Since this is our final week studying fish, I thought we should dedicate it to some of Maine's fish. We'll be focusing specifically on Maine's sport fish- both fresh and salt water.
In class, there is a sign up sheet for you to pick a fish species, and you'll be responsible for reporting the following information to this blog. A good place to start would be Maine's websites for Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (for freshwater) or Dept. of Marine Resources (for saltwater).
1. Fish name
2. Physical description/identification; include any related species and how to tell them apart
3. Range in Maine (marine/fresh- warm or cold)
4. Habitat
5. Diet
6. Is it native? Introduced? A stocked fish? An invasive species?
7. Predator/prey relationships
8. Unique internal or external adaptations
9. Any migration routes? (moving in or out of bodies of water)
10. Fishing regulations- is there a take size? season? can you find any state records for size?
** Any other interesting tidbits???
GOOD LUCK!!
Name: Black Crappie
ReplyDeleteIdentification: Coloration of black crappie is dark on the top and silver-olive and bronze on the side and belly. They are generally darker than their close relative, the white crappie. The body is compressed and deep-bodied, with heavy, irregular spotting over the head, body, and fins.
Range: Black crappie have been widely introduced to waters throughout North America and their range now includes nearly the entire continent, though they are found in greatest number the upper and lower Midwest, as well as the southeastern United States. Shallow waters. Prefer 66 - 76 Degrees.
Habitat: They prefer sandy or muddy bottoms, and may occupy depths of 1 to 50 feet, depending on time of year, water clarity and temperature, and available food. In general, black crappie inhabit deep water in summer and winter, moving to the shallows in spring and fall.
Diet: mall minnows, shad and small sunfish. However, they will also eat plankton, insects, insect larvae, and worms.They also eat the fry of other fishes.
Native?: native to the eastern half of North America, from southern Manitoba and Ontario in Canada south to Florida, and as far west as Nebraska.popular pan fish species
Predator: Northern Pike,Muskellunge, Walleye.
Adaptations: the young need to mature and the mature need to sexually reproduce drives their adaptations.
Migration: black crappie inhabit deep water in summer and winter, moving to the shallows in spring and fall.
Fishing Regulations: World Record 6 Pounds 0 oz, Some states have a 9 or 10 inch size limit on crappie.
Other Facts: Common Crappie Names - Specks, White Perch, Sac-a-lait, Croppie, Papermouth, Slabs.
1. My Fish's name is the Largemouth Bass
ReplyDelete2. They have very large mouths to help them feed. They have little tiny teeth that can't cut humans. Related species are the Smallmouth bass. A way you can tell them apart is that the smallmouth bass's mouth doesn't open up as wide as the largemouth bass's does.
3. They live in freshwater, They can live in both warm and cold, but in maine, mostly the cold.
4. They like to live and feed near trees that have fallen into the water, the weeds and many other places that have cover.
5. Their diet consists on insects, bugs, frogs, and smaller fish.
6. I don't believe it is a native fish. The fish was first introduced in California in 1891 into lake Cuyamaca. They are a stocked fish. They are an invasive species.
7. Largemouth bass like to feed on bluegills, Northern pike like to feed on largemouth bass.
8. An external adaptation is the jaw size, the larger jaw allows the bass to eat larger amounts of food/ bigger fish. internal is they can withstand a great change in water temperature, so they can live in warm and cold water.
9. They can usually migrate using spillways, bridge piers and other things like waterfalls and such.
10. There is a take size in maine, largemouth bass need to be 12 inches or more, you can fish for them during the winter(ice fishing) and during the summer. The maine state record is 11 pounds and 10 ounces.
Interesting fact: one of my interesting facts is that I once caught a 5 pound largemouth bass. It was a monster!!!!! It was the biggest fight I have ever been in in freshwater fishing
1.) Northern Pike (Esox lucius)
ReplyDelete2.) Northern Pike appear very similar to Chain Pickerel. In Northern Pike, scales are present on the upper half of the operculum, but are absent on the lower half. Scales cover the entire operculum on Chain Pickerel. Pike usually have five pairs of sensory pores along the underside of the lower jaw. Chain Pickerel generally only have four pairs of sensor pores are present on the lower jaw. Juvenile pike have wavy, white or yellow vertical stripes. Adults have shorter, more horizontal markings. Pike are able to hybridize with chain pickerel.
3.) Freshwater; North Pond, Great Pond, Long Pond, Ingham Pond, and Messalonskee Lake, all in the Belgrade Lakes drainage, and Sabattus Pond in the Androscoggin River drainage.
