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Quick trip through Tn and KY


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#41 Guest_itsme_*

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Posted 08 July 2008 - 08:17 AM

Here are couple of shots of N leuciodus from VA. Not great photos, I know, but maybe some comparison? The tail spot is different. And maybe the head/mouth shape:

tenshn1d.jpg
tenshn02.jpg

Here's a MUCH better one by Wm Roston:
tennshiner.jpg

Though, apparently, when in breeding color, the black spot all but disappears. Maybe that tells us something about the fish in Uland's photo?

#42 Guest_teleost_*

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Posted 08 July 2008 - 10:18 AM

Actually, the "striatulum" is a virgatum. We did get striatulum, but not in that kind of color.


D'oh :oops:

Thanks Dustin. I've not even sat down with the books yet. Maybe I ought to slow down and looks at the books. I'm just applying the names from memory.

#43 Guest_itsme_*

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Posted 08 July 2008 - 10:20 AM

Well, Casper was asking for a narrative, so here's a few hastily composed and brief snippets of my recollection, such as it is :)

Long drive south, arrive very late, sleep in car at lovely National Forest camp. Great place to wake up. Only 15 minutes from the Little River site. The hardcores had already sampled the dickens out of TN by the time I showed up! Sorry I didn't get to see the Phenacobius uranops that someone saw. Well, there was a lot I missed on this trip, easy to do with such a monumental species list! Did get to snorkle the Little. Very cool, attitude wise. Tangerines, whitetails, a lost MP3 player dangling by its ear buds in the current beneath the dam. Dried it out, but, wonder, no sounds :( My home made corrective lenses worked great in the that silicone mask. FYI: silicone sealant bonds like a Zebra Mussells beard to a silicone mask. Cut off the ear pieces and nose pads and a generous glob of silicone on the nose bridge fixes an old pair of glasses firmly inside the mask. Need that clear vision to really appreciate the tiny darting gems. Next time, grind those nose pads down flush so the nubs don't dig into your nose! Anywho, A few quick photos and off to the next wonderful adventure (how many adventures can YOU load into one little road trip?!). Whoo, whoo, whoo, round and round the mountain we go! What's that sound from the back wheel? No matter, there are fishes to see! Wheee! Jump in this stream, hey what's that! A prize! Dive in that stream, yea! A treat! Never seen that before! Oh, off to another Shangrila! The Emory, down the steep, wet, muddy road! Doh! No, put 'er in reverse, screeeee. Oooh, that noise is worse in reverse :( Park at the top. Dustin, check that tall grass to be sure there's ground under it. Great, the car may stay put :) Down the hill again, slop through the big mud puddle. Step aside for the family on ATV's. Popular spot on Father's Day. Hey, there's the river. Big wide. Look at that calm side channel. Full of water weed. Warm as bath water. Great circles of sunfish nests. Redbreasts? Longears? Big, bright males. We should snorkle for them. Over the chunky, slick cobbles to the big main channel. Looks like fish here. We're snorkling. The Father's Day party, dogs, kids, all enjoying the river currents, their private whirlpool tub. Also enjoying the cheap entertainment of strange, submerged bodies, tubes poking up, hinds bobbing over the riffles. What's that blue flash? That's different. Minnow, low slung mouth, slender, quick! Oh baby! Big BLUE neon bands! Fast as lightning. Turquoise. That's it! Shiner, Erimonax monacha, Spotfin chub! You can have your Figi Reef. We have our Tennessee fleuve! Must catch fish! Here fishie fishie fishie. Uurrrgh! Missed! Now where did he go? Hang on, you're in the main flow, hurtling down the river! Must crawl back to that spot! Must find pretty pretty fishie! Dang! We're leaving?! I just needed the GREEN net, the GREEN net! Uland, trade me your green net for this white one. I will return! Little blue fish your charm eludes me. I will return, your light deludes me.

