Fish and other Aquatic Life

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Fish and other Aquatic Life
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Reservoir Species
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ShadDorosoma cepedianum

• Reservoir Fish Species
• Plankton and Detritus Eater
• Important food for bass species

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Brown BullheadAmeiurus nebulosus

• Reservoir Fish Species
• Eats crayfish, fish and aquatic invertebrates
• Important predator

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Hybrid Stripped BassMorone spp.

• Reservoir Species
• Eats shad and sunfish
• Top of pelagic food chain

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Large Mouth BassMicropterus salmoides

• Reservoir/pond species
• Eats fish, frogs, crayfish, aquatic insects
• Predominant in littoral zones

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WalleyeStizostedion vitreum

• Reservoir/Natural Lakes in Colder climates
• Eats mostly fish other aquatic animals
• Top predator

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Yellow PerchPerca flavescens

• Reservoir Species
• Eats small fishes, aquatic insects, small
  crayfish and snails
• Occupies both planktivore and picivore levels in
  food chain

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SunfishLepomis macrochirus

• Reservoir and Stream Species
• Eats aquatic insects, small fish and crayfish
• Very abundant species in freshwater

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Black CrappiePomoxis nigromaculatus

• Reservoir Species
• Eats small fish, aquatic insects and their larvae
  
• Occupies both planktivore and picivores level sin
  food chain

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River Sport Fish
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Small Mouth BassMicropterus dolomieui

• River Species
• Eats fish, crustaceans, larger insects
• Top predator in river systems

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Rock BassAmbloplites rupestris

• River Species
• Eats aquatic insects, minnows and other small
  fish
• Occupies similar niche as small mouth bass

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Rainbow TroutOncorhynchus mykiss

• Coldwater stream species
• Eats aquatic insects and their larvae, small
  mollusks and fish
• Most predominant of trout species

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Paddle FishPolydon spathula

• River Species
• Eats zooplankton, insect larvae
• Found in higher order river systems

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Longnose GarLepisosteus osseus

• Reservoir/Lake Species
• Eats smaller fish, insect larvae, crayfish
• Not very abundant

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Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis

• Coldwater stream species
• Eats insects and other small aquatic life
• Smallest of trout species

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Brown Trout Salmo trutta

• Coldwater streams
• Eats aquatic insects and their larvae, other
  aquatic life
• Largest of trout species

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Channel Catfish

• The channel catfish is found in lakes and larger
  tributaries. This fish is found in lakes and
  streams with gravelly or stony bottoms more often
  than in those with mud bottoms.
• Channel catfish range in size depending on
  habitat. Some reach weights of 40-50 pounds in
  the southeastern states where growing seasons are
  longer and living conditions more favorable.

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Stream Fishes

• Know These Fish For Quiz on Thursday

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Black Jumprock

• Small fish with cylindrical body, black or dusky
  tips on the dorsal and caudal fins, and at least
  seven dark lateral stripes per side mouth
  located on the underside of head and lips are
  thick and fleshy with projecting papillae paired
  fins are attached low on the body and are only
  supported by the rays.
• Natural History occurs in warm, small to large
  rivers, where they occupy runs and riffles with a
  rubble, gravel, and sand bottom, as well as in
  fast and deep water, often near bedrock and
  boulders feeds in groups on the bottom, looking
  for aquatic insects and water mites

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Swallowtail Shiner

• Key Characteristics 1.4 to 2.8 inches small,
  slender, delicate appearance identified by black
  dashes along the lateral line and a dark lateral
  stripe that does not continue around the snout
  breeding male develops a yellow body and fins
• Natural History generally occurs from headwater
  creeks to small rivers in pools and runs with a
  sand or rock bottom spawns in the spring and
  consumes the larvae of aquatic and terrestrial
  insects, supplemented with diatoms, algae and
  small crustaceans

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Shield Darter

• Clear moderate-sized creeks, with gravel and
  rubble bottom, and considerable current seem to
  be the requirements of the shield darter.

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Redhorse

• Very common and is certainly the most widespread
  species of redhorse.
• Generally, redhorses have a dark back and silvery
  sides, giving a bronze or copper reflection.
  These fish usually have paired fins with red,
  orange, or copper tint some species also have
  red to orange dorsal, anal, and tail fins. They
  range in average size from 10 to 18 inches and
  from 1 to several pounds.
• As with other suckers, redhorses spawn in spring.
  They are bottom feeders, and probably their
  greatest importance is as food for game fish.

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Bluehead Chub

• Key Characteristics 2.9 to 10.2 inches large,
  stout-bodied minnow has one dorsal fin,
  abdominal pelvic fins, cycloid scales, and a
  lateral line has a short and rounded snout, with
  a light brown body, and light yellow to
  red-orange fins breeding male has a blue head,
  and prominent breeding tubercles on the top of
  the head behind the level of the nostrils
• Natural History these fish prefer clear creeks
  and small rivers with a medium to fast current
  and a substrate of rock, gravel or sand they
  feed on insects, small crustaceans, crayfish,
  snails, fish and plants spawning occurs in May
  or June

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Johnny Darter

• This is probably the most common and widespread
  of the darters. It inhabits streams and rivers of
  all sizes where it is found in pools and other
  slack water habitats on sand and gravel
  substrates. It is not as sensitive as other
  species of darters to increased water turbidities
  and will tolerate some siltation of its habitats.
  Identified by the series of black "w"'s along its
  sides.

