One fish a day thread

[shresearchdude]

Here will be one photo of a fish or research each day. I'll try to add a story about what/where/when. Feel free to ask or post your own stories. Resizing will be a pain in the ass...

1) 10-13 pound Bluefish from a study many years ago from our main research aquarium. This one was an attempt at getting better recreational fishing mortality data on hook/line bluefish. The study worked out well although I thought we could make some improvements. Although the photo is from another study years later,it shows how we get big fish back to our lab at SH. The fish in the tanks mounted on the deck of our 48ft boat are alive-they are just suffering from the bends.
I'll try to post the link related to what was published. Some of the links to research publications might get tricky to access-I take it all for granted...I'll try to post several links-
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/253498242_Factors_Affecting_Catch-and-Release_Mortality_of_Bluefish

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1577/M07-033.1

[shrimpman steve]

Very cool. Thanks!

[Reelron]

Thanks, looking forward to it. Something to read on a cold winter day and perhaps even learn a little?

[hartattack]

Cool stuff John, thanks for doing this. Last time I saw that oblong NOAA tank it did not have bluefish, they look content there !

[shresearchdude]

Goosefish aka Monkfish some pics from bottom trawl cruise and some from our lab. We conducted a gastric evacuation study on them last year. It was based on some info that we really thought could be updated. There was a paper published that predicted that since goosefish were in such high numbers that they were at the time the top predator up further in the northeast. Problem is that the data on predation was built on old data that may not have been as accurate as it could be. So we did the study to determine how quickly there were digesting herring. Considering the teeth and how to handle them was interesting. I only had a few fish snap at me...meaning they sorta jumped out at what I was feeding them-with the longest forceps I could find(12").
Not published yet....they are fascinating fish to watch-as they watch what I was doing while feeding them.
Oh and although they eat fish whole-the fisherman who we got them from remembers pulling a 25-35" striper from the stomach of one-it takes a week for the to digest what they have eaten!

having issues downloading other pics....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLHo57xe2sU

[shresearchdude]

Atlantic saury. These commonly get trawled up with herring/mackerel. It's a strange looking fish that eat plankton so the "beak" is a bit odd. They get to about 20"

[shrimpman steve]

Looks like New Jersey ballyhoo:D

Keep em comin

[shresearchdude]

Four spotted flounder. With all the trawls I've seen pulled up in the Raritan bay/Sandy Hook bay and nearby I really haven't seen many of these. Most of the fish I've seen have been from the NOAA Bottom Trawl survey.
This fish was from Raritan Bay. They don't get large, they don't get thick, they are predators with teeth. I think the largest that I've seen was about 15". Generally they are found in deeper water although they can be caught from the surf.
The second image I took from a UMass website of a professor that I've sailed with...
I even had some trouble finding a link to good info on the species
this is sparse.
http://www.gma.org/fogm/Paralichthys_oblongus.htm

[shresearchdude]

Lumpfish. These are odd fish even in my book(though they are cute- I don't say that about many fish). They have a sucker like disk on the underside which allows them to attach themselves to objects. They really resemble a football like shape and the temptation could be to punt them over the side. They are a bit squishy like a Nerf football. They vary in color from green to blueish.

I've seen them most during bottom trawl trips up north of NJ but have caught them up in the water column with a mid-water trawl looking for herring.


They can be used for their eggs-caviar!

caviar
https://www.markys.com/Caviar/lumpfish-caviar/

old document:
http://www.gma.org/fogm/Cyclopterus_lumpus.htm

http://fishbase.org/summary/62

[Duffman]

Agreeing with everyone John. Great thread! Some cool info for sure!

[henro]

Love this thread!

[shresearchdude]

Acadian Redfish-also know along with a few species as Ocean perch. These fish live a really long time and they take many years to mature-and are listed as a species of concern.

http://www.fishbase.org/summary/3969

I've got more images on my work computer. These are Gulf of Maine and north. These fish are tough to handle. They have sharp spines. They have sharp gill covers. They have armor on their heads.

[shresearchdude]

and a very similar Black-bellied rosefish. These are deep water fish that are found from Nova Scotia to Florida.

http://www.gma.org/fogm/Helicolenus_dactylopterus.htm

[shresearchdude]

Lets stay in the deep water for a few days...

Hatchet fish. Deep! Not many trawls get these fish-but everyone looks forward to the deep trawls since they usually bring up the in-ordinary species.

