Proterorhinus semilunaris (Heckel, 1837)

Common Name: Freshwater Tubenose Goby

Synonyms and Other Names:

P. marmoratus of authors, not of Pallas 1814; See Stepien and Tumeo 2006 for name change.



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Identification: Characteristics were given by Berg (1949) and Miller (1986). This species (along with the round goby Neogobius melanostomus) can be distinguished from all other fishes in the Great Lakes by the presence of fused pelvic fins. Tubenose goby can be distinguished from the round goby by its long anterior nostrils and lack of black spot on posterior base of dorsal fin (Miller 1986; Jude 1993). Miller (1986), Crossman et al. (1992), and Jude et al. (1992) provided characteristics to distinguish the round and tubenose gobies.


Size: 12.7 cm total length


Native Range: Slightly brackish to freshwater. Eurasia, primarily in rivers and estuaries of the Black Sea basin; also in rivers of northern Aegean (Miller 1986, Freyhof and Naseka 2007; Neilson and Stepien 2009).


Great Lakes Nonindigenous Occurrences: The species was introduced into the St. Clair River, Michigan. It was taken in several 1990 collection samples from the cove next to the Detroit Edison Company's Belle River Power Plant and near the intake structures (Jude et al. 1992). Since then, additional specimens have been found in the area (Kingsville Marsh) and the species is believed to be overwintering and reproducing on the northwestern shore of Lake Erie. Tubenose gobies have been collected in the waters of western Lake Erie around Catawba, Kelly's, and the Bass Islands, Ohio (Kocovsky et al. 2011), and in eastern Lake Erie in a small embayment (Marina Lake) adjacent to Presque Isle Bay, Erie, Pennsylvania (Grant et al. 2012). In 2001, a specimen was found in Duluth Harbor of western Lake Superior on the Minnesota-Wisconsin border (Vanderploeg et al. 2002) and has subsequently spread along this shoreline. The species was first reported for Lake Ontario in Canadian waters at Kingston, Ontario near the headwaters of the St. Lawrence River in 2011 (Pers. Comm. OMNR) and has subsequently spread along that shoreline. This species was first reported in Lake Huron’s Georgian Bay in 2011 (MISIN 2019) and has also been reported in the St. Mary’s River (Bowen 2018) and the mouth of the Cheboygan River (Pers. Comm. Bowen 2019).


Table 1. Great Lakes region nonindigenous occurrences, the earliest and latest observations in each state/province, and the tally and names of HUCs with observations†. Names and dates are hyperlinked to their relevant specimen records. The list of references for all nonindigenous occurrences of Proterorhinus semilunaris are found here.

Full list of USGS occurrences

State/ProvinceFirst ObservedLast ObservedTotal HUCs with observations†HUCs with observations†
20002001*
MI1990202311Cheboygan; Clinton; Detroit; Huron; Lake Erie; Lake Huron; Lake St. Clair; Lone Lake-Ocqueoc; Ottawa-Stony; Raisin; St. Clair
MN200120182Lake Superior; St. Louis
NY201620222Headwaters St. Lawrence River; Raisin River-St. Lawrence River
OH200120192Cedar-Portage; Lake Erie
PA201120151Lake Erie
WI200320182Beartrap-Nemadji; St. Louis

Table last updated 3/28/2024

† Populations may not be currently present.

* HUCs are not listed for areas where the observation(s) cannot be approximated to a HUC (e.g. state centroids or Canadian provinces).


Ecology: The tubenose goby is a benthic omnivore, consuming a wide variety of benthic invertebrates (chironomids, crustaceans, copepods, dipterans, ephemeropterans, ostracods,  trichopterans, gammarids, isopods and water bugs) and occasionaly larval fishes (French and Jude 2001; Adamek et al. 2007).

Tubenose gobies generally inhabits shallow (less than 5 m depth), slow-moving, nearshore environments. They prefer areas with abundant aquatic macrophytes, but can also be found in sandy areas (Jude and Deboe 1996, Eros et al 2015).  Eggs are typically attached to vegetation (Cavender, personal communication).


Great Lakes Means of Introduction: Introduced via ballast water.


Great Lakes Status: This species is reproducing and overwintering in the St. Clair River, and in Lake St. Clair, Michigan (Jude 1993; Cavender, personal communication). However, it remains relatively rare in even these environments even 30 years after first introduced.  This species is not spreading rapidly (Vanderploeg et al. 2002), but has undergone discontinuous expansion such that it is found in localized nearshore areas of 4 of the 5 Great Lakes (Vanderploeg et al 2002; Kocovsky et al. 2011; Grant et al. 2012; MISIN 2019; Bowen 2018).

Tubenose goby is predicted by the GARP model to become established in the shoreline areas of all five Great Lakes (U.S. EPA 2008). Their distribution around the inshore areas of the Black and Caspian Seas indicates their potential for widespread occupation of inshore habitats where cover, especially plants, occurs in the lower Great Lakes (Jude et al 1992).  Presence of round goby (Neogobious melanostomus) which expanded more rapidly in the Great Lakes may inhibit the population size of tubenose goby.


Great Lakes Impacts:
Summary of species impacts derived from literature review. Click on an icon to find out more...

