Archived Letter – 1329

Dear editor,
Round gobies are a massive nuisance around the center wellington area.
Round gobies are a bottom dwelling fish that can be found in bellwood lake and in the grand river. Gobies are considered an invasive species and harm our aquatic ecosystem by eating other species of fish eggs. If you catch a round goby you have to dispose of the fish and not release them back in the water. Also contact the MNR and tell them where you found it. Round gobies usually eat fish eggs which can affect the population of all the fish in the grand river or belwood lake.
Rusty crawfish are another invasive species living in ontario.
You may not be able to tell the difference between a normal crawfish and a rusty crawfish if you don’t know alot about crawfish. The difference is an adult rusty crawfish can be 7.5 cm-13 cm in length. The rusty crawfish also has rusty patches on each side of its shell also the claws are a grayish green to a reddish brown colour with black bands near the tips of the claws. Rusty crayfish are a problem because when they are introduced to a new area they often cause other species to leave that area. Rusty crayfish also decrease the amount of aquatic plants and even the fish population. If you come in contact with a rusty crayfish dispatch and expose them.
By: Alex and Mitchell

alex and mitchell