Michigan Fish Habitats Ms. D Rusty Crayfish Spiny Water Flea Flowering Rush Purple Loosestrife Ruffe Zebra Mussel Eurasian Milfoil

All living things need water Very diverse in species Declining rapidly Recreation More species rely on coast lines than deep water Why are freshwater habitats Important?

Invasive Species What are they? any species, including its seeds, eggs, spores, or other biological material capable of propagating that species, that is not native to that ecosystem; and whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.

Invasive Species Round Goby – from Eurasia in Ballast H2O, they take over prime spawning sites & change habitat Sea Lamprey - predaceous, eel-like fish native to Atlantic Ocean. Came through the Welland Canal. Cause decline of whitefish and lake trout. White Perch – from Atlantic coast came through, Erie and Welland canals. Prolific competitors cause declines of walleye populations. Common Carp - from Caspian Sea region and east Asia. degrade shallow (by turbidity) leading to declines in waterfowl and native fish

Invasive Activity You will need: –A invasive species card Answer the following questions: –Who is it? –Describe your species and their environment –How & and when did they get here? –What damage does it inflict?

Salmon in Michigan Coho or Silver and King or Chinook Continuous planting for fisherman Found in all five lakes, pressuring the “Alewives” population Return to their release site when 3-5 yrs old to spawn and die Are they invasive?

Spawning Alevin – when egg hatches, comes out of gravel when entire yolk sac is used up Fry – hides on edge of stream Fingerling – length of finger Smolt – loses spots, begins downstream journey Adult – head to ocean (lake) where more food Spawner – returns to river it was born, does not eat, uses all energy to battle way upstream

Native Michigan Fish Longnose Gar Burbot Yellow Perch Brook Trout Lake Herring Northern Pike Lake Whitefish Lake Sturgeon

146 types of Fish in Michigan waterways HABITAT; The area or environment where an organism or ecological community normally lives or occurs Cold water dwellers (35-65) Fresh Water Clean Water (pollution indicators) Other indicators include insects and larva

Pollution Indicator Activity Ice cube tray Spoon Bucket Vials Alcohol Worksheet

Should be two males to one female Males sandwich female to release eggs Males simultaneously release milt which fertilizes most eggs as they are released The eggs are very sticky and remain wherever they land If parents are left in spawning environment they will eat all the eggs Koi Spawning

Egg Removal Parents must be removed Water drained Eggs removed gently with a paint brush tool Eggs must then be placed into a small tank with a bubbler and thermometer

Koi Eggs hatch in 24hrs Should be around 75 degrees In the first day they need to be fed “boiled egg yolk” and then crushed koi food To reduce a vitamin C deficiency give pieces of DARK green lettuce Ph of 7 is preferred, ph difference correlates to fry color