6 replies to this topic

[MuskieBait]

Between April 3-8, we visited Florida for 5 days of fishing. Most of our effort was concentrated on Anglins Pier in Fort Lauderdale. I know members here are mostly focused on freshwater species, but let's not forget North America has some fantastic saltwater native species as well.

The pictures here are focused on fish that are lifers to me. There is a list at the end detailing all other species we caught that were not photographed.

 

You can visit my blog to read the adventures.

 

http://muskiebaitadv...rida-day-1.html

Yellow Sea Chub (Kyphosus incisor) - Species #413



Black Margate (Anisotremus surinamensis) - Species #414



Grass Porgy (Calamus arctifrons) - Species #415



Smooth Trunkfish (Rhinesomus triqueter) - Species #416



Initial phase Queen Parrotfish (Scarus vetula) - Species #417



Initial phase Stoplight Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) - Species #418



Terminal phase Redband Parrotfish (Sparisoma aurofrenatum)



Peacock Cichlid (Cichla ocellaris) - not native



Hornet Tilapia (Tilapia buttikoferi) - Species #419 - not native


 

Edited by MuskieBait, 28 July 2015 - 08:38 PM.

[MuskieBait]

Spotted Tilapia (Tilapia mariae) - not native



Blue Tilapia (Oreochromis aureus) - Species #420 - not native



Pike Killifish (Belonesox belizanus) - Species #421 - not native



Jewelfish (Hemichromis bimaculatus) - not native



Black Acara (Cichlasoma bimaculatum) - not native



Mangrove Gambusia (Gambusia rhizophorae) - Species #422



Sheepshead Minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus variegatus) - Species #423



Blackear Wrasse (Halichoeres poeyi) - Species #424



Florida Pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) - Species #425



Bluehead Wrasse (Thalassoma bifasciatum)


 

[MuskieBait]

Bermuda Sea Chub (Kyphosus sectatrix)



Rainbow Parrotfish (Scarus guacamaia) - Species #426

Dollar Sunfish (Lepomis marginatus) - Species #427



Brown Hoplo (Hoplosternum littorale) - Species #428



Atlantic Lookdown (Selene vomer) - Species #429



Other species caught but not photographed...

Sergeant Major
Spottail Pinfish
Slippery Dick Wrasse
Redtail Parrotfish
Porkfish
Tomtate Grunt
French Grunt
Bigeye Scad
Atlantic Bumper
Slender Mojarra
Sand Perch
Houndfish
Bandtail Pufferfish
Yellow Bullhead
Walking Catfish
Eastern Mosquitofish
Mayan Cichlid
Seminole Killifish
Golden Topminnow
Great Barracuda

French Angelfish

[gerald]

Nice shots ... thanks for posting.  The parrotfish and wrasses are spectacular!  The pattern and deep body of your Tilapia buttikoferi looks strange ... I wonder if maybe some have hybridized with T. mariae?   Florida's feral jewel cichlids may be a blend of species.  FL-FWC calls them H. bimaculatus, but USGS-NAS refers to them as H. letourneuxi.  Jewels have been farmed and sold in FL since long before many of the species were recognized.

[Isaac Szabo]

Nice catches. Lots of cool fish. I especially like the stoplight parrotfish.

[MuskieBait]

Nice shots ... thanks for posting.  The parrotfish and wrasses are spectacular!  The pattern and deep body of your Tilapia buttikoferi looks strange ... I wonder if maybe some have hybridized with T. mariae?   Florida's feral jewel cichlids may be a blend of species.  FL-FWC calls them H. bimaculatus, but USGS-NAS refers to them as H. letourneuxi.  Jewels have been farmed and sold in FL since long before many of the species were recognized.

Thanks gerald. You are right. I was a bit surprised by the pattern of the Tilapia buttikoferi as well. The black bars seemed broken, narrower and fewer than most picture of Tilapia buttikoferi I've seen. The black spot on the soft dorsal appeared consistent though.

 

With the troublesome Florida canals full of related species, and the aquaculture origin of these fish, it is entirely possible that most of the exotics are not pure in genetics. It would not surprise me if the Tilapia buttikoferi in the picture was a hybrid. I realize this fact, but for the purpose of my lifelist, I call them the closest and most reasonable species they might be. Short of a genetic test, it is all conjecture anyhow.

I did catch a few more juveniles that are more consistent with the classic Tilapia buttikoferi appearance, only that I did not take any more picture of them #-oso I can release them quickly. (My general rule is that I will usually spend a bit more time photographing my first captured specimen of that species, and subsequent catches of the same species are quickly released when possible. I can live with sacrificing one individual within the species to properly document the catch, but beyond that, I'll practice conservation and humane treatment of fish and try to get them back quickly as I can if they are not intended for food or bait)

Appreciate your thoughts though! Maybe next time in Florida I'll try to catch one that is purer in genetics

[Sean Phillips]

Great catches! I especially like all the Wrasse and Parrotfosh species .