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Curly leaf pondweed caught on a fish hook

ANS Species List

Plants | Fish | Mollusks | Invertebrates | Pathogens

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department, with input from members of the Aquatic Invasive Species Committee, has created a listing of North Dakota aquatic nuisance species. The official list includes biota considered a threat to the state’s waters; these ANS have caused known irreversible ecologic and/or economic consequences elsewhere.

Negative impacts ANS may have on native North Dakota biota are likely given the following:

  1. North Dakota’s climate and habitats appear favorable to the ANS,
  2. the ANS has the potential to establish a viable population in North Dakota waters,
  3. the ANS is likely to spread within North Dakota waters if a pioneering population becomes established, and
  4. there are one or more existing populations of the ANS close to North Dakota and/or in a few instances, the ANS already occurs in the state.

The ANS list for North Dakota is inclusive to any hybrids or varieties of the species listed below.

The North Dakota ANS list will be reviewed annually and adjustments will be made as deemed necessary. Revisions may include the addition of federally prohibited species, the deletion of species which are no longer considered threats to North Dakota’s aquatic environments, or the addition of species which have become a greater concern regarding the potential to establish and become detrimental in North Dakota’s waters.

North Dakota ANS are classified for permitting purposes. The permitting system is based on the need to control movement into or within North Dakota and allows for traditional use of select aquatic species. See ANS Classification System and Associated Permitting for details of the permitting system.

* Denotes a species that has been documented in North Dakota within the past five years and thought to still be present.

** Denotes a species last documented in North Dakota more than five years ago and no longer thought to be present


ANS Plant Species


Brazilian elodea or Brazilian waterweed

Scientific Name: Egeria densa

Class: 1 - Prohibited ANS

Status: Not thought to be present in North Dakota

Brittle naiad or brittle waternymph

Scientific Name: Najas minor

Class: 1 - Prohibited ANS

Status: Not thought to be present in North Dakota

Curly leaf pondweed in the water

Curly leaf pondweed

Scientific Name: Potamogeton crispus

Class: 2 - Regulated ANS

Status: Documented in North Dakota within the past 5 years and thought to still be present

Eurasian watermilfoil in waterbody

Eurasian watermilfoil

Scientific Name: Myriophyllum spicatum

Class: 2 - Regulated ANS

Status: Documented in North Dakota within the past 5 years and thought to still be present

Flowering rush

Flowering rush

Scientific Name: Butomus umbellatus

Class: 2 - Regulated ANS

Status: Documented in North Dakota within the past 5 years and thought to still be present

Didymo or rock snot

Didymo or rock snot

Scientific Name: Didymosphenia geminata

Class: 1 - Prohibited ANS

Status: Not thought to be present in North Dakota

Starry stonewort

Scientific Name: Nitellopsis obtuse

Class: 1 - Prohibited ANS

Status: Not thought to be present in North Dakota


ANS Fish Species

Genera Channa and Parachanna (or their generic synonyms of Bostrychoides, Ophicephalus, Ophiocephalus, and Parophiocephalus) of the Family Channidae, including but not limited to:


Northern snakehead

Northern snakehead

Scientific Name: Channa argus

Class: 1 - Prohibited ANS

Status: Not thought to be present in North Dakota

Blotched snakehead

Blotched snakehead

Scientific Name: Channa maculata

Class: 1 - Prohibited ANS

Status: Not thought to be present in North Dakota

Bullseye snakehead

Bullseye snakehead

Scientific Name: Channa marulius

Class: 1 - Prohibited ANS

Status: Not thought to be present in North Dakota

Giant snakehead

Giant snakehead

Scientific Name: Channa micropeltes

Class: 1 - Prohibited ANS

Status: Not thought to be present in North Dakota

Silver carp

Silver carp

Scientific Name: Hypophthalmichthys molitrix

Class: 3 - Listed ANS

Status: Documented in North Dakota within the past 5 years and thought to still be present

Bighead carp

Bighead carp

Scientific Name: Hypophthalmichthys nobilis

Class: 3 - Listed ANS

Status: Documented in North Dakota within the past 5 years and thought to still be present

Black carp

Black carp

Scientific Name: Mylopharyngodon piceus

Class: 1 - Prohibited ANS

Status: Not thought to be present in North Dakota

Grass carp

Grass carp

Scientific Name: Ctenopharyngodon idella

Class: 3 - Listed ANS

Status: Documented in North Dakota within the past 5 years and thought to still be present

