Conasauga Snorkle
#1
Posted 13 July 2008 - 10:06 PM
bronze darter
greenbreast darter
not sure about this one...bridled?
hogsucker with some stoneroller friends
Alabama shiner
bass
this holiday darter would not sit still for a picture and just turned his back on me and left
#4 Guest_farmertodd_*
Posted 14 July 2008 - 11:15 AM
Yes, that's the bridled darter (Percina kusha), the bass is M. coosae, which has about 500 common names (Coosa bass, redeye bass, etc).
I'm not sure that I agree the Cyprinella is a blue shiner. Looks more like an Alabama shiner to me (and the habitat fits callista better), but that's a bad angle, and I've given up on ID'ing any cyprinind from photographs
Again, great stuff. I'm so jealous!
Todd
#5 Guest_Casper Cox_*
Posted 14 July 2008 - 11:32 AM
Most of your ids are right on but that "Blue Shiner" is certainly a Alabama Shiner. And you will not find any TN Shiners in the Conasauga.
That is probably a Holiday Darter that has his back to you. Snub nose and red and green give it away easy. They are pretty common at the site.
To bad you did not get a Tricolor shot. Those were the handsome ones for the day. Blue Shiners seem to more like that quiet water near vegeatation and sand. Very pretty when you find a full male.
Thanks for coming. Michael, his son Andrew, myself and my daughter Cyan of 8 helped out Jim H of the Cherokee Forest doing a public awareness snorkel. Lots of gear to setup, rinse, organize, distribute and repack. There were about 15 folks of all ages in the river for a couple hours. Nice day. Everyone had fun. This site gets more crowded every year, many folks bringing along masks and snorkels along with their picnic baskets. Jim organizes about a dozen of these outings each season.
My best "see" for the day was face to face in the shallows with a 24" to 30" River Redhorse. Usually they are in deep water but this guy and i had a pretty good stare session going just below a riffle run.
#6
Posted 14 July 2008 - 11:53 AM
Great stuff Michael! What camera are you using?
Yes, that's the bridled darter (Percina kusha), the bass is M. coosae, which has about 500 common names (Coosa bass, redeye bass, etc).
I'm not sure that I agree the Cyprinella is a blue shiner. Looks more like an Alabama shiner to me (and the habitat fits callista better), but that's a bad angle, and I've given up on ID'ing any cyprinind from photographs
Again, great stuff. I'm so jealous!
Todd
Camera is a little Pentax Optio WP of some sort... just a basic underwater point and shoot really... I will take a look at it tonight to see...
I was confused about the shiner all around... I saw blues, and tricolors, and Alabamas, so I likely labeled the picture wrong... per Casper's post.
It was a great day in the water for sure.
#7
Posted 14 July 2008 - 11:57 AM
The darter was definitely a holiday (Andrew and I saw several).
The tricolors were just too fast for photography... we need the Farmer out there with his big boy video camera.
Most of your ids are right on but that "Blue Shiner" is certainly a Alabama Shiner. And you will not find any TN Shiners in the Conasauga.
That is probably a Holiday Darter that has his back to you. Snub nose and red and green give it away easy. They are pretty common at the site.
To bad you did not get a Tricolor shot. Those were the handsome ones for the day. Blue Shiners seem to more like that quiet water near vegeatation and sand. Very pretty when you find a full male.
#8 Guest_farmertodd_*
Posted 14 July 2008 - 01:56 PM
One of my good friends just took a job at Reinhardt College (Steve Powers position now that he's headed to Roanoke). I think Casp and Michael will remember Zach and Gwen from the Marital Bliss October Fish Fest? Yep, Zach got the job, and he's so excited to start being a natural historian again. He'll be teaching the zoology courses, and will be getting those kids in the field. His forte are herps, but he's excited to learn the fish! Y'all will have to hook up and I'll be sure to catch up when I can!
Todd
#9
Posted 14 July 2008 - 02:15 PM
One of my good friends just took a job at Reinhardt College (Steve Powers position now that he's headed to Roanoke). I think Casp and Michael will remember Zach and Gwen from the Marital Bliss October Fish Fest? Yep, Zach got the job, and he's so excited to start being a natural historian again. He'll be teaching the zoology courses, and will be getting those kids in the field. His forte are herps, but he's excited to learn the fish! Y'all will have to hook up and I'll be sure to catch up when I can!
Yes, I think I remember that guy... and I certainly know Reinhart College... in beautiful Waleska, GA... used to hang out there some in days gone by... should be good fishin over that way, up in the foothills.
#11 Guest_UncleWillie_*
Posted 14 July 2008 - 06:39 PM
#13 Guest_dsmith73_*
Posted 14 July 2008 - 08:53 PM
It's been described, right? Published in the last few months? Why am I drawing a blank....Not as cold?! Casper and I were in the 'sauga in late April 07. Great colors that time of year.
Yes, it has. Todd already mentioned it earlier. The bridled darter is now P. kusha.
#14 Guest_UncleWillie_*
Posted 14 July 2008 - 09:05 PM
QUOTE(ashtonmj @ Jul 14 2008, 08:15 PM)
It's been described, right? Published in the last few months? Why am I drawing a blank....Not as cold?! Casper and I were in the 'sauga in late April 07. Great colors that time of year.
Yes, it has. Todd already mentioned it earlier. The bridled darter is now P. kusha.
Oh, gotcha. Sorry guys, I'm a bit out of date. Good stuff. I am going to try to head there in early September and try to see some stuff before it gets colder. Also, in September, I plan on becoming a bit more active on the board since I will have a bit more time.
#15 Guest_Casper Cox_*
Posted 15 July 2008 - 10:11 AM
One can get nice views of Tricolors by planting yourself at a spawning location. They like crevases and logs. At the right time and place one can see 2 or 3 males circling and displaying, full extended finnage. A sight to behold. That is your camera opportunity. That is one of my favorite shiners. They do well in the cement pond too and spawn in the crevases between cinder blocks.
Attached is Jim Herrig's pic of the weekend. The Bridled Darter.
I'm confused by this "recently described, new name" discussion. ?
I have opened the field guide to Fishes of the Conasauga River System. Composed by Chris Skelton and Brett Albanese, this is a great book, printed in 2006. Percina sp. cf. P. macrocephala, the Bridled Darter. I do hear of a similiar darter downstream described as the Muscadine Darter.
But in the Conasauga it is the Bridled Darter. Correct?
i dont know what this means... "sp. cf." used in the latin name that is in the field guide.
Are we confusing the Bridled and the Muscadine?
?
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