Tube-nosed goby, a new invasive fish species, spotted in Quebec

Tube-nosed goby. Illustration by Louis L'Hérault (image: Quebec Ministry of the Environment and the Fight Against Climate Change)

The Quebec government announced Monday the discovery of an invasive fish called the tube-nosed goby in Lac Saint-François, Montérégie, and expressed concern that it could eventually be found throughout the fluvial section of the St. Lawrence River.

The Ministry of the Environment and the Fight Against Climate Change pointed out that the sighting in the Saint-Zotique area, near the Ontario border, is the first of this species.

Authorities point out that the tube-nosed goby can have negative impacts on biodiversity. It is a predator of eggs or larvae of species native to the environment in which it settles, and competes with other bottom-feeding fish.

Aquatic invasive species are difficult to control once established. In the case of the tube-nosed goby, its entry into the Great Lakes suggests that its abundance may gradually increase.

The ministry reports that the tube-nosed goby was introduced to North America in the 1990s in the St. Clair River, on the Ontario/Michigan border, through the discharge of ballast water from ships sailing from Europe. The most likely hypothesis for its arrival in Quebec is expansion from Lake Ontario down the St. Lawrence River.

Authorities say the tube-nosed goby is still very rare in Quebec. They are asking fishers to report any sightings of this species to the ministry, to better record its presence in the St. Lawrence river system.

If an fisher believes he has caught an invasive species, they must return the fish to the water if they don't plan to keep it and consume it. The aim is to prevent the unnecessary death of native fish that have been misidentified.

- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on July 17, 2023