4.) For most of the year, Northern Pike live in the clear, shallow, warm water near lake shores with vegetation.
5.) Pike consume smaller fish which make up about 90 percent of their diet. They will also eat any living creature their huge jaws can surround, including frogs, crayfish, waterfowl, rodents, and other small mammals.
6.) Introduced illegally into the state sometime in the 1970’s.
7.) Pike eggs and new hatchlings often fall prey in large numbers to larger pike, perch, minnows, waterfowl, water mammals, and even some insects. Larger pike are preyed upon by lampreys, and man. When adult pikes are spawning in the shallows, they are vulnerable to bears, dogs, and other large carnivores.
8.) The pores on the lower jaw are part of the lateral line. The sticky eggs are attached to weeds and vegetation. They are able to remain stationary in the water, by just moving their dorsal fins and their pectoral fins.
9.) In midsummer, they move to deeper water.
10.) There is no limit on the number of pike that can be caught and there is not minimum weight limit. Winter fishing for pike is the most common topic of conversation among central Maine anglers. Pike exceeding 30 pounds have been caught in Maine.
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ReplyDelete1. RedFish ( Red Drum)
ReplyDelete2. Body length usually 24 to 36 inches and tend to grow very fast. Weight commonly up to 20 lb. They have a white underside with a copper/grey body color with tails covered by at least one black spot.
The males develop approximately 2 years faster than females. They are identified a Sciaenops ocellatus.
3. I could not find any information on this.
4. Saltwater to brackish water. including marshland, coastal rivers, and bay areas. Prefer shallows. Tend to love water temperatures in the 70's and 80's.
5. Redfish swimming the bottom of the ocean (more common) feeds off of mollusks, crab, shrimp, crustaceans and redfish skimming the surface feeds on small fish. However if they are in a zoo they are normally fed shrimp, crustaceans, small fish, and meal.
6. Not threatened but there are fishing limits on both commercial and recreational fishing for the redfish. Bag limit is one (1) redfish per day and size limit is: release all under 18" and over 27"
7. Scientists believe that the black spot near their tail helps fool predators into attacking the red drum's tail instead of their head. Predators are birds (ospreys) and larger fish but the main predator of the red drum are humans.
8.Found None
9.The spawning migration starts north of Iceland in December or January
10. Redfish food value is good when 4 - 6 pounds. Over 15 pounds not. Fall is when they are in season. No state record for Maine but in Louisiana a redfish was caught that was 61 lbs 0 oz this now stands as the highest record.
11. Redfish are found in fresh water as well as salt water. The females are larger than the males. The females of larger size produce up to 60 million eggs per spawn.
1. Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
ReplyDelete2. Rainbow trout, also called redband trout, are gorgeous fish. Their coloring and patterns vary widely depending on their habitat, age, and spawning condition. They are torpedo-shaped and generally blue-green or yellow-green in color with a pink streak along their sides, white underbelly, and small black spots on their back and fins. The rainbow trout are members of the salmon family, and like the salmon the rainbow trout can grow quite large.
3. The rainbow trout can be found in cool, clear rivers, streams, and lakes through all of Maine. Some will leave their freshwater homes and follow a river out to the sea. These rainbow trouts that venture into the sea are called steelheads because they acquire more silvery markings, will spend several years in the ocean, but must return to the stream of their birth to spawn.
4. Rainbow trout prefer clear cold-water streams with gravel or rocky bottoms, deep pools, and natural cover. They also thrive in large lakes with cool, deep waters. Their ideal temperature range is between 55 and 60 F. Yet rainbow trout have a tolerance of 32 F to over 70 F. Stocked rainbow trout can adapt well to virtually any waters in its preferred temperature range. Food sources for long-term survival are of course crucial to any habitat.
5. Rainbow trout feed on insects, crustaceans, and small fish. Their populations are healthy worldwide and they have no special status or protections.
6. The rainbow trout is native to the rivers and lakes of North America, west of the Rocky Mountains. It is also valuable as a hard-fighting game fish and tasty meal. This has led to its introduction throughout the world.
7. The rainbow trout diet includes waterfleas and aquatic (water) insects, like caddisflies, mayflies, and midges. Young rainbow trout often are eaten by a variety of fish such as sculpins, smallmouth bass, and larger trout. When in shallow water, they also are fed upon by kingfishers, herons, eagles, osprey, otters, and raccoons. Humans are the most frequent predators of larger rainbows.
