ben parsons fish id project

Fish Species IdentificationResearch Project

By Ben Parsons1st block12/12/11

Saltwater FishSpecies #1-50

Title: Saltwater Fish Species #1

Common Name: Yellowfin Tuna

Scientific Name: Thunnus albacares

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: PerciformesFamily: Scombridae

Geography/Habitat: Yellowfin tuna inhabit the mixed surface layer of the open Atlantic and Pacific oceans above the thermocline. They mostly range in the top 330 ft of the water column and are capable of diving to considerable depths.

Life Strategy:Yellowfin tuna often travel in schools with similarly sized companions. They sometimes school with other tuna species and mixed schools of small yellowfin and skipjack tuna. They can also school with various species of dolphins or porpoises, as well as whales and whale sharks.

Food / Feed Strategy:Prey includes other fish, pelagic crustaceans, and squid.

Body Form or Style: FusiformSwim / Locomotion Style: ThunniformMouth Position: Terminal

"Yellowfin Tuna Photos | Catching Yellowfin Tuna | Cooking Yellowfin | Buying Yellowfin." Seafood Information, Fishing Directory, Angling, Watersports. Web. 13 Nov. 2011. <http://www.sea-ex.com/fishphotos/yellowfin.htm>.

"Yellowfin Tuna." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 13 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellowfin_tuna>.


Common Name: Atlantic Blue Marlin

Scientific Name: Makaira nigricans

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: PerciformesFamily: Istiophoridae

Geography/ Habitat:Native to Atlantic Ocean

Life Strategy:Atlantic blue marlin reaches sexual maturity at the age of two - four. Males reach sexual maturity at a weight of 77–97 lb and females at 100–130 lb. Marlin breed in late summer and fall. Females may spawn as many as four times in one season and often release over seven million eggs at once, each approximately 0.039 in” in diameter. The planktonic young drift freely in the ocean's pelagic zone. Larvae inhabit the west central Atlantic and can grow as much as 0.63” in a day. In adolescents, the first dorsal fin is large and concave, gradually reducing in proportion to body size with continued growth. Males may live for 18 years, and females up to 27.

Food/Feed Strategy:Prey includes mackerel, tuna, squid, white marlin, snipefish, and filefish

Body Form or Style: FusiformSwim/ Locomotion Style: SubcarangiformMouth Position: Terminal

"Atlantic Blue Marlin." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 13 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_blue_marlin>.Title: Saltwater Fish Species #3

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istiophoridae

Common Name: Black sea Bass

Scientific Name: Centropristis striata

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: PerciformesFamily: Serranidae

Geography/Habitat:Black sea bass inhabit the Maine coasts to northeast Florida and the eastern Gulf of Mexico. They can be found in inshore waters and offshore and spend most of their time close to the sea floor. They are oftenaround bottom formations such as rocks, man-made reefs, piers, and bridge pilings.

Life Strategy:The sea bass spawns in mid-May to late June when it is mature. The eggs are buoyant and their development time is 1.6 days at 23 °C. It appears off the New Jersey coast in the first weeks of May, withdrawing in late October or early November, and wintering offshore at 180'-426' at temperatures above 8 °C.

Food/Feed Strategy:Feed mostly on tilapia.

Body Form or Style: CompressiformSwim/Locomotion Style: CarangiformMouth Position: Terminal

"Black Sea Bass." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 13 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_sea_bass>.


Common Name; Ocean Sunfish

Scientific Name: Mola mola

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: TetraodontiformesFamily: Molidae

Geography/ Habitat:Native to the temperate and tropical waters of every ocean in the world. Sunfish are pelagic and swim at depths of up to 2,000 ft. They are most often found in water warmer than 10 °C (50 °F)

Life Strategy:Ocean sunfish can live up to ten years in captivity, but their lifespan in a natural habitat is not yet known. The mating practices of the ocean sunfish are poorly understood as well, but spawning areas have been suggested in the North Atlantic, South Atlantic, North Pacific, South Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Females can produce as many as 300 million eggs at a time, more than any other known vertebrate. Sunfish eggs are released into the water and externally fertilized by sperm.

Food/ Feed Strategy:Prey consists of various jellyfish, salps, squid, crustaceans, small fish, fish larvae, and eel grass.

Body Form or Style: CompressiformSwim/Locomotion Style: CarangiformMouth Position: Supraterminal

"Ocean Sunfish." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 13 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_sunfish>.


Common Name: Great White Shark

Scientific Name: Carcharodon carcharias

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata

Class: Chondrichthyes Order: Lamniformes

Family: Lamnidae

Geography / Habitat: Great white sharks live in almost all coastal and offshore waters that have water temperatures between 12 and 24 °C. Most are found in waters around South Africa, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, and the Mediterranean. Most shark research is conducted on a dense population along Dyer Island in South Africa.

Life Strategy:Great white sharks reach sexual maturity at around 15 years old. Maximum life span is believed to be more than 30 years. Almost nothing is known about mating rituals.

Food / Feed Strategy:Great white sharks are carnivorous and prey upon fish, including tuna, rays, and other sharks, and cetaceans, like dolphins, porpoises, and whales. They’re also known to eat sea lions, seals, turtles, otters and seabirds.

Body Form or Style: Sagittiform Swim / Locomotion Style: ThunniformMouth Position: Terminal

"Great White Shark." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 19 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_white_shark>.Title: Saltwater Fish Species #6

Common Name: Scalloped Hammerhead

Scientific Name: Sphyrna lewini


Class: Chondrichthyes Order: Carcharhiniformes

Family: Sphyrnidae

Geography/Habitat:The Scalloped Hammerhead is found in warm temperate and tropical waters worldwide from 46° north to 36° south. It can be found down to depths of over 1,600 ft but is most often found above 82 ft.

Life Strategy:Reproduction only occurs once a year and usually occurs with the male shark biting the female shark violently until she agrees to mate with him. Like other sharks, fertilization is internal with the male transferring sperm to the female through one of two organs called claspers.

Food/Feed Strategy:Feeds primarily on other fish, such as sardines, mackerel and herring, and on cephalopods, such as squid and octopus.

Body Form or Style: Saggittiform Swim / Locomotion Style: ThunnifromMouth Position: Terminal

“Scalloped Hammerhead.” Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 15 Nov. 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scalloped_hammerhead


Common Name: Blacktip Reef Shark

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squid

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cephalopod

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herring

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mackerel

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sardine

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clasper

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intromittent_organ

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sperm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fertilization

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphyrnidae

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carcharhiniformes

Scientific Name: Carcharhinus melanopterus



Family: Carcharhinidae

Geography/Habitat:The blacktip reef shark is found throughout near-shore waters of the tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific. In the Indian Ocean, it moves from South Africa to the Red Sea. In the Pacific Ocean, it is found from southern China and the Philippines to Indonesia, northern Australia and New Caledonia.

Life Strategy:Mating is preceded by the male following closely behind the female, likely attracted by her chemical signals. The reproductive cycle is annual off northern Australia, with mating taking place from January to February, as well as off Moorea in French Polynesia, where mating occurs from November to March.

Food/Feed Strategy:The primary food of the blacktip reef shark is small fish, such as mullet, groupers, grunters, jacks, mojarras, wrasses, surgeonfish, and smelt-whitings.

Body Form or Style: Saggittiform Swim / Locomotion Style: ThunniformMouth Position: Terminal

"Blacktip Reef Shark." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 15 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blacktip_reef_shark>.Title: Saltwater Fish Species #8

Common Name: Humpback Anglerfish

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carcharhinidae

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carcharhiniformes

Scientific Name: Melanocetus johnsonii


Class: Actinopterygii Order: Lophiiformes

Family: Melanocetidae

Geography/Habitat: Anglerfish live worldwide, some in open water, others are bottom-dwellers. Some live in the deep sea and others on the continental shelf.

Life Strategy:Some anglerfishes employ an unusual mating method, which includes small male ceratioids living on a female like a parasite.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Most will feed on small squids, turtles, crustaceans, arrow worms and even sea birds

Body Form or Style: Globiform Swim / Locomotion Style: OstraciiformMouth Position: Terminal

"Humpback Anglerfish." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 19 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humpback_anglerfish>.Title: Saltwater Fish Species #9

Common Name: Orange Clownfish

Scientific Name: Amphiprion percula


Class: Actinopterygii Order: Perciformes

Family: Pomacentridae

Geography/Habitat:Orange Clownfish live within host anemones and are found in warmer waters in the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, off northwest Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan.

Life Strategy:Due to the warm water environment, clownfish reproduction is year round. Each group of fish consists of a breeding pair and 0–4 non-breeders. The female is largest, the breeding male is second largest, and the male non-breeders get progressively smaller as the hierarchy descends.

Food/Feed Strategy:Clownfish mostly feed off its anemone host.

