Working with Natives (fish)

Hi all,
I was just wondering, who here actually works with native fish? I have so many questions for those who do I wouldn't know where to begin!
Don

There's a lot of different types of "working with native fish". I keep natives in aquaria, research aspects of reproductive biology, mostly in shiners but also darters, and do some conservation biology work with natives in Alabama. I'm lucky that it's a seamless continuum. And others here do variations on the theme. So bring the questions, that's the lifeblood of a forum like this.

I work with fish, which are mostly native.

Benjamin,

I work with natives. What kind of questions do you have?

Brian

Well for starters I would like to work with them in some capacity one day, and I am in school studying to be a wildlife technologist but I was also wondering abot personal experiences working in the field, personal views on how populations are doing and how the future looks for certain species especially the lepomis sunfish, my favorite native fish genus. There is information about some species on the net but I always like to hear from the people who work with fish on a day to day basis.
So I guess my first question is in your opinion, how are freshwater fish doing in North America? Hmmm maybe that's a little too broad uhm how about just the Lepomis genus?
Don

Well for starters I would like to work with them in some capacity one day, and I am in school studying to be a wildlife technologist but I was also wondering abot personal experiences working in the field, personal views on how populations are doing and how the future looks for certain species especially the lepomis sunfish, my favorite native fish genus. There is information about some species on the net but I always like to hear from the people who work with fish on a day to day basis.
So I guess my first question is in your opinion, how are freshwater fish doing in North America? Hmmm maybe that's a little too broad uhm how about just the Lepomis genus?
Don

Well in my area, Southern Michigan, Lepomis are not hurting. For every 400 of these (Pick a common endemic species or the planted ones) we shock up we get one of our target fish (Spotted gar Lepisosteus oculatus). I'm not sure they are hurting much in this area.

It is however interesting that in the L. oculatus study we have yet to come across a single Longear sunfish and these two usually share habitat types in the central and south of the country. I have seen Longears associated with Long nosed gar in Michigan but never with Spotted.. Kind of strange...

Well for starters I would like to work with them in some capacity one day, and I am in school studying to be a wildlife technologist but I was also wondering abot personal experiences working in the field, personal views on how populations are doing and how the future looks for certain species especially the lepomis sunfish, my favorite native fish genus. There is information about some species on the net but I always like to hear from the people who work with fish on a day to day basis.
So I guess my first question is in your opinion, how are freshwater fish doing in North America? Hmmm maybe that's a little too broad uhm how about just the Lepomis genus?
Don

Here is a sunfish conservation idea:

I am concerned about Dollar Sunfish (Lepomis marginatus.) I went looking for some in North Carolina last February. I got location advice from two top native guys in Raleigh. After going to the site in Sandhills Game Land near Hamlet, NC, and catching a few Dollars and a lot of Bluegills, I heard Bluegills are moving into the whole area.

Pure strains of Dollar Sunfish may be gone in a few years in North Carolina.

Maybe a lake could be dedicated to Dollars. Add a sand berm to filter the inflow? Spillway on the outflow. Rotenone the whole thing before addding Dollars.

Benjamin,

I find a lot of Lepomis in my collecting endeavors in southeastern Wisconsin. Sunfish are considered gamefish in Wisconsin, though, and as such I can't take them home when I go out collecting. Seems to be no shortage of them, though.

Brian

--------------------

Brian J. Torreano - Owner
BTDarters
American-Native Fish for your aquarium...and more!
Web: http://www.btdarters.com
Email: bt@btdarters.com
Phone: (262) 268-7489

Edit: Added signature line.

Edited by BTDarters, 04 December 2008 - 11:19 PM.

Thanks for all the info guys!
I do have another odd question though,
Is it difficult to work with something that is at the same time an enjoyable hobby?
It may seem like an stupid question but I have heard that many people cannot link their hobbies with work.
For me it would seem like an ideal situation!

