Ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernuus): A review of published literature

Ogle, D. H. 1995. Ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernuus): A review of published literature. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Administrative Report no. 38. 44 pages.

Summary (by Derek H. Ogle)

In the early to mid 1980s, ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernuus) were accidentally introduced into the St. Louis River of the Lake Superior drainage. Apparently introduced through ship ballast, ruffe established a thriving population in the St. Louis River and by the early 1990s had included several other river mouths of Lake Superior in their range. Ruffe are currently not found in any other North American drainage. Suggested managerial responses to ruffe in the Laurentian Great Lakes has ranged from "do nothing" to "control at all costs." Before any plan could be adopted, a thorough review of the scientific literature on ruffe was needed.

With Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources funding, I reviewed all the ruffe literature that was readily available to me as of Fall, 1994. Most of the ruffe literature was from Scandinavia and Russia (and other countries of the former USSR). Many other papers were not available in English. I separated the review into literature originating from Europe and Asia and that already produced in the United States. Within each of these sections, all of the literature pertaining to the following subjects was synthesized: systematics; morphology, evolution, and genetics; sensory physiology; geographic distribution; habitat; reproduction and early life history; age and growth; diet and foraging behavior; community dynamics including egg predation, competition, and predators; parasites and pathology; and management. In addition, I examined studies about the introduction of ruffe in Europe and Asia outside their original range. A total of 213 citations were used in this literature review, although several hundred additional citations were located. Copies of the ruffe literature review can be obtained from the Bureau of Fisheries Management, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Box 7921, Madison, Wisconsin, 53707-7921.