8. Rainbow trout have adapted to be able to tolerate higher water temperatures. Research have shown that warm waters can stunt the growth and even kill rainbow trout. The fish have found cooler bodies of water and adapted their bodies the the heat.
Rainbow trout have also developed the ability to survive in both freshwater and salt water. They travel between the rivers and the oceans.
9. Rainbow Trout are born in a river or stream. They are similar to salmon in that they also return to the stream of their hatching to lay eggs. The rainbow trout can migration from rivers to the ocean and travel long distances to return home.
10. There is no minimum size limit for rainbow trout at any state designated trout area except in portions of the Lower Illinois River and the Lower Mt. Fork River. States have state designated trout areas, where you are not allowing to catch trout by any means except one rod and reel.
1. Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus)
ReplyDelete2. Haddock have a gray or brownish color above, and are paler below. They have a distinctive dark blotch above the pectoral fin, often called a "thumbprint," the "Devil's thumbprint," or "St. Peter's mark." They are easy to tell apart from other coastal fish by their three dorsal fins and their two anal fins. They have a triangular and taller front dorsal fin, while the other two are squarish. The second anal fin looks just like the third dorsal fin.
3. They live in the cool waters in the Gulf of Maine.
4. Lives in both the American and European coasts of the Atlantic, normally between 140 and 450 feet deep in temperatures of 35 to 50 degrees F, ranging from the southern end of the Grand Banks to Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. They rarely enter estuaries or river mouths.
5. Larval haddock feed on microscopic copepods before reaching the ocean floor, and juveniles and adults feed on sea worms, small crabs, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, clams, starfish, and rarely young fish.
6. Haddock is a native species.
7. The primary predators of adults are sand sharks, and other large fish like halibut, but when they're younger, many other fish species such as cod, pollack, and silver hake are all predators.
8. I couldn't find any information on this.
9. They migrate seasonally to areas that provide the best conditions. In winter they stay offshore from southern New Jersey to Cape Hatteras. In spring they go into more northern areas of New England, in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank, where they stay in the summer.
10. The fishing season for haddock is from May to November. The state record is 15.61 pounds.
**Haddock are sexually mature by the age of 2 or 3 years. Females who weigh 2.2 pounds produce about 170,000 eggs, while the larger females can release up to 3,000,000 eggs in one spawning season.
1. White Perch (Morone americana)
ReplyDelete2. The white perch is a fish in the temperate basses family (Moronidae). The adults range between 7 to 12 inches in length. There color could be dark grayish-green, dark silvery green, or dark brown to almost black on back; pale olive or silvery green on sides; silvery white on belly.
3. The white perch inhabit salt, brackish, and fresh water. white perch is one of the most abundant warm water fish, along with Smallmouth bass.
4. They are found in all the Great Lakes and in inland waters in Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, and others around April and May.
Adult white perch prefer silt, mud and sandy bottom habitats with little cover.
5. White perch have been known to eat the eggs of many fish species including walleye (Stizostedion vitreum), white bass (Morone chrysops) and other white perch. They also hybridize with white bass. White perch are carnivores. Smaller white perch eat aquatic insects and zooplankton, and larger fish feed on worms, shrimps, crabs, small fishes, fish eggs and larval insects.
6. White perch are native to the Atlantic Coast. They prefer low-salinity estuaries but frequently inhabit coastal rivers and lakes. White perch can be found in Piedmont reservoirs where they have been introduced.
7. They can overpopulate a small reservoir and prevent other species from thriving, like Walleye, white bass and other white perch.
8. I couldn't find any information.
9. They are migrating from brackish estuaries to freshwater rivers to spawn during spring.
10. White perch are occasionally as much as 15 inches long, 5 inches or more deep, and 2 pounds or a little more in weight; but the average is 8 to 10 inches long and 1 pound in weight, or less. You can find them around April and May.
1. Splake (Salvelinus namaycush X Salvelinus fontinalis)
ReplyDelete2. Splake and brook trout have very similar coloration patterns, making it very difficult for the untrained eye to distinguish between the two species. Splake tend to have a slight fork in the tail, a trait passed down from its lake trout parent, while brook trout tend to have no fork or "square" tails.
3. Splake are commonly stocked across the northern United States and throughout Canada for the purpose of providing fishing opportunity.
4. Water temperature is a key factor in determining splake habitat. Like both their parents, splake need a year-round supply of cold, clear water, but can generally tolerate less desirable habitat like low pH waters.