Body Form or Style: Compressiform Swim / Locomotion Style: CarangiformMouth Position: Terminal

"Orange Clownfish." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 19 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_clownfish>.


Common Name: Blue Tang

Scientific Name: Paracanthurus hepatus



Family: Acanthuridae

Geography/Habitat:Blue Tangs’ range is broad, but it is nowhere common. It can be found throughout the Indo-Pacific. It has been seen in reefs of East Africa, Japan, Samoa, New Caledonia, and the Great Barrier Reef.

Life Strategy:These fish reach sexual maturity at 9-12 months of age and live in pairs, or in small groups of up to 10 or 12. Spawning occurs during late afternoon and evening hours. This event is indicated by a change in color from a uniform dark blue to a pale blue.

Food/Feed Strategy:Diet consists primarily of plankton. Adults are omnivorous and feed on plankton, but will also graze on algae.


"Paracanthurus Hepatus." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 19 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracanthurus_hepatus>Title: Saltwater Fish Species #11

Common Name: Moorish Idol

Scientific Name: Zanclus cornutus



Family: Zanclidae

Geography/Habitat:The Moorish idol is notable for its wide distribution throughout the Indo-Pacific, living in tropical and subtropical reefs and lagoons.

Life Strategy:Moorish Idols release eggs and sperm in the water column, leaving fertilized eggs to drift away with the currents. The impressive range of these fish may be explained by the unusually long larval stage. The fish reach a length of 3 in before becoming free-swimming juveniles.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Known to be very picky while in captivity, but mostly eat sponges, tunicates and other benthic invertebrates in the wild.

Body Form or Style: Depressiform Swim / Locomotion Style: CarangiformMouth Position: Terminal

"Moorish Idol." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 19 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moorish_idol>.


Common Name: White-spotted Puffer

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larva

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagoon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reef

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subtropical

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indo-Pacific

Scientific Name: Arothron hispidus


Class: Actinopterygii Order: Tetraodontiformes

Family: Tetraodontidae

Geography/Habitat:Puffers are found in the Southeast Atlantic Ocean, the Indo-Pacific Ocean, and the east Pacific Ocean. They live in reefs, lagoons, and tidal pools. They’ve also been known to survive in estuaries and big aquariums.

Life Strategy:Spawning occurs after males slowly push females to the water surface or join females already present. The eggs are spherical and buoyant and hatching occurs after roughly four days

Food/Feeding Strategy:Diet includes fleshy calcareous or coralline algae, mollusks, tunicates, sponges, corals, zoanthids, crabs, polychaete worms, starfish, urchins, krill, and silversides.

Body Form or Style: Compressiform Swim / Locomotion Style: OstraciiformMouth Position: Terminal

"White-spotted Puffer." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 19 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Spotted_Puffer>.


Common Name: Mako Shark

Scientific Name: Isurus oxyrinchus


Class: Chondrichthyes Order: Lamniformes

Family: Lamnidae

Geography/Habitat:Mako sharks inhabit offshore temperate and tropical seas worldwide. It can be found from the surface down to depths of 490 ft, normally far from land though occasionally closer to shore, around islands or inlets.

Life Strategy:The mako shark is a yolk-sac ovoviviparous shark, giving birth to live young. Developing embryos feed on unfertilized eggs in uterus during the 15 to 18 month gestation period. The 4 to 18 surviving young are born live in the late winter and early spring at a length of about 28 in. It is believed that females may rest for 18 months after birth before mating again.

Food/Feeding Strategy:A mako feeds mainly upon cephalopods, bony fishes including mackerels, tunas, bonitos, and swordfish, but it may also eat other sharks, porpoises, sea turtles, and seabirds.


"Shortfin Mako Shark." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 19 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shortfin_mako_shark>.


Common Name: Royal Gramma

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_turtle

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porpoise

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swordfish

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonito

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuna

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mackerel

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cephalopods

Scientific Name: Gramma loreto



Family: Grammatidae

Geography/Habitat:Natural range covers the Bahamas, Venezuela and the Lesser Antilles. Usually live in caves or under ledges.

Life Strategy:Males build nests from algae and plant scraps; both parents guard the gray eggs, numbering up to four hundred.

Food/Feeding Strategy:The royal gramma is a planktivore, eating mostly zooplankton and crustaceans. They’re also know to eat frozen and meaty foods such as brine shrimp and mysid shrimp in the wild.


“Grammas." Wetwebmedia, Aquarium, Pond, Marine and Freshwater Fish, Reef Tanks, and Aquatics Information. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. <http://www.wetwebmedia.com/grammas.htm>.

"Royal Gramma." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_gramma >.Title: Saltwater Fish Species #15

Common Name: Cookiecutter Shark

Scientific Name: Isistius brasiliensis


Class: Chondrichthyes Order: Squaliformes

Family: Dalatiidae

Geography/Habitat:Cookiecutter Sharks live in all of the world's major tropical and warm-temperate oceanic basins.

Life Strategy:The cookiecutter shark is aplacental viviparous, with the developing embryos being sustained by yolk until birth. Females have two functional uteruses and give birth to litters of 6 - 12 pups

Food/Feeding Strategy:Will eat any medium or large oceanic animal living in the same habitat.

Body Form or Style: Sagittiform Swim / Locomotion Style: OstraciiformMouth Position: Terminal

"Cookiecutter Shark." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cookiecutter_shark>.


Common Name: Cocoa Damselfish

Scientific Name: stegastes variabilis




Geography/Habitat:Inhabit inshore and offshore coral reefs in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico

Life Strategy:Damselfish lay eggs in patches on the reef which are then protected by the breeding couple until they hatch. In some areas where species breed in unison, the reef can turn purple from the patches of purple eggs everywhere.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Adults feed mainly on algae, sponges, ascidiacea and anemones while juvenile feed on invertebrates such as harpacticoid copepods and nemerteans.


"Damselfish : UnderwaterAsia.info." Welcome to UnderwaterAsia.info. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. <http://www.underwaterasia.info/reef-spotter/damselfish.php>. Title: Saltwater Fish Species #17

Common Name: Dusky Batfish

Scientific Name: Platax pinnatus



Family: Ephippidae

Geography/Habitat:Usually tend to live on or near coral reefs, swimming well above the bottom in pairs or small groups. Juveniles are often solitary, seen sheltering in the reef to avoid predators.

Life Strategy:It is thought that Platax Batfish spawn in the open ocean. Juveniles are pelagic until they reach about 20mm in length, when the juveniles of some species settle on reefs or in lagoons.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Batfish feed on algae or plankton, depending on the species.


"Platax Pinnatus." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platax_pinnatus>.

"Batfish : UnderwaterAsia.info." Welcome to UnderwaterAsia.info. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. <http://www.underwaterasia.info/reef-spotter/batfish.php>.


Common Name: Copperband Butterflyfish

Scientific Name: Chelmon rostratus



Family: Chaetodontidae

Geography/Habitat:Most Butterflyfish prefer shallow healthy reefs. Some plankton feeding species prefer areas with faster currents where they form large schools in mid-water.

Life Strategy:Many species pair for life and spend the majority of time with their partners. They are known to gather in large schools in mating season, rising together above the reef and releasing eggs and sperm mid water.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Feed on coral polyps, algae, or plankton.


"Butterflyfish : UnderwaterAsia.info." Welcome to UnderwaterAsia.info. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. <http://www.underwaterasia.info/reef-spotter/butterflyfish.php>.

"Copperband Butterflyfish." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copperband_butterflyfish>.Title: Saltwater Fish Species #19

Common Name: Striated Frogfish

Scientific Name: Antennarius striatus


Class: Actinopterygii Order: Lophiiformes

Family: Antennariidae

Geography/Habitat:Most live in the tropical and subtropical regions of the Atlantic and Pacific, as well as in the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea.

Life Strategy:Most species are free-spawning, with females laying the eggs in the water and males coming in behind to fertilize them.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Frogfish eat crustaceans, other fish, and even each other.

Body Form or Style: Depressiform Swim / Locomotion Style: OstraciiformMouth Position: Supraterminal

"Striated Frogfish." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Striated_frogfish>.


Common Name: Harlequin Ghost Pipefish

Scientific Name: Solenostomus paradoxus


Class: Actinopterygii Order: Syngnathiformes

Family: Solenostomidae

Geography/Habitat:Ghost Pipefish mimic and live alongside crinoids, soft corals, sea grass, hydroids and algae.

Life Strategy:The female Ghost Pipefish who incubates the eggs in a pouch created by hooking together their ventral fins.

Food/Feeding Strategy: Ghost Pipefish feed on minute crustaceans and other plankton, which are sucked up though their tube like snouts.