Zoom, zoom, zoom, New River, ashy! Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, Jellico, kennicotti! Zip, zip, zip, Capuchin, baileyi! On down the lane, Middle Fork of the Kentucky. Awesome cherry carinatum, blade of grass masquinongy. Arrows flying, manders creeping, thinking now, might like be sleeping! Lie upon a fallen log, what's that thunder, in a fog! I think I'll take a break 'bout now, to see a blackfin, just show me how. Fritz, the veteran, quench my hernia, where oh where to find Thoburnia? Then on my own I hobble onward, past six box turtles to Daniel's forest. Next day mosey to Peter's Creek. Take my time, new fishies seek. Nesting bass, and basking turtle, Lythrurus spawning o'er longears' pits. Bellum's blue breast seems unusual, these new fishes test the wits! Zebra swallowtail comes to my picnic, the plastic colors make him heart sick. But where oh where is rare Thoburnia, will my comrades with me stick? Then from the road I hear the rumble, fishhead warriors like the Bumble. Down the the bank nets shockers buckets, are there fat pockets pigtoes muckets? No but longears spendids catfish, and atripinne, where is that fish? The vet he travels lone and steeled, little sucker your fate is sealed. Grip that rock and lose some scales, mortal wound, and man prevails. We gasp in wonder, such delight. To see the fishie what a sight! Rare tiny blackfin the finale, road mates on to the raise the tally. I head homeward in my Honda hope again to southward wonda'.
:biggrin:

#44 Guest_Casper Cox_*

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Posted 08 July 2008 - 10:32 AM

Nice action pics of the my state shiners itsme Mark. One can clearly see the rectangular caudal spot.
One time i was snorkeling the Citico where both the Tennessee and Telescope shiners were in the water. I was having a very difficult time trying to tell those two apart as they were whizzing by my mask. Just about gotta freeze frame 'em or catch and squeeze them in a ziplock. They both have that railroad track lateral lines but the telescopes have a bigger eye, deeper bodied ( less slender ) and do not have a rectangular caudal spot. And Telescopes lack that wonderful annual glow. Go big orange!

Im still a bit thrown off w/ the slightly wedgie caudal spot on Uland's TN pic, not the flushed color tho. Note the mirror shiner below it and how very triangular its caudal spot is. A very good keying mark for the Mirror as well as its blunt torpedoish body shape. Love a males flagged dorsal too. Perhaps the breeding color distorts the TN caudal shape a bit. As Jeff's pic attributes to the fact, a swarm of Tennessee shiners is a sight to behold. One of my all time favorite pics!

Hum, the amazing darter is listed as a Striped here but on Uland's link as a Striated. Better straighten that out before we end up mightly confused. :)
Striped Striated Striped Striated Striped. Studying the Petersons shows not but a tiny degree of difference between the 2 species. I know several humans that project more variation.
That reminds me Uland, how does that mask fit?
heh heh. just kidding you fine domed fellow.

Todd...
where did we see...
a sexy striatulum? I dont recall that. I do know that pre marital bliss trip yielded my first solid Ashy darter snorkel as well as a near visit to Etnier's favorite retention facility.

I think i missed a great trip here. I was feared that i would be abandoned on some gravel bar or left stranded in some dank motel room sweatin and chokin out the crud.

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  • spawning_cluster.jpg


#45 Guest_teleost_*

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Posted 08 July 2008 - 11:04 AM

Hum, the amazing darter is listed as a Striped here but on Uland's link as a Striated. Better straighten that out before we end up mightly confused. icon_smile.gif
Striped Striated Striped Striated Striped. Studying the Petersons shows not but a tiny degree of difference between the 2 species. I know several humans that project more variation.
That reminds me Uland, how does that mask fit?
heh heh. just kidding you fine domed fellow.


Sorry about that Casper. I fixed that an hour ago so all is good. The old pic is dumped from the Gallery, new pics installed and the links reinstalled on the forum.
I have to do much of this at lunch/after hours at work so I simply don't have the books with me. I will get the rest of the photos up once the local minnows are no longer in breeding condition. I'm scrambling trying to get as many gravid female and tubercular male photos while I can. Once I'm done with the local minnows I'll sit down with the books and do this right.