5. Splake feed primarily on smelts, white perch, yellow perch, and minnows. They rarely feed on other cold water gamefish.
6. Splake have been culturally produced since the 1870's. In 1958, Splake were stocked in Long Pond in T10 SD, Washington County. This was the first stocking in Maine. It was part of a comparative study between brook trout, rainbow trout, landlocked salmon, and Splake. In 1990, the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife began a pilot program to determine if splake could provide acceptable fisheries in waters where stocked brook trout had failed. Splake are found around the northern U.S. But they are not an invasive species.
7. Splake prey on mostly the smaller fish such as perches and minnows.
8. Splake and Brook Trout have very similar characteristics and are hard to distinguish from one another.
9. In the winter, splake can be found in most any location. During the spring and fall, they can be caught with light tackle near the surface, even on flies. In the summer, they generally go deep, preferring water less that 60ºF.
10. The Maine State Record splake was caught in Basin Pond by Dan Paquette. It weighed 10 lbs. 3 oz. The world record splake was caught in Ontario and weighed 20 lbs. 11oz.
1) Blueback Herring - Alosa aestivalis
ReplyDelete2) Blueback herring are flat sided fish with rounded bellies and forked tails. They are silvery with dark blue or bronze backs and have small spiny scales along their belly.
3) From Nova Scotia to northern Florida and inland rivers and lakes. As well as over 30 different rivers in Maine.
4) Blueback herring spawn in freshwater rivers
5) Microscopic plants and animals, small insects, small fish and eggs of fish (including bass)
6)Native and stocked in certain ponds and lakes.
7) Blueback herrings provide cover for upstream migrating adult salmon that may be preyed on by eagles or osprey, and for young salmon in the estuaries and open ocean that might be captured by seals. It is important to understand that alewives tie our ocean, rivers and lakes together, providing vital nutrients and forage needed to make healthy watersheds.
8) Blueback herring seem to come to the surface when the sun is shining and go deep on darker days. For that reason the topwater bite is better on sunny days and largemouth and spotted bass tend to feed better when the sun is shining.
9) Blueback herring typically spawn in freshwater lakes and rivers. They then migrate out to saltwater coast until they reach sexual maturity for spawning in freshwater lakes and rivers.
10) Couldn’t find any :(
1. Wolffish (Anarchichas Lupus)
ReplyDelete2. Wolffish can grow to be about 2.3 meters at most. Yet most only reach about 1 meter. They have a large head and a long body. They are very similar to eels except wolffish's body is more cone shaped, tarts with a large head and gets smaller as it gets closer to the tail.
3+4. It is found in Georges Bank Gulf of Maine. It is mostly around in the Southwest portion of the Gulf. They are normally in depths of 80-120 meters but are seen in waters ranging from 40-240 meters. They have a long dorsal fin that stretches most of their body. Their teeth consist of sharp canine teeth and molars that are capable of crushing a crustacean.
5+6. The wolf fish is a native fish that eats crabs, starfish, muscles, and sea urchins.
8. One of its most unique adaptations is its teeth. Unlike many fish who have very small teeth, or no teeth at all, the wolffish has prominent large teeth. It uses them for chomping its food down. This is also a unique feature since most fish, even the ones with teeth, will eat their prey whole.
9. While the wolffish lives in the sea it will migrate inland to mate. Once they reach their stop for fertilization they have been observed to hide under rocks, by the shore, or even swim right in the middle of the river.
10. There are no fishing regulations on wolffish as of yet and they have been caught and many people eat them. Sometimes though cod fishermen catch these fish in their nets. When this happens they must use extreme caution as wolffish will bight anything to try and protect itself.
**Their mating ritual consists of the male keeping still while the female picks her mate. Once she has chosen she will touch him. Then the male will turn to his side and start to make a u shape with his body repeatedly. Then the wolffish will perform intercourse and the female dumps the fertilized eggs into a hole or depressed area. The males will then guard the eggs, without eating for the whole time, until the eggs hatch. The amount of eggs that a female can lay can range due to their body size. A .6m female can release about 5000 eggs while a .9m female can generate 12000 eggs.
1. Ocean Pout (Macrozoarces americanus)
ReplyDelete2. Ocean Pout are commonly called eel pout and conger eel, so naturally they are eel-like in shape. The dorsal fin runs along most of its top and the caudal fin is conjoined with the anal fin. Their body is eight times as long as it is deep. They can grow up to 42 inches and weigh 12 pounds. Their upper body is yellow to reddish brown while their underside is light yellow to white. (Counter shading!)
