Bloody Red Shrimp Have Now Invaded All 5 Great Lakes

Michigan and our Great Lakes have a shrimp problem. Yes, you read that right. Apparently, zebra mussels and sea lampreys weren't filling the invasive species quota fast enough. And don’t start melting butter or breaking out the cocktail sauce yet. These tiny little invaders are far from appetizing.

MPR News reports the bloody red shrimp has established a reproducing population in Lake Superior, the final holdout after the species first appeared in the lower Great Lakes in 2006. That completes its unwanted tour of all five lakes, including the four surrounding Michigan.

Why Bloody Red Shrimp Are Bad for Michigan’s Great Lakes

The bloody red shrimp seen up close.

Bloody red shrimp are tiny, usually just one-quarter to one-half inch long, but they arrive with the appetite and reproductive enthusiasm of something much larger. According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, they eat zooplankton such as Daphnia, a major food source for Michigan's native fish.

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Remove too much of that microscopic buffet, and the entire food chain can wobble. The shrimp may also change the amount and types of algae in the water, reshuffling which fish get fed and moving nutrients or contaminants through nearshore ecosystems.

Plus, they can reproduce two to four times during summer, with as many as 70 young per brood. So, yes, they are small. So are pieces of glitter, and we all know how permanently those take over an entire household.

How Did Bloody Red Shrimp Reach Lake Superior?

green trees beside river under blue sky during daytime

The species is native to Europe and Asia, but experts say they likely reached the Great Lakes in contaminated ballast water from cargo ships coming in from the ocean. People can spread them farther by moving water in bait buckets, live wells, and bilges.

RELATED: Destroy This Invasive Animal On Sight If Seen In Michigan

Wildlife officials say there is currently no known effective way to control bloody red shrimp once they establish themselves in natural waters. So for now, these little invasive critters have made themselves Michiganders... somebody get them a Vernors and an ice scraper.