Aquatic Invasive Species
Browse invasive fish, mollusks, crustaceans, and aquatic plant profiles.
Species profiles
Cheatgrass
Bromus tectorum
An annual grass that invades rangelands and dry habitats in western North America.
CrustaceanEuropean green crab
Carcinus maenas
A shore crab established on parts of North America's Atlantic and Pacific coasts.
PlantGiant hogweed
Heracleum mantegazzianum
A tall invasive plant whose sap can cause severe skin burns after sunlight exposure.
FishGrass carp
Ctenopharyngodon idella
A large herbivorous carp introduced for aquatic vegetation control.
PlantHydrilla
Hydrilla verticillata
A submerged aquatic plant that forms dense mats in lakes, rivers, and reservoirs.
PlantKudzu
Pueraria montana
A fast-growing vine that blankets trees, structures, and open land.
PlantPurple loosestrife
Lythrum salicaria
A wetland plant that produces purple flower spikes and dense stands.
MolluskQuagga mussel
Dreissena bugensis
A freshwater mussel related to zebra mussels that colonizes hard and soft substrates.
FishRound goby
Neogobius melanostomus
A bottom-dwelling fish introduced to the Great Lakes through ballast water.
PlantSaltcedar
Tamarix ramosissima
A riparian shrub or small tree that invades stream corridors and arid-region waterways.
FishSea lamprey
Petromyzon marinus
A parasitic fish that invaded the Great Lakes and attaches to large fish.
FishSilver carp
Hypophthalmichthys molitrix
A plankton-feeding carp that can form dense populations in large rivers.
PlantTree of heaven
Ailanthus altissima
A fast-growing tree that spreads by seeds and root sprouts and is a preferred host for spotted lanternfly.
PlantWater hyacinth
Pontederia crassipes
A floating aquatic plant that forms dense mats in warm freshwater systems.
MolluskZebra mussel
Dreissena polymorpha
A freshwater mussel that spreads rapidly by attaching to boats, infrastructure, and native mussels.