I even found a cool video.
https://youtu.be/XmjflLIB9J4

http://www.gma.org/fogm/Argyropelecus_aculeatus.htm

[Reelron]

Lets stay in the deep water for a few days...

Hatchet fish. Deep! Not many trawls get these fish-but everyone looks forward to the deep trawls since they usually bring up the in-ordinary species.

I even found a cool video.
https://youtu.be/XmjflLIB9J4

http://www.gma.org/fogm/Argyropelecus_aculeatus.htm

Is that you narrating the video? JK, thank you for doing this!

[shresearchdude]

Buckler dory. Silvery John dory. know as many different common names. One of many photo's I've taken while on the NOAA bottom trawl survey ships.

http://www.fishbase.se/summary/Zenopsis-conchifer.html

[shresearchdude]

Marlin spike grenadier. Another deepwater species

http://www.fishbase.org/summary/3104

[shresearchdude]

Lets start with the Hakes!

Not well know nor of too much value. I actually have this species as one that I submitted the photo to fishbase since they didn't have many images. One study I found off of Virginia found most fish between 500-700 meters(500meters=1600Ft)

Longfin Hake
http://www.fishbase.org/summary/SpeciesSummary.php?ID=1880&genusname=Phycis&speciesname=chesteri

http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/12midatlantic/logs/aug27/media/longfinhake_swimming.html

when I took the photo during a bottom trawl survey(2008)-I didn't realize that bottom fin- which is very fine- was just as important in identifying the fish as the top fin.This is a link to Joe Kunkel's webpage. He's a UMASS professor with tons of ship time and images.
http://marlin.bio.umass.edu/biology/kunkel/fish/albatross-iv/al0710/DSC_0375.JPG

[jmurr711]

I just wanna come & cook everything.

[shrimpman steve]

All very cool

[shresearchdude]

White hake. I've worked on fish that were +20pounds easy.
These get huge-for hakes that is.

http://www.fishbase.se/summary/313

[shresearchdude]

now Red Hake... not to be confused with Spotted Hake. Well it's been done:eek:
I think the biggest I've seen is about ten pounds. Similar looking to white hake. The "feelers" extend for much longer on the body on red hake. The tiny ones like to live in live scallops and it's not uncommon to find them in the big scallops. The tiny ones can sometimes be found inshore of NJ.

http://www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/hcd/red-hake.pdf

[shresearchdude]

Silver Hake

old document but it shows the mapped occurrence of the fish-if you have the patience go to page 40.
http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/nefsc/publications/tm/tm186/tm186.pdf

Considering they can seem to be the most abundant fish in trawls-where the heck do they all go to?? They are small enough to just get stuck in nets and they don't survive well. They are grouped in with the multi-species permits and there doesn't seem to be a minimum size.


They are on most of the conveyor belt photo's I have...

Last winter we were finding the good old baseball sized fish in bottom trawls up north. The small ones are also found in trawls in Raritan bay, mostly when the water is cold.



this is a multi species assessment from 2010(only +800 pages)
http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/publications/crd/crd1102/1102.pdf

[shresearchdude]

Longhorn sculpin. A northern species with pain in the ass "horns" on it's head. It makes handling them a pain in the ass. The biggest I've seen is a few pounds.

They are a bit like sea robins.

http://www.gma.org/fogm/M_octodecimspinosus.htm

[Topeka Boy]

Great Thread I am enjoying and learning. Thanks
:cool::D

[Lard Almighty]

Thanks for starting this thread! I've always been fascinated by the fish and other creatures that live in our oceans. I actually considered becoming a marine biologist back in high school. Keep the post coming, I'll definitely be checking back in!

[shresearchdude]

though not a fish...

Porbeagle shark-or at least I think that's what this is. It's from a bottom trawl in 2014 on the NOAA ship Bigelow. If I think about it Monday I'll try to confirm. I think the beast got frozen whole for the Smithsonian. For some reason I think it could be a salmon shark:confused:

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/pdfs/species/porbeagleshark_detailed.pdf

when animals like sharks, huge rays or turtles get netted they usually get handled quickly and back over the side. There is a scale on the crane, and there are tag kits ready to put in quickly. The deck crew usually keeps the curious scientific staff safe and out of the way.

[shresearchdude]

Thorny skate. I think the biggest I've seen myself was 10-15 pounds.

Here's some good info...