Here's my take on it: I worked at an aquarium store for four years, and at first it boosted the hobby because I could get whatever I wanted for cheap, had connections, and so-on. After a while of working with aquariums and cleaning other people's tanks all day every day it quit being a hobby and turned into business as usual. My next step was going to school to get a degree in Aquatic Bio while interning in a River Studies program. At that point, I got back into the aquarium hobby since work and school were so different from what I was doing with the tanks at home. Now, I'm in grad school doing tons of field studies and research (all fish related, none fish tank related), and I have two tanks at home that I love to come home to. I talk/study/read/catch/identify/count/measure fish all day every day (with short breaks for my wife's sake) and never get tired of keeping and watching them at home. It's when I sell fish and clean tanks all day that I get sick of keeping fish in my house (it's like coming home to work). I also have major qualms about the tropical fish hobby now on many levels, but that's a whole nother thread...

Is it difficult to work with something that is at the same time an enjoyable hobby?
It may seem like an stupid question but I have heard that many people cannot link their hobbies with work.
For me it would seem like an ideal situation!

I think that depends on the person. I can't mix hobbies with work, but many people do and love it.

Here's my take on it: I worked at an aquarium store for four years, and at first it boosted the hobby because I could get whatever I wanted for cheap, had connections, and so-on. After a while of working with aquariums and cleaning other people's tanks all day every day it quit being a hobby and turned into business as usual. My next step was going to school to get a degree in Aquatic Bio while interning in a River Studies program. At that point, I got back into the aquarium hobby since work and school were so different from what I was doing with the tanks at home. Now, I'm in grad school doing tons of field studies and research (all fish related, none fish tank related), and I have two tanks at home that I love to come home to. I talk/study/read/catch/identify/count/measure fish all day every day (with short breaks for my wife's sake) and never get tired of keeping and watching them at home. It's when I sell fish and clean tanks all day that I get sick of keeping fish in my house (it's like coming home to work). I also have major qualms about the tropical fish hobby now on many levels, but that's a whole nother thread...

I think rjmtx makes the best point - if you are doing exactly your hobby for work, it becomes work. If you are simply in the same field, it becomes an enjoyable extension. For example, I love plants. I work in wetlands. I do delineations, permits, restoration plans, negotiate with agencies, etc. But I do not do the physical installation myself; a contractor would do that. As such, when I get home, I enjoy piddling around in my garden and keeping aquatic plants in tanks.

Benjamin,

I have to say, for me, that the only time I get sick of looking at my fish tanks is when it's time to do a water change. That's probably because it takes me a solid 4 hours to do my water changes, and I have to do it without interruption. The reason for that is that my drain that is the closest to the tanks doesn't allow sufficient flow to run my Python full-power and clean all of my tanks at once. I have to babysit the hose. When I'm done draining the tanks, though, the fill-up period is pretty quick. So, in summary, the only time I get sick of my tanks is 4 hours a week.

Brian

--------------------

Brian J. Torreano - Owner
BTDarters
American-Native Fish for your aquarium...and more!
Web: http://www.btdarters.com
Email: bt@btdarters.com
Phone: (262) 268-7489

Edit: Added signature line.

Edited by BTDarters, 16 December 2008 - 12:49 AM.

Hi guys!
I have another question that may be difficult to answer but I am currently studying in environmental and wildlife management and would love to do an internship in the U.S working with native North American fish. Have any of you had international graduates working with you in your studies?
Thanks!
Don Smith

Yes, I've had both a Japanese and a Chinese student work with me. If you're willing and able to do the work and show up, I don't think most researchers care. Plus, if you're Canadian, you've already been working North American natives at one end of the range and your "international" status is a relatively minor legal technicality.

One of my former professors has a graduate from Thailand working for him right now. I would suggest that while you are still in school, try to get an internship for the summer in the US. It will give you experience and connections that may determine whether you get into a certain graduate program or a job right after graduation.

Well this summer is when we are doing our field work, (fisheries management, fish tagging, electrofishing, bird banding etc.) and we are supposed to find an internship at the start of next year.