Gobie die off?

[rdebadts]

I was just down on the lakeshore near oak orchard and there are a ton of dead gobies... One of my buddies asked what kills a gobie and I said "nothing that I know of". Should I be worried about this or do they die off after spawning like the alewifes? Is anyone else seeing this?

[Gill-T]

Happens every spring.  Last year it was much earlier.  Could be a spawn thing.  Could be a cold water thing.

[Captain's Cove]

I don't have an explanation except that in another forum, there was a string of posts similiar to this back in 2006 and here's a summary:

 

Officials say a disease might be killing an invasive species of fish in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. The GLRC’s David Sommerstein reports.

Where the lake and the river meet, people have been finding dead round gobies.

“Dozens in some cases, hundreds of dead gobies that have been washing up on shores.â€

Steve Litwiler is with New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation. He says a change in water temperature or a poison could cause the die-off, but initial sampling suggests some kind of disease.

“Is it a disease that could potentially affect other fish? Fortunately right now the only fish that are dying appear to be the round gobies.â€

If only the round gobies die, this could be a good news story. Round gobies hitched a ride from Europe in the ballast of foreign freighters. They’ve displaced native species across the Great Lakes

 

Also, just fyi according to the NYSDEC website:

 

What to do if you find sick/dead fish

If you witness a large number of dead or dying fish (usually 100 or more), please contact the nearest DEC regional office and ask for the Bureau of Fisheries. Questions about VHS and potential DEC actions to prevent its spread can be e-mailed to [email protected] or by calling 518-402-8896. The public is also advised to regularly check the Department website for updated information on VHS in New York State.

[reeldilemma33]

here's my question if a fish eats a goby will it get the disease?