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/pdfs/species/thornyskate_detailed.pdf

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/ThornySkate/ThornySkate.html

[shresearchdude]

Wrymouth. A very interesting fish. They are a northern species-south range is close to NJ. I remember working on this species and they were very lively and watched our hands and tried to bite us. Many fish that come up in trawls are in shock and may not be flapping around too much(anymore) but these fish didn't want to be handled. It's another species that I've added my own bottom trawl photo to. Eel like but with spines on it's dorsal fin.
The fish has some attitude. In all my photo's and some others I've seen the fish always has it's mouth open-as if it's just waiting to bite.

http://fishbase.org/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=3815&AT=wrymouth

I still try not to use Wikipedia too much but sometimes they have the best info...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrymouth

old Gulf of Main link
http://www.gma.org/fogm/Cryptacanthodes_maculatus.htm

[shresearchdude]

Spotted Hake-almost passed this one by...

not uncommon around here. I've kept them in tanks for our annual open house and learned that they essentially eat until they cannot move anymore. Biggest I've seen is 3-4 pounds. Typically an inshore species..

they are also know as spotted codling


http://www.gma.org/fogm/Urophycis_regius.htm

[shresearchdude]

Ocean pout. I know JM has been waiting for this one...when we work on them on the survey ship we tend to play with them a bit-as evidenced in the one photo. They grab hold of what you put in their mouth-and hold it for some time-

old link
http://www.gma.org/fogm/Macrozoarces_americanus.htm

http://maine.gov/dmr/recreational/anglerguide/doyouknowyourcatch/documents/oceanpout.pdf

http://fishbase.org/summary/480

this one is interesting
http://www.gotosnapshot.com/myblog/category/fish/ocean-pout

[bunker dunker]

good stuff,on those spotted hake.are they the one we catch in the canyons and feed to swordfish.

[shresearchdude]

Sea Raven. When these come up in trawls they tend to be full of water. Not too many fish have this problem-it's like they just don't keep their mouth closed on their way up. It makes identifying their stomach contents a bit more difficult...even in both of the photo's they are full of water...
Biggest I've seen was about ten pounds. That's after the water in the stomach was drained out...

old link
http://www.gma.org/fogm/Hemitripterus_americanus.htm

http://fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?ID=4097&AT=sea+raven

[shresearchdude]

Haddock is the fish of the day. I've got an image from 2014 when small ones were in our very own bay. It was a good year for them. For the most part they are Georges Bank, Gulf of Maine and that zone. The nickname they sometimes have is "mudsuckers" as their diet indicates that they slurp animals off the bottom along with mud, and that's what's in their stomach, muddy remains.


More info later...

[shresearchdude]

Atlantic Mackerel. Cold water. They eat small shrimp, copepods and larvae of just about whatever is available. Many times when you cut fish like herring and mackerel open to study the diets they are full of tiny pink copepods and euphausiid shrimp.
I've never eaten one.

old link
http://www.gma.org/fogm/Scomber_scombrus.htm

http://www.fishwatch.gov/profiles/atlantic-mackerel

[shresearchdude]

Butterfish

old link

http://www.gma.org/fogm/Poronotus_triacanthus.htm

http://www.edc.uri.edu/restoration/html/gallery/fish/butter.htm

[shresearchdude]

Wolf fish. Nice set of teeth on this species!! Deep water Northern species-Georges Bank/Gulf of Maine. These are a large slow growing species that is listed as a "species of concern". They crush their prey.

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/pdfs/species/atlanticwolffish_detailed.pdf


A study on their diets.

http://fishbull.noaa.gov/1132/fairchild.pdf

[shresearchdude]

Humpback whale!! just seeing who is paying attention here...
photo from my trip to Antarctica in 2013. This was a pleasure trip that was a trip of my lifetime. The trip involved leaving from the southernmost tip of South America(Ushuaia) and the winds while crossing the Drake passage were +80knots. For me it was fun while the ship was tilted on it's side while the winds slammed against us.

Almost every photo could be a postcard!!!!! and it took two months for an actual postcard to reach NJ.

[MVP]

They are some amazing photos Keep them coming

[shresearchdude]

Tautog. Blackfish. And when they are tiny they are green, brown and not near black as they match the sea lettuce and growth on the inshore rocks when they grow up. The area in between Atlantic Highlands(marina) south to Highlands is a great spot to find the tiny guys that use the area with tiny cunner. Lots of big rocks with growth on them that hold food. I helped set up a behavior study where tiny blackfish would compete for hiding spots in a habitat(shells) to avoid a predator. Well -the tiny ones would shove another fish out of the habitat and survive.

