Species that are considered uncertain risk need a more in-depth assessment beyond the Risk Summary to better define the species’ risk to U.S. environments.
Babka gymnotrachelus, Racer Goby, is a fish native to the Black Sea, Sea of Azov, and Caspian Sea basins and tributaries in Eastern Europe. It inhabits fresh and brackish waters. Nonnative populations have established in the Danube River and the Baltic Sea basins, including in the countries of Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Serbia, and Poland. There is also evidence of recent range expansion into Greece. Shipping is the primary pathway for B. gymnotrachelus introduction, although fish stocking may also contribute. There are no reports of this species being introduced in the United States. There are concerns about the possible invasiveness of B. gymnotrachelus in its introduced range, but there is no conclusive evidence of negative impacts in natural settings. History of invasiveness is classified as “None Documented.” More evidence is needed to determine the impacts of introduction of this species, so the certainty of this assessment is low. B. gymnotrachelus has an overall high climate match with the contiguous United States, and a particularly high match in the Great Lakes region. Overall risk to the contiguous United States is uncertain.
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Uncertain Risk
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