November 2008

U.S. Water News Online

ALBANY, N.Y. — State conservation officials say the spiny water flea, a small crustacean that can breed prolifically, has been found in Great Sacandaga Lake in the southern Adirondacks, its first known appearance in New York's inland waters.

The invasive species, native to Eurasia and first found in the Great Lakes in 1984, feeds on zooplankton in competition with fish and other native species. Its tail spines can hook on fishing lines.

The Department of Environmental Conservation says they may have arrived in a bait bucket or a boat's bilge water. The agency asks boaters to inspect and clean boats and fishing gear to remove mud, plants and organisms like water fleas that may be clinging and dry equipment before taking it to another waterway.