3. Ocean Pout are found in the Gulf of Maine. They are cool water fish which can also be found in areas such as the Bay of Fundy, Gulf of St. Lawrence, and off of southern New England.
4. It can be found at many depths from the intertidal zone to 180 meters down. It is a bottom-dwelling fish that prefers a hard environment to the muddy one. They have been found in a wide variety of temperatures including sub-zero waters to 16 degrees Celsius. The fish move inshore during the spring to spawn, and towards deeper water in the autumn.
5. Ocean Pout feed on mostly bottom-dwelling invertebrates with the occasional small fish. They scoop up mouthfuls of sediment from the bottom and extract the organisms.
6. The Ocean Pout is a native fish for the New England region waters.
7. The Ocean Pout feed on echinoderms and small, demersal organisms. They are preyed on by anglers, especially during the spawning season.
8. Ocean Pout can vary in their coloration based on where it is they are located. The color of an Ocean Pout found in the Bay of Fundy can differ slightly from one found near New Jersey.
9. The fish moves inshore during the Spring to spawn and moves into offshore and deeper water in the autumn to return to its rocky, demersal habitats.
10. The record is 39.4 inches, and 14 pounds, 5 ounces. The biggest way these fish are caught are through bottom trawlers; they end up being bycatch for most people. Often times they are called trash fish and just thrown back into the water, although there are some people who eat them.
* Genes from the Ocean Pout were placed in some salmon species at an attempt to allow the salmon to withstand cold water temperatures, encouraging them to grow faster and at quicker paces.
Name: Sturgeon
ReplyDeleteIdentification: Primary cartilaginous, Covered with bony plates called scutes rather than scales. Known for their elongated bodies, flattened rosta, and elongated upper tail lobes
Range in maine: The shortnose sturgeon is found along the Atlantic seaboard from the St. John River in New Brunswick to the St. John's River in Florida. In Maine, populations inhabit the Sheepscot, Kennebec, Androscoggin, and Penobscot Rivers, and Merrymeeting Bay. Throughout their range, shortnose sturgeon are found in larger rivers and associated estuaries.
Habitat:Spawn in fresh water, and fees in brackish waters of estuaries or along cost lines.
Diet: They are primarly benthic feeders or eat fish that live on the bottom of the ocean or lake. Usually Shells, Crustaceans and small fish.
Invasive?: They are not invasive and are fond naturally in maine rivers and cost.
Predator/prey: Sense these fish are so large they are very rarely eaten by something in there natural habitat. There biggest predator is probably humans who are known to over fish them.
Adaptations: These fish have barbles under there mouth to detect food below usually dragged along the bottom of the ocean.
Migration: Migrate from there fresh water spawning source to the brackish feeding waters
Regulation: There are a couple conservation plans for the sturgeon in maine but there are no special fishing regulations for the sturgeon.
1. Fish name
ReplyDeleteSalvelinus Fontinalis (Brook Trout)
2. Physical description/identification
green to brown with a distinct marbled pattern. the belly and fins are a reddish color. typical length: 25-65 cm. typical weight: 0.3-3 kg. it is a species in of salmon.
3. Range in Maine (marine/fresh- warm or cold
Fresh-cold 52-64˚
4. Habitat
small streams, creeks, lakes, and spring ponds
5. Diet
frogs, insects, crustaceans, mollusks, invertebrates, and sometimes voles
Is it native? Introduced? A stocked fish? An invasive species?
could not find
7. Predator/Prey relationships
eaten by seabirds and lamprey species
8. Unique internal or external adaptations
belly of males becomes reddish orange when the fish are spawning.
Any migration routes? (moving in or out of bodies of water)
could not find
Fishing regulations- is there a take size? season? can you find any state records for size?
fly fishing is the best way to catch these fish. They feed more during the day.
max length: 83 cm max weight: 14.5 lb.
Landlocked Salmon
ReplyDeletethey are silvery with a slightly forked tail and small X shaped markings on the back and upper sides. average size is 16- 18 inches, 1-35 lbs. they live in lakes of easter north america and norther europe. they live in freshwater. eat smaller fish, vegetation, bugs. they are native to maine. They are prey to bears and fishermen. Landlocked salmon do not migrate out of their lakes. They are farmed for their meat, and are in danger of overfishing.
