Caspian fish caught near Finnish shores

Helsinki, 16 March (HELCOM) -- Round goby, an alien fish, originating from the Caspian Sea, has begun to spread throughout the Baltic Sea. The first specimen of the round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) has recently been discovered in the coastal waters of Finland.

A hook and line fisherman caught the fish, weighing 108 g and 18 cm long, on 23rd of February, some 10 km south-west of Turku in the inner Archipelago Sea.

The round goby was found for the first time in the Baltic Sea in 1990 near Polish shores and since then had established viable populations in the Gulf of Gdansk. The species most probably came to the Baltic Sea with ship ballast water.

Gobies belong to a family of fish with a worldwide distribution in both salt and freshwater. They are aggressive, robust and undergo rapid dispersal and population expansion.

The expansion of gobies in the fragile Baltic Sea environment is unwelcome. Their spreading raises concerns over potential effects on the Baltic Sea native species and ecosystems. Alien species, such as the round goby, can destroy and disrupt aquatic communities in the region.

For more information on round goby visit: http://www.ku.lt/nemo/neogob.html