the okangan`s most unwanted!
by matthew gibb and maxwel klassen
what are invasive species
Invasive species is an annoying pest like an organism like plant, animal, fungus, or bacteria. These species are not native to the habitat it is affecting also our economy, environment, and our health affecting the food that we eat. Invasive species like plants and animals are the greatest threat to biodiversity after habitat loss.
praying mantis-Mantodea
It is hard to say if the Praying Mantis is having any effect on our native BC mantis - the Ground Mantis (Litaneutria minor). This rare little wingless species has shared its habitat with the Praying Mantis for decades, apparently without declining. The increase of the Praying Mantis, however, introduces a new competitor to many areas - time will tell if it causes any observable problems.
Invasion History
The Praying Mantis was introduced accidentally to New York from Europe in 1899 and spread to eastern Canada soon after. In the 1930s, the Praying Mantis arrived in BC when federal entomologists in the Okanagan and Shuswap regions imported them in an attempt to control grasshoppers eating agricultural crops. Mantis quickly disappeared from most of the region, but, in the 1970s, there was a small population between Okanagan Falls and Osoyoos in the South Okanagan.
zebra mussel-Dreissena polymorpha
Zebra Mussels
Zebra and quake mussels are closely-related molluscs that originate from Europe and are non-native to North America. They live in freshwater – such as lakes and rivers – and are invasive, known to encrust and corrode hard surfaces and cause serious harm to waters where they become established.
Both invasive mussel species are sometimes referred to as “zebra” mussels because they both have light and dark alternating stripes. Quagga mussels are actually a distinct, but similar, species named after the quagga – an extinct mammal which closely resembled and was related to the zebra.
They were first introduced to Canada’s Great Lakes region and the United States in the 1980s after ballast water was discharged by vessels traveling from Europe.
Zebra mussels get their name from the striped pattern of their shells. However, the pattern varies greatly to where there are no stripes, only dark or light coloured shells. Zebra mussels can grow to
A maximum length of about 50 mm (5-10 mm in the first year) and live four to five years.
Small Mouth Bass-Micropterus dolomieu
The smallmouth bass is found in clearer water than the large mouth, especially streams, rivers, and the rocky areas and stumps and also sandy bottoms of lakes and reservoirs. The small-mouth prefers cooler water temperatures than its cousin the Largemouth bass, and may be found in both still and running water. Because it is intolerant of pollution, the smallmouth bass is a good natural indicator of a healthy environment, though it can better adjust to changes in water condition than most trout species. they often like little fish Carnivorous, its diet comprises crayfish, insects, and smaller fish; the young also feeding on zooplankton.[citation needed]
The female can lay up to 21,100 eggs, which are guarded by the male in his nest.common carp-Cyprinus carpio
Common carp
The Common Carp, originally from Eurasia, was introduced to the United States in the 1850s to be raised as fish food, and by the 1880s it had spread throughout the country. With the help of humans, it proliferated as lake or river stock, but it also spread because of its ability to move into new areas, travelling through drainage ditches or escaping from ponds. In British Columbia, the Common Carp is found in lakes in the Okanagan, on Vancouver Island, and in the Columbia and Fraser river systems. The fish first appeared in Okanagan Lake in 1917, and by 1928 had made its way to the Fraser River. Some thought that carp were gone from Vancouver Island, but in 2009, tens of thousands of young carp were seen wallowing in the shallows of Beaver Lake, just north of Victoria.
Koi, the domestic version of the Common Carp, have been released both intentionally and accidentally in BC. The population in Sproat Lake is growing since introduction in 2004.
desription about common carp
- up to half a metre long
- grow to 4 kg in British Columbia
- two large, whisker-like, sensory barbels on each side of the upper jaw
- thick, large scales cover the entire body
- long dorsal fin, and both dorsal and anal fins have a large serrated spine at the leading edge
- colour ranges from grey to golden depending on diet
the common carp is found in different rivers and are bottom feeders.
about common carp
While common carp are native to Asia, they are also widespread and abundant in Europe where they were introduced in the 11th or 12 th century (Eddy and Underhill 1974). With pressure from European immigrants to bring the fish to U.S freshwaters, carp were first introduced into the Hudson River in New York in 1831. Massive stocking occurred before fishery administrators realized that U.S. anglers preferred the native fishes and were not harvesting the carp. This realization led to the first attempt to control carp in 1891 in Lake Merced, California.