What I usually forget when I'm tog fishing-which isn't a daily event-is that big tog will grab their food and bash it against the bottom to break it up. That's what has happened when I swing and miss. :rolleyes:

http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/publications/tm/tm118/
an except taken from the above link...

FEEDING BEHAVIOR

Tautog feed throughout the daytime. Beginning soon after sunrise, tautog were reported to leave their shelters to forage for food, which involved scan-and-pick feeding (Briggs 1969b; Olla et al. 1975). This activity sometimes took the adults up to 500 m from their homesites (Wicklund 1966; Olla et al.1974). Bigelow and Schroeder (1953) observed that tautog followed the flood tide up above low water levels, around ledges, to prey on mussels in the intertidal zone, and returned to deeper water during the ebb tide. Feeding continued to evening twilight (Olla et al. 1974). Olla et al. (1974) reported that tautog required about 8 hr to process and evacuate food.

In laboratory studies, Olla et al. (1974) observed that tautog grasped mussels with their anterior teeth and tore them from their attached substrate with a lateral shaking of the head. Small prey were swallowed whole (Bigelow and Schroeder 1953), while larger, hard-shelled ones were crushed by pharyngeal teeth before swallowing (Bigelow and Schroeder 1953; Olla et al. 1974). The anterior teeth were not involved in the crushing process (Olla et al. 1974, Liem and Sanderson 1986). It was observed that the tautog's mouth can accommodate larger clumps of mussels than the pharyngeal teeth can process efficiently. In this case, the fish ingests and egests the clump from its mouth, separating it in the process into smaller, crushable sizes. The feeding and mastication methods of this species are specialized and typical of labrids and cichlids only (Liem and Sanderson 1986).

In the southern part of its range (i.e., below New Jersey), the blue mussel, a dominant prey in colder waters, is at its warm-temperature limits and has wide variability in recruitment and abundance (Foster et al. 1994). Without strong periodic recruitment, mussel populations in these areas can be preyed upon by tautog to near extirpation, as reported for Virginia (Chee 1977; Chesapeake Executive Council 1994). This near extirpation creates a change in the prey field available to tautog in this habitat, and can cause at least some of the tautog population to seek alternate or better foraging areas. This change in prey field can be a factor in the local distribution of the population. (See the "Adults" subsection, "Differential Distribution" section of the "Distribution and Habitat" chapter.)

FACTORS AFFECTING FEEDING

Tautog find prey visually and were reported not to feed at night (Olla et al. 1974; Deacutis 1982). Neither do they actively feed in northern waters during the coldest part of the year (Cooper 1966; Curran 1992). In Narragansett Bay, Cooper (1966) observed that of 15 tautog, 13 had shrunken and emptied digestive tracts in winter. The other two fish had remains of Atlantic rock crabs in their stomachs. Curran (1992) found all feeding stopped in the closely related cunner (and probably tautog) when water temperatures reached the low levels that induce torpor and hibernation. Cunner, at least, survived up to 6 mo without food, using glycogen, lipids, and proteins stored in their livers (Curran 1992); tautog may do likewise.

In laboratory experiments, a decrease in feeding was observed with an increase in water temperature above certain levels. Tautog which had been acclimated to temperatures of 19°C and 21°C, respectively, decreased their ingestion of food, when water temperatures were increased to 28.7-33.0°C over a certain amount of days (Olla and Studholme 1975; McCormack 1976; Olla et al. 1978). McCormack (1976) also reported that it required up to 7 days for field-collected fish to begin feeding in laboratory aquaria. (For other environmental effects on feeding, see the "Habitat Modification and Loss" section of the "Natural and Human-Induced Environmental Factors" chapter.)

Tautog were observed to vary, to some extent, their feeding in association with their place in a group dominance hierarchy. In one laboratory study with three fish, the dominant fish of the moment ate the greatest amount of food, followed by the subordinate fish, in some order of rank (Olla et al. 1978). In a related tank study, McCormack (1976), however, found no difference in consumption of Atlantic surfclam (Spisula solidissima) meats between the dominant and subordinate individuals of paired 160-280 mm tautog.