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Hog Sucker

• The hog sucker is adopted for life in fast
  currents and is found in riffles, chutes, and
  runs of the larger and medium-sized streams
  throughout the state. Hog suckers require
  substrates composed primarily of clean gravels
  and cobbles where they feed on the aquatic insect
  larva which live in these substrates. They are
  adversely impacted by siltation of instream
  habitats which destroys their food base and
  limits their reproductive success.

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Redside Dace

• The Redside Dace shimmers with the colour of an
  iridescent rainbow blue, green, purple, violet,
  bedecked with ribbons of red and gold. Declared
  an " Nationally Venerable " Species in 1987, this
  fish has been fighting a losing battle with
  factors such as increasing water pollution ,
  channeling of the rivers into un-natural concrete
  pipes, and removal of normal stream-side
  vegetation.

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White Sucker

• White suckers are usually about 10-20 inches long
  and weigh 1-2 pounds, some unusual specimens
  weighing as much as 8 pounds. Their color is
  olive brown, and they have a cylindrical shape.
• It is found in almost any water condition -lakes
  and streams, muddy or clear water, polluted or
  otherwise. The white sucker prefers large streams
  and the bottoms of lakes and reservoirs.
• These fish feed on a variety of organisms
  occurring in the mud and ooze of stream and lake
  bottoms.

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Satinfin Shiner

• The satinfin shows a preference for large- and
  moderate-sized streams although it is
  occasionally taken in small creeks.

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Stoneroller

• The stoneroller is brownish and mottled in color
  males are reddish with numerous tubercles during
  spring spawning season. The stoneroller reaches
  about 8 inches in length. This fish is found in
  clear brooks, creeks, and small rivers.
• The stoneroller prefers the riffle areas of small
  to medium-sized streams of moderate gradient.
  This fish is a bottom feeder, living on insect
  larvae, small mollusks, and filamentous algae.

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Barred Fantail Darter (Etheostoma flabellare)

• The Fantail Darter is one of the more common and
  widely distributed darters.
• They tend to inhabit the more sluggish riffles
• Eat insects and small fish

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Madtom (Noturis miuris)

• An inhabitant of sluggish pools and low gradient
  streams
• Preferred habitats include substrates composed of
  sands and clean organic debris free from silts
  and clays.
• Eat aquatic insects and small fish in pools and
  riffles.

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Creek Chub (Semotilus atromaculatus)

• This is one of the most common and widespread
  stream fish.
• Moderately tolerant of turbid waters and other
  types of pollution
• Feeder on small insects

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Orangethroat Darter (Etheostoma spectabile) 

• Found in small to medium sized streams
• It is more tolerant of increased water
  turbidities and silted bottoms.
• Feeds on a variety of aquatic insect larvae.

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Other Creatures
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Muskrat

• Ponds/Lakes/Rivers
• Herbivores
• Can create problems in dams and embankments

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Belted Kingfisher(Ceryle alcyon)

• Lives next to ponds/lakes,rivers.
• They nest near water, as they feed primarily on
  fish.
• Important top predator

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American Coot (Fulica americana)

• Lake and Wetland Species
• Eats insects.

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Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)

• Reservoir and wetland species
• Eats insects and vegetation
• Important wetland species

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Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius)

• Wetland and lake species
• Eats frogs, amphibians, fish
• Long greenish-yellow legs.
• Very abundant bird species

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Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

• Lake/wetland species
• Eats vegetation, small crustaceans and insects
• Both sexes have orange feet and an iridescent
  purple speculum (the colourful secondary feathers
  of the wing) bordered with white.
• One of the most abundant species of ducks

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Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

• Found around most types of aquatic habitats
• Eats fish
• The Osprey is the only raptor which plunges into
  the water, diving for fish.

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Water SnakeNerodia sipedon

• Lakes and ponds
• It looks very similar to the poisonous copperhead
  snake.
• Water snakes are accomplished swimmers
• They feed on fish, frogs, and toads.

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CottonmouthCrotalinae

• Lake and Pond Species
• Highly venomous, poisoning the victim's
  circulatory system when it bites.
• Eats fish, frogs and toads

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Red-Spotted Newt, Notophthalmus viridescens
viridescens

• Streams
• Eats insects

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Northern Dusky Salamander, Desmognathus fuscus
fuscus

• Stream Species
• Eats insects

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Tiger SalamanderAmbystoma tigrinum

• Semi-aquatic species
• Eats insects

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BullfrogRana catesbeiana

• Pond and Lake species
• Largest of frogs
• Eats insects, frogs and fish
• Important prey for many species of fish

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Southern Leopard FrogRana utricularia

• Stream/pond/lake species
• Eats insects, tadpoles and other aquatic animals
• The Leopard Frog is usually found in two
  different colors green or brown.

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Pickerel FrogRana palustris

• Stream/lake and pond species
• Eats insects and other animals
• Most abundant of the aquatic frogs
• Very distinguishing mark of the Pickerel Frogs is
  the orange or yellow coloring found within the
  hind legs.

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White-Tail Deer

• Herbivore
• Inhabits areas near streams, ponds and lakes

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Mink

• River Species
• Eats fish, frogs and amphians

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Beaver

• Ponds/Lakes/Rivers
• Herbivores
• Creates dams and potential flooding problems

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Snapping TurtleChelydra serpentina

• Ponds, lakes and Reservoirs
• Eats fish, birds, mamals
• Important predator

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Mud Turtle Kinosternon subrubrum subrubrum

• Pond and stream species
• Eats insects, small fish
• Occupies predator niche in aquatic systems