Description
Potentially Misidentified Species - Leuciscus idus (Ide or Orfe) introduced in the Potomac, is extinct in the wild, but is still reared in the watershed.
Recently released Carassius auratus are orange, black, or silver; but there is a rapid natural selection for 'wild-type' olive color (Jenkins and Burkhead 1993).
Taxonomy
| Kingdom | Phylum | Class | Order | Family | Genus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animalia | Chordata | Osteichthyes | Cypriniformes | Cyprinidae | Carassius |
Synonyms
Invasion History
Chesapeake Bay Status
| First Record | Population | Range | Introduction | Residency | Source Region | Native Region | Vectors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1876 | Established | Stable | Introduced | Regular Resident | Europe | East Asia | Ornamental(Pet Release) |
History of Spread
Carassius auratus (Goldfish) are native to China, Korea, and Eurasia, from the Lena to the Amur; and possibly were introduced in ancient times to Japan, Hainan, and Taiwan (Courtenay et al. 1984). They have been released many times, deliberately and accidentally, from the beginning of importation and culture in North America. They have been collected in the wild in all US states except Alaska (Fuller et al. 1999), and on all continents except Antarctica (Lever 1996). Many wild populations are sporadic, but others are well-established (Courtenay et al. 1984). Carassius auratus were raised by the United States Fish Commission (USFC) in WA and distributed to individuals in 37+ states between 1878 and 1893 (Smiley 1884a; Bean 1893). Well-established populations are found in many rivers flowing past major cities (Courtenay et al. 1984). Carassius auratus is well established in the Great Lakes, the Hudson and Delaware Rivers, the San Francisco Bay Delta, and the Columbia River (Cohen and Carlton 1995; Fuller et al. 1999; Mills et al. 1993; Mills et al. 1997). This fish has been introduced to 49 states, but establishment is uncertain in some southen states (Fuller et al. 1999). Carassius auratus has been 'Introduced throughout the world' (Jones et al 1978). They are known from at least 50 countries (Food and Agriculture Organization 1998).
Dates of introduction and subsequent early records are listed below for Chesapeake Bay:
James River- C. auratus was 'expected' but not found (Raney 1950); Jenkins and Burkhead (1993) show one map record, but give no date.
York River- There are no records of C. auratus (Jenkins and Burkhead 1993).
Rappahannock River - One specimen was collected in the tidal river (Maurakis et al. 1987).
Potomac River- In the 19th century, C. auratus was 'found in moderate numbers' (Uhler and Luger 1876) and was 'Common in the river and its principal tributaries' (Smith and Bean 1898). In more recent records, it was rare to common in tidal fresh waters from Washington D.C. to the Wicomico River (Carmichael et al. 1992; Ernst et al. 1995; Killgore et al. 1989; Lippson et al. 1979; Serafy et al. 1994). In Virginia, the only self-sustaining population may be in the Potomac (Jenkins and Burkhead 1993).
Patuxent River - C. auratus was recorded at Laurel MD, in the nontidal river (Mansueti 1950).
Rhode River- One specimen was caught at the SERC weir in September 2007 (Rob Aguilar, personal communication).
Susquehanna River - C. auratus was found in Perkins Pond, NY, in the upper Susquehanna drainage (Greeley 1936). One specimen was collected in the Susquehanna in northern PA (Bielo 1963). C. auratus occurred occasionally below Conowingo Dam (McKeown 1984).
Upper Bay and Drainages - C. auratus has been collected on Susquehanna Flats (Howarth 1961; Serafy et al. 1993). It has not been recorded from Rhode River (Hines et al. unpublished data).
Eastern Shore Tributaries- C. auratus has been collected from Eastern shore tributaries (Lee et al. 1976).
Delaware River- C. auratus has been reported as 'abundant in the Delaware and Schuylkill' (Cope 1879; Horwitz 1986).