Body Form or Style: Filiform Swim / Locomotion Style: AnguilliformMouth Position: Terminal

"Ghost Pipefish : UnderwaterAsia.info." Welcome to UnderwaterAsia.info. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. <http://www.underwaterasia.info/reef-spotter/ghost-pipefish.php>.

"Ornate Ghost Pipefish." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solenostomus_paradoxus>.Title: Saltwater Fish Species #21

Common Name: Largetooth sawfish

Scientific Name: Pristis microdon


Class: Chondrichthyes Order: Pristiformes

Family: Pristidae

Geography/Habitat:Known to live in the shallow Indo-West Pacific oceans.

Life Strategy:The sawfish is estimated to mate once every two years, with an average litter of around eight. They mature very slowly; it is estimated that the larger species do not reach sexual maturity until they are 10 to 12 years old.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Usually eat jacks, mullets, and ladyfish.

Body Form or Style: Fusiform Swim / Locomotion Style: ThunniformMouth Position: Subterminal

"Sawfish." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 20 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sawfish>.


Common Name: Broadbarred Firefish

Scientific Name: Pterois antennata


Class: Actinopterygii Order: Scorpaeniformes

Family: Scorpaenidae

Geography/Habitat:A predator native to the Indo-Pacific, this fish can be found around the seaward edge of reefs and coral, in lagoons, and on rocky surfaces to fifty meters.

Life Strategy:Males will form a group of between 3 and 8 with a number of females, and will become particularly aggressive. When another male enters the territory of a courting male, the agitated male will approach the invader with widely spread fins, swimming back and forth, while pointing its poisonous dorsal spines forward

Food/Feeding Strategy:Prey mostly on small fish, invertebrates and mollusks in large amounts.

Body Form or Style: Depressiform Swim / Locomotion Style: OstraciiformMouth Position: Terminal

"Lionfish Creature Feature - Diving with Devil Firefish." Dive The World - Scuba Diving Vacations - Dive Travel - Diving Holidays - Liveaboards. Web. 20 Nov. 2011. <http://www.dive-the-world.com/creatures-lionfish.php>.Title: Saltwater Fish Species #23

Common Name: Large-Scaled Scorpion Fish

Scientific Name:




Geography/Habitat:This fish is demersal and lives in marine, and brackish environments with rocky, sandy or muddy bottoms at depths of 660–1,600 ft.

Life Strategy:External fertilizers; produce a pelagic egg mass following a courtship and mating process that is not well documented. The larvae, like those of many reef fishes, are planktonic.

Food/Feeding Strategy: Feeds on other fish, as well as crustaceans and molluscs.

Body Form or Style: Globiform Swim / Locomotion Style: OstraciiformMouth Position: Terminal

"FLMNH Ichthyology Department: Red Lionfish." Florida Museum of Natural History. Web. 20 Nov. 2011. <http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/gallery/descript/redlionfish/rlionfish.html>.


Common Name: Bignose Shark

Scientific Name: Carcharhinus altimus




Geography/Habitat:Found near the edge of the continental shelf and over the upper continental slope, generally swimming close to the sea floor. Probably has a circumglobal distribution in tropical and subtropical waters.

Life Strategy:This species is viviparous: when the developing embryos exhaust their supply of yolk, the depleted yolk sac is converted into a placental connection through which the mother delivers nourishment.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Feeds mainly on bottom-dwelling bony fishes (including lizardfishes, croakers, flatfishes, and batfishes), cartilaginous fishes (including Squalus dogfishes, Holohalaelurus catsharks, Dasyatis stingrays, and chimaeras), and cephalopods.


"Bignose Shark." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bignose_shark>.Title: Saltwater Fish Species #25

Common Name: Silvertip Shark

Scientific Name: Carcharhinus albimarginatus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_floor

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_slope

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_shelf




Geography/Habitat:Widely, but non-continuously, distributed in the tropical Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Life Strategy:The silvertip shark is viviparous.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Consists primarily of bony fishes such as grouper, mackerel, tuna, escolars, lanternfish, flyingfish, wrasses, and soles.


"Silvertip Shark." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silvertip_shark>.


Common Name: Spinner Shark

Scientific Name: Carcharhinus brevipinna




Geography/Habitat:Reported from ocean surface to a depth of 330 ft, though it prefers shallow water less than 100 ft deep, and occupies all levels of the water column.

Life Strategy:The spinner shark is viviparous.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Feeds primarily on small bony fishes, including tenpounders, sardines, herring, anchovies, sea catfish, lizardfish, mullets, bluefish, tunas, bonito, croakers, jacks, mojarras, and tongue-soles.


"Spinner Shark." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinner_shark>.


Common Name: Silky Shark

Scientific Name: Carcharhinus falciformis




Geography/Habitat:Cosmopolitan distribution; primarily in Open Ocean

Life Strategy:The silky shark is viviparous.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Feeds mainly on bony fishes from all levels of the water column, including tuna, mackerel, sardines, mullets, groupers, snappers, mackerel scads, sea chubs, sea catfish, eels, lanternfishes, filefishes, triggerfishes, and porcupinefishes.

Body Form or Style: Sagittiform Swim / Locomotion Style: Thunniform Mouth Position: Terminal

"Silky Shark." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 22 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silky_shark>.Title: Saltwater Fish Species #28

Common Name: Dusky Shark

Scientific Name: Carcharhinus obscurus




Geography/Habitat:The range of the dusky shark extends worldwide in tropical and warm-temperate waters. It has been found in the western and central Mediterranean Sea, the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and possibly lives elsewhere like Portugal, Spain, Morocco, and Madeira.

Life Strategy:The dusky shark is viviparous: the developing embryos are initially nourished by a yolk sac, which is converted into a placental connection to the mother once the yolk supply is exhausted. Mating occurs during spring in the northwestern Atlantic, while there appears to be no reproductive seasonality in other regions such as off South Africa.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Known to eat pelagic fishes including herring and anchovies, tuna and mackerel, billfish, jacks, needlefish and flyingfish, threadfins, hairtails, lancetfish, and lanternfish.


"Dusky Shark." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dusky_shark>.Title: Saltwater Fish Species #29

Common Name: Sandbar Shark

Scientific Name: Carcharhinus plumbeus




Geography/Habitat:Commonly found over muddy or sandy bottoms in shallow coastal waters such as bays, estuaries, harbors, or the mouths of rivers, but it also swims in deeper waters (200 m or more) as well as intertidal zones.

Life Strategy:Sandbar sharks are viviparous.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Prey on fish, rays, and crabs.


"Sandbar Shark." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandbar_shark>.


Common Name: Snaggletooth Shark

Scientific Name: Hemipristis elongatus




Geography/Habitat:Found in the Indo-West Pacific, including the Red Sea, from southeast Africa to the Philippines, north to China, and south to Australia.

Life Strategy:Carries its live young in a placental-like structure, complete with umbilical cord. The placenta structure is derived from the wall of the embryonic yolk sac that has fused with the uterine wall.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Preys on a variety of different animals, including bony fish, other sharks, rays, crabs and cephalopods


"Snaggletooth Shark." Sharks Pictures - The Best Pictures of Sharks. Web. 22 Nov. 2011. <http://sharkspictures.org/Snaggletooth-shark.html>.

"Snaggletooth Shark." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 22 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snaggletooth_shark>.Title: Saltwater Fish Species #31

Common Name: Golden Trevally

Scientific Name:



Family: Carangidae

Geography/Habitat:Widely distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Life Strategy:Spawning occurs in the early evening into the night during late February to early October, with a peak from late April to early September.

Food/Feeding Strategy: Prey includes crustaceans such as shrimps, crabs and amphipods, as well as mollusks and small fish

Body Form or Style: Swim / Locomotion Style: Mouth Position:

"Golden Trevally." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 22 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_trevally>.


Common Name: Sebae Clownfish

Scientific Name: Amphiprion sebae




Geography/Habitat:Found in the Northern Indian Ocean, including India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldive Islands.

Life Strategy:The male starts courting the female a week before they spawn and initiates maintenance of the site chosen for habitation. The female enters the nest and lays about 300 to 600 hundred eggs are laid.

Food/Feeding Strategy: Eat large varieties of meat and vegetable based foods.

Body Form or Style: Compressiform Swim / Locomotion Style: SubcarangiformMouth Position: Terminal

"Sebae Clownfish." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 03 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sebae_clownfish>.


Common Name: Fire Fish

Scientific Name: Nemateleotris magnifica



Family: Ptereleotridae

Geography/Habitat:The Indo-Pacific, Central Pacific, east African waters, Ryukyu Islands, Japan, New Caledonia, and Pitcairn Islands

Life Strategy:Monogamous.

Food/Feeding Strategy: Mostly eats copepods, zooplankton, and crustacean larvae.

Body Form or Style: FusiformSwim / Locomotion Style: SubcarangiformMouth Position: Terminal

"Nemateleotris Magnifica." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 03 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_Fish>.


