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Reinhardt University Bioblitz 2014

Started by Michael Wolfe , Apr 15 2014 12:27 PM

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12 replies to this topic

#1 Michael Wolfe

Board of Directors

North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 15 April 2014 - 12:27 PM

Once again this year (for the fourth straight year), NANFA Georgia supported Dr. Zach Felix and Reinhardt University during their BioBlitz with an afternoon of seining the stream through campus and beyond. We broke up into three groups, each with 8 to 10 students (most of whom had never been in the stream and a few of which claimed to have never touched a fish before) and a couple of NANFAns. The groups sampled different reaches of the stream, both competing to see who could come up with tte most species and also to cover the various habitats that might present themselves. I took my group to my traditional area (the ditch between the parking lot and the ball fields... INCOMING... the home run ball just missed our group and splashed into the stream) which despite being overlooked is always a productive stretch.

We were busy with the students so we did not get a lot of good fish pictures, but the listing of fishes observed was as follows (and as I have mentioned before... the E. scotti are very abundant in some stretches of this system... yes, we know they are federally listed... and no, none of them were harassed):

Lamprey, Ichthyomyzon sp.
Stoneroller, Campostoma sp.
Alabama shiner, Cyprinella callistia
Tricolor shiner, Cyprinella trichoristia
Coosa shiner, Notropis xaenocephalus
Rainbow shiner, Notropis chrosomus
Golden shiner, Notemigonus crysoleucas
Creek Chub, Semotilus atromaculatus
Alabama Hogsucker, Hypentelium etowanum
Redhorse, Moxostoma sp.
Southern Studfish, Fundulus stellifer
mosquitofish, Gambusia sp.
Coosa banded scuplin, Cottus carolinae zopherus
Cherokee darter, Etheostoma scotti
Speckled darter, Etheostoma stigmaeum
Blackbanded darter, Percina nigrofaciata
Redbreast sunfish, Lepomis auritus
Green sunfish, Lepomis cyanellus
Bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus
bass, Micropterus sp.

We had a great day and so did the students... take a look at the pictures... any time you can get the co-ed to kiss the hogsuckers and this rainbow dude shows up... then you know it was a good day!
Posted Image

Thanks again to Alejandro, Camm, Keith R, Casper and Bryson for their work today!

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

#2 Guest_jblaylock_*

Guests

Posted 15 April 2014 - 12:31 PM

Sounds like a lot of fun. I'm jealous of your shiners!

#3 Michael Wolfe

Board of Directors

North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 15 April 2014 - 02:33 PM

I just got this from Dr. Felix (not only is it nice that he says 'thank you'... but I really like the thought process around making people aware of what is in the water right next to them). And he is already looking forward to next year and making the whole thing even more fishy!

Yes, a heartfelt thank you from myself and from our students here. Many of these young women and men have never seen a wild fish besides maybe a largemouth bass or bluegill. To see the colors and shapes of the fish in their backyard is a real eye-opener for them. They will likely forget the scientific name of shiners before too long, but the impression that there is more than meets the eye in a small stream that they drive by every day will stick with them. That is fantastic and I am grateful you guys provide that for them. Let's turn an eye to next year and making it a whole day extravaganza about native fishes!

Thanks,

Zach Felix, Ph.D.
Asst. Professor
Biology Program
Reinhardt University

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

#4 Isaac Szabo

NANFA Member

Marble Falls, AR

Posted 15 April 2014 - 02:39 PM

Good work Michael!

#5 mattknepley

NANFA Member

Smack-dab between the Savannah and the Saluda.

Posted 16 April 2014 - 05:20 AM

Another great job of outreach, Michael!

Now, we need to hear how the type locality hunt went...

Matt Knepley
"No thanks, a third of a gopher would merely arouse my appetite..."

#6 Guest_fundulus_*

Guests

Posted 16 April 2014 - 09:35 AM

I'm surprised that you found no Coosa darters.