History References - Bielo 1963; Carmichael et al. 1992; Cope 1879; Courtenay et al. 1984; Fuller et al. 1999; Greeley 1939; Howarth 1961; Horwitz 1986; Jenkins and Burkhead 1993; Killgore et al. 1989; Lever 1996; Lippson et al. 1979; Mansueti 1950; Maurakis et al. 1987; McKeown 1984; Raney 1950; Serafy et al. 1993; Serafy et al. 1994; Smith and Bean 1898; Uhler and Lugger 1876
Invasion Comments
Likely Vector into Chesapeake Bay - Pet release is probably the most frequent vector for Carassius auratus (Goldfish), but this species was and is also used as forage fish in hatcheries, such as the United States Fish Commission's in Washington DC, in the late 1800s-early 1900s (Jenkins and Burkhead 1993). This fish is also widely sold as bait (Courtenay et al. 1984).
Ecology
Environmental Tolerances
| For Survival | For Reproduction | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | Maximum | Minimum | Maximum | |
| Temperature (ºC) | 0.0 | 41.0 | 16.0 | 29.5 |
| Salinity (‰) | 0.0 | 17.0 | 0.0 | 8.0 |
| Oxygen | anoxic | |||
| pH | 10.0000000000 | |||
| Salinity Range | fresh-meso |
Age and Growth
| Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Adult Size (mm) | 76.0 | 76.0 |
| Typical Adult Size (mm) | 250.0 | 250.0 |
| Maximum Adult Size (mm) | 400.0 | 400.0 |
| Maximum Longevity (yrs) | 30.0 | 30.0 |
| Typical Longevity (yrs | 6.0 | 6.0 |
Reproduction
| Start | Peak | End | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reproductive Season | |||
| Typical Number of Young Per Reproductive Event |
|||
| Sexuality Mode(s) | |||
| Mode(s) of Asexual Reproduction |
|||
| Fertilization Type(s) | |||
| More than One Reproduction Event per Year |
|||
| Reproductive Startegy | |||
| Egg/Seed Form |
Impacts
Economic Impacts in Chesapeake Bay
Aesthetic and habitat effects (bioturbation and herbivory) of Carassius auratus (Goldfish ) are probably minor compared to Cyprinus carpio's (Common Carp). Carassius auratus is probably an important prey for sportfishes in the Potomac where this species is most abundant. In the US, commercial Goldfish farming began in the Chesapeake watershed, in Frederick County MD in 1889, and continues to the present day. C. auratus are reared and sold for pets, bait, and as 'feeder' fish for carnivorous fishes, reptiles, and other aquatic animals kept as pets, or in zoos and aquaria. The latter use is now the largest market for this species (Martin 1983).
References- Martin 1983
Economic Impacts Outside of Chesapeake Bay
Carassius auratus (Goldfish) are widely reared and sold as bait, pets, and 'feeder' fish for captive predators, in many states (Martin 1983). In AR, 7,206 kg were produced in 1982, worth $1,067,836 (Robison and Buchanan 1988).
References- Martin 1983; Robison and Buchanan 1988
Ecological Impacts on Chesapeake Native Species
Carassius auratus (goldfish) have probably had fewer and smaller impacts than Cyprinus carpio (Common Carp) due to their smaller size and more local distribution in the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed.
Competition - The diet of C. auratus probably overlaps that of many native fishes to some extent (Jenkins and Burkhead 1993), but the importance of competition with native populations is unknown. In CA, overpopulation by C. auratus has been regarded as harmful to gamefish. In NV, competiton from C. auratus has been partially responsible for the elimination of native fishes from desert springs (Dill and Cordone 1997).
Herbivory - Gut contents of C. auratus consisted of 45% vegetation by volume in a Quebec pond. Fish in experimental ponds (wading pools) fed on submersed plants and uprooted vegetation in the course of digging for animal prey (Richardson et al. 1995).
Bioturbation - Introduction of C. auratus into experimental ponds (wading pools) resulted in increased turbidity in mud-bottomed ponds, but not in gravel-bottomed ponds. The fish ingested large quantities of mud and spat it out in the course of feeding. The increased turbidity in experimental ponds did not affect plants which had been caged to prevent grazing, but ponds were only 0.3 m deep. In a 1m deep pond, introduction of goldfish resulted in greatly increased turbidity, the disappearance of submersed vegetation, and the reduction of emergent plants. (Richardson et al. 1995).
References - Dill and Cordone 1997; Jenkins and Burkhead 1993; Richardson et al. 1995
Ecological Impacts on Other Chesapeake Non-Native Species
Carassius auratus (Goldfish) have probably had fewer and smaller impacts than Cyprinus carpio (Common Carp) due to their smaller size and more local distribution in the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed.
