Nonnative Fishes in the Upper Mississippi River System

Irons, Kevin S.; DeLain, Steven A.; Gittinger, Eric J.; Ickes, Brian S.; Kolar, Cindy S.; Ostendort, David; Ratcliff, Eric N.; Benson, Amy J.

doi:10.3133/sir20095176

Cited by 14 publications

(10 citation statements)

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“…Silver and bighead carps are prolific filter-feeders that significantly alter both the numbers of plankters and their community compositions, reducing food for sport and commercial fishes [62–65]. Silver and bighead carps often swim just below the surface, and can travel in large schools (either as single species or together) [66]. In their native ranges, they mature at age 4–8 years, but as early as 2 years old in North America, with each female laying up to 5 million eggs annually [67].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Invasion genetics of the silver carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix across North America: Differentiation of fronts, introgression, and eDNA metabarcode detection

2019

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In the 1970s, the introduced silver carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (which is indigenous to eastern Asia) escaped from southern U.S. aquaculture to spread throughout the Mississippi River basin, and since has steadily moved northward. This large, prolific filter-feeder reduces food availability for other fishes. It now has reached the threshold of the Laurentian Great Lakes, where it likely will significantly impact food chains and fisheries. Our study evaluates population genetic variability and differentiation of the silver carp using 10 nuclear DNA microsatellite loci, and sequences of two mitochondrial genes–cytochrome b and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1, along with the nuclear ribosomal protein S7 gene intron 1. We analyze population samples from: two primary Great Lakes’ invasion fronts (at the Illinois River outside of Chicago, IL in Lake Michigan and in the Wabash River, which leads into the Maumee River and western Lake Erie), the original establishment “core” in the Lower Mississippi River, and expansion areas in the Upper Mississippi and Missouri rivers. We analyze and compare our results with bighead and other invasive carps, and cyprinid relatives. Results reveal that the silver carp invasion possesses moderate levels of genetic diversity, with more mtDNA haplotypes and unique microsatellite alleles in the “core” Lower Mississippi River population, which also diverges the most. The two invasion fronts also significantly genetically differ. About 3% of individuals (including all populations except the Illinois River) contain a unique and very divergent mtDNA haplotype, which likely stems from historic introgression in Asia with female largescale silver carp H . harmandi . The nuclear microsatellites and S7 sequences of the introgressed individuals do not differ from silver carp and are very distant from bighead carp. These sequence variation data are employed to design and evaluate a targeted high-throughput metabarcoding sequence assay that identifies and distinguishes among species of invasive carps (i.e., silver, bighead, grass, black, and common carps, along with goldfish), as well as native cyprinids, using cytochrome b . Our assay further differentiates among selected silver carp haplotypes (including between H . molitrix and H . harmandi ), for use in population genetics and future analyses of spread pathways. We test and evaluate this assay on environmental (e)DNA water samples from 48 bait shops in the Great Lakes’ region (along the Lake Erie, Lake St. Clair, and Wabash River watersheds), using positive and negative controls and custom bioinformatic processing. Test results discern silver carp eDNA in four of the shops–three in Lake Erie and one in the Wabash River watershed–and bighead carp from one of the same Lake Erie venues, suggesting that retailers (wh...

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Their reproductive season is longer in the Mississippi River system than in their native habitats [68]. The eggs are buoyant, hatch in one day, and the larvae readily disperse with currents [66]. Adults live to 20 years, reaching >1 m and 27.3 kg [66].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Invasion genetics of the silver carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix across North America: Differentiation of fronts, introgression, and eDNA metabarcode detection

2019

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“…Silver carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and bighead carp H. nobilis (hereafter bigheaded carp) have substantially expanded their range throughout the Mississippi River basin since their unintentional introduction in the 1970s ( Kolar et al, 2005 ; Irons et al, 2009 ; Cooke, 2016 ). They are currently documented in 23 of the 31 states comprising the Mississippi River basin, including the Arkansas, Missouri, and Ohio rivers ( Baerwaldt & Irons, 2013 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydrology controls recruitment of two invasive cyprinids: bigheaded carp reproduction in a navigable large river

