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Round Goby

Scientific Name

Neogobius melanostomus (Pallas 1814) (ITIS)

Common Name

Round goby

Native To

Eurasia (NAS Database)

Date of U.S. Introduction

First discovered in 1990 (NAS Database)

Means of Introduction

Ballast water (NAS Database)

Impact

Competes with and preys on native species (NAS Database)

Round Goby, adult

Round goby, adult

Credit

Photo by Center for Great Lakes and Aquatic Sciences Archives, University of Michigan

Find more images

Spotlights

  • NYDEC and Canal Corporation Announce Second Year of Sustained Effort to Protect New York's Waters from Aquatic Invasive Species Round Goby

    • Jan 25, 2023
    • New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

    • The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the New York State Canal Corporation continue to implement a comprehensive effort, including a rapid response plan [PDF, 1.73 MB], to combat the potential spread of the round goby, an aquatic invasive species (AIS), to the Lake Champlain Basin following the discovery of the fish in the Hudson River near the city of Troy in July 2021. Aquatic invasive species can out-compete native fish species, disrupting ecosystems and damaging local economies dependent on recreation.

  • MDC Asks Anglers to Help Stop Invasive Round Gobies

    • May 6, 2021
    • Missouri Department of Conservation.

    • Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) fisheries biologists say that the Show-Me-State has another aquatic invader to be on the watch for. It's already been detected in the Mississippi River near St. Louis—and anglers might be the first line of defense. The round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) is native to the Black and Caspian Seas between Europe and Asia and was brought to the U.S. by way of the Great Lakes in cargo ship ballast. Since then, the invasive fish has made its way down the Illinois River and has been confirmed just across the Mississippi at Alton, Illinois. MDC encourages anglers to take photos and email MDC with details if they encounter any round gobies. Anglers should report the sighting and email photos to MDCgoby@mdc.mo.gov.

Distribution / Maps / Survey Status

Videos

Selected Resources

The section below contains highly relevant resources for this species, organized by source.

Council or Task Force
  • Fact Sheet: Round Goby [PDF, 1.37 MB]

    • Feb 2018
    • Alberta Invasive Species Council (Canada).

    • See also: Fact Sheets for more information about individual invasive species, including those listed as "Prohibited Noxious" and "Noxious" under the Alberta Weed Control Act

Partnership
Federal Government
State and Local Government
Academic
Professional
Citations