GuppyLog || Sampling Fish on the Vermilion

New to Guppylog?
Immediate Help

Conversions and Calculator
Conversions and Tank volume calculator

Add yourself to our guppylog map
Guppylog Members

* Change as much water as often as you can! *
Inkmaker

Front Page · Everything · News · Ask Guppylog · Diaries

Sampling Fish on the Vermilion
By unclescott from the Staying Alive in the Water ;) department, Section Diaries Posted on Wed Aug 29, 2007 at 12:58:25 PM PST Tags: (all tags)

I had the privilage of going "sampling" or collecting with a crowd of NANFA people and a member of the Illinois Natural History Survey last Sunday. We were on one of the many branches of the Vermilion River, which was impressively clean (well, clear anyway). The day started a little gloomy, but was glorious by the time we gingerly hit the water.

The amount of water swirling by the fish made me aware of how hard that would be to reproduce even in the best filtered and water changed aquarium. The density of fish to water was terrifically less than it would be in a sparcely populated aquarium - and they were in highly oxygenated water!

We were in a couple of areas with several biotypes - pools, channels, backwaters, grassy shallows, sand bars, and some serious riffles. Footing in the cold water was treacherous and waders were necessary. An informal buddy system was mandatory.

I was impressed with the distribution of fishes. There were some very neat darters (including a healthy population of the beautiful, but state endangered blue chin darters which were even more quickly returned to the water than the rest of the fish). They were found in quite shallow, but turbulent water swirling around algae covered rocks (the riffles). North American Darters are something of the ecological counterparts of gobies and gudgeons elsewhere in the world.

Although 24 species of fish were found, it was clear that there were few small fishes in the open waters and that bigger individuals (and species?) were very successfully avoiding our nets as we struggled with the current in water much over a foot (30 cm) deep. Weedy shallows though held an abundant number of individual fish and species.

The habitats of the smaller fishes, in what could be termed the marginal waters, gave some insight into where guppies and many other aquarium fishes must come from. The role of plants, as habitat, in an aquarium was also reinforced.

So much to learn, so little time. :)

< Fishies and more fishies | Endler's Outdoors >

Menu

· create account

· F.A.Q. For Newbies!

· Immediate Help For Newbies!

· search

· Scoop Info

· Our Tanks

Login

Make a new account

Username:

Password:

Related Links

· unclescott's Diary

Sampling Fish on the Vermilion | 11 comments (11 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

WOW!! (none / 0) (#1)
by guppygirl on Thu Oct 09, 2003 at 01:18:54 PM PST

Sounds like a great learning experience!!

I wouldn't be able to do anything like that around here.

I've heard you can go to the lake at night by the nuclear power plant, and watch the fish, ummm, glow.

What's that saying again? "I love NY????"

;-)

wow (none / 0) (#3)
by parttimer on Thu Oct 09, 2003 at 09:07:02 PM PST

they now sell a glow in the dark fish. they were 4 sale on aquabid, they didn't know what breed of fish it was but it looked like a guppy, it had a long name, now i know it came from ny.

[ Parent ]

Would the glow in the dark fish be (none / 0) (#4)
by unclescott on Thu Oct 09, 2003 at 10:29:07 PM PST

zebra danios (Brachydanio species) that have had
the green fluorescent protein from jellyfish cloned into a ubiquitous gene (that is, a gene expressed in every cell)?

Those were designed for medical research, Somewhere there was a promise made that these wouldn't get into commercial channels. Maybe it was't the developer making those promises. ;)

There are some very legitimate medical uses for a research animal where they can examine a specific part or system of a fish. Cancer research is a good thing usually.

While I was away, Phry's story about the Bizarrely-Gendered Guppy was run. Familiar with late blooming swordtale (the huge juveniles who become the biggest males and have generated stories of sex changing females) I wondered if that was the case for that fish.

Triploid fishes having three sets of chromosomes also occur, especially in lab work. I'm not sure that is the same as the xxy, xyy chromosomal situations that sometimes are found in creatures with specific sex chromosomes.

I'm quite sure Phry knows more about this than I though. ;)

What does (professor?) Yamamoto say about abnormal sexuality. Does it apply to fishes?

A google search for glow in the dark zebra fish will make you crazy, but take a look at http://www.rps.psu.edu/jan99/glow.html

[ Parent ]

no (none / 0) (#7)
by parttimer on Fri Oct 10, 2003 at 05:29:52 PM PST

the person selling had it in the guppy listing and it wasn't a guppy or danio. it was a f1 fish he claimed. new species

[ Parent ]

Sounds like an illuminating experience G.G. (none / 0) (#2)
by unclescott on Thu Oct 09, 2003 at 04:05:01 PM PST

There are species of fish more easily caught at night. A lady working on her biology degree in TN mentioned that Fundulus catenatus, a great big honking native killie, also called the Northern Studfish, is easiest caught at night.

