Transcript Freshwater Fish Species Identification

FRESHWATER FISH
SPECIES IDENTIFICATION
#8985-C
Table of Contents
• Introduction
• Game Fish Species
• Non-Game Fish Species
• Protected Fish Species
Introduction
• Freshwater fish live in public or private waters
such as rivers, streams, creeks, lakes, ponds,
and reservoirs.
• The salt content of freshwater ranges from 0
to 5 parts per thousand.
• Any person can have access to public waters.
•
Private water is any body of water that is
completely surrounded by privately owned
land.
•
Water can flow through private property.
•
People can have access to this water, but not
to the property on either side.
• Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TP&WD)
identified the nine main species of freshwater
game fish discussed in this presentation.
• TP&WD regulates not only the game fish, but
the non-game species and protected species.
To help in identification of fish species, let’s
review some terminology and parts of the fish.
• Anterior – on or towards the head.
• Posterior – on or towards the tail.
Anterior
Picture by Timothy Knepp courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Posterior
• Dorsal – toward the back or upper surface.
• Ventral – toward the abdominal or lower side.
Dorsal
Ventral
Picture by Timothy Knepp courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
• Medial – toward the central or middle of the body.
• Lateral – on or toward the right or left side of the
body.
Lateral
Medial
Lateral
Photo by Jan Dean courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Game Fish Species
• TP&WD closely regulates taking of game fish
species.
• Some species may be natural hybrids.
Drawing by Glenn Young courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
The following fish will be discussed in this
presentation of game species:
• Bass
• Catfish
• Crappie
• Sauger
• Chain Pickerel
• Trout
• Walleye
Bass
• There are two families of bass discussed in this
lesson:
• Sea bass family
• Sunfish family
“Temperate” or “true bass belong to the sea bass
family. They include
• Striped Bass
• White Bass
• Yellow Bass
• Hybrid Striped Bass
Striped Bass
Morone saxatilis
Photo by Duane Raver courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
The striped bass is a saltwater species that
moves far upstream during spawning.
Photo by Eric Engbretson courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
White Bass
Morone chrysops
Photo by Duane Raver courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
The white bass is a freshwater species that can
be identified by a double dorsal fin in which the
front spiny portion separates from the rear softrayed portion.
Photo by Eric Engbretson courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
YelloAw Bass
Morone mississippiensis
• The yellow bass gets its name from the yellow
color on its belly and sides.
• It is easily confused with the white bass or a
young striped bass.
•
The bottom two stripes on each side are
broken slightly behind the middle of the fish.
•
The yellow bass is a small species, usually less
than one pound.
Hybrid Striped Bass
Morone saxatilis x Morone chrysops
• The hybrid striped bass is a cross between the
striped bass and the white bass.
• This is a unique cross because the striped bass
is a saltwater species and the white bass is a
freshwater species.
The sunfish family, also called black bass, include
the following species:
• Largemouth Bass
• Smallmouth Bass
• Guadalupe Bass
• Spotted Bass
Largemouth Bass
Micropterus salmoides
•
The largemouth bass exists in Texas waters as
the native largemouth.
•
The Florida largemouth is an exotic to Texas
waters.
Photo by Duane Raver courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Photo by Eric Engbretson courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Smallmouth Bass
Micropterus dolomieu
• The smallmouth bass is similar to the
largemouth species, except for the size of its
mouth.
Photo by Duane Raver courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Photo by Eric Engbretson courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Guadalupe Bass
Micropterus treculli
Spotted Bass
Micropterus punctulatus
Catfish
• There are five catfish species common to
Texas waters. (Note: three are game species and two are non-game species.)
• Channel Catfish
• Blue Catfish
• Flathead Catfish
Channel Catfish
Ictalurus punctatus
•
The channel catfish and the blue catfish have
very similar characteristics.
•
The channel catfish is a popular species for
aquaculture.
Photo by Duane Raver courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Photo by Eric Engbretson courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Blue Catfish
Ictalurus furcatus
• The blue catfish are big-river fish that reach
weights up to 300 pounds.
Photo by Duane Raver courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Flathead Catfish
Pylodictis olivaris
•
The flathead catfish, sometimes called the yellow
cat, is another popular freshwater sport fish in
Texas waters.
•
The flathead or yellow cat is considered the
largest popular freshwater sport fish.
Photo by Duane Raver courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Photo by Eric Engbretson courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Crappie
• White crappie and black crappie are popular
game fish in Texas waters.
• Both are sunfish.
• White crappie is common statewide, whereas
the black crappie is limited to East Texas.
White Crappie
Pomaxis annularis
Photo by Duane Raver courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Black Crappie
Pomoxis nigromaculatus
Photo by Duane Raver courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Photo by Eric Engbretson courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Sauger
•
Saugers (Strizostedion canadense) are
members of the perch family.
•
They resemble walleye.
•
They are another exotic to Texas, coming
from the Ohio River and Lake Erie.
•
They are a food species for winter fishing.
Photo by Duane Raver courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Chain Pickerel
•
The chain pickerel (Esox niger) is related to the
northern pike and the muskellunge, or muskie.
