Scientist learn where Threatened Basking Sharks spend winters

There are a great many mysteries about fishes that we do not know. Some are slowly being discovered by scientists who doggedly pursue these questions. Often the use of novel technologies, such as satellite tagging, make learning the answers possible.

One hypothesis regarding the wintering grounds of the world's second largest fish, the basking shark was only recently tested and confirmed. The basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) is a huge filter feeder which grows to be up to 32 feet (9.8 m) long. According to a recent study published in Current Biology, the basking shark migrate at depths of 200 to 1000 meters deep and overwinter in the western Tropical Atlantic. Read about this story, click here.

Florida Fish Quiz

Name this fish!

-- continuous black lateral line

--- 67  to 72 pored scales on lateral line to base of caudal fin

Mystery Fish

What family? Hint: Mostly freshwater; Only found in tropical and sub-tropical habitats; mouth-brooding common.

-            ---   a single opening of the nostrils

-           ---   an interrupted lateral line.

Unknown Jar ID-Elizabeth Bedell

Crescent Shiner (Luxilus cerasinus)
-crescents on side of body
-red tipped dorsal, tail and anal fins

Red-breasted sunfish (Lepomis auritus)

-gill cover long with black tip

-anal fin has spines

-short pectoral fin

American eel (Anguilla rostrata)

- has teeth

- no pelvic fins

Mottled sculpin (Cottus bairdi)

-2 lobed connected dorsal fins

- dark brown mottling on side

Riverweed darter (Etheostoma podostemone)

-large pectoral fins

-eyes almost of top of head

-dark spots forming XY pattern

Pimelodidae (long-whiskered catfish)
- Freshwater Adapted
- Commercial Fishery
- Game/Sport Fish
- Dry/Wet Season Environments
- Nonguarders

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Pimelodidae

300 species
3 pairs of barbels
Freshwater Family
Naked - No scales or armor

Unique Species
"Firewood" Catfish (used for firewood)
Highwaterman Catfish (has gill rakers and occupies pelagic zone)
Pictus Catfish (common aquarium catfish)
Kuma Kuma (occassionally eats monkeys)

Fish in jar 5

Cyprinidae; Notropis; telescopus

Telescope Shiner
-Very small in size
-Indistinct black stripe down side up through nose of preserved specimen
-Huge eye in proportion to face
-Forked tail

Molidae Quiz

1. How many different species of Ocean sunfish are there?
A.1
B.4
C.3
D.7

2.The Mola Mola is a bony fish, thus the skeleton is mostly bone
-true
-false

3.The ocean sunfish can be characterized as a/an
A. Nongaurder
B. World Record Holder
C. Omnivore
D. All of the above

4.What is the largest Mola Mola on record?
A.2900 lb
B.3100 lb
C. 6945 lb
D. 5100 lb

Fish in jar 4

-Distinct U-shaped markings along side
-Darter like nose and body style
-2 dorsals, separated
- slightly forked tail
-Stripe down through eye
-eyes high on head.

Unknown Fish Identification

Characteristics:
-supraterminal mouth
-ctenoid scales
-large dorsal and anal fin
-large eye with vertical black bar through it

Unknown Fish Identification

Characteristics:
-lacks bony plates on posterior lower side
-short snout
-heterocercal tail

-

Fish in a Jar 3

Centrarchidae; Centrarchus; macrotropus

Flier
Band through Eye
Spade like shape of fins going back
Spot on Operculum
small indistinct spot on back bottom of dorsal
Shape of head, steeply sloped and then down into mouth, not round like a sunfish

Unknown Fish Identification

Characteristics:
-large eye
-mouth angled upward
-tongue has teeth
-anal fin is longer than dorsal fin
-small pelvic
-usually dark spot on shoulder in line with eye

Fish in a jar 2

Cottidae; Cottus; carolinae

Banded sculpin
-less contrast between bandings and body
-more distinctly shaped bandings
-Chin marks difficult to see, so this characteristic was not used.

Unknown Fish Identification

Characteristics:
-well developed adipose fin
-lateral row of dark spots
-single dorsal fin
-translucent skin

Unknown Fish Identification

Characteristics:
-large scaled
-subterminal sucker mouth
-adult dorsal well rounded
-black stripe on side of young, as well as reddish dorsal and tail fins
-gold, green, brassy iridescence along top of body

Unknown Fish Identification

Characteristics:
-stocky, deep, compressed body
-long based dorsal fin
-variable body colors
-blunt nose, terminal mouth

Unknown Fish Identification

Characteristics:
-small catfish
-gray-black blotches on body
-pale yellow fins
-yellow spot behind dorsal fin
-straight pectoral spine
-inferior mouth, barbels around mouth are white

Fish from a jar

Catostomidae; Hypentilium;nigricians

Northern Hog Sucker

-Concavity in head
-Eyes high up
-Lips shaped like those in picture
-Banding/splotchy pattern in black on body

Unknown Fish Identification

Characteristics:
-small, superior mouth
-large eye
-teeth present
-no spines on fins
-rounded caudal fin
-dark, narrow bars vertical on body
-blackened cheeks
-plate like scales on head

Unknown Fish Identification

Characteristics:
-drab, dark, stout bodied fish
-anus located behind the head in jugular position
-rounded snout/single dorsal fin
-slightly indented caudal fin

Sinking Creek Fish Group: Ross, Elizabeth, Jackie, Caitlin, Maybe others?