Food intake in tautog may decrease during spawning. Bridges and Fahay (1968) reported possible courtship behavior of tautog in a laboratory study during which no spawning occurred. In this study, 1 day prior to courtship behavior, the male and female daily food (undefined) intake decreased from 40 to 1g. During courtship behavior, which lasted 2 wk, the 300-mm female ceased eating, but the 270-mm male increased food intake to 10 g/day. After courtship behavior ceased, the female resumed eating, but less than 10 g/day. The time period that this reduced level of feeding persisted, or if it changed, was not reported. It is possible that some of this behavior was an artifact of the fish's confinement in aquaria, as it has not been documented in the wild.

Deacutis (1982) found tautog did not have an acute sense of smell for detecting prey, compared to red hake (Urophycis chuss), and were hesitant to explore open bottom to find food they could not see.


http://www.asmfc.org/species/tautog

I can't find any good photo's of blackfish in my collection...

[shresearchdude]

Yellowtail flounder. Yes there is some yellow in the tail. These fish are a bit more like a winter flounder as they don't have teeth-to bite things off.
These are north and cold fish that get up to 25" though most are smaller.

I've never followed through and done a taste test of all the flounders.

a link to a different kind of info-

https://sites.google.com/site/foodfromthesea/home/flounder

[shresearchdude]

Lets hit the squid.

Longfin Squid.

http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/37238.html

[shresearchdude]

Shortfin squid. These tend to be not as numerous as the longfin in the trawl catches that I've witnessed.
These tend to have some color to them-and I've bought squid to feed fish that fishing bait suppliers couldn't sell as easy since fisherman want white squid.

an interesting article on a mass stranding up at Cape Cod.

http://spo.nmfs.noaa.gov/mfr401/mfr4015.pdf


I'm cheating a bit on the photo. There's a longfin and a short fin in the tub. Longfin is whiter, or has less pigment.

[shresearchdude]

Halibut-from the Atlantic. Mostly up in northern waters. It always seemed to me that when the northern pink shrimp are in the nets-so are Halibut. The thing about Halibut is that they are so much thicker than any other flatfish. If one was to filet even on that is 20" then the filet is much more substantial than even a 30" fluke or winter flounder.

[shresearchdude]

Hogchocker-from the Hudson River.

We had done a trawl survey that was focused on Tomcod and we would often get this flatfish. Interesting story about them. Oh and they get stuck in buckets and on tables and it make them a pain in the ass to grab.

http://www.chesapeakebay.net/fieldguide/critter/hogchoker

yes that's a sturgeon in the 2nd photo-released quickly.

3rd photo is a 40ft pole we caught at the corner of Bear Mountain right before a massive thunderstorm and a barge were coming our way...

[shresearchdude]

Winter flounder. We worked on the little guys for a few years in Raritan Bay/Navesink. We conducted some growth studies of fish in cages in various habitats. There were a few days where we collected hundreds of the little guys from a small zone in one of Sandy Hooks coves. To find such numbers of fish the method and timing really has to be focused and precise.
I'm going to put in some extra effort this year to determine if the densities of the fish in those coves is the same. As soon at the water gets toasty in those coves the fish spread out and head into the bay and find deeper habitat.

The photo's are of Georges Bank fish.

http://www.asmfc.org/species/winter-flounder

[shresearchdude]

Witch flounder also know as grey sole.

old link
http://www.gma.org/fogm/Glyptocephalus_cynoglossus.htm

a Canadian fisheries link
http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/science/publications/uww-msm/articles/witchflounder-pliegrise-eng.htm

[shresearchdude]

Clearnose skate. We worked on these guys last year determining how quickly they digest their food. The "old" estimate was a much slower rate of digestion.

http://journal.nafo.int/dnn/Volumes/Articles/ID/619/Gastric-evacuation-rates-in-male-Clearnose-Skate-emLeucoraja-eglanteriaem-in-the-laboratory


The group photo is/are clearnose skates
The single photo is of a "pigment impaired" Winter skate.
The difference??
Not so much the appearance as the maximum size and a small rough patch on the underside of the fish...

What you may find in the restaurant could likely be the Winter Skate.

[shresearchdude]

Cod. I'll try to get some more photo's of large catches-don't have them on home computer.

The catches have seemed to drop off over the years from my own experience. That doesn't mean that I've been on the boat when they are in the cod sweet spots though...
Some of the graphics I've seen are alarming though. I'll try to find them.

