In 1921, an eel-like parasite reached Lake Erie through a shipping canal, then latched onto native fish, fed on their blood, and helped collapse Great Lakes fisheries

Fishermen had seen wounds before, but nothing like these. One after another, lake trout were being pulled from the waters of the Great Lakes with perfectly round holes gouged into their sides. Some fish were still alive but barely moving, weakened by blood loss. Others never made it back to shore. At first, no one understood what was happening. The lakes had supported thriving fisheries for generations, yet suddenly catches were shrinking and large native fish seemed to be disappearing.

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