One takes a flashlight, dipnet and catches them snoozing in the shallows. Try not to step on the raccoons. ;)

Check state rules for netting bait - it is easier to explain netting bait than a long saga about aquaria. It is also wise to have a current fishing license.

There are native fish nuts with quite a collection of out of state fishing licenses.

You can imagine the jokes that go with keeping a studfish. :)

[ Parent ]

Studfish, or Klingon? (none / 0) (#5)
by guppygirl on Fri Oct 10, 2003 at 03:34:21 PM PST

A couple of things, first, the glowing fish comment was an attempt at a joke, fellow fishheads.

Secondly, a question, my male Red Velvet was indeed one of those late bloomers, and has recently started to actively try to mate. I've read that they usually become excellent breeders.

The problem is that he keeps killing the females with his pursuits. (Reminds me of a comment Warf made on a Star Trek NG episode about mating with a human.)

Does anyone have any ideas how I can maybe get him to be less arduous in his attempts?

I've already lost two beautiful females.

[ Parent ]

give him (none / 0) (#6)
by parttimer on Fri Oct 10, 2003 at 05:22:55 PM PST

a six pack, a remote and tell him he can watch football all day. that was my attempt at a joke. the only thing that i know is more females and places to hide. the glow in the dark fish i know was a joke, but they are out there.

[ Parent ]

Well, I'm partway there, parttimer... (none / 0) (#8)
by guppygirl on Sat Oct 11, 2003 at 11:01:21 AM PST

The tank does sit in front of the TV that my husband watches most.
So he maintains control of the remote, and mostly watches football on weekends. Go Bills!!!

We don't drink, and I don't know if he'll like beer, maybe some shaved chicken liver might suffice. (Steak for fish)

I could go down to a new pet store that opened, and check them out,(been dying to) and maybe get a few more "babes" for him.

Should have thought of the three B's, beer, 'ball, and babes.

[ Parent ]

Collecting photos were posted today. (none / 0) (#9)
by unclescott on Wed Oct 29, 2003 at 03:42:22 AM PST

See

http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/heowchngang

Our photographer was a student from NIU. They are pretty good shots, especially considering considering that she was on the shore (nobody wanted to risk a digital camera in the water).

The shot of a bunch of people standing around in front of the seine is actually a bunch of us trying to "run" in a weaving pattern down stream as "beaters" chasing fish into the net. It worked surprisingly well.

Running in a current on algae covered rocks does not make for grace and coordination. One of the taller men went down. I was so glad he didn't break the wrist which he reflectively put out to break the fall.

The couple on the white shirts and matching waders were our hosts. Newly weds and fishheads!

Can you imagine collecting with your spouse? (I wish!)

Jeremy is with the Illinois Natural History Survey and in addition to all sorts of other things, was our score keeper. Bernadette is the same lady featured in the October TFH where she is with her pre-school class looking at a tank of natives.

I'm the not so svelte figure with the highly reflective head and cute (but very useful) little yellow bait bucket which could be carried quickly across the water to the holding buckets on shore, usually in the shade. (See the shot with the battery powered aerator.)

That bucket could also trail along behind a person on a rope. It didn't create so much pull that one would be dragged downstream across the state.

The NANFA collectors remind me of the increasingly international mix of often younger hobbyists on guppylog. That warms the heart of this old geezer. :)

[ Parent ]

I saw the yellow bucket in one shot, I think.... (none / 0) (#10)
by guppygirl on Wed Oct 29, 2003 at 12:55:26 PM PST

And I think I saw a flash of scalp in another,
but someone's head was in the way.

P.S. Do you know of ANYONE who looks "svelt" in waders?????
;-)

Ease up on yourself, after all, it's the heart of the "old geezer" we care about here!!!
:-)

[ Parent ]

As for who looks svelte in waders... (none / 0) (#11)
by unclescott on Wed Oct 29, 2003 at 04:12:45 PM PST

take a look at Bernadette, all 100 pounds of her. :)

Yeah, I'm old enough to be her dad.

At one stage of the day she was parked on a rock in a torrent, just quietly watching the darters and minnows interact, hide and forage for food. All the rest of us were still lumbering around the river.

Truly the marks of a student of what's going on in the River.
....
But there is little room for water to leak into my waders. ;)

[ Parent ]

Sampling Fish on the Vermilion | 11 comments (11 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

create account | faq | search