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Boston, Ma November 24, 2007

Started by Guest_diburning_* , Nov 24 2007 07:17 PM

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#1 Guest_diburning_*

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Posted 24 November 2007 - 07:17 PM

Ok, this really isn't a "collecting" trip. I went to an Asian Supermarket and saw some live catfish for sale. I asked the guy if he could get me a small one and asked him weigh it and then sell it to me live with water in the poly bag. (Next time, I'll bring a bucket) He said yes and I got one.

Here's the bullhead in his acclimation bucket. I am not sure what kind he is yet. (I haven't seen his chin barbels). He's over a foot long. The diameter of the bucket is a foot and he's a little longer than that. (The fish doesn't have ich, the water has small white pieces of crud in it)

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The funny part is the price I got him for:

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The supermarket gets the fish in regularly from Canada. If this guy survives acclimation, then I will start offering the fish to the NANFA community. (MA Permit: 942129)

The store has yellow and brown bullheads mixed together in a tank with channel cats (at least I think they are channels) The channels are larger than a foot though.

Anything smaller than a foot I'll buy and share. (the market is usually stuck with them because no one really wants the small ones except for the people making soup)

EDIT: Here he is in quarrantine. He's most probably a stunning mustard colored brown. Here's his face:

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And another pic

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#2 Guest_fundulus_*

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Posted 24 November 2007 - 07:23 PM

I know that market, on Comm. Ave. in Allston? I never thought to buy fish from them because they usually looked too beat up. I lived in Allston for a long time, and then on to Jamaica Plain, before hitting the Tennessee Valley.

#3 Guest_fishlvr_*

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Posted 24 November 2007 - 07:26 PM

Channel catfish have strongly forked tails and normally have spots on their sides. If the tail isn't extremely forked, I would say it's a white catfish. I have one and once he hits 6-7" I'm going to find it a mate.

If that's a yellow bullhead, I call dibs!!!

#4 Guest_diburning_*

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Posted 24 November 2007 - 07:47 PM

I am not too sure about the larger ones. I don't remember if their tails were forked or not. The fins weren't red like a channel and they didn't have spots so I'd say that they are whites. (or they could be something else. they don't have the "horns" that most ictalurids do like the bullheads. I know that channels have small barbels, but still, I'm not too sure)

The catfish in the tank weren't beat up. They look very good. This is the Super 88 on Commonwealth Ave in Allston.

This bullhead is most likely a brown/black because of it's chin barbels. There are yellows and browns in the tank (although I can't choose, what the guy catches is what I get).

I DO have a permit to sell them so if this guy survives in the quarrantine tank and doesn't develop any diseases, I'll go rescue more and offer them here. (they are a little large to ship though so I'll do overnight only most probably. The fish are only a two bucks or less so overnight isn't too costly)

#5 Guest_fishlvr_*

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Posted 24 November 2007 - 07:50 PM

If you could get a pic of the "white" catfish, I could more accurately I.D. them. They could also be blue catfish, but it isn't as likely.

#6 Guest_diburning_*

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Posted 24 November 2007 - 07:52 PM

If you could get a pic of the "white" catfish, I could more accurately I.D. them. They could also be blue catfish, but it isn't as likely.

They are white to silvery in color so they aren't blues. I am 90% certain that they aren't blues.

#7 Guest_mikez_*

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Posted 25 November 2007 - 04:59 PM

Those may all be caught locally despite the claim they come from elsewhere. If they have white cats I'll bet they are local, prolly from the nasty ole Charles River.
I am skeptical that it is even legal for them to sell them.

#8 Guest_fundulus_*

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Posted 25 November 2007 - 06:11 PM

Don't underestimate the Charles; one of the densest populations of banded killifish (Fundulus diaphanus) I've ever seen was in the Charles at Harvard Square, upstream of the bridge from Allston by the stadium. If you want to attract a crowd, start seining in the Charles during rush hour on a nice day; works like a charm!

#9 Guest_diburning_*

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Posted 25 November 2007 - 06:39 PM

Hmm, the only fish I've gotten from the charles is spottail shiners

They MIGHT be from the charles... They keep them in a tank along with common carp... hmm...

Maybe it's legal to sell for food?? I see channels in chinatown markets too, buth they sell out quickly.

If it is from the charles, then I would be dead already... I've bought an eaten them many times. (I wouldn't touch the carp though... the flesh is a mud color)

#10 Guest_mikez_*

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Posted 25 November 2007 - 06:54 PM

Don't underestimate the Charles; one of the densest populations of banded killifish (Fundulus diaphanus) I've ever seen was in the Charles at Harvard Square, upstream of the bridge from Allston by the stadium. If you want to attract a crowd, start seining in the Charles during rush hour on a nice day; works like a charm!

Oh, I don't underestimate the number or diversity of fish in the Charles. If it swims, at one time or another it's been found in the Charles. It's not the first place I's choose to harvest my next meal from though. :roll:

[Don't worry diburning, you won't die, I would limit the number of meals you take from there though].
BTW, banded killies are very numerous throughout eastern Ma in clear, cold lakes. Famous Walden Pond has tons.

