Red Drum populations along the east coast and gulf coast of the United States, have drastically diminished over the past thirty years. The cause of the drop in numbers of this beautiful fish is primarily due to the overfishing from both recreational and commercial fishermen. Federal and State governments have implemented measures in to prevent this fish from being targeted, and to make sure that the population numbers increase. Not only is this fish important for the fisheries in which they thrive, but they also contribute to the biodiversity of a number of different ecosystems.
The Red Drum (Scianops Ocellatus) gets their name from the drumming sound they make. [3] Most of these fish, depending on where they are caught, have an orange color to them and typically have at least one black spot on their tail. Depending on where you are at, red drum are also called redfish, channel bass, spottail, red bass, and reds. [3] Red drum have been caught as far north as Massachusetts, though they typically don’t migrate that far north. In fact, the Chesapeake Bay is normally the farthest north that they can be found, and they are caught as far south—in the United States—as the gulf coast of Texas. [1]
Red drum spawn between late summer and fall. Females lay their eggs in estuaries and inlets during the night. A single female can produce up to two million eggs per season. The eggs will then hatch anywhere from 24-36 hours after being spawned. As the fish matures, the area in which it lives will change, as will its feeding habits. A male is considered to be mature once it reaches anywhere between 20-28 inches. By this time, the fish is between one and four years of age. Females are considered to be mature when they are between 31-36 inches. A female between these lengths is typically between three-six years old. Red drum can grow upwards of 60-inches, which equates to a 90-pound fish. [1]
As a juvenile, red drum eat zooplankton and invertebrates such as crabs and shrimp. A juvenile will spend the first part of its life in estuarial waters, but when they get older they typically move towards the ocean. When red drum move to the ocean, their feeding habits change slightly, to satisfy their hunger. Not only will they eat zooplankton, but they also begin to target larger invertebrates as well as fish. [2]
The red drum fishery encompasses both recreational and commercial methods.
Of course there are many beautiful and dynamic fish that reside in the waters of Hawaii, but none are as captivating as the Humuhumumunukunukuapua'a (Rhinecanthus rectangulus ). This reef trigger-fish is the official state fish of Hawaii because of its abundance in the shallow waters of the coast. Humuhumumunukunukuapua'a means “nose like a pig” because of the shape of its nose due to the formation of its teeth and because it makes a “snorting” sound when abruptly taken from the water and when swimming away from predators. The locals of Hawaii usually call this fish humuhumu (hoo-moo-hoo-moo) in lieu of having to pronounce its full name for conversation purposes. In other parts of the world this shallow water fish is also known as the Picasso and rectangle fish because of the colors and patterns on its body. Since the humuhumu prefer waters with degrees from seventy-five to eighty degrees Fahrenheit they are found and indigenous to the “Indo-Pacific: Hawaiian islands, Red Sea south to East London, South Africa and east through Indonesia to the Marquesan Islands, north to southern Japan, south to Lord Howe Island.”(Oceanlink.com).According to ask a Marine Scientist:Osteichthyes , they are in the class of the “Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)”,the order of the ”Tetraodontiformes (Puffers and filefishes)”,a member of the ”Balistidae” family(Oceanlink.com), and its biome of preference is the coastal strand.
Known as Pterois Volitans in the animal kingdom, also called the red lionfish, is a sight to behold in the tropical waters as they swim like an underwater butterfly in the sea. In waters not native to their origin, as they are from the Pacific and have predators that will have them for a snack. Invasive to the Caribbean Sea they have rapidly reached the Gulf of Mexico and far south, spreading to parts of South America. The lionfish has become a persistent pest that’s more trouble than what it appears to be, attractive yet deceptive with a striking pattern of white and red stripes. In the New York Times article, A Call to Action… and Even Rodeos, scientists say that, “from 2005 onward, lionfish have become the most numerous nonnative invasive species in the world.” The average pound fish is one of nature’s clever creations, a venomous foe with spines and an infinite appetite that reproduce quickly. Invasive species are notorious because they have no or almost nonexistent natural predators and they are adapt to their new home very well. The biological adaptations of this fish has caused both ecological and economical mayhem, serious measures have been taken up to control their population as well as to protect our coral reefs.
