A couple we don't see often...

Howdy folks. The spring run is in full effect here on the Muddy Maumee. Saw a lot of guys with limits of walleye, I would expect white bass to be right behind them with this warm weather we've had the last couple days. A lot of the other lake species are making some runs now as well. I had one seine haul the other night that had over 1000 emerald shiners in it. That made for a lot of noise among silver jobbies, but I was able to make my way through the piles and find a couple species I was targeting.

I was also trying out the "icthyological" method for photography, and used the situation to figure out where and what I needed to get to do such. I broke two small aquariums (one was already broken), drove to 8 different places looking for another 2.5 gallon (these plastic "package" tank deals have ruined aquaria) without finding one, and finally got around to using a freshly busted 5 gallon, in the dark, illuminated quickly by passing cars to get the shot off, with fish that'd been "fixed" in clove oil without formalin. Ha ha. Not prime (in fact the pictures suck). But you can make out some cool things on these fish, and I thought that was worth sharing.

First is a ghost shiner, Notropis buchanani, which I think is now in the OSUM collection, but was undocumented in the Great Lakes. This guy was in rigor and decay by the time I photo'd him (he and some emerald shiner were with whom I figured out that my jar was just a kill jar, not a fix jar grrrr). So he's kinda blotchy and not exactly pristine.

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Next is an exotic to the lakes, at least above Niagra Falls. I'm not sure if it was in Ontario prior to the canals or not... Anyway, this is the rainbow smelt, Osmerus mordax, which has been on the rise toward "invasive" in the other basins of Lake Erie and is starting to show up in the Western Basin. Some folks get their shorts in a bunch about this species, that it's the next round goby or something like that. I think they're just filling the niche vacated by the Coregonids (ciscos) that we over fished and silted out. Probably a similar story for white perch as well, but whatever. They're a cool lookin' fish, and they're danged tasty as "fries with eyes"

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Oh yeah, they have this wicked awesome set of teeth on their mandibles and on the tounge...

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And lastly, one I'm excited about, the trout-perch, Percopsis omiscomaycus, which likes cool, un-silty water (yeah, what's it doing in the Maumee?). Who knows if these are actually successfully spawning up here, I've found gravid females last year, but that only means they're going through the act. Let's hope this is the return. I'd also wager that they don't NEED cool, un-silty water, they just do a lot better in it. These things are out in the open lake by the 55 gallon drum full.

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Hopefully, I'll have much better conditions next time and we'll have some pictures that work well. Maybe I'll even splurge and get some thicker plexi to trap them, the thin stuff just folded in the middle when I was using the larger tank. A 2.5 gallon would be a much better situation tho, I think.

Todd

Top Fin (?) still caries a 2.5 I think. I've got one sitting on my file cabinet that is probably a 2 or 3 years old. I haven't had a basket of smelt in years.....and I swear I'm getting to those pictures you sent soon...I'm still digesting the info from last week.

Thanks Matt. Yeah, I can have Trilby order them for me. It just honked me off I couldn't walk in and get one, after complaining for years that they were too small for a viable aquarium anyway lol. Sometimes, I'm my own best form of humor

Hey no worries, I knew you were at FMCS. Sounds like a great meeting, I'm going to start looking for funding for the next one. I'm sick of sitting those out. But anyway, thanks for taking a look!

Todd

You should'a called me, I would have lent you my 2.5. Although it may be too scratched up for good photography.

You found more smelt? How many?

Thanks Susan. I would have destroyed it tho. I have to take the trim off to get the "smear sheet" in place behind the fish. And sorry I didn't call, it was a last second decision to go.

Got a huge bag seine now tho, we're talking about going out this weekend and trying it out. It's a lot more seine than I bargained for, but holy cow does it rule. It's 15x6x(6x6x6) and I think they were pretty liberal with the material. I might have to order another smaller one lol. I'll let you guys know once I get a firmer picture of what we're doing. The Metroparks also wants me to have a permit to work it in the park, so it may be contingent on that.

Just got the one smelt and then I stopped. I was looking specifically for trout-perch and smelt. I wonder if there's smelt running up the ditches now that the dam is out on the Ottawa. Hmmm....

Todd

Thanks Susan. I would have destroyed it tho. I have to take the trim off to get the "smear sheet" in place behind the fish. And sorry I didn't call, it was a last second decision to go.

Got a huge bag seine now tho, we're talking about going out this weekend and trying it out. It's a lot more seine than I bargained for, but holy cow does it rule. It's 15x6x(6x6x6) and I think they were pretty liberal with the material. I might have to order another smaller one lol. I'll let you guys know once I get a firmer picture of what we're doing. The Metroparks also wants me to have a permit to work it in the park, so it may be contingent on that.

Just got the one smelt and then I stopped. I was looking specifically for trout-perch and smelt. I wonder if there's smelt running up the ditches now that the dam is out on the Ottawa. Hmmm....

Todd

It's been a long time ago since fisheries species identification class but I thought the Pirate Perch had it's anus more anteriorly? That one seems to have some fecal material in a more normal place?

It's been a long time ago since fisheries species identification class but I thought the Pirate Perch had it's anus more anteriorly? That one seems to have some fecal material in a more normal place?

It does because it's a trout-perch???

Todd

Thanks Susan. I would have destroyed it tho. I have to take the trim off to get the "smear sheet" in place behind the fish.

Well, you would have had to keep it then. If it stays around here, it will have a fish in it before too long. I'm surprised it has stayed empty this long.

is that trout perch a freshwater species, brackish, or is it completely saltwater?

It does because it's a trout-perch???

Todd

Whoops my bad.

Nice pics and neat info, Todd! Thanks for sharing!

Brian

Todd, I'll be around this weekend if you need a seine-hand. I'd love to get some photos of some of those suckers and what-not.

LOL Susan... Hey did you hear we have blue marmokrebs?

My pleasure Brian.

Anthony, they're freshwater. If you're the fella that emailed me, I am very short of time until July, so I apologize, but I won't have time during the days to get it in the mail.

Nate, please pm me your phone # in case my phone that I drowned doesn't end up working when it comes out of the drying oven. Jeffro and I gave about all last weekend for some kids to see darters at an Urban EarthFest at Highland Park

Todd

LOL Susan... Hey did you hear we have blue marmokrebs?

Yes, and I think you should give me one.

Hey Todd I think I beat you to documenting those ghost shiners but it sure can't hurt to add some more to the museum collection, there are very few records of them but yet they are very plentiful in the Maumee. I am pretty sure we got them in the Detroit River too but I can't remember if I vouchered one...

So are these Ghost Shiners considered native and overlooked for decades? Recent invasion? or introduced?

Andy

Given their abundance in the Wabash, I'd say they're native and overlooked. Perhaps they had a lower abundance when it was a cooler, tannic stream, which led to the oversight by Trautman.

Yeap, that's what I was alluding to Brian

Also, EPA had them in their sampling, so someone knew what they were looking at. But of course, they're probably in "those" jars at the museum that no one wants to touch.

Todd