The mask fit is alright I think. I had leaks and lots of fogging issues. Looks like I might need to shave more of my mustache than I was told at the dive shop. At least it's something I can fix. It's a whole lot harder to shape the noggin :biggrin:

#46 Guest_Casper Cox_*

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Posted 08 July 2008 - 12:24 PM

The Flathead Indians had a couple good tricks you might wanna try.
:)
Often it seems a new mask fogs up more. Give it a very, very good washing with a soft washrag and dish washing soap. Seems like some are covered with a siliconing agent film.
spit works keeping it defogged or buy some of them prefilled bottles. who do they get to fill those bottles?
I dont have to trim any facial hair but i do have to keep my scalp hair out. some folks say to put vasaline on your mustache but thats messy.
great job on the pics. yankee fish are in color? cool.
I'm headed back to the Conasauga Saturday to help on a public awareness snorkel.

#47 Guest_NVCichlids_*

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Posted 08 July 2008 - 12:45 PM

Just wanted to say that those photos are fantastic! What type of camera do you use when you do these? Not to mention that that golden darter got its name for some odd reason, just cannot put my finger on it right now.. :lol:

#48 Guest_NateTessler13_*

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Posted 08 July 2008 - 03:03 PM

Uland, you've outdone yourself here once again. I'm anxiously awaiting the next batch of photos!

#49 Guest_dsmith73_*

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Posted 08 July 2008 - 05:22 PM

Not quite up to Uland quality, but here's a few more while we wait for more of Uland's.

Northern studfish, Fundulus catenatus
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Scarletfin shiner, Lythrurus fasciolaris
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Sawfin shiner, Notropis sp.
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Alabama shiner, Cyprinella callistia
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Longear sunfish, Lepomis megalotis
Posted Image

Redline darter, Etheostoma rufilineatum
Posted Image

Banded darter, Etheostoma zonale
Posted Image

Blenny darter, Etheostoma blennius
Posted Image

Tangerine darter, Percina aurantiaca
Posted Image

Frecklebelly darter, Percina stictogaster
Posted Image

#50 Guest_teleost_*

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Posted 08 July 2008 - 07:01 PM

Just wanted to say that those photos are fantastic! What type of camera do you use when you do these? Not to mention that that golden darter got its name for some odd reason, just cannot put my finger on it right now.. :lol:


Thank you and all for your kind words. I owe a great deal to fishy people/NANFA members who constantly encourage me. I'm always trying to learn and improve, this trip was no exception. Fritz and Dave really helped steer me in a new direction which I'm already playing around with. Mark Hylton has helped me tremendously with mechanics and practical use of my new camera, Dustin and Mike Retzer helped early on with mechanics of tanks and fish positioning and Mark Binkley is pestering me about contrast issues which need resolution :-k

To answer your question...I now use a Canon Rebel XT with a Canon 60mm macro USF lens. I'm not sure I wouldn't upgrade the camera body now that I've used it but the lens is the important part. You'll have to pry that lens from cold, dead hands. The lens has limitations but great for small fish and detailed shots of fish anatomy.

Thanks Nate :blush: You're too kind. I really have to get to work on some local stuff but will get back to the trip photos once I have the time/presence of mind to dedicate to them.

Dustin, don't be silly. The only thing that stands between your photos and mine is editing, which you'll soon tackle.

I still have much to learn about the fishy pics but I'm not giving up yet. I want to let everyone interested in fish photos to know that I started with a $100 camera, a horrible photo tank and a bath towel behind the tank as backdrop. Anyone can do this with the right determination.

#51 Guest_blakemarkwell_*

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Posted 08 July 2008 - 07:43 PM

Wow, more great photos, well done Dustin! I love that Tangerine Darter shot!

Thanks,

Blake

#52 Guest_farmertodd_*

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Posted 08 July 2008 - 08:48 PM

No need to qualify them Dustin, your photos are fantastic! That is one sexy catenatus.

Todd...
where did we see...
a sexy striatulum? I dont recall that. I do know that pre marital bliss trip yielded my first solid Ashy darter snorkel as well as a near visit to Etnier's favorite retention facility.