Common Name: Mandarinfish

Scientific Name: Synchiropus splendidus



Family: Callionymidae

Geography/Habitat:Native to the Pacific, ranging from the Ryukyu Islands south to Australia.

Life Strategy:Mostly spawn near reefs.

Food/Feeding Strategy: Feed primarily on small crustaceans and other invertebrates.

Body Form or Style: Compressiform Swim / Locomotion Style: OstraciiformMouth Position: Terminal

"Mandarinfish." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 03 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandarinfish>Title: Saltwater Fish Species #35

Common Name: Rainbow Trout

Scientific Name: Oncorhynchus mykiss


Class: Actinopterygii Order: Salmoniformes

Family: Salmonidae

Geography/Habitat:Native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America.

Life Strategy:Rainbow Trout return to their original hatching ground to spawn.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Eats insects, fish eggs, smaller fish, crayfish and other crustaceans.

Body Form or Style: CompressiformSwim / Locomotion Style: SubcarangiformMouth Position: Terminal

"Rainbow Trout." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 22 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_trout>.


Common Name: Flame Angelfish

Scientific Name: Centropyge loricula



Family: Pomacanthidae

Geography/Habitat:Found in various reefs of Oceania, most common in Marshall, Line, and Cook Islands. The fish is also, although less commonly, found in the Hawaiian Islands.

Life Strategy:Female lays up to a 1000 eggs on leaves.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Diet varies; usually consists of algae and crustaceans

Body Form or Style: Depressiform Swim / Locomotion Style: OstraciiformMouth Position: Terminal

"Flame Angelfish." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centropyge_loricula>.


Common Name: Sea Goldie

Scientific Name: Pseudanthias squamipinnis



Family: Serranidae

Geography/Habitat:Found in the western Indian Ocean including the Red Sea, and in the Pacific Ocean as far east as Japan and southeast Australia

Life Strategy:A male retains a harem of 5-10 females, but when the male dies one of the females will undergo sex reversal and take the place of the missing male.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Feed primarily on zooplankton


"Sea Goldie." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudanthias_squamipinnis>.


Common Name: Blue-Spotted Grouper

Scientific Name: Cephalopholis argus



Family: Serranidae

Geography/Habitat:Found in the Indo-Pacific and Red Sea

Life Strategy:Spawning usually occurs territorially at dusk. During courtship, both sexes darken except for a white keyhole-shaped patch at the center of the body.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Will lie on the sea floor and surge forward, preferring juvenile surgeonfish and crustaceans. Alternatively they may hover motionless in the water column before attacking.

Body Form or Style: Fusiform Swim / Locomotion Style: CarangiformMouth Position: Terminal

"Blue-Spotted Grouper." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cephalopholis_argus>.


Common Name: Convict Blenny

Scientific Name: Salarias fasciatus



Family: Pholidichthyidae

Geography/Habitat:Lives in shallow lagoons and on coastal reefs from the Philippines to the Solomon Islands.

Life Strategy:Research has revealed a maze of tunnels and chambers within burrows. At night young fish dangle by their mouths from the roof of the tunnels by thin mucous threads.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Juveniles usually swim up to 50 meters from their home burrows to feed on plankton.

Body Form or Style: AnguilliformSwim / Locomotion Style: AnguilliformMouth Position: Terminal

"Pholidichthys Leucotaenia." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pholidichthys_leucotaenia>.


Common Name: Dash-and-dot Goatfish

Scientific Name: Parupeneus barberinus



Family: Mullidae

Geography/Habitat:Found in the Indo and Western Pacific Oceans

Life Strategy:Females lay eggs, which are later fertilized by the males.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Worms, small crustaceans, and small fish.

Body Form or Style: Fusiform Swim / Locomotion Style: SubcarangiformMouth Position: Terminal

"Dash-and-dot Goatfish." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parupeneus_barberinus>.


Common Name: Black-ray Goby

Scientific Name: Stonogobiops nematodes



Family: Gobiidae

Geography/Habitat:Commonly found in the western Indo-Pacific, inhabiting sandy bottoms and rocky outcrops at depths ranging from 60-100 feet.

Life Strategy:Almost impossible to discern differences between males and females of the species.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Spends most of its time hovering about two inches above its bolt hole, searching for scraps of food in the water column.


"Black-ray Goby." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonogobiops_nematodes>.


Common Name: Sebae Clownfish

Scientific Name: Amphiprion sebae




Geography/Habitat:Found in the Northern Indian Ocean, including India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldive Islands.

Life Strategy:The male starts courting the female a week before they spawn and initiates maintenance of the site chosen for habitation. The female enters the nest and lays about 300 to 600 hundred eggs are laid.

Food/Feeding Strategy: Eat large varieties of meat and vegetable based foods.


"Sebae Clownfish." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphiprion_sebae >.


Common Name: Fire Fish

Scientific Name: Nemateleotris magnifica



Family: Ptereleotridae

Geography/Habitat:The Indo-Pacific, Central Pacific, east African waters, Ryukyu Islands, Japan, New Caledonia, and Pitcairn Islands

Life Strategy:As a full grown adult, it reaches a maximum length 3 in.

Food/Feeding Strategy: Mostly eats copepods, zooplankton, and crustacean larvae.


"Nemateleotris Magnifica." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 03 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_Fish>.


Common Name: Mandarinfish

Scientific Name: Synchiropus splendidus



Family: Callionymidae

Geography/Habitat:Native to the Pacific, ranging from the Ryukyu Islands south to Australia.

Life Strategy:The bigger the fish is, the more they will mate.

Food/Feeding Strategy: Feed primarily on small crustaceans and other invertebrates.


"Mandarinfish." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 03 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandarinfish>.


Common Name: Atlantic Herring

Scientific Name: Clupea harengus


Class: Actinopterygii Order: Clupeiformes

Family: Clupeidae

Geography/Habitat:Range across the Gulf of Maine, the Gulf of St Lawrence, the Bay of Fundy, the Labrador Sea, the Davis Straits, the Beaufort Sea, the Denmark Straits, and the Norwegian Sea.

Life Strategy:Spawning occurs in every month of the year.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Prey includes peridinians, molluscan larvae, fish eggs, euphausids, mysids, small fishes, menhadenlarvae, pteropods, annelids.

Body Form or Style: Compressiform Swim / Locomotion Style: SubcarangiformMouth Position: Supraterminal

"Atlantic Herring." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_herring >.


Common Name: Red Snapper

Scientific Name: Lutjanus campechanus



Family: Lutianidae

Geography/Habitat:Found in the Gulf of Mexico and the southeastern Atlantic coast of the United States

Life Strategy:Attains sexual maturity at 2–5 years old and can live for more than 50 years.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Will eat almost anything but prefer small fish and crustaceans.

Body Form or Style: Compressiform Swim / Locomotion Style: ThunniformMouth Position: Terminal

"Red Snapper (fish)." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 30 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_snapper_(fish)>.


Common Name: Atlantic Tarpon

Scientific Name: Megalops atlanticus


Class: Actinopterygii Order: Elopiformes

Family: Megalopidae

Geography/Habitat:Found on the western Atlantic coast from Virginia to Brazil, and throughout the Gulf of Mexico.

Life Strategy:Tarpons breed offshore in warm isolated areas. Females have a high fecundity and can lay up to 12 million eggs at once.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Stage two and three juveniles feed primarily on zooplankton, insects and small fish.

Body Form or Style: Fusiform Swim / Locomotion Style: Carangiform Mouth Position: Supraterminal

"Tarpon." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 30 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarpon>.


Common Name: Peacock Flounder

Scientific Name: Bothus mancus


Class: Osteichthyes Order: Pleuropectiformes

Family: Bothidae

Geography/Habitat:Mostly found in shallow water on sandy bottoms as deep as 490 ft.

Life Strategy:Breeding takes place in late winter and early spring. Females lay about two to three million eggs at a time.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Hunts for small fishes, crabs and shrimps.

Body Form or Style: Depressiform Swim / Locomotion Style: OstraciiformMouth Position: Subterminal

"Peacock Flounder." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 30 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flowery_flounder>.


Common Name: Summer Flounder

Scientific Name: Paralichthys dentatus


Class: Actinopterygii Order: Pleuronectiformes

Family: Paralichthyidae

Geography/Habitat:Ranges in the western Atlantic from Nova Scotia to Florida,

Life Strategy:Spawning occurs in deep ocean waters during the winter.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Prey includes sand lance, menhaden, Atlantic silverside, mummichog killifish, small bluefish, porgies, squid, shrimp, and crabs.

Body Form or Style: Compressiform Swim / Locomotion Style: SubcarangiformMouth Position: Supraterminal

"Summer Flounder." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 30 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_flounder>.