Common carp

Common carp

Scientific Name: Cyprinus carpio

Class: 3 - Listed ANS

Status: Documented in North Dakota within the past 5 years and thought to still be present

European rudd

European rudd

Scientific Name: Scardinius erythrophthalmus

Class: 1 - Prohibited ANS

Status: Not thought to be present in North Dakota

Round goby

Round goby

Scientific Name: Neogobius melanostomus

Class: 1 - Prohibited ANS

Status: Not thought to be present in North Dakota

Tubenose goby

Tubenose goby

Scientific Name: Proterorhinus semilunaris

Class: 1 - Prohibited ANS

Status: Not thought to be present in North Dakota

Eurasian ruffe

Eurasian ruffe

Scientific Name: Gymnocephalus cernuus

Class: 1 - Prohibited ANS

Status: Not thought to be present in North Dakota


Mollusks

(e.g. mussels, clams, snails)


Chinese mysterysnail

Chinese mysterysnail

Scientific Name: Cipangopaludina chinensis

Class: 1 - Prohibited ANS

Status: Not thought to be present in North Dakota

Banded mystery snail

Banded mystery snail

Scientific Name: Viviparus georgianus

Class: 1 - Prohibited ANS

Status: Not thought to be present in North Dakota

Golden clam

Golden clam

Scientific Name: Corbicula fluminea

Class: 1 - Prohibited ANS

Status: Not thought to be present in North Dakota

Zebra mussel

Zebra mussel

Scientific Name: Dreissena polymorpha

Class: 1 - Prohibited ANS

Status: Documented in North Dakota within the past 5 years and thought to still be present

Quagga mussel

Quagga mussel

Scientific Name: Dreissena bugensis

Class: 1 - Prohibited ANS

Status: Not thought to be present in North Dakota

New Zealand mudsnail

New Zealand mudsnail

Scientific Name: Potamopyrgus antipodarum

Class: 1 - Prohibited ANS

Status: Not thought to be present in North Dakota

Faucet snail

Faucet snail

Scientific Name: Bithynia tentaculata

Class: 1 - Prohibited ANS

Status: Not thought to be present in North Dakota


Invertebrates

(i.e. crayfish and zooplankton)


Red swamp crayfish

Red swamp crayfish

Type: Crayfish

Scientific Name: Procambarus clarkia

Class: 1 - Prohibited ANS

Status: Not thought to be present in North Dakota

Rusty crayfish

Rusty crayfish

Type: Crayfish

Scientific Name: Orconectes rusticus

Class: 1 - Prohibited ANS

Status: Not thought to be present in North Dakota

Scud

Type: Amphipod

Scientific Name: Echinogammarus ischnus

Class: 1 - Prohibited ANS

Status: Not thought to be present in North Dakota

Fishhook waterflea

Fishhook waterflea

Type: Zooplankton

Scientific Name: Cercopagis pengoi

Class: 1 - Prohibited ANS

Status: Not thought to be present in North Dakota

Spiny waterflea

Spiny waterflea

Type: Zooplankton

Scientific Name: Bythotrephes cederstroemi

Class: 1 - Prohibited ANS

Status: Not thought to be present in North Dakota


Pathogens

(i.e. viruses, bacteria, parasites)


ANS Pathogens

Type

Common Name

Scientific Name or Abbreviation

Class

VirusesInfectious Hematopoietic Necrosis VirusIHNV1
VirusesInfectious Pancreatic Necrosis VirusIPNV1
VirusesInfectious Salmon Anemia VirusISAV1
VirusesKoi Herpes VirusKHV1
VirusesChannel Catfish VirusCCV1
VirusesLargemouth Bass VirusLMBV1
VirusesViral Hemorrhagic Septicemia VirusVHSV1
VirusesWhite Sturgeon Herpes Virus – 2WSHV-21
BacteriaProliferative Kidney DiseasePKD1
BacteriaEnteric septicemia of catfishEdwardsiella ictaluri1
BacteriaBacterial Kidney DiseaseRenibacterium salmoninarum (BKD)1
BacteriaEnteric redmouth diseaseYersinia ruckeri1
ParasitesParasitesHeterosporis sp1
ParasitesAsian tapewormBothriocephalus opsarichthydis. Syn. Bothriocephalus acheilognathi and Bothriocephalus gowkengensis1

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