Invasive Green Sunfish Confirmed by Fish and Game in New Hampshire Waters - NH Fish and Game Department

CONTACT:
Dianne Timmins: 603-271-2501
John Magee: 603-271-2501
May 19, 2023

Especially as juveniles, many sunfish species look very similar. The telltale sign that you have hooked a green sunfish is that the maxilla (jaw) extends to nearly the middle of the eye.

Concord, NH – New Hampshire Fish and Game Department (NHFG) fisheries biologists have confirmed the presence of non-native, invasive green sunfish in the Piscataquog River downstream from the Weare Reservoir, also known as Horace Lake, and at Waukewan Lake. In 2022, biologists at the NH Department of Environmental Services discovered three specimens in the Little Sugar River in Charlestown. Green sunfish are a concern because they compete for habitat and food resources with the state's native sunfish.

Green sunfish are members of the sunfish family, as are their native relatives the largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill, redbreast sunfish, and pumpkinseed among others. They can be found in a variety of habitats including lakes, ponds, rivers and streams, and tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions. The native range of green sunfish includes much of the central United States east of the Rocky Mountains, including the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River basin. Their large mouth enables them to consume a wider variety of prey than native pumpkinseed or redbreast sunfish, and this advantage may allow them to outcompete native species for food. They are now found in all 48 contiguous states.

Green sunfish are a popular aquarium fish often kept by hobbyists. This is likely the reason they have made their way into Granite State waters. Help us protect New Hampshire's natural resources by not releasing any aquarium fish into the natural environment—it's illegal and a threat to a variety of native wildlife.

Also, if you suspect you have caught a green sunfish, do not release it. Humanely terminate the fish, being careful to preserve its coloration and identifying characteristics. Take a clear photo, record the location, and email your findings to fisheries@wildlife.nh.gov.

To learn more about identifying green sunfish visit
Lepomis_cyanellus.pdf (raritanheadwaters.org).

WSFR Logo

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

This fish is worth $300,000 - New York Post

This fish is worth $300,000 - New York Post This fish is worth $300,000 - New York Post Posted: 05 Jun 2016 12:00 AM PDT With exacting precision, the surgeon inserted the scalpel above the eyeball and cut out a snotty deposit of fatty tissue. The routine eye-lift was nearly complete when suddenly the patient awoke, suffocating, and began to flop about on the table. The audience gasped. Knowing time was of the essence, the surgeon scooped up the patient in his arms, raced across the stage, and dropped her into a tank of water. She revived. Because she was a fish. Yes, fish eye-lifts exist. As do fin jobs and tail tucks. The operating theater was a mall in Jakarta, Indonesia, where a pet expo was under way. As for the patient, she survived, her formerly droopy eyes now bright and perky. A good thing, too, as this was no ordinary goldfish but rather an Asian arowana, the world's most expensive aquarium denizen, rumored to sell for as mu
Read more

NilocG Launches New Website for the Only All-in-One Thrive Fertilization Solution for Planted Aquariums - PRNewswire

Image
NilocG Launches New Website for the Only All-in-One Thrive Fertilization Solution for Planted Aquariums - PRNewswire NilocG Launches New Website for the Only All-in-One Thrive Fertilization Solution for Planted Aquariums - PRNewswire Posted: 11 Mar 2021 02:00 AM PST ALBANY, Ore. , March 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NilocG launches a new website for planted tank enthusiasts to gather and make THRIVE, a plant fertilizer that assures planted tank aquascapes flourish while eliminating the need for multiple products more readily available online. The company also takes it a step further in the industry, making its flagship product easy to dose, super-concentrated, and an all-in-one solution based on an effective EL dosing method with all essential micro and macronutrients. Continue Reading Thrive fertilizer: North America's most trusted aquarium plant fertilizer Colin Grice , CEO, a self-described planted tank lover, re
Read more

Catching Dory: selling aquarium fish supports coastal livelihoods in Indonesia | npj Ocean Sustainability - Nature.com

Image
Abstract The global marine aquarium trade has created new local markets across the planet, including in Indonesia, now the second-largest exporting country of marine aquarium fish in the world. Participating in the global aquarium trade has been touted as a potentially sustainable addition to fisher livelihoods, but scant data exist showing the numbers of fish coming off the reef and how those fish contribute to income. To determine how participants in the trade incorporate aquarium species in their livelihoods, we examine source-level aquarium fish collecting and trading data in the Banggai Archipelago, a region in Central Sulawesi that has become a significant source for popular aquarium, also known as ornamental, fish species. Using a sustainable livelihoods lens, we examine this data to understand how participants in the aquarium trade both contribute to as well as benefit from the trade and consider how their participation relates to emerging Blue Justice principles. From one year
Read more