Herbivory - Carassius auratus eat and uproot submerged aquatic vegetation (Richardson et al. 1995); probably including introduced species such as Hydrilla verticillata (Hydrilla), Myriophyllum spicatum (Eurasian Watermilfoil), Egeria densa (Brazilian Waterweed), Potamogeton crispus (Curly Pondweed), and Najas minor (Eurasian Water-Nymph).
Bioturbation - Bioturbation by C. auratus (Richardson et al. 1995) probably has adverse effects on introduced as well as native plant species.
Hybridization - C. auratus hybridizes with Cyprinus carpio (Common Carp) (Cole 1905), especially in polluted areas (Page and Burr 1991).
Food/Prey - C. auratus are a likely prey for predatory fishes such as Micropterus salmoides and M. dolomieu (Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass), Pomoxis annularis and P. nigromaculatus (White and Black Crappies) etc., and are frequently reared as a forage fish in hatcheries. They were deliberately released into the Potomac in the late 1800s as a forage fish by the United States Fish Commission (Jenkins and Burkhead 1993).
References - Cole 1905; Jenkins and Burkhead 1993; Page and Burr 1991; Richardson et al. 1995
References
Bean, Tarleton H. (1896) Report on the propagation and distribution of food-fishes, In: (Eds.) Report of the United States Commission of Fish and Fisheries for 1894. , Washington, D.C.. Pp.Bielo, Robert J. (1963) A fishery investigation of the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania, In: (Eds.) . , Newark. Pp.
Carlander, Kenneth D. (1969) Handbook of freshwater fishery biology. Vol. 1., In: (Eds.) . , Ames. Pp.
Carmichael, John; Richardson, Brian; Roberts, Margaret; Jordan, Stephen J. (1992) Fish sampling in eight Chesapeake Bay tributaries, CRBM-HI-92-2 , Annapolis, MD. Pp.
Cole, Leon J. (1905) The German carp in the United States, In: (Eds.) Report of the Bureau of Fisheries for 1904, pp. 525-641. , Washington, D. C.. Pp.
Cope, Edward Drinker (1879) The Fishes of Pennsylvania, In: (Eds.) Report of the State Commisioners of Fisheries. , Harrisburg. Pp.
Courtenay, Walter R., Jr.; Hensley, Dannie A.; Taylor, Jeffrey; McCann, James A. (1984) Distribution of exotic fishes in the continental United States., In: Courtenay, Walter R., and Stauffer, Jay R.(Eds.) Distribution, Biology, and Management of Exotic Fishes. , Baltimore, MD. Pp.
Dill, William A.; Cordone, Almo J. (1997) History And Status Of Introduced Fishes In California, 1871-1996: Conclusions, Fisheries 22: 15-18, 35
Ernst, Carl H.; Wilgenbusch, James C.,; Morgan, Donald L.; Boucher, Timothy P.; Sommerfield, Mark (1995) Fishes of Fort Belvoir, Virginia, Maryland Naturalist 39: 1-60
Fuller, Pam. L.; Nico, Leo; Williams, J. D. (1999) Nonindigenous fishes introduced into inland waters of the United States, , Bethesda MD. Pp.
Greeley, J. R. (1936) A biological survey of the Delaware and Susquehanna watersheds., In: (Eds.) . , Albany, N. Y.. Pp.
Horwitz, Richard J. (1986) Fishes of the Delaware estuary in Pennsylvania., In: Majundar, S.K., Brenner, F. J., Rhoads, A. F.(Eds.) Endangered and Threatened Species Programs in Pennsylvania.. , Philadelphia. Pp. 177-201
Howarth, John N. (1961) Sampling for young of the year fishes with a 50-foot bag seine and surface trawl., In: Whitney, Richard R.(Eds.) The Susquehanna fishery study, 1957-1960.. , Solomons, Maryland. Pp.
Jenkins, Robert E.; Burkhead, Noel M. (1993) Freshwater fishes of Virginia., , Bethesda, MD. Pp.
Jones, Philip W.; Martin, F. Douglas; Hardy, Jerry D., Jr. (1978) Development of fishes of the mid-Atlantic Bight. V. 1. Acipenseridae through Ictaluridae., In: (Eds.) . , Washington DC. Pp.
