12 replies to this topic

[Betta132]

These are all from a two-hour seining session in Port Aransas. They were in a salty inlet, but they were fairly far from the ocean. I didn't test the salinity, but there were mullet and food shrimp, so it's definitely salty. The mullet were jumping quite a bit, so I think the oxygen level was a bit low, possibly due to all the decaying plants underwater. We've had a record amount of rain lately, so the salt may have been a bit diluted. 

 

I know these aren't very good pics, but can anyone suggest things? I can Google them and see if they look right. 

These were in a very shallow area, like a stream, but not coming from anywhere that I could see. They were probably in brackish water. I caught quite a few, all smaller than 2" long. 

#1

Killifish?

 

#2

I know those aren't good pics, I was dealing with a struggling fish that I wanted to return quickly due to the fact that the water was warm and probably low-oxygen. Does anybody have any idea what it might be? I was thinking possibly molly, but the tail seems wrong. 

 

#3

This looks familiar, but I can't place it. 

 

#4

There were huge swarms of these guys in every bit of shallow water near cover. Half an inch long, vaguely flagfish shaped, spots on the sides. I know it's nearly impossible to ID something from a pic like this, but does anyone have an idea?

 

 

These guys were all in a deeper area, though still in the shallows.

#5

This is the school of tinies we accidentally caught. Several dozen minnows, two pinfish, and a couple of food shrimp. Any IDs on the minnows?

 

 

#6

Tiny clear shrimp. Not a food shrimp, it was carrying eggs on its swimmerets. Would anyone like to take a guess, or should I just assume it's a ghost shrimp of some form? 

 

 

Not looking for IDs on these guys, just including them for anyone interested in the other critters found there.

 

Hermit crab. There were a bunch of these, occupying every good shell I could find. I've seen them at my local pet store in baseball-sized shells, so I know they get big. 

 

Sargassum pipefish who was hanging out in the submerged grass. They normally turn up in the floating sargassum, but we caught this one in a particularly deep area. He's probably rather confused. 

 

 

We also caught pinfish, food shrimp, and some variety of fry that was far too small to have any hope of IDing.

There were mullet leaping around and taunting me, but I couldn't catch any on a line. How does one entice a mullet to bite? I was using a small red worm hanging a few inches below the surface, alternating between letting it sit and reeling it in at various speeds to see if they'd chase it. No interest. 

[Evan P]

Sheepshead minnow, and possibly their young of the year for the smaller fish.

[mattknepley]

Neat little pipefish.

[Dustin]

Top fish is Fundulus similis.  

#2 looks like a mullet, possibly white but impossible to be sure.  

#3 Sheepshead minnow

#4 most likely juvenile sheepsheads

#5 Silverside of some sort

[zooxanthellae]

 

 

#1 I can't really tell, but I'd look into the striped killifish Fundulus majalis.

#2a Is a mullet of some kind, look into white mullet Mugil curema, and striped mullet Mugil cephalus.

#2b is a different fish altogether, and at first glance I'd say a sheepshead minnow but I can't say for sure from the pic.

#3 is a sheepshead minnow.

#5 a and b are silversides. There isn't enough detail in the pic for me to give you an ID though.

#6 again, not enough detail, but I'd look at the marsh grass shrimp complex:

http://www.dnr.sc.gov/cwcs/pdf/grassshrimp.pdf 

[fritz]

the pipefish is most likely a gulf pipefish, common along shore while a sargassum pipe is more oceanic.

for future photo IDs, please get a lateral shot of the fish. IDing fish from a dorsal view is very difficult

[gerald]

#3 could also be Floridichthys, rather than Cyprinodon.

[Chasmodes]

I love the pipefish!  

[Betta132]

Thanks for all the IDs! Especially wasn't expecting an ID on the teeny ones.

I know dorsal IDs are tough, but I couldn't keep them held still, and I wanted to put the fish back as soon as possible. The water was warm and probably low-oxygen, I didn't want anything to smother. I guess I need a good photo tank. 

I found two dead striped mullet (I stepped on one and it sqwrunched, EW), so that's probably what the baby mullet was. 

The silversides look like maybe inland silversides, after some research. Very pretty. Are they suitable for aquariums? 

Marsh grass shrimp look about right for the tiny one. 

 

The pipefish are some of my favorite catches! I'm pretty sure this one is a sargassum pipe. I've found sargassum pipes before, washed up in the sargassum clumps, so that guy probably rode up on something from further offshore. 

[keepnatives]

I think #3 is most likely Floridicihthys. 

[Dustin]

You are most likely correct Mike.  I thought the face, body shape and coloration looked off for sheepshead but thought they may be too far west for Floridichthys.  Just shows my ignorance of the range.  

[zooxanthellae]

#3 could also be Floridichthys, rather than Cyprinodon.

  

I think #3 is most likely Floridicihthys.

Well on a second look, I think you guys are correct. I stand by #2b being cyprinodon though based on the ocellus visible on the dorsal fin. As far as I know,Floridichthys doesn't have this feature right?

[Betta132]

After Googling them, I think there may have been some Cyprinodon in my catches as well, and a bunch more of them racing around eluding me. The body shape and color look about right. Aren't those guys pretty rare, though?