Cape Cod Fish ID

caught this fish along with striped killifish, mummichogs, grass shrimp, and sheepshead minnows. i just couldnt ID this guy. caught on cape cod mass, brackish water. at first i was thinking rainwater killifsih but after looking at the pictures the mouth is def not upwards.

It's definitely a rainwater killifish, Lucania parva. The south-facing strip of the Cape is the northern edge of their range.

It's definitely a rainwater killifish, Lucania parva. The south-facing strip of the Cape is the northern edge of their range.

awesome...now i just need to find a hogchoker and Spotfin killifish. the hogchoker is the only fish that i am looking to take home and i cant freaking find it. if anyone knows a really good spot that i have the best chance to find one please PM me. id like to be able to picture a few more species while out here.
he long skinny silver fish that i am catching are silversides?

Edited by bumpylemon, 25 July 2010 - 10:56 AM.

Yeah, if you catch many, many long skinny silvery fish in a tidal creek or tidal flat, you have silversides. And if most of them die very quickly you can be really sure that they're silversides. The best places for hogchokers would be a tidal flat at high tide, or a sandy stretch of a tidal creek (you'd be trapped in the muddy stretches, take my word for it). The spotfin killis are known in Massachusetts only from marshes in the Palmer River along Highway 6 along the RI state line. I heard from Tony Terceira that he's found them in the Palmer system in both RI and MA in other locales than I visited 11 years ago, so they're around but he accessed the sites in a canoe rather than bushwhacking over the marsh by foot. But if anyone finds them elsewhere in MA, definitely tell someone (not just me!) since that would be a serious range extension beyond Narragansett Bay.

Yeah, if you catch many, many long skinny silvery fish in a tidal creek or tidal flat, you have silversides. And if most of them die very quickly you can be really sure that they're silversides. The best places for hogchokers would be a tidal flat at high tide, or a sandy stretch of a tidal creek (you'd be trapped in the muddy stretches, take my word for it). The spotfin killis are known in Massachusetts only from marshes in the Palmer River along Highway 6 along the RI state line. I heard from Tony Terceira that he's found them in the Palmer system in both RI and MA in other locales than I visited 11 years ago, so they're around but he accessed the sites in a canoe rather than bushwhacking over the marsh by foot. But if anyone finds them elsewhere in MA, definitely tell someone (not just me!) since that would be a serious range extension beyond Narragansett Bay.

i still havent had luck with the hogchokers. i was out 7 hours today on the tidal flats...millions of striped killis, mummichogs, silversides, blue crabs, and sheepshead minnows...no hogchokers. i even caught a flounder here last year WELL inland. i have 5 more days to find one. i went to the palmer river last week. caught lots of fish.

Everything always comes full circle I have now caught hogchokers and spotfins ill be catching on saturday ill actually be going with tony. We have a mutual friend. We also will be trying to photograph 3 spine sticklebacks. I have yet too catch those or blackspotted stickles.

I doubt you'll have trouble with three spines, but if you do, that breachway where we swam always has a few mixed w/silversides around the dock pilings.
To avoid handling 100s of silversides and mummies to find 3 sticklebacks, scan the pilings at night with a strong light. The sticklebacks have a unique shape seen from above, very thin with the keel very visible. They also move differently, stiff and jerky, not fluid like the rest of the bait.
You still only find a half dozen tops, amid a bazillion of bait, but you do it with just 8 or 10 surgical grabs with the net and no more than a few dozen bait to sort through.

Forgot to add that those salt ponds in RI all have potential spotfin killi habitat. You'd have to get way back in the skinniest water to avoid 5 lbs of assorted killies per dip to sort through. Something I've been meaning to do for years. No doubt I've driven, boated and walked right by them many times before.

Be sure to let me know if you do go...

We are going to be on the other side of newport. probably won't hit those salt ponds. I love those salt ponds tho. We will be in the rehobeth mass tiverton ri area. Then south to briggs marsh. We are also diving as well off of tiverton. Shall be a fun day...

