Ecological Risk Screening Summary - Eurasian Minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus) - High Risk

Species that are considered high risk have a well-documented history of invasiveness in at least one location globally, and a high or medium climate match to the contiguous United States.

Eurasian Minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus) is a freshwater fish native throughout Europe and northern Russia. The species generally feeds on algae, plant debris, mollusks, crustaceans, and insects in both its native and introduced range. Humans have used this fish as live bait, which has been recorded as the main vector for introductions. The history of invasiveness is high. This species has spread through the use of live bait and also through the stocking of Brown Trout, where P. phoxinus has been mistaken for juvenile Brown Trout and stocked with them in lakes and rivers. P. phoxinus has been known to alter the benthic community where they are introduced and they consume Brown Trout young, resulting in trout decline in areas where P. phoxinus is present. P. phoxinus was listed as an injurious wildlife species in 2016 under the Lacey Act by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, thereby prohibiting its importation. Climate match with the contiguous United States is high. Almost the entire eastern two-thirds of the contiguous United States had a high or medium climate match. Low climate matches were found along the Pacific Coast and the United States-Mexico border. The certainty of assessment is high. The biology, distribution, and history of invasiveness of the species is well documented. Overall risk for this species is high.