Nah I was just changing the tune for the present foray. I wanna see susannae, dang it! ;) Did I just imagine I saw it in the original list? I don't see it there now. I guess that's just wishful thinking.

Those danged Catonotus... They all look the same to me :)

Todd

#53 Michael Wolfe

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Posted 08 July 2008 - 10:49 PM

...so here's a few hastily composed and brief snippets of my recollection, such as it is :)

Thanks Mark, between your word, Ulanda and Dustin's photos, and the post trip banter, it's almost like being there! Well, not anywhere near as good as being there... nothing like a good snorkel... but still a pretty good simulation. Even more so when you have had the chance to hang with the usual suspects in the past... looking forward to joining y'all again sometime.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

#54 Guest_fritz_*

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Posted 09 July 2008 - 08:42 PM

Well, Casper was asking for a narrative, so here's a few hastily composed and brief snippets of my recollection, such as it is :)

Long drive south, arrive very late, sleep in car at lovely National Forest camp. Great place to wake up. Only 15 minutes from the Little River site. The hardcores had already sampled the dickens out of TN by the time I showed up! Sorry I didn't get to see the Phenacobius uranops that someone saw. Well, there was a lot I missed on this trip, easy to do with such a monumental species list! Did get to snorkle the Little. Very cool, attitude wise. Tangerines, whitetails, a lost MP3 player dangling by its ear buds in the current beneath the dam. Dried it out, but, wonder, no sounds :( My home made corrective lenses worked great in the that silicone mask. FYI: silicone sealant bonds like a Zebra Mussells beard to a silicone mask. Cut off the ear pieces and nose pads and a generous glob of silicone on the nose bridge fixes an old pair of glasses firmly inside the mask. Need that clear vision to really appreciate the tiny darting gems. Next time, grind those nose pads down flush so the nubs don't dig into your nose! Anywho, A few quick photos and off to the next wonderful adventure (how many adventures can YOU load into one little road trip?!). Whoo, whoo, whoo, round and round the mountain we go! What's that sound from the back wheel? No matter, there are fishes to see! Wheee! Jump in this stream, hey what's that! A prize! Dive in that stream, yea! A treat! Never seen that before! Oh, off to another Shangrila! The Emory, down the steep, wet, muddy road! Doh! No, put 'er in reverse, screeeee. Oooh, that noise is worse in reverse :( Park at the top. Dustin, check that tall grass to be sure there's ground under it. Great, the car may stay put :) Down the hill again, slop through the big mud puddle. Step aside for the family on ATV's. Popular spot on Father's Day. Hey, there's the river. Big wide. Look at that calm side channel. Full of water weed. Warm as bath water. Great circles of sunfish nests. Redbreasts? Longears? Big, bright males. We should snorkle for them. Over the chunky, slick cobbles to the big main channel. Looks like fish here. We're snorkling. The Father's Day party, dogs, kids, all enjoying the river currents, their private whirlpool tub. Also enjoying the cheap entertainment of strange, submerged bodies, tubes poking up, hinds bobbing over the riffles. What's that blue flash? That's different. Minnow, low slung mouth, slender, quick! Oh baby! Big BLUE neon bands! Fast as lightning. Turquoise. That's it! Shiner, Erimonax monacha, Spotfin chub! You can have your Figi Reef. We have our Tennessee fleuve! Must catch fish! Here fishie fishie fishie. Uurrrgh! Missed! Now where did he go? Hang on, you're in the main flow, hurtling down the river! Must crawl back to that spot! Must find pretty pretty fishie! Dang! We're leaving?! I just needed the GREEN net, the GREEN net! Uland, trade me your green net for this white one. I will return! Little blue fish your charm eludes me. I will return, your light deludes me.