#11 Guest_fundulus_*

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Posted 25 November 2007 - 07:08 PM

Yeah, banded killies are pretty much everywhere even in ponds that aren't so clear and cold, like Gibbs Pond on Nantucket and Maquan Pond in Hanson. Next time I'm in New England I want to pick up some as aquarium fish, they always did well and look good in an understated way.

And I definitely wouldn't eat any benthic fish out of the Charles, there's just too long a history of abuse and weirdness. And for that matter I avoid fish out of the Tennessee too, especially downstream of Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL. "The X Files" has some toehold in reality....

#12 Guest_mikez_*

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Posted 25 November 2007 - 07:49 PM

Yeah, banded killies are pretty much everywhere even in ponds that aren't so clear and cold, like Gibbs Pond on Nantucket and Maquan Pond in Hanson. Next time I'm in New England I want to pick up some as aquarium fish, they always did well and look good in an understated way.

And I definitely wouldn't eat any benthic fish out of the Charles, there's just too long a history of abuse and weirdness. And for that matter I avoid fish out of the Tennessee too, especially downstream of Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL. "The X Files" has some toehold in reality....

They are nice. The males at spawning time even approach being colorful by New England standards.
Gimme a heads up if you do come up this way. I've got a nice population of banded killies 5 minutes from my house.

#13 Guest_ashtonmj_*

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Posted 25 November 2007 - 08:11 PM

And I definitely wouldn't eat any benthic fish out of the Charles, there's just too long a history of abuse and weirdness. And for that matter I avoid fish out of the Tennessee too, especially downstream of Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL. "The X Files" has some toehold in reality....

But would you eat fish upstream of Chattanooga, downstream of Oak Ridge, or around Watts Bar? I'm amazed at the lack of fish advisories on that river.

#14 Guest_diburning_*

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Posted 25 November 2007 - 09:42 PM

I get my F diaphanus from Belle Isle Marsh. It's a salt marsh up in Revere near Winthrop and Chelsea. They are in full salt water, but can be acclimated to fresh with no problems

#15 Guest_fundulus_*

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Posted 25 November 2007 - 09:44 PM

You're right, Matt. The Tennessee is the source of drinking water for most of the city of Huntsville. The only good thing about that is the water treatment intake is just downstream of where the Flint River, a clearner river, joins the Tennessee. I've always gotten the feeling that people feel that the Tennessee is OK because it's so big, never caught on fire, doesn't turn funny colors, etc.

#16 Guest_mikez_*

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Posted 26 November 2007 - 12:00 AM

I get my F diaphanus from Belle Isle Marsh. It's a salt marsh up in Revere near Winthrop and Chelsea. They are in full salt water, but can be acclimated to fresh with no problems

Are you sure you're not getting mummichugs in the salt marsh? They look similar with the mummie having a thicker body.
According to Inland Fishes of Massachusetts, F diaphanus "occasionally enters slightly brackish water". I collect both fresh and saltwater and have never seen F diaphanus in anything but clear sandy bottomed freshwater ponds.

#17 Guest_edbihary_*

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Posted 26 November 2007 - 09:04 PM

I DO have a permit to sell them so if this guy survives in the quarrantine tank and doesn't develop any diseases, I'll go rescue more and offer them here. (they are a little large to ship though so I'll do overnight only most probably. The fish are only a two bucks or less so overnight isn't too costly)

It's cool that you have a permit. But it makes me wonder if it's necessary. Assuming that the market you bought it from is selling them legally, can you just buy them as our agent, and ship them? Is that lawful? Not that I want one, I just thought I'd ask, since I don't really know. If I gave you a buck, and asked you to buy me a lottery ticket the next time you went to a convenience store, nobody would question that, even though you're not an agent of the state lottery. Would it work the same with fish?

Since you do have a permit, you could probably be listed on the Commercial Vendors section of the forum, if you want.

#18 Guest_diburning_*

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Posted 30 November 2007 - 12:37 AM

MA's laws are sketchy and sometimes they can downright contradict each other. I have the permit to be safe.

F Diaphanus are found in the marsh along with mummichogs. The marsh is full strength seawater most of the time. I know that the fish I have is a F diaphanus because it is all white with small black stripes which is consistant with a diaphanus. Wildlife surveys done in the marsh also has data that diaphanus live in that marsh.

#19 Guest_fundulus_*

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Posted 30 November 2007 - 09:42 AM

Are you sure you've routinely collected F. diaphanus from salt water? I never found them in water more than about 5 or 6 ppt saline in places like the Westport River where it's tidally influenced, or in the uppermost edge of a salt marsh system in a variety of places. I'm sure they can tolerate short exposures to 30+ ppt saline, but I'd guess they wouldn't be happy.

(My signature file doesn't seem to be working today...
Bruce Stallsmith, Huntsville, AL)

#20 Guest_teleost_*

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Posted 30 November 2007 - 10:46 AM

(My signature file doesn't seem to be working today...
Bruce Stallsmith, Huntsville, AL)

Hmmm How do I explain this?
Sometimes forums can be difficult to read since half of each topics' thread text consists of signatures. We had the option to only list the persons signature in the first post within the thread. We figured people would soon recognize the user name and become familiar with that person without the signature showing in each post. This was a way to compress the posts and make for more simplified reading of the topic at hand. If you look to your first post in this thread, you'll see it's working fine.