2014 assessment for Gulf of Maine cod.

http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/saw/cod/pdfs/GoM_cod_2014_update_20140822.pdf

[shresearchdude]

I'm getting lazy...

Minke whale-from my Antarctic trip. They feed on krill that are hiding under the ice. Here is a group shooting under .

[shresearchdude]

Pollock. Boston Bluefish.

old link
http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/nefsc/publications/tm/tm131/tm131.pdf

http://newenglandoceanodyssey.org/tag/atlantic-pollock/

[shresearchdude]

Hagfish. YUCK!!! no one wants to measure or work on these fish when they come up in a bottom trawl. The dirty jobs episode was a mess and that's how these fish get-if you let them sit too long.

http://www.wired.com/2014/11/creature-feature-10-fun-facts-hagfish/

discovery channel video
http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/other-shows/videos/nasty-by-nature-hag-fish-slime/

[shresearchdude]

Chain dogfish. These don't get much bigger than 18".

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/discover/species-profiles/scyliorhinus-retifer/

[shresearchdude]

Alligatorfish. This fish doesn't get any bigger than 8-9 inches and it's armored.
It was hard to find info on this fish since all the searches thought I was looking for an alligator gar. Had to look up the scientific name

Alligatorfish- Aspidophoroides monopterygius


http://www.gma.org/fogm/A_monopterygius.htm

[Duffman]

Chain dogfish. These don't get much bigger than 18".

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/discover/species-profiles/scyliorhinus-retifer/

Never thought Id say it but that's a cool looking doggie!

Any idea if that would survive well... or at all in a home SW Aquarium?

[shresearchdude]

Today we have the Torpedo Ray. They can discharge a short burst of nearly 200 volts!!! When stuff like this comes on board-they keep most from getting near it. The photo is from a professors collection at UMASS(2007)

This is a story about some Canadian researcher that attached a pop up tag to one-no update about what happened to the tag.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/torpedo-ray-satellite-tag-dalhousie-1.3269769

https://youtu.be/3Uk1YypqR-Q

[shresearchdude]

Angel shark. These are not to be trusted when they are caught.

more later

[shresearchdude]

Oyster Toadfish- "JM-Although it is edible, oyster toadfish are rarely eaten because of their grotesque appearance."


an interesting link...
http://cbf.typepad.com/bay_daily/2012/06/if-you-were-this-ugly-youd-bite-too.html

the two fish photo are two we caught while beach seining. The other guy I had in a tank for our open house..

May 22, 2016 at N.J. Sea Grant Consortium on Sandy Hook
Both locations 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Free admission and free parking!

[shresearchdude]

Hook ear sculpin. They don't get bigger than a few inches. If you look really close to the photo you can see a hook/barb along the side of the fish-I suppose it's near the ear...

http://www.gma.org/fogm/Artediellus_uncinatus.htm

[shresearchdude]

Here's a pic of some tiny stripers from the Hudson River. Up near the Tappan Zee is the hotspot for fining these guys. It's amusing when you try to find them as in a beach seine in that zone you can find striped bass and largemouth bass in the same area.

[shresearchdude]

Max depth of this one is 4200Meters

Threadfin Dragonfish. This one I've never seen. I can't imagine one that is 14"max length size...

http://fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?ID=10214&AT=Threadfin+Dragonfish

They seem to be more common on Pacific side I've not done a research trip off the west coast yet

[Taxman]

Have you ever seen one of these?

http://www.grindtv.com/fishing/mysterious-winged-fish-with-evil-eyes-caught-by-nova-scotia-fishermen/#UiotPWm28s0srBXF.97

[shresearchdude]

Have you ever seen one of these?

http://www.grindtv.com/fishing/mysterious-winged-fish-with-evil-eyes-caught-by-nova-scotia-fishermen/#UiotPWm28s0srBXF.97


I've only learned about them in books and museum collections... one of the oldest living designs

[shresearchdude]

Cobia???? well this isn't my photo but I caught one in a fish trap in the Arthur Kil River about 15 years ago that was about 4" long.

There was a new NJ record fish by spear entered last year.

[shresearchdude]

Inshore Lizardfish. These fish are lie and wait ambush predators. I've kept a few in tank for short periods and they bury themselves and grab hold of fish with their very sharp teeth.
They aren't caught too frequently by most fisherman. This fish was caught in a bottom trawl off the tip of SH a few years ago.
The most obvious way to identify them is their "cigar shape" and pointed snout that seems to be part of a triangle shape. Size can be up to 18" but I've only seen them to about 10"

[shresearchdude]

Just some sunrise/sunset photo's today. I will usually volunteer for the overnight shift when I go on any survey boat. Watching the sunrise and smelling the bacon cooking in the galley makes for some good days. Having someone cook me breakfast each day can't be beat-I'm too lazy to do it myself.

