Existing comment:
Whose Home Is It?
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
Indigenous (native)
If you dove into the waters of Lake Michigan thousands of years ago, you would have disturbed the home of many indigenous species, such as lake trout, lake whitefish, yellow perch, and lake sturgeon. These healthy native fish lived in a clean lake. They fed off one another, maintained the natural balance of aquatic life, and allowed one another to thrive.
* Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis)
* Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens)
* Burbot (Lota lota)
* Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush)
* Cisco (Coregonus artedi)
* Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens)
* Trout-Perch (Percopsis omiscomaycus)
* Longnose Dace (Rhinichthys cataractae)
* Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus)
* Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus)
* Threespine Stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus)
* Round Goby (Neogobius melanostomus)
* Rudd (Scardinius erythrophthalmus)
Invasive (non-native)
With the growth of trade and industry, big ships came into Lake Michigan. Invasive fish species followed within the ballast water of these big ships or through the Great Lakes Canal system. Without proper predators to control their growth, these newcomers upset the balance of aquatic life. Sea lampreys devastated the native lake trout and alewife outnumbered native fish. The National Park Service and other park partners work to reduce invasive species and make Lake Michigan a better home for all who share its waters. |