Common Name: French Angelfish

Scientific Name: Pomacanthus paru


Class: Actinopterygii Order: Pleuronectiformes

Family: Paralichthyidae

Geography/Habitat:Common in shallow reefs, occurs usually in pairs often near sea fans.

Life Strategy:Both oviparous and monogamous.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Feeds on sponges, algae, bryozoans, zoantharians, gorgonians and tunicates.


"French angelfish" Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 30 Nov. 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_angelfish

Freshwater FishSpecies #51-100

Title: Freshwater Fish Species #51

Common Name: Black Crappie

Scientific Name: Pomoxis nigromaculatus

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: PerciformesFamily: Centrarchidae

Geography/ Habitat:The black crappie's range is uncertain, since it has been widely transplanted, but populations existing all of the lower 48 states. The black crappie habitat occurs in lakes, reservoirs, borrow pits and navigation pools in large rivers. They prefer areas with little or no current, clear water, and abundant cover such as submerged timber or aquatic vegetation.

Life Strategy:The breeding season varies by location, due to the species’ great range; breeding temperature is 14‒20 °C Spawning occurs between April and June in a nest built by the male, who guards the eggs and eventual young.

Food/Feed Strategy:Other fish, mostly minnows.

Body Form or Style: CompressiformSwim/Locomotion Style: CarangiformMouth Position: Supraterminal

"Crappie." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 13 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crappie>.


Common Name: Lake Sturgeon

Scientific Name: Acipenser fulvescens


Class: Actinopterygii Order: Acipenseriformes

Family: Acipenseridae

Geography/Habitat:Eastern North America in the upper and middle Mississippi River basin, Great Lakes and Hudson Bay drainages, and upper Coosa River system

Life Strategy:Extremely slow reproductive cycle. Females only spawn once every four or five years.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Benthic species, such as mollusks, crayfish, and insect larvae


"Programs." TNACI - Welcome to The Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institue. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. <http://www.tnaci.org/LakeSturgeon.asp>.

"Lake Sturgeon." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_sturgeon>.


Common Name: Spotted Gar

Scientific Name: Lepisosteus oculatus


Class: Actinopterygii Order: Lepisosteiformes

Family: Lepisosteidae

Geography/Habitat:Native to North America from the Lake Erie and southern Lake Michigan drainages

Life Strategy:Spawning habitat includes floodplains and wetlands with an abundance of aquatic vegetation.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Mostly shrimp, but also golden topminnow, warmouth, bluegill, and spotted sunfish

Body Form or Style: Sagittiiform Swim / Locomotion Style: CarangiformMouth Position: Terminal

"Spotted Gar." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 03 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_gar>.


Common Name: Murray Cod

Scientific Name: Maccullochella peelii

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: PerciformesFamily: Percichthyidae

Geography/Habitat:Found in, and named after, Australia’s Murray River.

Life Strategy:Murray cod spawn in spring, cued by rising water temperatures and increasing daylight length.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Predator; will eat anything smaller than itself.

Body Form or Style: Globiform Swim / Locomotion Style: ThunniformMouth Position: Terminal

"Murray Cod." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 01 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murray_cod>.


Common Name: Crimson-spotted Rainbowfish

Scientific Name: Melanotaenia fluviatilis

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: AtheriniformesFamily: Melanotaeniidae

Geography/Habitat:

Found in New South Wales and Queensland, especially in the Murray-Darling basin.

Life Strategy:Breed in rivers, creeks, ponds, and reservoirs.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Omnivorous.


"Australian Rainbowfish." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 01 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_rainbowfish>.


Common Name: Sleepy Cod

Scientific Name: Oxyeleotris lineolatus

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: PerciformesFamily: Eleotridae

Geography/Habitat:

Native to northern Australia’s tropical regions.

Life Strategy:Spawns sometime during the spring.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Eats any smaller fish.

Body Form or Style: TaeniformSwim / Locomotion Style: CarangiformMouth Position: Terminal

"Sleepy Cod." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 01 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleepy_cod>.


Common Name: Trout Cod

Scientific Name: Maccullochella macquariensis


Geography/Habitat:Can be found in the south-east corner of the Murray-Darling river system in Australia.

Life Strategy:Trout cod reach sexual maturity at 3 to 5 years (which corresponds to about 35 cm in males and 43 cm in females).

Food/Feeding Strategy:Feed on other fish, crustaceans and aquatic and terrestrial insects.


"Trout Cod." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 01 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trout_cod>.


Common Name: Tench

Scientific Name: Tinca tinca

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: CypriniformesFamily: Cyprinidae

Geography/Habitat:Normally inhabits slow-moving freshwater habitats, particularly lakes and lowland rivers.

Life Strategy:

Breeding takes place in shallow water usually among aquatic plants where the sticky green eggs can be deposited.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Prey includes chironomids on the bottom of eutrophic waters and snails and pea clams in well vegetated waters.


"Tench." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 01 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tench>.


Common Name: Golden Perch

Scientific Name: Macquaria ambigua


Geography/Habitat:Native primarily to lowland reaches of the Murray–Darling river system

Life Strategy:

Sexual dimorphism is present, with females reaching much larger maximum sizes than males. Females also reach sexual maturity at older, larger sizes than males.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Feed on yabbies, shrimp, frogs, small fish and aquatic invertebrates.


"Golden Perch." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 01 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_perch>.


Common Name: Striped Mullet

Scientific Name: Mugil cephalus

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: MugiliformesFamily: Mugilidae

Geography/Habitat:Currently abundant in the mainstream and lateral canals in the Gila River region.

Life Strategy:Reproduction is slowly decreasing in areas where the Colorado River does not meet the Sea of Cortez.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Feeds on zooplankton.

Body Form or Style: Sagittiform Swim / Locomotion Style: CarangiformMouth Position: Terminal

"Flathead Mullet." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 02 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Striped_mullet>.


Common Name: Largemouth Bass

Scientific Name: Micropterus salmoides


Geography/Habitat:Known to exist in many of the lower 48 states of the U.S, although it is most popular in the southeastern states

Life Strategy:Several thousand eggs are often laid at one time.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Consumes smaller fish like bluegill, snails, crawfish (crayfish), frogs, snakes, salamanders, bats and even small water birds.

Body Form or Style: Compressiform Swim / Locomotion Style: OstraciiformMouth Position: Supraterminal

"Largemouth Bass." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 02 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Largemouth_bass>.


Common Name: Brook Trout

Scientific Name: Salvelinus fontinalis

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: PerciformesFamily: Salmonidae

Geography/Habitat:Native to small streams, creeks, lakes, and spring ponds

Life Strategy:Usually moves into inflowing rivers in order to spawn.

Food/Feeding Strategy:

Includes crustaceans, frogs and other amphibians, insects, mollusks, smaller fish, invertebrates, and even small aquatic mammals such as voles.


"Brook Trout." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 03 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brook_trout>.


Common Name: Northern Pike

Scientific Name: Esox lucius

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: EsociformesFamily: Esocidae

Geography/Habitat:Found in freshwater throughout the northern hemisphere, including Russia, Europe and North America.

Life Strategy:Males are first at the spawning grounds preceding the females for a few weeks. The larger females tend to be earlier than the smaller ones


Feed on small invertebrates starting with daphnia, and quicky moving on to bigger prey like isopods like asellus or gammarus.


"Northern Pike." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 03 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_pike>.


Common Name: Shoal Bass

Scientific Name: Micropterus cataractae


Geography/Habitat:Common in the Apalachicola and Chipola Rivers. Also known in the Chattahoochee and Flint River drainages.

Life Strategy:Spawn in coarse gravel at the heads of creek pools in April and May, to early June.


Mainly on aquatic insects on the surface. They also feed on larval insects, crayfish and fish


"Shoal Bass." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 03 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoal_bass>.


Common Name: Apache Trout

Scientific Name: Oncorhynchus gilae apacheKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: SalmoniformesFamily: Salmonidae

Geography/Habitat:Natively lives in clear, cool streams in the White Mountains that flow through coniferous forests and marshes

Life Strategy:Spawns from March to the middle of June, and varies with elevations

Food/Feeding Strategy:Eats both terrestrial and aquatic insects, such as Trichoptera and Diptera.


"Apache Trout." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 03 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apache_trout>.


Common Name: Artic grayling

Scientific Name: Thymallus arcticusKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: SalmoniformesFamily: Salmonidae

Geography/Habitat:Widespread throughout the Arctic and Pacific drainages in Canada, Alaska, and Siberia, as well as the upper Missouri River drainage in Montana.

Life Strategy:Some live and spawn in lakes, others in rivers.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Crustaceans, insects and insect larvae, and fish eggs


"Arctic Grayling." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 03 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_grayling>.