•
They are another species that are fished for
during colder weather.
Photo by Duane Raver courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Trout
• Trout are cold-water species and, as that
would suggest, this does not allow them to
thrive in warm Texas waters.
• Two species of trout are popular game fish:
• Rainbow trout
• Brown trout
Rainbow Trout
Oncorhynchus mykiss
• Rainbow trout are anadromous. That is, they
live in the sea, but return to rivers to breed.
Photo by Duane Raver courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Photo by Eric Engbretson courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Brown Trout
Salmo Trutta
• The brown trout is an exotic to North
American waters.
• They are often stocked in Texas waters
during the winter.
Photo by Duane Raver courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Walleye
Sander vitreum
• The walleye is a member of the perch
family.
• This species has been stocked in many
lakes and reservoirs.
• They normally reach the 12 to 15 pound
weight range.
Photo by Duane Raver courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Photo by Eric Engbretson courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Non-Game Fish Species
• Non-game fish are often referred to as “trash
fish.”
• There are two reasons for this:
1. Most of their meat has little appeal; and
2. They tend to interfere with the production of
game fish species.
•
Non-game fish have no season and no limits.
•
However, this does not include any species
on the threatened or endangered species
list.
The following non-game species are discussed in
this presentation.
• Sunfish
• Drum
• Alligator Gar
• Bullhead Catfish
• Carp
• Tilapia
Sunfish
• Sunfish are a popular species that do have
tasty meat.
• Often they are stocked to provide food or
fodder for game fish species.
Five species of sunfish are discussed.
• Bluegill Sunfish
• Warmouth
• Green Sunfish
• Redear Sunfish
• Longear Sunfish
Bluegill Sunfish
Lepomis macrochirus
The bluegill sunfish is the most popular sunfish
and is found statewide.
Photo by Duane Raver courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Warmouth
Lepomis gulosus
Warmouth is another species found statewide
and averages eight ounces in weight.
Photo by Duane Raver courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Green Sunfish
Lepomis cyanellus
The green sunfish has a large mouth like the
warmouth and can easily hybridize with other
sunfish.
Photo by Duane Raver courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Redear Sunfish
Lepomis microlophus
• The redear sunfish does not have an ear as its
name suggests. The male’s opercule flap is
red and the female’s flap is orange.
Photo by Duane Raver courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Longear Sunfish
Lepomis megalotis
The longear sunfish have a long opercule flap
that gives the illusion of a long ear.
Photo by Duane Raver courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Freshwater Drum
Aplodinotus grunniens
• The drum is a non-game fish that produces
a deep booming sound.
• The drum is a statewide species that is
found in all major rivers and
impoundments.
Photo by Duane Raver courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Alligator Gar
Atractosteus spathula
• The alligator gar is the largest member of the
gar family.
• It can reach and often exceeds 150 pounds in
weight.
• The gar is an “air breather” and can survive in
stagnant waters where few other species
could survive.
Photo by Duane Raver courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Bullhead Catfish
• The black bullhead catfish and the yellow
bullhead catfish are non-game species.
• Both will weigh about two pounds.
Black Bullhead
Ameiurus melas
Photo by Duane Raver courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Yellow Bullhead
Ameiurus natalis
Photo by Duane Raver courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Photo by Eric Engbretson courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Carp
• The two species of carp common to Texas are
the common carp and the grass carp.
• These exotic species were originally native to
Asia.
Common Carp
Cyprinus carpio
• The common carp, which can live over 45
years and exceed 75 pounds, is a scavenger
that feeds on plants and animal materials.
Photo by Duane Raver courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Grass Carp
Ctenopharyngodon idella
•
The grass carp is a potentially invasive species
that can strip a water body of all aquatic
vegetation.
•
A triploid species has been genetically
developed to be sterile.
•
The triploid grass carp is protected and should
be returned to the water.
The grass carp, also known as the diploid grass
carp, is not protected.
Photo by Eric Engbretson courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Tilapia
Oreochromis
There are several of the Oreochromis species, but
the one commonly found in Texas waters is the
Oreochromis mossambicus or Mozambique
variety.
•
Tilapia are exotic to Texas waters.
•
They are native to Africa, specifically the Nile
River region.
•
They are herbivores and will not take a bait of
earthworms or insects.
•
False hooking can occur.
•
Tilapia are common aquaculture species.
Photo by Duane Raver courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Protected Fish Species
• There are many fish in Texas waters that are
on the threatened or endangered species list.
• The paddlefish is one species that can be
caught with a hook and line using a technique
called “snagging.”
Paddlefish
Polyodon spathula
• Since the paddlefish is a plankton feeder, it will
not take bait.
• Its meat has value, but it was once sought
after for its caviar.
• Although classified as a game fish, TP&WD
does not allow harvesting of this species.
Photo by Duane Raver courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Reproduction or redistribution of all, or part, of this
presentation without written permission is
prohibited.
Instructional Materials Service
Texas A&M University
2588 TAMUS
College Station, Texas 77843-2588
http://www-ims.tamu.edu
2006