Invasive Round Goby Caught in Hudson River

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation sent this bulletin on 07/21/2021 02:03 PM EDT
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Hudson RiverNet
News from the Hudson River Estuary Program

Invasive Fish Caught in the Hudson River 

Round goby fishDEC Marine Fisheries captured four round gobies at two locations in the Hudson River approximately 12 and 25 miles downstream of the Troy dam during routine fish sampling on July 13 and 14 marking the first documented occurrence of this invasive fish in the Hudson River.

The round goby is native to the Black and Caspian seas and was likely introduced by ballast water to the Great Lakes in the 1990s. It has the potential to cause ecological and recreational impacts. These fish are voracious feeders and compete with native species for food and spawning habitat. Their diet includes small invertebrates, mussels, and the eggs of native species and popular sportfish such as smallmouth bass and walleye. They also can be a nuisance to anglers.

If you catch round goby in the Hudson, take multiple photographs from different angles, and record the date and location of capture. Email photographs and information to: isinfo@dec.ny.gov.

DEC will continue to monitor this invasive fish in the Hudson River.

Photo by DEC Marine Fisheries staff.