Gibson‐Reinemer

Solomon

Pendleton

et al. 2017

PeerJ

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In the Mississippi River Basin of North America, invasive bigheaded carp (silver carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and bighead carp H. nobilis, also referred to as Asian carp) have spread rapidly over the past several decades. In the Illinois River, an important tributary of the Upper Mississippi River, reproduction appears to be sporadic and frequently unsuccessful, yet bigheaded carp densities in this river are among the highest recorded on the continent. Understanding the causative factors behind erratic recruitment in this commercially-harvested invasive species is important for both limiting their spread and managing their harvest. We analyzed weekly catch records from 15 years of a standardized monitoring program to document the emergence of age-0 bigheaded carp in relation to environmental conditions. The appearance of age-0 fish was generally linked to hydrographic attributes, which probably serve as a cue for spawning. However, we found profound differences in the number of age-0 fish among years, which varied by as much as five orders of magnitude in successive years. The strong link between summer flooding and age-0 fish production we observed emphasizes the importance of understanding the hydrologic context in which sustained invasions occur. Despite evidence of sporadic recruitment, bigheaded carp populations in the Illinois River appear to be consistent or increasing because of particularly strong, episodic year classes.

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“…We calculated native fish biomass as the total biomass of all native fishes collected in the lower Illinois River during a given year ( n ≈ 19 sites per year); native fishes exclude those referenced in Irons et al. (), and also hybrids of those fish referenced. We calculated separate biomass indices for age‐0 and adult native fishes using the smallest adult length reported for each species (sensu Barko, Herzog, Hrabik, & Scheibe, ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multi‐trophic response to invasive silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) in a large floodplain river

2018

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Invasive species can produce complex and unpredictable effects across multiple trophic levels through a combination of direct and indirect pathways. Invasive silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) exert substantial pressure on the link between primary production and intermediate trophic levels in large rivers of the Midwestern USA. The goal of our manuscript was to describe the silver carp population invasion in the Illinois River (Illinois, USA) and explore the potential effects of silver carp on the native biota. We obtained 22 years of data from three long‐term monitoring programmes for phytoplankton, zooplankton, and age‐0 and adult native fishes. To determine when silver carp started affecting native biota, we used nonlinear regression to estimate the change point in silver carp biomass. We then used piecewise linear regression to separately model the response of phytoplankton and age‐0 and adult native fishes, using the model‐estimated change point in silver carp biomass. We tested for differences in taxon‐specific zooplankton density and biomass between pre‐ and post‐establishment periods using generalised linear models. To explore associations between native biota, silver carp and other potential drivers, we used single‐factor linear‐regression models in an information theoretic‐based approach. Our analysis showed individual silver carp condition decreased while their population numbers and biomass increased during their establishment in the Illinois River. Concurrently, analysis of 22 years of producer and consumer abundance and biomass data shows phytoplankton density and macrozooplankton density and biomass decreased—zooplankton by over 90%—during the same period, though the responses of age‐0 native fish biomass and adult native fish biomass were more nuanced. Our study provides compelling evidence of multiple trophic‐level effects from the silver carp invasion in North America and highlights the importance of long‐term data collection and monitoring. Our research shows managers that zooplankton and perhaps phytoplankton are quickly and negatively affected by silver carp, which may eventually cascade into higher trophic levels over longer timescales.

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Nonnative Fishes in the Upper Mississippi River System

Cited by 14 publications

References 0 publications

Invasion genetics of the silver carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix across North America: Differentiation of fronts, introgression, and eDNA metabarcode detection

Invasion genetics of the silver carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix across North America: Differentiation of fronts, introgression, and eDNA metabarcode detection

Hydrology controls recruitment of two invasive cyprinids: bigheaded carp reproduction in a navigable large river

Multi‐trophic response to invasive silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) in a large floodplain river

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