Zoom, zoom, zoom, New River, ashy! Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, Jellico, kennicotti! Zip, zip, zip, Capuchin, baileyi! On down the lane, Middle Fork of the Kentucky. Awesome cherry carinatum, blade of grass masquinongy. Arrows flying, manders creeping, thinking now, might like be sleeping! Lie upon a fallen log, what's that thunder, in a fog! I think I'll take a break 'bout now, to see a blackfin, just show me how. Fritz, the veteran, quench my hernia, where oh where to find Thoburnia? Then on my own I hobble onward, past six box turtles to Daniel's forest. Next day mosey to Peter's Creek. Take my time, new fishies seek. Nesting bass, and basking turtle, Lythrurus spawning o'er longears' pits. Bellum's blue breast seems unusual, these new fishes test the wits! Zebra swallowtail comes to my picnic, the plastic colors make him heart sick. But where oh where is rare Thoburnia, will my comrades with me stick? Then from the road I hear the rumble, fishhead warriors like the Bumble. Down the the bank nets shockers buckets, are there fat pockets pigtoes muckets? No but longears spendids catfish, and atripinne, where is that fish? The vet he travels lone and steeled, little sucker your fate is sealed. Grip that rock and lose some scales, mortal wound, and man prevails. We gasp in wonder, such delight. To see the fishie what a sight! Rare tiny blackfin the finale, road mates on to the raise the tally. I head homeward in my Honda hope again to southward wonda'.
:biggrin:


LOL!!! Love you man! Very well written.

The Grizzled Veteran

#55 Guest_NateTessler13_*

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Posted 10 July 2008 - 07:43 PM

I love how the fins on the male Studfish are so drawn out and dramatic. They can be one of the most colorful fish in North America, however, my experience with them in the aquarium has shown that they wash out pretty quickly. Nonetheless, one of my favorites. Seeing posts from Kentucky and Tennessee are making me pretty envious. I was all primed to go on the Farmertodd trip that took place earlier this year. I was mapping out sites, making lists of things I wanted to see and photograph at each site, and then about a week before go time, I got held down with tons of extra work. It's good to see you guys went out and found all the ones I didn't.

Edited by NateTessler13, 10 July 2008 - 07:51 PM.


#56 Guest_teleost_*

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Posted 15 July 2008 - 03:18 PM

This is my last major batch of fish photos. I basically rushed them and honestly still haven't looked at the books. Please forgive me in advance for any errors. Please also let me know if I flubbed an ID. So many new fish and so beautiful. Really a great experience where I learned a great deal.

Ambloplites ariommus Shadow Bass
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Fundulus catenatus Northern Studfish
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Etheostoma variatum Variegate Darter
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Etheostoma tippecanoe Tippecanoe Darter
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Thoburnia atripinnis Blackfin Sucker
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Pimephales notatus Bluntnose Minnow
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Phoxinus tennesseensis Tennessee Dace
Posted Image

#57 Guest_teleost_*

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Posted 15 July 2008 - 03:18 PM

Phenacobius catostomus Riffle Minnow
Posted Image

Percina stictogaster Frecklebelly Darter
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Percina macrocephala Longhead Darter
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Notropis buccatus Silverjaw Minnow
Posted Image
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Minytrema melanops Spotted Sucker
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Lythrurus fasciolaris Scarlet Shiner
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Lepomis megalotis Longear Sunfish
Posted Image

#58 Guest_farmertodd_*

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Posted 15 July 2008 - 10:18 PM

God bless you Fritz and Uland. FINALLY a picture that does atripinnis some justice. Now I really want to see one in the flesh. Wow.

Way to catch the gill flare on the studfish Uland. Man, there's just no stopping you and your photo tank! :)

Todd

#59 Guest_NateTessler13_*

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Posted 16 July 2008 - 04:53 PM

I don't think I've ever seen a Silverjaw Minnow with that kind of pigmentation/melanophores on the nose.

#60 Guest_teleost_*

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Posted 16 July 2008 - 05:09 PM

I don't think I've ever seen a Silverjaw Minnow with that kind of pigmentation/melanophores on the nose.


I'm a sucker for comparative photos Nate so I'm posting a silverjaw I sampled after the KY/TN trip from Will county Illinois below the KY specimen shown above.
Kentucky
Posted Image

Illinois
1_650.jpg



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