EnvironmentalSocioeconomicBeneficial



There is little to no evidence to support that Proterorhinus semilunaris has significant environmental impacts in the Great Lakes.
Tubenose goby has generally not exhibited, nor is expected to have, severe ecological impacts in the ranges it inhabits (Jude et al. 1995, Vanderploeg et al. 2002).  It remains rare in most locations where it is found in the Great Lakes.  Worldwide, it is reported as a dominant species only when other goby species are absent (Valova et al 2015).
Tubenose goby has been shown to have a significant overlap in diet preference with rainbow darter (Etheostoma caeruleum) and northern madtoms (Noturus stigmosus) and may compete with these native fish for food (French and Jude 2001).  However, in aquarium experiments, tubenose gobies appear to be more cryptic than natives and not as aggressive at attacking food items (Jude et al 1992) Tubenose gobies may compete with Johnny darters (Etheostoma nigrum) for spawning sites (Kocovsky et al 2011) and refuge from predation (Jude and DeBoe 1996).

USFWS ERSS (2015) documents the co-introduction of the Ponto-Caspian Gyrodactylus proterorhini, originally described on tubenose goby in southern Slovakia, but this parasite appears to be specific to gobies and unlikely to affect native fishes.   P. semilunaris has also been identified as a paratenic host of Anguillicola crassus, an eel parasite with severe pathological effects (Koubková and Baruš, 2000 – cited in Manne and Poulet 2008), however, this parasite has not been seen in North America.  At least 13 other parasites have been identified on introduced tubenose gobies worldwide (Ondrackova et al 2015).

There is little or no evidence to support that Proterorhinus semilunaris has significant socio-economic impacts in the Great Lakes.

The USFWS ERSS (2015) cites Froese and Pauly (2015) in concluding tubenose gobies are ‘harmless to human health’.  Thirty years post-introduction we find no evidence of this species causing damage to infrastructure, negatively affecting water quality, causing harm to markets, inhibiting recreation or impacting aesthetic value, nor do we find potential for such impacts anywhere that it is invasive world-wide.

There is little or no evidence to support that Proterorhinus semilunaris has beneficial effects in the Great Lakes.
Unlike round goby, tubenose goby does not feed on zebra mussel (Vanderploeg et al. 2002).  Tubenose gobies are occasionally reported as predators of larval round gobies (French and Jude 2001) but are unlikely to be a significant control on this other invasive goby population.  Tubenose gobies may eventually become part of the forage base for predators, such as benthic-foraging yellow perch, white perch, smallmouth bass, burbot, white bass, and walleye, which all consume round gobies (Bunnell et al. 2005; Kocovsky et al. 2009, 2011). Tubenose goby is documented in several locations as a host for glochidia of unionid clams (Slapansky et al 2016, Zhokhov et al 2017), but it remains unknown whether it might serve as a host for rare/endangered native Great Lakes unionids.


Management: Regulations (pertaining to the Great Lakes)
In Canada, tubenose goby is listed as an invasive species under Canadian Federal Statutes and Regulations—Ontario Fishery Regulations SOR/2007-237, and is thus prohibited from being possessed, released, or used as bait without a license. In Quebec, aquarium fish keeping, production, keeping in captivity, breeding, stocking, transport, sale, or purchase of live tubenose goby is prohibited by Quebec Statutes and Regulations RRQ, c C-61.1, r 7.

In the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, it is unlawful to possess, sell, introduce, or import tubenose goby under 58 PA Code § 71.6. Sale, purchase, or barter of injurious, nonnative species, including tubenose goby, is prohibited by 58 PA Code § 63.46, and transportation in or through the commonwealth is prohibited by 58 PA Code § 73.1. In the state of Ohio, it is unlawful for a person to possess, import, or sell live tubenose goby under OAC Chapter 1501:31-19-01. In the state of Michigan, tubenose goby is a prohibited species under MI NREPA § 324.41301. Tubenose goby is regulated as an exotic fish in the state of Indiana under 312 IAC § 9-6-7, meaning an individual must not import, possess, propagate, buy, sell, barter, trade, transfer, loan, or release into public or private waters any tubenose goby, including recently hatched or juvenile live fish or their viable eggs or genetic material. In the state of Illinois, tubenose goby is an injurious species under Ill. Admin. Code Ch. 1 § 805. It is unlawful to possess, propagate, buy, sell, barter, or offer to buy, sell, barter, transport, trade, transfer, or loan tubenose goby to any person or institution without a permit in Illinois. Tubenose goby is a restricted invasive species in Wisconsin under Wis. Admin. Code § NR 40.05. In the state of Minnesota, tubenose goby is a prohibited invasive species as defined in MN Admin. Rules § 6216.0250. The species is not on New York’s list of approved baitfish, so may not be sold as bait.

Note: Check federal, state/provincial, and local regulations for the most up-to-date information.

Control
Biological
There are no known biological control methods for this species.

