseus – longnose gar
Snout beak-like, long and narrow
Head not spotted
Black streak across body
Grows to 72” in length