[shresearchdude]

Shad, Alewife, Blueback Herring, Atlantic Herring. Without seeing them often it's easy to miss which is which sometimes.
Atlantic Herring tend to be more "cigar shaped". Shad should have a row of spots along their dorsal line.
Alewifes and Bluebacks are always split open on the survey boats and the Blueback have a black lining in their stomach.

Atlantic herring don't come in to spawn.
Alewife are the first to come inshore to fresh water to spawn in the spring.

[shresearchdude]

tiny Spoonarm Octopus. These only get a few inches long. Mostly deeper and Gulf of Maine north.

http://descna.com/index.php/speciesrecords/cephalopods/bathypolypus-arcticus-spoonarm-octopus

[shresearchdude]

Lanternfish. Myctophidae. These have been referred to as one of the most abundant fish in the ocean. They come from deep locations and don't hold up well when trawled up.
If they come up in good shape they are covered with very fine silver scales-that come off very easily. They utilize bioluminescence.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanternfish



http://solvinzankl.photoshelter.com/image/I0000dgQ2prpFW.s

[shresearchdude]

Weakfish??? yes
I'm trying to put some work together this summer on some. Likely a tag retention study in our lab. They don't hold tags well, but it hasn't been documented well.

We did a tracking study in 2006-07 but it never got written up in the perspective of three separate species. I'm trying to put something else together with a researcher from North Carolina U.

This tracking publication isn't detailed about individual fish movements but more about how long the three species stayed in the Navesink.
http://fishbull.noaa.gov/1122_3/manderson.pdf

the tails of the fish less than one year are of a different shape than the adults...

[shresearchdude]

Dwarf Goatfish! Yes when something that has color in it around here it's usually very noticeable. I got one of these in a trawl back ten years ago in Raritan Bay when we were doing some bottom trawls for a fellow colleague.

http://fishbase.org/summary/1095

not my photo... I had preserved the specimen-but like most things around here-it was disposed of when it wasn't needed anymore....

[shresearchdude]

Sticklebacks come in various types. 5 Spine-9 Spine. Either way you slice it when they get eaten by predators they stick their spines up and I've had multiple smaller predators try to eat them. Each and every time they get caught in the predator throat and they cough them back out.
Inshore. Grassy beds. The fish maintain their "nest" and keep other fish out.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stickleback

this video sounds a bit like fish porn-and no I'm not the narrator
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Three-spined_stickleback#p003k10x

[shresearchdude]

Bluespotted cornetfish. I've seen these up to about 10" in our area.
When they are darting around they can be mistaken for needlefish.

I've caught them in beach seines.

[shresearchdude]

So lets go with the Atlantic Needlefish then. I haven't been doing tons of beach seines or looking for snappers in the river in the last year or two. But that's where they should be found. I had thought I had heard that they weren't so plentiful over the last few years..???

http://www.chesapeakebay.net/fieldguide/critter/atlantic_needlefish

http://www.fishbase.org/summary/SpeciesSummary.php?ID=974&genusname=Strongylura&speciesname=marina

[shresearchdude]

Striped Killifish. Although they can tolerate some harsh conditions these fish don't do well when kept at the same conditions as the more better known marsh killifish.
So they die quicker. Their design with a sloped nose allows them to dive into the sand to avoid predators and beach seines. I've watched killies move into a dry marsh as the tide rolls in-and they were at the front end of the water as it moved in.

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/delriver/artdel_sp_strkillifish.pdf

bonus photo of the parade this weekend.

[shresearchdude]

Lets stick with tiny baitfish for a few days then...

Sheepshead minnow-these chunky little guys aren't that numerous but they do show up occasionally in different locations.

http://www.gma.org/fogm/Cyprinodon_variegatus.htm

[SaltLife1980]

Striped Killifish. Although they can tolerate some harsh conditions these fish don't do well when kept at the same conditions as the more better known marsh killifish.
So they die quicker. Their design with a sloped nose allows them to dive into the sand to avoid predators and beach seines. I've watched killies move into a dry marsh as the tide rolls in-and they were at the front end of the water as it moved in.