Physical
The USACE Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study notes the potential effectiveness of acoustic fish deterrents in controlling or deterring Proterorhinus semilunaris populations (GLMRIS 2012). Acoustic deterrents include continuous wave and pulsed wave technology, which use sound/pressure waves to influence the behavior of aquatic organisms. Similarly, sensory deterrent systems such as acoustic air bubble curtains, electric barriers, and underwater strobe lights may prove useful in controlling populations in waterways and small bodies of water, but there are no studies of their effects on P. semilunaris at the present time (GLMRIS 2012). When using physical deterrents as barriers, combining methods can increase effectiveness, as was the case for Patrick et al. (1985), who found that pelagic estuarine and freshwater fishes were successfully deterred by a barrier combining air bubbles and strobe lights.

Chemical
Of the four chemical piscicides registered for use in the United States, antimycin A and rotenone are considered general piscicides, but there are no studies of the effects of chemical treatment on P. semilunaris at the present time (GLMRIS 2012).

Increasing CO2 concentrations, either by bubbling pressurized gas directly into water or by the addition of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) has been used to sedate fish with minimal residual toxicity, and is a potential method of harvesting fish for removal, though maintaining adequate CO2 concentrations may be difficult in large/natural water bodies (Clearwater et al. 2008). CO2 is approved only for use as an anesthetic for cold, cool, and warm water fishes the US, not for use as euthanasia (Clearwater et al. 2008). Exposure to NaHCO3 concentration of 142-642 mg/L for 5 min. is sufficient to anaesthetize most fish (Clearwater et al 2008).

It should be noted that chemical treatment will often lead to non-target kills, and so all options for management of a species should be adequately studied before a decision is made to use piscicides or other chemicals. Potential effects on non-target plants and organisms, including macroinvertebrates and other fishes, should always be deliberately evaluated and analyzed. The effects of combinations of management chemicals and other toxicants, whether intentional or unintentional, should be understood prior to chemical treatment.   Other non-selective alterations of water quality, such as reducing dissolved oxygen levels or altering pH, could also have a deleterious impact on native fish, invertebrates, and other fauna or flora, and their potential harmful effects should therefore be evaluated thoroughly.

Note: Check state/provincial and local regulations for the most up-to-date information regarding permits for control methods. Follow all label instructions.


Remarks: All tubenose gobies were previously included in a single species, P. marmoratus. Recently, P. marmoratus was restricted to marine/brackish populations in the Black Sea, and several names were resurrected/created for freshwater populations of tubenose gobies in different regions: P. nasalis and P. semipellucidus for populations inhabiting the Caspian Sea and Volga River basins (Freyhof and Naseka 2007; Neilson and Stepien 2009); P. tataricus endemic to several rivers on the Crimean Peninsula, Ukraine (Freyhof and Naseka 2007); and P. semilunaris for tubenose gobies in rivers and estuaries in the Black, Azov, and Aegean Sea basins (Freyhof and Naseka 2007; Neilson and Stepien 2009). Proterorhinus semilunaris is the only species of tubenose goby that has been introduced to North America (Stepien and Tumeo 2006; Neilson and Stepien 2009), and has also been introduced into several areas of central and western Europe (e.g., Manné and Poulet 2008; Cammaerts et al. 2011).

Although P. semilunaris is widely dispersed among drainages within the Black Sea basin, it is threatened in certain locale. The tubenose goby is considered endangered in Greece in the Ayannis spring near the town of Seres due to pollution and human-induced habitat change (Economidis 1995). In the Greek State, the tubenose goby is protected by law No. 67/1981 (Economidis 1995). This goby may live as long as five years (Jude 1993).

Pettitt-Wade et al. (2015) examined trophic niche breadth, plasticity, and overlap between round and tubenose gobies in Lakes Superior and St. Clair using stable isotope analysis. They found a higher isotopic trophic position and generally higher isotopic nichc breadth and plasticity in round gobies, with little overlap between size-matched round and tubenose gobies, and suggested that this increased isotopic niche breadth and plasticity has assisted in the establishement success of round goby in the Great Lakes (widely abundant and distributed vs. low abundance and localized distribution of tubenose goby).


References (click for full reference list)


Author: Fuller, P., L. Nico, E. Maynard, M. Neilson, J. Larson, T.H. Makled, A. Fusaro, and R. Sturtevant, K.M. Reaver


Contributing Agencies:
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Revision Date: 3/7/2024


Peer Review Date: 9/12/2019


Citation for this information:
Fuller, P., L. Nico, E. Maynard, M. Neilson, J. Larson, T.H. Makled, A. Fusaro, and R. Sturtevant, K.M. Reaver, 2024, Proterorhinus semilunaris (Heckel, 1837): U.S. Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL, and NOAA Great Lakes Aquatic Nonindigenous Species Information System, Ann Arbor, MI, https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/greatlakes/FactSheet.aspx?Species_ID=714&Potential=N&Type=0&msclkid=904bd66fcbbe11ecbfe11be125a6fbd5, Revision Date: 3/7/2024, Peer Review Date: 9/12/2019, Access Date: 3/28/2024

This information is preliminary or provisional and is subject to revision. It is being provided to meet the need for timely best science. The information has not received final approval by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and is provided on the condition that neither the USGS nor the U.S. Government shall be held liable for any damages resulting from the authorized or unauthorized use of the information.