Possible impact of gobies and other introduced species on habitat restoration efforts

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Abstract
Jude, D. J. 1995. Possible Impact of Gobies and Other Introduced Species on Habitat Restoration Efforts. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 52000-000. Many fish habitat modifications involve riprap placement on sandy substrate. Because exotic species may be favored, a field experiment was designed to test differences in fish abundance in riprap, sand, and macrophyte-dominated substrate. We used a 3-m long seine to sample areas of sand, riprap (N = 5 each), and aquatic macrophytes (N = 2) three times during 1994 in the St. Clair River near Algonac, MI. Diversity was high, with 24 species of fish collected. Round gobies Neogobius melanostomus were most often collected in riprap and macrophyte habitat, with riprap habitat having a significantly (P< 0.05) greater mean,catch on 16 August. On the other two dates, mean catches were not significantly different between macrophyte and riprap habitat, but both were significantly greater than the mean catch in sandy areas. Densities of tubenose gobies Proterorhinus marmoratus,were similar between,sandy and macrophyte habitats, but significantly greater in riprap habitat. Gizzard shad Dorosoma cepdianum, alewife Alosa pseudoharengus, and white perch Morone americana were mostly associated with open water sandy habitat. Zebra mussels Dreissena polymorpha were common on riprap substrate, but rarely seen on sandy substrate. Fishery managers must be cautious in their selection of habitat modification choices to avoid favoring undesirable species.

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