Common Name: Atlantic Salmon

Scientific Name: Salmo salarKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: SalmoniformesFamily: Salmonidae

Geography/Habitat:Found in rivers that flow into the north Atlantic

Life Strategy:Breed in the rivers of: Western Europe from Northern Portugal north to Norway, Iceland, Greenland, and the east coast of North America

Food/Feeding Strategy:Prey include caddisflies, blackflies, mayflies, and stoneflies


"Atlantic Salmon." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 04 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_salmon>.


Common Name: Bluegill

Scientific Name: Lepomis macrochirus


Geography/Habitat:Live in the shallow waters of many lakes and ponds, along with slow-moving areas of streams and small rivers.

Life Strategy:Spawning season for bluegills starts late in May and extends into August. The peak of the spawning season usually occurs in June in waters of 67 to 80°F.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Diet consists of rotifers and water fleas


"Bluegill." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 04 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluegill>.


Common Name: Coho Salmon

Scientific Name: Oncorhynchus kisutchKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: SalmoniformesFamily: Salmonidae

Geography/Habitat:Found on both sides of the North Pacific Ocean

Life Strategy:The eggs hatch in the late winter or early spring after 6 to 7 weeks in the redd. Once hatched, they remain mostly immobile in the redd as the alevin life-stage, which lasts for 6–7 weeks.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Feed on plankton and insects

Body Form or Style: FusiformSwim / Locomotion Style: SubcarangiformMouth Position: Terminal

"Coho Salmon." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 04 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coho_salmon>.


Common Name: Common Carp

Scientific Name: Cyprinus carpio

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: CypriniformesFamily: Cyprinidae

Geography/Habitat:Prefer large bodies of slow or standing water and soft, vegetative sediments

Life Strategy:Can lay 300,000 eggs in a single spawning

Food/Feeding Strategy:Can eat a vegetarian diet of water plants, but prefer to scavenge the bottom for insects, crustaceans (including zooplankton),crawfish, and benthic worms

Body Form or Style: CompressiformSwim / Locomotion Style: CarangiformMouth Position: Terminal

"Common Carp." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 04 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_carp>.


Common Name: Brown Trout

Scientific Name: Salmo trutta morpha farioKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: SalmoniformesFamily: Salmonidae

Geography/Habitat:Native to rivers in Europe and Asia

Life Strategy:A typical female produces about 900 eggs per pound of body weight at spawning.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Feed on insects and other invertebrates such as shrimp, flies, caddis, stonefly, and mayfly


"Brown Trout." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 04 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_trout>.


Common Name: Bonneville cutthroat trout

Scientific Name: Oncorhynchus clarki utahKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: SalmoniformesFamily: Salmonidae

Geography/Habitat:Found in Utah, Idaho and Wyoming.

Life Strategy:Spawn near the mouths of streams over gravel substrate in the springtime, having an incubation period of 24 to 25 days.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Eat other fish, insects and various benthic organisms.


"Bonneville Cutthroat Trout." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonneville_cutthroat_trout>.


Common Name: Golden Trout

Scientific Name: Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonitaKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: SalmoniformesFamily: Salmonidae

Geography/Habitat:Native to Golden Trout Creek, Volcano Creek and the South Fork Kern River.

Life Strategy:Egg-layers.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Smaller fish, plankton.


"Golden Trout." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_trout>.


Common Name: Taimen

Scientific Name: Hucho taimenKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: SalmoniformesFamily: Salmonidae

Geography/Habitat:Found from the Volga and Pechora River basins east to the Yana River in the north and that of the Amur River in the south.

Life Strategy:Spawn near mouths of streams.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Mainly piscivores, though they frequently eat terrestrial prey such as rodents as well as birds.

Body Form or Style: SagittiformSwim / Locomotion Style: AnguilliformMouth Position: Terminal

"Hucho Taimen." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hucho_taimen>.


Common Name: Redbreast Sunfish

Scientific Name: Lepomis auritus


Geography/Habitat:Native to the river systems of eastern Canada and the United States.

Life Strategy:Spawns in fall in sand-gravel substrate depending on location, or when water temperature reaches 16-26 degrees

Food/Feeding Strategy:Diet can include insects, snails, and other small invertebrates.

Body Form or Style: DepressiformSwim / Locomotion Style: SubcarangiformMouth Position: Terminal

"Redbreast Sunfish." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redbreast_sunfish>.


Common Name:

Scientific Name:


Geography/Habitat:Native to only a few rivers in western South Carolina, southwestern North Carolina, northern middle and eastern Tennessee, southwestern Virginia, and portions of Georgia, Alabama, and streams in central Kentucky, and West Virginia.

Life Strategy:Spawns at the mouths of streams.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Mainly eats insects.


"Redeye bass Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redeye_bass>.


Common Name: Sockeye salmon

Scientific Name: Oncorhynchus nerkaKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: SalmoniformesFamily: Salmonidae

Geography/Habitat:Found in the Northern Pacific Ocean and rivers discharging into it.

Life Strategy:Spawn mostly in streams having lakes in their watershed. The young fish, known as fry, spend up to three years in the freshwater lake before migrating to the ocean

Food/Feeding Strategy:Feed extensively on zooplankton by straining it through their gills.

Body Form or Style: CompressiformSwim / Locomotion Style: CarangiformMouth Position: Supraterminal

"Sockeye Salmon." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sockeye_salmon>.


Common Name: Westslope cutthroat trout

Scientific Name: Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisiKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: SalmoniformesFamily: Salmonidae

Geography/Habitat:Native in northern Idaho's and British Columbia's upper Columbia system and northern tributaries of the Snake River.

Life Strategy:Spawn in both headwaters lake and stream environments.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Feed mainly on insects and zooplankton.


"Westslope Cutthroat Trout." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westslope_cutthroat_trout>.


Common Name: White Bass

Scientific Name: Morone chrysopsKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: PerciformesFamily: Moronidae

Geography/Habitat:Native to the Arkansas River, Lake Erie near Cleveland, Ohio, and Lake Poinsett in South Dakota

Life Strategy:Spawning season for the white bass is mid-March to late May. The optimal water temperatures are 12 to 20 degrees Celsius.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Carnivores; eat calanoid copepods, cyclopoid copepods, daphnia, and leptodora

Body Form or Style: CompressiformSwim / Locomotion Style: CarangiformMouth Position: Supraterminal

"White Bass." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_bass>.


Common Name: Yellowstone cutthroat trout

Scientific Name: Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieriKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: SalmoniformesFamily: Salmonidae

Geography/Habitat:Native only to a few U.S. states; their original range was upstream of Shoshone Falls on the Snake River and tributaries in Wyoming

Life Strategy:All require flowing water to spawn successfully.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Mostly eat plankton.


"Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellowstone_cutthroat_trout>.


Common Name: Emerald catfish

Scientific Name: Brochis splendensKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: SiluriformesFamily: Callichthyidae

Geography/Habitat:Originates in inland waters in South America, and is found in the upper reaches Amazon River basin

Life Strategy:Lays eggs in dense vegetation and adults do not guard the eggs.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Feeds on worms, benthic crustaceans, and insect larvae


"Emerald Catfish." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerald_catfish>.


Common Name: Hognosed brochis

Scientific Name: Brochis multiradiatusKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: SiluriformesFamily: Callichthyidae

Geography/Habitat:Originates in inland waters in South America, and is found in the western Amazon River basin in Ecuador and Peru.

Life Strategy:Lays eggs in dense vegetation and adults do not guard the eggs.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Feeds on worms, benthic crustaceans, insects, and plant matter

Body Form or Style: CompressiformSwim / Locomotion Style: CarangirformMouth Position: Terminal

"Hognosed Brochis." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hognosed_brochis>.


Common Name: Adolfo's catfish

Scientific Name: Corydoras adolfoiKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: SiluriformesFamily: Callichthyidae

Geography/Habitat:Originates in inland waters in South America, and is found in the Rio Negro basin in Brazil.

Life Strategy:Spawn in open water and 1-2 large sticky eggs are attached to a plant or stone. Adults do not guard the eggs.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Feeds on worms, benthic crustaceans, insects, and plant matter.


"Adolfo's Catfish." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolfo's_catfish>.


Common Name: Bronze Corydoras

Scientific Name: Corydoras aeneusKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: SiluriformesFamily: Callichthyidae

Geography/Habitat:Found in quiet, shallow waters with soft bottoms that can sometimes be heavily polluted by clouds of disturbed mud from the bottom, but it also inhabits running waters.

Life Strategy:Reproduction occurs with the onset of the rainy season, which changes the water chemistry. Females spawn 10–20 egg-clutches with multiple males at a time, but an entire egg clutch is inseminated by sperm of a single male.



"Bronze Corydoras." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronze_corydoras>.


