Shrimp invaders may feed Great Lakes fish

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KINGSTON, Ontario, Nov. 23 (UPI) -- Bloody red shrimp invading the Great Lakes may provide a new food source for fish and provide a method of controlling the Russian invader, a researcher said.

Hemimysis anomala, commonly known as bloody red shrimp after its bright red spots, are native to the Black Sea and Caspian Sea. The shrimp were discovered in Lake Michigan in 2006, having likely hitched a ride through the ballast water of a transoceanic ship, Ontario's Queen's University said Tuesday.

"Forecasting how an invader will affect the growth and production of a specific native fish species is very relevant to conservation groups and government agencies hoping to conserve those fish," biology graduate student Mike Yuille said in a release.

Yuille said his research suggests several native fish species -- the round goby, yellow perch and alewife -- have incorporated the bloody red shrimp into their diet.

The findings will be published in the Journal of Great Lakes Research, the university said.