Rainbow Smelt
ReplyDeleteDepending on what kind of lakes they are, the sizes range. Typically they’re 7-9 inches, but in some Maine lakes they have reached 14 inches! Rainbow smelt are silver with a green back and purple, pink and blue reflections on the side. They have a long, slender body with a large mouth. The mouth is very strong with conical teeth. A small adipose fin is located between their single dorsal fin and tail fin. Similar to capelin.
Rainbow Smelt are freshwater fish. “In summer, schools move to deeper, cooler waters; in the fall they enter bays and estuaries where they actively feed until the onset of winter.”
Rainbow Smelt are anadromous fish, and spend the majority of their lives at sea but return to freshwater rivers, streams, and/or lakes to spawn.
Young fish feed on zooplankton, while adults feed on small crustaceans such as shrimp and gammarids. These include, squid, crabs, sea worms, insects, small fish (sea herring, silversides etc).
This species is native to Maine.
Smelt feed on mostly small fish. They are prey for striped bass, bluefish, and many bird species. Predation causes a high mortality rate—nearly 72% of adults die annually.
Not available.
Smelt travel in groups less than one mile from shore. As ice forms in the water, smelt begin to collect and move into coastal streams toward spawning grounds. In summer, they move into deeper and cooler water. “In Fall they enter bays and estuaries where they actively feed until the onset of winter.”
“From March 15th to June 15th, both days inclusive, it shall be unlawful to fish for or take smelts from the coastal waters by any means other than a hand dip net operated by one man or by angling with a hook and line or to take or possess more than 2 quarts of smelts in one day. During the period of March 15 to June 15th, both days inclusive, possession of more than 2 quarts of smelts on any coastal stream, brook, or river not exempted by further regulation shall be prima facie evidence that the smelts were taking in violation of this regulation.” -Maine Smelt Regulations
Fish Name: Arctic Charr (Salvelinus alpinus oquassa)
ReplyDeletePhysical Identifications: The Arctic Charr is a member of the salmon and trout family. The fish has a darker coloration on the top of it's body, while lighter on bottom. The paired fins on the Charr are Orange with white lining. During the mating season, both genders become brightly colored, with pink to orange underbellies and blue to brown tops. The Charr can live up to 15 years and become 20 inches long and 3 pounds.
Range in Maine: The Arctic Charr is found in lakes all around New England and in the coastal regions of Maine.
Habitat: The Charr is known to live in Arctic, Sub-Arctic, and Alpine lakes, and along the the coast.
Diet: The Arctic Charr feeds on small invertebrates and fish
The Arctic Charr is native to Maine
Predator/prey relationships: The Arctic Charr is prey of Pike and full grown Trout and Perch
Unique internal or external adaptations: During breeding season, the fishes will change it's colors
Migration Routes: There are no known migration routes for the Arctic Charr
Fishing regulations: There are no fishing regulations at the moment. The state record is unknown.
Black sea bass
ReplyDeleteIt’s black, and has one continuous spiny dorsal fin
Along the coast of Maine all the way down to Florida
They inhabit temperate and subtropical areas
Feed on smaller fish and also lobster
Native
Predator to smaller animals
The continuous spinal fin
None
The Largemouth Bass is green with dark blotches forming a horizontal stripe along the middle on each side. the underside is light green almost white. They have a divided dorsal fin with 9 spines 12 to 13 soft rays and there upper jaw reaches beyond margin of the eye. at 3 years old they are 12 to 14 inches long. they are found under logs, rocks, vegatation, and man-made structures. they prefer clear quiet water up to large rivers and they can live in some salt water. They feed on insects and smaller fish and by the time there adult they become piscivorous. they do not migrate but in the winter they go deep down under the frozen water. The Maine State regulations are that it opens April 1 - Sept 30, from April 1 to June 21 you can fish 12" or less, June 22 - Sept 30 you can get 14" or less and from Oct - Nov you can catch and release only. Intresting facts are they live 8 to 10 yrs sometimes 16, Spawning is in the Spring and Female can have up o 21,000 eggs and when there layed the male guards the nest till there born.
ReplyDeleteName: Pumpkinseed Sunfish.
ReplyDeletePhysical Description: A disc-like shaped fish, coloring varies from golden brown to olive green. Also has blue, green, or emerald spots. Typically 6-10 inches when fully grown.
Range In Maine: Warm water.
Habitat: Prefers clear, non-flowing waters with dense, submerged vegetation.
Diet: Larval insects, some adult insects, small fish, snails.
Is it Native? Yes.
Predators: Any fish larger than the Pumpkinseed that eats fish will eat them. Also eaten by cormorants and herons.
Unique Adaptations: Sharp spines along back for protection.