Common Name: South American Armoured Catfish

Scientific Name: Corydoras semiaquilusKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: SiluriformesFamily: Callichthyidae

Geography/Habitat:Originates in inland waters in South America, and is found in the western Amazon River basin in Brazil and Peru

Life Strategy:Lays eggs in dense vegetation; adults do not guard the eggs


Body Form or Style: CompressiformSwim / Locomotion Style: CarangirformMouth Position: Supraterminal

"Corydoras Semiaquilus." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corydoras_semiaquilus>.


Common Name: Alaska Blackfish

Scientific Name: Dallia pectoralis

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: EsociformesFamily: Umbridae

Geography/Habitat:Found in swamps, ponds, lakes and streams with vegetation for cover, in tundra and forested locations not far inland.

Life Strategy:Spawn in Alaska and Bering Sea Islands

Feeding/Food Strategy: Diet is larvae of insects such as midges and mosquitoes.

Body Form or Style: CompressiformSwim / Locomotion Style: CarangirformMouth Position: Supraterminal

"Alaska Blackfish." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 06 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_blackfish>.


Common Name: Bering Cisco

Scientific Name: Coregonus laurettaeKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: SalmoniformesFamily: Salmonidae

Geography/Habitat:Usually found in river mouths, brackish lagoons, and coastal waters, but may penetrate far upstream

Life Strategy:Spawning occurs in clear, cool streams with 1 to 3 inch gravel.

Feeding/Food Strategy: Feeds on amphipods and other invertebrates and small fish such as sculpins


"Bering Cisco." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 06 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bering_cisco>.


Common Name: Broad Whitefish

Scientific Name: Coregonus nasusKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: SalmoniformesFamily: Salmonidae

Geography/Habitat:Found in the Arctic-draining streams, lakes, and rivers of far eastern Russia and North America

Life Strategy:Prefers streams with gravel bottoms, especially those with finer gravel, for spawning

Feeding/Food Strategy: Prey includes larval insects, snails, and shellfish.


"Broad Whitefish." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 06 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broad_whitefish>.


Common Name: Chinook Salmon

Scientific Name: Oncorhynchus tshawytschaKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: SalmoniformesFamily: Salmonidae

Geography/Habitat:Native to the river systems of western North America ranging from California to Alaska.

Life Strategy:Return to home rivers in order to spawn.

Feeding/Food Strategy: Eats planktonic diatoms, copepods, kelps, seaweeds, jellyfish, and starfish.

Body Form or Style: SagittiformSwim / Locomotion Style: ThunniformMouth Position: Terminal

"Chinook Salmon." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 06 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinook_salmon>.


Common Name: Chum Salmon

Scientific Name: Oncorhynchus ketaKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: SalmoniformesFamily: Salmonidae

Geography/Habitat:Found around the north Pacific, in the waters of Korea, Japan, and the Okhotsk and Bering seas

Life Strategy:Most spawn in small streams and intertidal zones.

Feeding/Food Strategy: Eats zooplankton and insects


"Chum Salmon." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 06 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chum_salmon>.


Common Name: Northern Cisco

Scientific Name: Coregonus artediKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: SalmoniformesFamily: Salmonidae

Geography/Habitat:Found in large rivers and cold water lakes in North America

Life Strategy:Lays eggs at river mouths.

Feeding/Food Strategy: Predominantly zooplankton and insect larvae, although fish eggs and larvae, including those of their own species are also documented.


"Coregonus Artedi." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 06 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_cisco>.


Common Name: Lake Chub

Scientific Name: Couesius plumbeusKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: CypriniformesFamily: Cyprinidae

Geography/Habitat:Most commonly found in lakes, but it can also live in rivers and streams

Life Strategy:Normally undergo spawning migrations in early summer.

Feeding/Food Strategy: Diet includes zooplankton, insects, aquatic insect larvae, and algae.


"Lake Chub." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 06 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_chub>.


Common Name: Ninespine Stickleback

Scientific Name: Pungitius pungitiusKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: Gasterosteiformes Family: Gasterosteidae

Geography/Habitat:Widely but locally distributed throughout the UK and along the Atlantic coast of North America; also found in many northern and eastern European countries, in Greenland and in Turkey, and in the Far East.

Life Strategy:The female is attracted over by the male and she lays eggs inside the nest. The male guards these eggs and the young fry when they hatch. Then when they have their spines he drives them away to look after themselves.

Food/Feeding Strategy: Mostly eat plankton.


"Ninespine Stickleback." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 07 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninespine_stickleback>.


Common Name: Pink Salmon

Scientific Name: Oncorhynchus gorbuschaKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: Salmoniformes Family: Salmonidae

Geography/Habitat:Native to Pacific and Arctic coastal waters from the Sacramento River in northern California to the Mackenzie River in Canada

Life Strategy:Spawning occurs between late June and mid-October. Pink salmon spawn in coastal streams and some longer rivers, and may spawn in the intertidal zone or at the mouth of streams if hyporheic freshwater is available.

Food/Feeding Strategy: Diet includes shrimp and krill.


"Pink Salmon." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 07 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_salmon>.


Common Name: Rainbow Smelt

Scientific Name: Osmerus mordaxKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: OsmeriformesFamily: Osmeridae

Geography/Habitat:Range extends through the Atlantic drainages between New Jersey and Labrador to Arctic and Pacific drainages of Vancouver Island.

Life Strategy:Must spawn in headwater streams.

Food/Feeding Strategy: Prefers juvenile ciscoes and other small organisms such as zooplankton.

Body Form or Style: SagittiformSwim / Locomotion Style: ThunniformMouth Position: Terminal

"Rainbow Smelt." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 07 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_smelt>.


Common Name: Round Whitefish

Scientific Name: Prosopium cylindraceumKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: SalmoniformesFamily: Salmonidae

Geography/Habitat:Found in lakes from Alaska to New England, including the Great Lakes.

Life Strategy:Spawn in coastal streams.

Food/Feeding Strategy: Feed mostly on invertebrates, such as crustaceans, insect larvae, and fish eggs.


"Round Whitefish." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 07 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Round_whitefish>.


Common Name: Slimy Sculpin

Scientific Name: Cottus cognatusKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: ScorpaeniformesFamily: Cottidae

Geography/Habitat:Inhabits cool, rocky streams, rivers and lakes throughout northern North America and eastern Siberia.

Life Strategy:Spends most of its time on the stream bottom and seeks shelter under rocks and logs during spawning season

Food/Feeding Strategy: Feeds primarily on insects, but also eats crustaceans, fish eggs, and small fish.


"Slimy Sculpin." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 07 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slimy_sculpin>.


Common Name: Connie

Scientific Name: Stenodus leucichthysKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: SalmoniformesFamily: Salmonidae

Geography/Habitat:Lives in lakes and rivers and in the brackish water at the outlets of rivers into the ocean

Life Strategy:Sometimes migrates up to 930 miles to spawn.

Food/Feeding Strategy: Eat plankton for their first year of life and then become predators of smaller fish.


"Stenodus Leucichthys." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 07 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stenodus_leucichthys>.


Common Name: Three-spined Stickleback

Scientific Name: Gasterosteus aculeatusKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: Gasterosteiformes Family: Gasterosteidae

Geography/Habitat:Native to much of northern Europe, northern Asia and North America.

Life Strategy:Some can take up to 3 years to reach maturity

Food/Feeding Strategy: Eats plankton and other fish.


"Three-spined Stickleback." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 07 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-spined_stickleback>.


Common Name: Twohorn Sculpin

Scientific Name: Icelus bicornisKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Actinopterygii Order: ScorpaeniformesFamily: Cottidae

Geography/Habitat:Typically found at depths between 40 and 180 metres on sand, mud or rocky substrates.

Life Strategy:Spawning apparently occurs from August to October. Females produce from 100 to 400 eggs, in function of their body size.

Food/Feeding Strategy: Will eat crustaceans, insects, small fish, and fish eggs.


"Twohorn Sculpin." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 07 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twohorn_sculpin>.

Saltwater InvertebratesSpecies #101-120

Title: Saltwater Invertebrate Species #101

Common Name: Brine Shrimp

Scientific Name: Artemia salinaKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ArthropodaClass: Branchiopoda Order: AnostracaFamily: Artemiidae

Geography/Habitat:Found in inland salt water bodies such as the Great Salt Lake in northern Utah, on the rocky coast south of San Francisco, and in the Caspian Sea.

Life Strategy:Reproduction occurs when a male clasps a female with his large second antennae and fertilizes her eggs, producing diploid zygotes. Then she lays the eggs in a brood sac in the water.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Eat by either filtering small particles with fine slender spines on the legs as they swim or by grazing on bottom mud and scraping algae off rocks with quick movements of their appendages.

Emslie, Sara. "ADW: Artemia Salina: Information." Animal Diversity Web. Web. 10 Dec. 2011. <http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Artemia_salina.html>.