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/delriver/artdel_sp_strkillifish.pdf

bonus photo of the parade this weekend.

Sometimes get these mixed in with killies when you get em. I know one thing. Fluke dont like em:D

[shresearchdude]

now the common kilifish.

Which is actually a Mummichog. I've got a few pets in a tank that I've been neglecting all winter. Whenever there were leftovers from some larger fish that didn't want to eat anymore-the small guys got to clean up. They are super easy to breed. Here they use a pleated filter hung in the water that has been brought up to the spawning temperature range. And then they pull the filter and leave it out of the water for a period-just like low tide. And they hatch when they get wet again.

http://www.gma.org/fogm/Fundulus_heteroclitus.htm

[shresearchdude]

White Mullet-generally mistaken for striped mullet.

We can get the tiny guys in beach seines but forget about them once they grow to a few inches-they just jump over the net-if they get the chance.

I have been fishing a point of land and watched mullet heading for the edge of the corner and have predators-stripers/bluefish just waiting for them. It's spectacular when you're at the right place at the right time.

http://www.sms.si.edu/irlspec/Mugil_curema.htm

[shresearchdude]

Deepbody Boarfish.

I only see these on the NOAA Bottom Trawl Survey ships. They are a deep species that seem to have a wide range.

http://www.fishbase.se/summary/3258

[shresearchdude]

Scup. also known as Porgy

One of the most amazing things I've seen in our tanks is a 7-8" Scup dive under the sand to avoid a net that was being dragged in our main tank to collect the various fish I had in there for an open house..

It dove under the sand and only left an eyeball visible. The design of the fish wouldn't make one think that it would be possible...

[shresearchdude]

Seahorse. Lets just go with the generic one, which is the lined seahorse.
I've had them in tanks and they behave well. The male carries the eggs.
AND if you have them in a small tank and maybe? you don't feed them quite enough-when they give birth they just might eat the babies. :eek:
That happened just before the doors opened for an open house one year.

http://www.chesapeakebay.net/fieldguide/critter/lined_seahorse

[shresearchdude]

I had a good streak going. It's not my fault that software was crashing...

Sand Lance aka sand eels

http://www.fishbase.org/summary/3822

[shresearchdude]

some fish that are more like eels...

Daubed Shanny

http://www.arctic.uoguelph.ca/cpl/organisms/fish/marine/pricklebacks/daubed.htm

[shresearchdude]

Lookdown. They can be found in beach seines and the MAST teaching boat "Blue Sea" gets them in their trawls each year.

http://www.chesapeakebay.net/fieldguide/critter/lookdown

[shresearchdude]

an occasional visitor during the late summer in beach seines...

Spotfin Butterfly fish-
"Larvae are sometimes swept northward which accounts for the sighting of juvenile specimens as far north as Massachusetts, USA during summer months. One record (one specimen, 3 cm) from Musquodoboit Harbor, Nova Scotia, Canada"

http://www.fishbase.se/summary/3604

[Duffman]

taking requests?....:D

Back bay and Shrews/Navi river fish...

[shresearchdude]

Bay anchovy. Small but plentiful. Not hardy as they just can't handle being out of the water or too much heat. They are filter feeders and if you look for them feeding in areas of concentrated flow you can see them flash as they dart and filter out what's there. They are often confused with tiny snappers feeding-as people see the silver flash and don't know what they are.



http://www.chesapeakebay.net/fieldguide/critter/bay_anchovy

the photo is of a different anchovy but it shows them feeding...no photo credit given but I'll get it later...

[shresearchdude]

Atlantic silversides..

http://njseagrant.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/atlantic-silverside.pdf

photo shows silversides and anchovy

[shresearchdude]

How about the local small shrimp...

Sand Shrimp. These are more commonly found in sandy areas. They tend to be "brownish" and I've seen them to 2".

http://www.edc.uri.edu/restoration/html/gallery/invert/sand.htm

[shresearchdude]

This run is over. I've got way too much going on.... thanks for playing the game!

[henro]

Was great while it lasted! Thanks for sharing!

[Reelron]

Thanks for taking the time!

[shresearchdude]

I'll still put up some cool stuff.

Like this Cutlassfish fishing video..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0w8YlKo8Wvk#t=441

[Taxman]

Thanks for all the posts

[MVP]

This was a great thread. Nthanks for taking the time to post