Tag archives for freshwater species of the week
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Bass fishing in the American Southeast may have just gotten a little bit more complicated. According to a release filed this week, biologists from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) would like to name a new species of black bass, the Choctaw bass, or Micropterus haiaka. In 2007, FWC scientists found an unusual DNA…
New Zealand’s large, slow-growing longfin eels (Anguilla dieffenbachia) are on a “slow path to extinction,” according to an April report by the parliamentary commissioner for the environment. The commissioner has now been joined by a number of scientists in calling for a ban on fishing of the eels, since their numbers have been declining in…
The northern map turtle (Graptemys geographica) is a relatively large aquatic turtle that is native to North America. It is named for the lines on its shell, which resemble the contour lines on a map. Map turtles show extreme sexual size dimorphism, which means the genders grow to different sizes. Northern male map turtles…
An iconic freshwater fish of tropical South America, the arapaima is a massive, slender beast that can grow up to 10 feet (3 meters) long and weigh 440 pounds (200 kilograms). It is known as the pirarucu in Brazil and the paiche in the western Amazon, and is one of the largest freshwater fish in…
We recently covered a two-headed bull shark fetus that was found by a fisherman and described by scientists in a journal. That story got more than ninety comments and more than four thousand Facebook likes, and it got us thinking about what other two-headed creatures might have been found. So in lieu of this week’s…
This month 36 Philippine freshwater crocodiles were introduced into the wild on Siargao Island, in an effort to bolster the population of this endangered reptile. The Philippine freshwater crocodile (Crocodylus mindorensis), also called the Mindoro crocodile, is found only in the Philippines. The Philippine crocodile shares the island chain with the much more common Indo-Pacific crocodile or saltwater…
While one could make a case that pigs should be this week’s Freshwater Species of the Week, since they have turned up by the thousands in a Chinese river, I decided to focus my attention a bit closer to home. Today, authorities announced that eight men have been indicted for alleged trafficking in American paddlefish…
Today, delegates to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in Bangkok agreed to list the African manatee (Trichechus senegalensis) on Appendix I on an interim basis, boosting its protections. A final decision on the species’ status is expected by the time the conference wraps up on March 14, according to Humane Society…
I’m posting Freshwater Species of the Week a day early because I just caught wind that biologists have discovered “monster” goldfish breeding in Lake Tahoe. I visited Lake Tahoe a few winters ago, and can say with experience that it’s a stunning natural gem. Snow-capped peaks ring the crystal-clear blue water, which supports a diverse…
As any gardener or farmer should be able to tell you, earthworms can play an important role in ecosystems, by churning up soils, leaving copious amounts of nutrient-rich waste, and serving as food for a wide range of wildlife. Many young students dissect earthworms in biology 101, but there is still a lot we don’t…
In case you weren’t aware, every February 2 is not just Groundhog Day. It is also World Wetlands Day. From the official website of World Wetlands Day: This day marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the…
Today I flipped through a reference book called A Handbook of Global Freshwater Invasive Species (always a cheerful read). My eye was caught by purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria L.), since I have often encountered it on wetlands hikes around the country. Purple loosestrife is native to Eurasia, but has become an aggressive invader in North…
Updated December 23, 11:45 pm Long famous for their fearsome appearance and sharp teeth, piranhas can add another accolade to their storied reputation as formidable predators. The black piranha (Serrasalmus rhombeus) has been recognized for having the strongest bite among living fish, pound for pound, according to research by Justin R. Grubich, Steve Huskey, Stephanie…
Last week, research published in the journal Current Biology revealed details of the only animal known to be able to jump off the surface of water. Small insects called pygmy mole crickets use tiny prongs and paddles on their legs to propel themselves off the surface of water, up to 18 times the height of their…
It seems that London was host to more than Olympic athletes, as a recent study suggests the Thames River is among the world’s most invaded freshwater systems. Research published in the delightfully named journal Biological Invasions found nearly 100 invasive species living in the Thames. The researchers at Queen Mary, University of London concluded that…
My parents recently retired to the Texas Hill Country, a picturesque area outside Austin and San Antonio that is home to a unique, dry ecosystem, as well as working ranches. There are also caves in those hills, some of which are home to endangered species (and possibly cattle rustlers). This week, the U.S. Fish and…
America’s mussels may have gotten stronger this week. On October 3, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed Endangered Species Act protection for two species of freshwater mussels in the Tennessee River watershed, including proposed designation of 1,380 miles of critical river habitat in Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Virginia. The mussels are the slabside pearlymussel (Pleuronaia…
Updated on 12/12/12 This week, The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the U.S. and California state governments to protect a large minnow called the Clear Lake hitch as an endangered species. According to the Center, the subspecies* of fish is found only in Northern California’s Clear Lake and its tributaries. A popular recreational area, Clear Lake…
We previously reported that a wide range of living things can hitch a ride in the ballast water of ships, and then end up getting discharged in a body of water where they aren’t native. Some of those transplants can take hold, start reproducing, and eventually become pest invasive species that crowd out the locals.…
Bad news for the spineless: one fifth of the world’s invertebrate species are now at risk of extinction, according to a report by the Zoological Society of London. This is especially disturbing because invertebrates are thought to represent around 99% of biodiversity on the planet. According to Scientific American, until now scientists hadn’t made an…
Freshwater jellyfish have been spotted in Ohio ponds, alarming locals and surprising old timers. The local Newark Advocate quoted Frank Snelling, who has lived in the area for years, as saying, “I told him, ‘You better drink a beer. There aren’t jellyfish in Ohio.’” Actually there are, because small freshwater jellyfish (Craspedacusta sowerbii) are…
Many of the biggest names in conservation are set to meet September 6-15 on picturesque Jeju Island off South Korea for the 2012 IUCN World Conservation Congress. To kick off that event IUCN is launching a new report this week called The Status and Distribution of Freshwater Biodiversity in Indo-Burma. The IUCN report is the first ever…
There are more than 400 species of sharks in the world (or Shaaaaarks if you are from Boston), and a few spend most of their time in freshwater. Although this may sound terrifying to those hitting rivers, lakes, and swimming holes to cool off in the summer heat, they pose little danger to people.…
A few weeks ago, I went kayaking in the placid waters of the Potomac River off Washington D.C. After putting in at Jack’s Boathouse in historic Georgetown, a few dips of the paddle took us to a leafy section of the city that was nearly silent, except for the distant whir of traffic and…
We recently wrote about European eels for freshwater species of the week, but now we take a look back across the pond at our homegrown version. American eels (Anguilla rostrata) are equally intriguing. As Water Currents’ Brian Richter told us via email, “I’ve always been fascinated by the life cycle of the American eel —…