Killgore, K. Jack; Morgan, Raymond P. II; Rybicki, Nancy B. (1989) Distribution and abundance of fishes associated with submersed aquatic plants in the Potomac River, North American Journal of Fisheries Management 9: 101-111
Lee, David S. (1976) Aquatic zoogeography of Maryland, Atlantic Naturalist 31: 147-158
Lee, David S.; Gilbert, Carter R.; Hocutt, Charles H.; Jenkins, Robert E.; McAllister, Don E.; Stauffer, Jay R. (1980) Atlas of North American Freshwater Fishes, , Raleigh. Pp.
Lee, David S.; Norden, Arnold; Gilbert, Carter, R.; Franz, Richard (1976) A list of the freshwater fishes of Maryland and Delaware, Chesapeake Science 17: 205-211
Lee, David S.; Platania, S. P.; Gilbert, Carter R.; Franz, Richard; Norden, Arnold (1981) A revised list of the freshwater fishes of Maryland and Delaware, Proceedings of the Southeastern Fishes Council 3: 1-9
Lever, Christopher (1996) Naturalized fishes of the world., , London, England. Pp.
Lippson, Alice J.; Haire, Michael S.; Holland, A. Frederick; Jacobs, Fred; Jensen, Jorgen; Moran-Johnson, R. Lynn; Polgar, Tibor T.; Richkus, William (1979) Environmental Atlas of the Potomac Estuary, , Baltimore, MD. Pp.
Lippson, Alice J.; Moran, R. Lynn (1974) Manual for identification of early developmental stages of fishes of the Potomac River estuary., In: (Eds.) . , Baltimore MD. Pp.
Mansueti, Romeo J. (1950) An ecological and distributional study of the fishes of the Patuxent River watershed, Maryland, , College Park, Maryland. Pp.
Martin, Mayo (1983) Goldfish farming, Aquaculture Magazine 9: 38-48
Maurakis, Eugene; Woolcott, William S.; Jenkins, Robert E. (1987) Physiographic analyses of the longitudinal distribution of fishes in the Rappahannock River, Virginia, ASB Bulletin 34: 1-14
McKeown, Paul E. (1984) Additions to ichthyofauna of the Susquehanna River with a checklist of fishes of the Susquehanna River drainage below Conowingo Dam, Proceedings of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science 58: 187-192
Musick, J. A.; Wiley, Martin L. (1972) Fishes of Chesapeake Bay and the adjacent coastal plain, Special Scientific Report, Virginia Institute of Marine Science 65: 175-212
Page, Lawrence M.; Burr, Brooks M. (1991) Freshwater Fishes., , Boston. Pp.
Raney, Edward C. (1950) Freshwater fishes., , Richmond. Pp. 151-194
Richardson, M. J.; Whoriskey, F. G.; Roy, L. H. (1995) Turbidity generation and biological impacts of an exotic fish, Carassius auratus, introduced into shallow seasonally anoxic ponds, Journal of Fish Biology 47: 576-585
Robison, Henry W.; Buchanan, Thomas M. (1988) Fishes of Arkansas, , Fayetteville, AR. Pp.
Schwartz, Frank J. (1965) Natural salinity tolerances of some freshwater fishes, Underwater Naturalist 2: 13-15
Serafy, J. E.; Harrell, R. M. (1993) Behavioral responses of fishes to increasing pH and dissolved oxygen: field and laboratory observations, Freshwater Biology 30: 53-61
Serafy, Joseph E.; Harrell, Reginal M.; Hurley, Linda M. (1994) Mechanical removal of Hydrilla in the Potomac River, Maryland: Local impacts on vegetation and associated fishes, Journal of Freshwater Ecology 9: 135-143
Smith, Hugh M.; Bean, Barton A. (1898) List of fishes known to inhabit the waters of the District of Columbia and vicinity., Bulletin of the U. S. Fish Commission 18: 179-187
Trautman, Milton B. (1981) The Fishes of Ohio, , Columbus. Pp.
Uhler, P. R.; Lugger, Otto (1876) Report of Commisioners of Fisheries of Maryland, , Annapolis. Pp.
Wang, Johnson, C. S.; Kenehahan, Ronnie (1979) Fishes of the Delaware estuaries: a guide to the early life histories, , Towson MD. Pp.