Well?????

If I'm stuck at home weekend after weekend, SOMEBODY has to post somethin!

What did you see? I'm especially interested in what you saw diving.

Well….Mike Lucas (keepnatives) came down to my house and we left at 5am and headed for Rehobeth, MA with Matthew Wills(not on this site). We collected on the Palmer River. We hauled in a 2-3 foot American Eel. At this site we collected American eel, tessellated darters (millions), 4 spined sticklebacks, hogchokers, mummichogs, and banded killifish. It was sort of a setback there because I had usually caught swamp darters, 9 spined sticklebacks, and bluegills. We then went upstream to Seekonk in search of spotfin killifish…very frustrating….and we had no luck. Millions of mummichogs, rainwater killifish, hogchokers and sheepshead minnows. We headed to 100 acre cove from there and met up with Rich Pierce and Tony Terceira. And it was the same old mummies, sheepshead minnows, rainwaters millions of shrimp and striped killifish. We did however catch a 2 foot horseshoe crab. At this location I had previously caught Naked Gobies. The next few places we went it was a bust. The problem was the tides. We should have hit the eel grass beds at low tide and hit the marshes at high tide. So we were not able to collect in open ocean for the cool things. It was very windy…and cold therefore no diving took place. It was a disappointment that I caught more species in 3 hours alone than with 5 experienced collectors from sunrise to sunset (literally). But it still beat any day at work!

100 Acre Cove on the MA side contained good spotfin habitat, basically foot-deep mud in pockets between Spartina beds at the top of the tide zone. You gotta scoop out nets of mud and pick through to find them in my experience (hoping your waders are watertight and that you'll be able to pick up your feet at any given moment). After the first time I worked that area I went in to a McDonald's afterwards and got the funniest looks, less so after I thoroughly washed my arms and face....

Yeah Tony had your notes but we just didn't bother unfortunately. Still a great experience and it was awesome to be around so much knowledge

Now you know why I haven't put more effort into spotfins. I'm sure they're there, it's the persistence and avoiding the mixed bait.

One thing I forgot was duck season. Might not be too popular if you start wading the salt ponds, unless you can spook the ducks TOWARD the blinds.

Any idea what water temps were?

I still got a trip in me.

Now you know why I haven't put more effort into spotfins. I'm sure they're there, it's the persistence and avoiding the mixed bait.

One thing I forgot was duck season. Might not be too popular if you start wading the salt ponds, unless you can spook the ducks TOWARD the blinds.

Any idea what water temps were?

I still got a trip in me.

The water was prob mid 50s. The wind made it very cold. if there was no wind i would dove or snorkeled. I have another trip in me. i actually wanted to go to long island this week to try to find some northern puffers, seahorses, and possibly left over stragglers. Although i have heard the renaming tropicals in Long Island are parasite filled. you could treat them separately i suppose. I was thinking this weekend to go to New York but its the wifes birthday so i do not think i will be able to get away for a long trip. dont know how cold 2 weeks will be but i doubt it would be worth it. id prefer to not go after the marsh fish though.

The water was prob mid 50s. The wind made it very cold. if there was no wind i would dove or snorkeled. I have another trip in me. i actually wanted to go to long island this week to try to find some northern puffers, seahorses, and possibly left over stragglers. Although i have heard the renaming tropicals in Long Island are parasite filled. you could treat them separately i suppose. I was thinking this weekend to go to New York but its the wifes birthday so i do not think i will be able to get away for a long trip. dont know how cold 2 weeks will be but i doubt it would be worth it. id prefer to not go after the marsh fish though.

I saved a butterfly on Halloween some years back. Water was 60 F. Never have seen a parasite on one. Still, any living now will be well stressed.

I got conformation my wetsuit is gone forever. Ironically I'd finally fit it after all these years.

I'd still like a cunner or two, maybe a rock gunnel, something to stock the tank the butterflies were meant for. Maybe wave at the last passing stripers too. Could do with some fillets.