Amia calva

History of Spread

Amia calva (Bowfin) is native to the St. Lawrence-Great Lakes and Missisippi River basins from QU (Quebec) to north MN and south to the Gulf, the Gulf Coatal Plain south to the Colorado River TX, and the Atlantic Coastal Plain north to Chesapeake Bay south east PA (Page and Burr 1991). Amia calva is regarded as native in the the southern part of the Chesapeake Basin, in the Potomac, Rappahannock, York, and James River systems (Jenkins and Burkhead 1993). It is introduced in the Susquehanna River and Upper Bay tributaries. Further north, A. calva has been introduced in the Delaware (Horwitz 1986), Hudson (Mills et al. 1997), and Connecticut Rivers (Jones 1978). Amia calva has been sparingly stocked outside its native range, in order to support a limited sport fishery and as a predator, to thin out stunted stocks of sunfish (Jenkins and Burkhead 1993; Page and Burr 1991). Currently, it has been introduced to drainages outside its native range in 16 states, in the eastern and midwestern U.S. (Fuller et al. 1999).

Susquehanna River - Amia calva was reported from the Susquehanna by Stauffer (1879); Fowler (1919; 1948) considered this 'likely an introduction'. Denoncourt et al. (1975b) mentioned introductions by the Pennsylvania Fish Commission (no dates) to lakes in the drainage, and captures in the river; presumably in the 1970's. It has been caught below Conowingo Dam; 1972-84 (McKeown 1984).

Upper Bay and Tributaries - A fish said to have been captured in the Sassafras River was seen in a market in 1969. Several ponds in western and northern MD were stocked in the 1960's by Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Several ponds in the Gunpowder drainage were stocked with A. calva by their owners. On 1 August, 1971, severe rainstorms washed an estimated 600-700 fish into the tidal Gunpowder River. Five fish were gillnetted more than 6 months after the accidental release (Pearson and Ward 1972). However, we do not have further records of their occurrence in the upper Bay.

Delaware River - Amia calva was was not listed for DE by Fowler (1919; 1948), but was collected by 1977 in the estuary in PA, where it is presumed to be introduced (Horwitz 1986). Two fish have been seen in DE, in Brandywine and Love Creeks (Raasch 1996).

History References - Denoncourt et al. 1975b; Fowler 1919; Fowler 1948; Fuller et al. 1999; Horwitz 1986; Jenkins and Burkhead 1993; Jones et al. 1978; McKeown 1984; Mills et al. 1997; Page and Burr 1991; Pearson and Ward 1972; Raasch 1996; Stauffer 1879

Invasion Comments