Rosyside dace (Clinostomus funduloides)
-upturned mouth
-"rosy" coloration on body
-forked tail
-lateral line unconnected











Stoneroller (Campostoma anomalum)
-mismatched scales
-horseshoe shaped mouth with hard ridge on bottom lip









Blacknose dace (Rhinichthys atratulus)
-black lateral line extending to snout
-small eye
-small barbels at corners of mouth

Banded Sunfish (Enneacanthus gloriosus)

-opercular dark spot

-about 4 lateral bars

-round pectoral fin

-2nd dorsal and anal fins enlarged

Banded Sculpin (Cottus carolinae)

-
-lacks orange tip on dorsal fin

-bands are more defined on lower half of body

-chin is decorated with arranged spots

Stoneroller (Campostoma anomalum)

-horseshoe shaped mouth with hard ridge

-looks as if some scales are missing

-lip corners extended posteriorly

Torrent Sucker (Thoburnia rhotheoca)
-

-short caudal peduncle

-inferior mouth w/ 2 triangular lower lips

-light caudal patches

-blotched color

Greenside Darter (Etheostoma blenniodes)

-blunt rounded snout

-long and slender

-small subterminal mouth

-'U' shaped coloration pattern

Caitlin's Unknown Fish IDs

White Crappie—Pomoxis annularis
Key Characteristics
Coloration is light
Slightly upturned mouth
Dorsal fin smaller than length from mouth to dorsal fin
Dorsal fin 5-6 spines

Spotfin Shiner-- Cyprinella spiloptera
Key Characteristics:
Dorsal fin ends where pelvic fin begins
Rounded snout
White belly
Dorsal fin margin straight

Redline Darter—Etheostoma rufilineatum
Key Characteristics
White band pattern on edge of fins
Lines go down the side

Mottled Sculpin- Cottus bairdi

Key Characteristics

Large head

Eyes high on head

Unmottled chin

Large pectoral fin

Torrent Sucker-- Thoburnia rhothoeca
Key Characteristics- Coloration Short head Inferior mouth Dorsal fin edge straight

Unknown Jar Fish-Christian Maurer

1. Hybognathus Regius (eastern silvery minnow)
-dorsal fin origin above pelvic fin origin
-midlateral stripe noticably widens posteriorly
-stout body that is deepest and widest in front of dorsal fin
-no barbels (rules out hybopsis)










2. Etheostoma Rufilineatum (Redline darter)
-side of head with 3 horizontal markings
-deep caudal peduncle
-caudal fin distally dark, with a wide pale area around it
-characteristic lateral parallel markings (matrix like)
-frenum is present

3. Bluegill (Lepomis Macrochirus)
-small mouth
-pointed pectoral fins
-black spot on posterior end of dorsal fin
-dark opercular flap not extended nor light margined




4. Mottled Sculpin (C. Bairdi)
-unmottled appearance on chin
-incomplete banding
-dorsal fins are slightly connected


















5. Ohio Lamprey (Ichthyomyzon bdellium)
-one continuous dorsal fin
-small teeth
-slight notch in dorsal fin

Unknown ID

Spotfin Shiner (Notropis spilopterus) White marks on fins Rounded dorsal fin










Greenside darter (Ethiostoma blenniodes)-Obvious U shaped patterns on side










Redear Sunfish (Lepomis microlophus) Pectoral fin fold forward and extends past eye










Yellow Bullhead (Ameiurus natalis) White barbels below the mouth Anal fin with 24-27 fin rays










Mottled Sculpin (Cottus bairdi) Unmottled chin Dorsal fins slighly connected

Unknown Fish Identification by Jon Marchand

1) Redear Sunfish

Lepomis microlophus

-emarginate caudal fin

-pointed, long pectoral fin

-dorsal and anals lacking spots

-cheek lacking lines

2)Marginated Madtom

Noturus insignis

-body not scaled

-barbels present

-adipose fin adnate

3)Banded Sculpin

Cottus carilinae

-body not scaled

-pelvic fins with 3-4 rays

-2 distinct looking dorsal fins

-bands distinctly darker than body color

4)Bigeye Chub

Hybopsis amblops

-barbel present at posterior end of lips and terminal

-Dorsal fin mambranes unpigmented

-moderate(streamline) adult form

5)Dusky Darter

Percina sciera

-pointed snout

-caudal fin base with three dark spots