A close eye is being kept on the LaHave River system in Lunenburg County, N.S. this spring and summer to determine whether or not Oriental weatherfish (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus), also known as pond loach, dojo loach) has invaded the waterway.
On April 29, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), in partnership with the Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture’s Inland Fisheries Division, confirmed the detection of the invasive species.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada photo.
“A single loach was captured from the Morgan Falls fishway in New Germany, Nova Scotia. It was later identified as an egg-bearing, female Oriental weatherfish and was likely introduced by being released from an aquarium,” said Christine Lyons, DFO communications.
“Oriental weatherfish is an aquatic invasive species native to eastern Asia. They have an eel-like body that is elongated and cylindrical, with a small, narrow, sub inferior mouth surrounded with six to eight barbels. They have dark, irregularly scattered speckles and are light brown to dark green/brown with a light underside. They can reproduce rapidly and once established, can cause shifts in the food chain as well as compete with, and prey on, native species,” said Lyons, adding most Oriental weatherfish reproduce sexually (with a mate) but some populations can reproduce asexually (without a mate).
“Oriental weatherfish prefer slow-moving, silty, or muddy habitats but are also able to survive in different environmental conditions. It is our understanding that Oriental weatherfish can survive in Nova Scotia. In collaboration with our partners, we will continue gathering information to determine if a population has established in the LaHave River,” she said.
Oriental weatherfish have also been reported in southern British Columbia, but is not known to occur elsewhere in Canada.
“DFO has not received further reports of this species within Nova Scotia, and the species is not considered established in the province currently,” said Lyons. “There are no loach species native to Nova Scotia. Therefore, any fish that fits the description of an Oriental weatherfish is likely invasive.”
Any suspected Oriental weatherfish detections in Nova Scotia should be reported to: DFO.MARAquaticInvasiveSpecies-EspecesAquatiquesEnvahissante.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca and should include: pictures of the suspected loach, especially of the mouth, anal fin, tail and (if possible) the fish against a ruler; and GPS coordinates (preferred) or nearest street address (if GPS is not available).
Under the federal Aquatic Invasive Species Regulations, it is illegal to introduce an aquatic species into a body of water where it is not native, unless authorized by federal, provincial or territorial law. To help prevent the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species, do not let loose any aquatic species into a new body of water, down the drain or into the sewers.
