Tench
Tench is a member of the carp family. They have dark olive to pale golden coloring, a white-bronze belly, bright red-orange eyes and a small barbel at the corners of the mouth. The fins are dark in color, rounded and lack spines. Tench have a deep, but thin body and grow up to 18 inches long.
Sea Lamprey
The sea lamprey is an aggressive parasitic fish that resembles an eel. This species has two dorsal fins, no paired fins, seven gill openings, and a very distinctive disk-shaped mouth with sharp, curved teeth and a rasping tongue. Their scaleless body is a mottled gray to black color that fades to a silver-white coloration on the underside. Adult sea lampreys are generally 12-20 inches in length.
Waterwheel
Regional Distribution Not Present Within NYS, waterwheel is only found within the Catskill PRISM region. WNY PRISM Priority Tier 1 – Raise Awareness NYS Invasive Species Tiers Chart – Tier Definitions Pathways This plant was intentionally introduced to North America as a means to save it from extinction in its native range. Waterwheel can spread by […]
Carolina Fanwort
Carolina fanwort forms extremely dense stands that clog drainage systems and waterways, interfering with recreational activities. Dense stands also negatively impact native biodiversity.
Bighead Carp
The bighead carp is a large, narrow fish with eyes that project downward. The body coloration is dark gray, fading to white toward the underside, with dark blotches on the sides.
Silver Carp
Silver carp are deep-bodied fish that are laterally compressed. These large fish, which can reach up to 100 lbs., can breed very rapidly.
Northern Snakehead
Northern snakehead fish have long, narrow bodies with long dorsal and anal fins. They have a large mouth and protruding jaw with canine-like teeth. The fish get their name from the enlarged scales, shape and irregular, blotchy coloration on their head that give a snake-like appearance. Snakehead fish may vary size depending on their age and location, but can grow up to 4 ft. in length.
Rudd
The rudd is a somewhat stocky, deep-bodied fish with a forked tail. The mouth is distinct, with a steeply angled protruding lower lip. Young rudd compete with native species for habitat and food, such as algae and small invertebrates.
Rusty Crayfish
The rusty crayfish has a dark brown body, distinguishable by dark, rusty spots on either side of the carapace. Rusty crayfish are opportunistic feeders. They are a very aggressive species that often displace native crayfish
Water Lettuce
Water lettuce is an often free-floating aquatic plant. It forms thick mats that block sunlight and slow or prevent the growth of native aquatic plants.
Water Hyacinth
Water hyacinth is a free-floating, perennial, aquatic plant. In climates where it is unable to survive the winter, water hyacinth will grow as an annual. Its leaves are round, curved, glossy bright green and float above the water’s surface on bulbous stalks.
Bloody Red Shrimp
The bloody red shrimp are translucent ivory-yellow in color, and exhibit bright red to reddish-orange coloring around the head and tail. The threat to the Great Lakes is currently not well understood.
Flowering Rush
Flowering rush is a perennial, herbaceous, aquatic plant that grows 1-4 ft. tall, on an erect stem. The narrow, pointed leaves are triangular in cross section and have smooth edges and parallel veins.
Starry Stonewort
Starry stonewort looks like a rooted plant, but is actually an algae related to the native Chara. It can form dense mats on the lake bottom, and has long, uneven-length, gelatinous branches that look angular at each joint. It may also have one cream colored bulb at the base of each branch cluster.
Alewife
Alewife is a species of ocean herring with a bluish-grey to olive back with silvery sides. The body is wide, narrows at the belly, and averages 6” in length. They have large eyes, a prominent black spot near the gill cover, and a forked fin.