Bass fishing, at present, is considered as America’s number one freshwater sport, its industry is in fact seventy percent higher in growth compared to other types of fishing activities. Bass is a fish that belongs to the Serranidae family or sea basses and the Centrarchidae or the black basses. This family of perchlike fishes are large and oblong with compressed bodies that dwell in warm and temperate seas throughout
The Longnose gars reproduction depends on location that the gar is found in. The reproduction does typically happen during the spring or summer months and all dependent on what the water temperature. The female gar will swim into a small, fast moving stream and lay their eggs (Goddard). The Longnose gar eggs are not just normal eggs that most people think of when they think of fish eggs. Their eggs are green and sticky so they can stick to the plants in the fast moving stream (
The Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans) is an invasive saltwater predator that is increasing exponentially in the tropics of the western Atlantic (Benkwitt, 2013). The Lionfish invasion is causing a dramatic decline in native marine reef species due the gluttony of the lionfish.
“Summary Report for: Fish and Game Wardens”. O Net Online. 2014.Web. 4 April 2014. >.
Spring is the season of spawning and population growth. When the water temperature is high enough, usually around or above 60°, the male bass will move closer inland and scope out a spot to build a nest or bed. “The most active spawning occurs when the water for the first time reaches 65-degree mark” (The Behavior and Habits of Largemouth Bass). This pre-spawn period is the easiest time to catch a fish, and it is best to fish near structure such as wood...
Ecological disasters have plagued Louisiana’s coastal ecosystems for many years. It can be seen through the massive loss of coastal wetlands thus destroying habitat for fish populations. Saltwater estuaries are the life support for a variety of fish and crustacean species. With these marshlands disappearing at such a fast rate, it makes sense that the fish populations are going to disappear along with it. If we don’t make change to this dire to situation soon, there might not be this wonderful coastal ecosystem in Southern Louisiana for future generations to enjoy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Environmental Health Health Studies Branch Kevin Amos, National Aquatic Animal Health Coordinator, NOAA Fisheries Salmon of the Americas SOTA is an organization of salmon-producing companies in Canada, Chile and the United States whose mission is to improve health, awareness and dining enjoyment of consumers in North America by providing timely, complete, accurate and insightful information about salmon on behalf of the member companies. Ashley Dean, Shwartz,. Mark 2003. Salmon farms pose significant threat to salmon fisheries in the Pacific Northwest, researchers find. Stanford University American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, April 2002, 76:608-613.
Kumai, H. Studies on bluefin tuna artificial hatching, rearing, and reproduction. Nippon Suisan Gakkaishi, v.64, n.4, 1998:601-605.
Native Americans and U.S. commercial fisheries started catching Atlantic salmon in the 1600s. The catches in Maine exceeded 90 metric tons in the late 1800s and 45 metric tons in the 1900s. However since 1948, U.S. commercial fisheries have remained closed. For recreational purposes, fishermen have angled Atlantic salmon since 1932. In the Dennys River in Maine,...
Loggerheads mate in spring and nest from early May all the way through August (Lamont & Fujisaki 2014). Though they spend most of their time in the waters, they will go offshore for egg production. Female loggerheads nest every two to four years and lay between two and five clutches nest (Phillips et al. 2014). Some of the hatchlings will spend their juvenile years in the open ocean, while some will spend those years in coastal areas.
We have at least up to be at least 6 to 24 inches long. Instead of enjoying them selves for how big and tall they are they mke them selves taller by having extra pointy fins near there tail that make them seem taller than they actually are. They can almost every color in the world even the made up ones like Mint and Blurple. Angelfish have a black spot in the center of their foreheads that is called the fake eye but it's not just black, it is as ring with a shade of royal or dark blue.
• National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, (n.d.). retrieved May 03, 2004, from Applying for a Grant Web site: http://www.nfwf.org.
Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) make up about 25 percent of the West Coast catch, and chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) make up about 13 percent. Both follow similar migration paths in the Pacific and reach a common weight of about 12 pounds before returning to their natal river to spawn.