#7 Michael Wolfe

Board of Directors

North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 16 April 2014 - 09:49 AM

I saw some Coosa males later that weekend and based on that can tell you for sure that all the males that I saw were Cherokee... the difference in dorsal fin is dramatic.

I am not sure if Reinhardt is in a place where we are supposed to see both... I thought there was some places where you only get one or the other.

According to the Fishes of Georgia site http://fishesofgeorg...cies&class=fish if you are above lake Allatoona then you have no Coosa's... only Cherokee

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

#8 Michael Wolfe

Board of Directors

North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 16 April 2014 - 08:32 PM

Now, we need to hear how the type locality hunt went...

I've done some extra reading and although we had an excellent day at Little Cedar Creek in Cave Springs, GA we cannot consider that the type locality for the fishes we caught there.

All of the other locations we tried to visit were too high and we declined to get in with a seine and get dragged down stream.

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

#9 Guest_Casper_*

Guests

Posted 18 April 2014 - 12:38 PM

I finally kicked my Spring Cold well enough to make the short drive South into an area of Georgia i had never seen before, quite beautiful and as one approaches Rienhardt College the landscape becomes streamy, mountainous, forested. And as a seasonal bonus i figured to see an elusive Fungi amongst the streamside Mayapples and Trillium.
Glad i made it and most of the fish were familiar to me as they are also Conasauga residents. A few pics...

Campus Alert! Put your wading boots on!

Small pod of seiners, members of Group #3 Storm, CamoGal, Michigan, RedCross and Spotted Boots.

One of our first catches was writhing Lampreys, 2 or 3 per darter shuffle. With patience and a good eye someone may have caught sight of a spawning mass. The water was cold but if i had brought along a mask several spots offered enough depth for a chilly quick looksee. Inviting for a summer return.

I cannot recall what it was named? Cricket, Spring? A pretty green toadish skin.

Snake name... Ribbon? Not a biter.

Tricolors were in splendid color which suprised me. Such a beautiful, elegant shiner. Many were caught in this small creek.

Upstream we were headed in this beautiful, sheltered ravine.

The seiners pulled this Redhorse sucker from a narrow starstepping maze of shelf pockets. Big fish in a little water refuge, waiting for the next big rain.

Full body of the handsome beast. Scales were counted but i am unsure of the final call. A trained eye is needed for most Redhorses.

Group 3 all gathered, a happy, alert, enthusiast team.

Back downstream, crossed the highway and into a few Rainbows and Sunnies.

Back at the lab Ssss says the snake around Ale's neck.

Pickled Michael and the Hellbender. I do not believe Benders are found in these parts except in collection jars.

Michael peering at the pondering Pine Snake.

A nice experience with enthusiast students and fellow NANFA members Michael, Alejandro, Camm and a Father Son team. I also got to know Team Leader Keith a bit more and shared stories from a distant SFC experience. Afterwards i had offered to help Michael on his fishy data quest but being in recovery mode and another adventure planned starting Monday, i returned home late for a Sunday rest. Off to find those Buffalo and Dry Land Fish.

#10 Guest_daveneely_*

Guests

Posted 18 April 2014 - 08:53 PM

Love, love, love the photo of Michael and the bender. Maybe it's a testament to the power of ethanol. A bit for the bender, a bit for Dave. Hope them dry land fish are treating you well. I'm still only in double digits this year...

#11 Guest_blakemarkwell_*

Guests

Posted 19 April 2014 - 08:54 PM

Great stuff, Michael and Casper! The frog is indeed a Cricket Frog (Acris creptians), while the snake appears to be a juvenile Queen Snake (Regina septemvittata).

#12 Guest_Casper_*

Guests

Posted 19 April 2014 - 09:10 PM

That is correct Blake... i recall both those names being stated. A wonderful day. Today was wonderful as well... 200 Peckerheads. Pre Easter Morchella hunt.