Common Name: Banded Coral Shrimp

Scientific Name: Stenopus hispidusKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ArthropodaClass: Malacostraca Order: DecapodaFamily: Stenopodidae

Geography/Habitat:Can be found in a variety of reef habitats from coral ledges to rocky ledges and crevices, but are occasionally found in undercut mats of rhizomes of Thalassia

Life Strategy:The eggs initially appear as a greenish mass and are placed on the swimmerets underneath the female’s abdomen. They hatch 16 days later, usually at night

Food/Feeding Strategy:Consumes the parasites, injured tissue and undesirable food particles it “cleans” from cooperating coral reef fish species.

Sanderson, Kristen. "ADW: Stenopus Hispidus: Information." Animal Diversity Web. Web. 10 Dec. 2011. <http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Stenopus_hispidus.html>.


Common Name: Savigny's Brittle Star

Scientific Name: Ophiactis savignyiKingdom: Animalia Phylum: EchinodermataClass: Ophiuroidea Order: OphiuridaFamily: Ophiactidae

Geography/Habitat:Can be found in tropical marine habitats around the globe.

Life Strategy:Reproduces either through asexual splitting or sexual broadcast spawning

Food/Feeding Strategy:Feeds mainly on small particles of detritus.

"ADW: Ophiactis Savignyi: Information." Animal Diversity Web. Web. 10 Dec. 2011. <http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Ophiactis_savignyi.html>.


Common Name: Bluespotted Stingray

Scientific Name: Neotrygon kuhliiKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Chondrichthyes Order: RajiformesFamily: Dasyatidae

Geography/Habitat:Found on sandy bottoms around coral reefs.

Life Strategy:Embryos are nourished by the yolk and retained within the female until they hatch. The ray produces about seven live young in every litter.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Will feed on sand worms, shrimps, hermit crabs, and small fishes.

Miller, Jennifer. "ADW: Taeniura Lymma: Information." Animal Diversity Web. Web. 10 Dec. 2011. <http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Taeniura_lymma.html>.


Common Name: Venus' Flower Basket

Scientific Name: Euplectella aspergillumKingdom: Animalia Phylum: PoriferaClass: Hexactenellida Order: LyssacinosideaFamily: Euplectellidae

Geography/Habitat:Found in the western Pacific Ocean near the Philippine Islands.

Life Strategy:Asexual reproduction; little else is known

Food/Feeding Strategy:Mostly eats microscopic organisms and organic debris.

Soares, Beau McKenzie. "ADW: Euplectella Aspergillum: Information." Animal Diversity Web. Web. 10 Dec. 2011. <http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Euplectella_aspergillum.html>.


Common Name: Helmet Jellyfish

Scientific Name: Periphylla periphyllaKingdom: Animalia Phylum: CnidariaClass: Scyphozoa Order: CoronataeFamily: Periphyllidae

Geography/Habitat:Tends to live in deeper waters in subtropical and tropical regions

Life Strategy:Breeding occurs year-round; most likely occurs near the surface

Food/Feeding Strategy:Uses tentacles to grasp their prey, and with the help of marginal lappets, bends them inwards to transfer the prey into the mouth of the individual.

"ADW: Periphylla Periphylla: Information." Animal Diversity Web. Web. 10 Dec. 2011. <http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Periphylla_periphylla.html>.


Common Name: Roughtail Stingray

Scientific Name: Dasyatis centrouraKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ChordataClass: Chondrichthyes Order: RajiformesFamily: Dasyatidae

Geography/Habitat:Will usually reside in benthic environments and in marine and brackish waters.

Life Strategy:Generally breed in Autumn or early winter. Gestation lasts 4 months, and females usually give birth in April.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Eats crustaceans, such as vernal crabs and callianassid shrimp

"ADW: Dasyatis Centroura: Information." Animal Diversity Web. Web. 10 Dec. 2011. <http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Dasyatis_centroura.html>.


Common Name: Dungeness Crab

Scientific Name: Cancer magisterKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ArthropodaClass: Malacostraca Order: DecapodaFamily: Cancridae

Geography/Habitat:Found on the Pacific coast in sandy bottoms below the tidal mark

Life Strategy:Males attract the females by use of pheromones, which are chemical scents. During mating, the male crabs clasp the female so that the undersides of each are close.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Will feed on fish, shrimp, molluscs and crustaceans.

Khatain, Larissa. "ADW: Cancer Magister: Information." Animal Diversity Web. Web. 10 Dec. 2011. <http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Cancer_magister.html>.


Common Name: Speckled Swimming Crab

Scientific Name: Arenaeus cribrariusKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ArthropodaClass: Malacostraca Order: DecapodaFamily: Portunidae

Geography/Habitat:Live along sandy beaches in shallow to deep water up to 68 m in depth.

Life Strategy:Breed year-round, although breeding is more common in the summer and winter, when water temperature oscillations are reduced

Food/Feeding Strategy:Primarily eat detritus from the ocean floor.

"ADW: Arenaeus Cribrarius: Information." Animal Diversity Web. Web. 10 Dec. 2011. <http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Arenaeus_cribrarius.html>.


Common Name: Ghost Shrimp

Scientific Name: Neotrypaea californiensisKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ArthropodaClass: Malacostraca Order: DecapodaFamily: Callianassidae

Geography/Habitat:Live as infauna in intertidal areas between the middle to low intertidal zones, on sandy beaches or tidal flats in estuaries.

Life Strategy:The female will carry her brood of eggs for approximately 3 to 5 months. Hatching occurs in June or July.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Eats plankton and detritus deposits scraped from the sediments during burrowing.

"ADW: Neotrypaea Californiensis: Information." Animal Diversity Web. Web. 10 Dec. 2011. <http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Neotrypaea_californiensis.html>.


Common Name: Atlantic Ghost Crab

Scientific Name: Ocypode quadrataKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ArthropodaClass: Malacostraca Order: DecapodaFamily: Ocypodidae

Geography/Habitat:Inhabits tropical and subtropical areas and can be found on both oceanic and more protected estuarine beaches.

Life Strategy:Mating can occur throughout the year. Unlike other crab species, ghost crabs can mate anytime after sexual maturation.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Both predators and scavengers; feed at night.

"ADW: Ocypode Quadrata: Information." Animal Diversity Web. Web. 11 Dec. 2011. <http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Ocypode_quadrata.html>.


Common Name: Giant Japanese Spider Crab

Scientific Name: Macrocheira kaempferiKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ArthropodaClass: Malacostraca Order: DecapodaFamily: Majidae

Geography/Habitat:Mostly limited to the Pacific side of the Japanese islands, Konshu and Kyushu, usually at a latitude between 30 and 40 degrees North.

Life Strategy:Mate seasonally during early spring, from January through March. Mating behavior is rarely observed.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Generally do not hunt, but instead crawl along and pick at dead and decaying matter along the sea bed.

"ADW: Macrocheira Kaempferi: Information." Animal Diversity Web. Web. 11 Dec. 2011. <http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Macrocheira_kaempferi.html>.


Common Name: Chinese Mitten Crab

Scientific Name: Eriocheir sinensisKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ArthropodaClass: Malacostraca Order: DecapodaFamily: Grapsidae

Geography/Habitat:Found on coasts from Japan to the mainland of China, Korean Peninsula, and along the Yellow Sea.

Life Strategy:Females aerate their eggs after they are fertilized so that nutrients can be passed from mother to baby. They can produce anywhere between 250,000 to 1 million eggs, depending on her size.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Mostly eat vegetation but also prey on small invertebrates

Solovyeva, Anna, and Kyle Bailey. "ADW: Eriocheir Sinensis: Information." Animal Diversity Web. Web. 11 Dec. 2011. <http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Eriocheir_sinensis.html>.


Common Name: Florida Stone Crab

Scientific Name: Menippe mercenariaKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ArthropodaClass: Malacostraca Order: DecapodaFamily: Xanthidae

Geography/Habitat:Found nearshore in marine waters on seagrass beds, or around emergent live rocks in highly dense populations.

Life Strategy:The female carries her eggs in a sac-like mass containing 160,000 to 1,000,000 eggs.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Carnivores, but feed on animals that are larger than the zooplankton

Brinkman, Michael. "ADW: Menippe Mercenaria: Information." Animal Diversity Web. Web. 11 Dec. 2011. <http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Menippe_mercenaria.html>.


Common Name: Redjointed Fiddler

Scientific Name: Uca minaxKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ArthropodaClass: Malacostraca Order: DecapodaFamily: Ocypodidae

Geography/Habitat:Found along the eastern shore of North America, ranging from Cape Cod to Texas

Life Strategy:Breeding period is every two weeks in the summer

Food/Feeding Strategy:Will often sift through sediment and extract any nutrients that may be there

Fisher, B. 2002. "Uca minax" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed December 11, 2011 http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Uca_minax.html.


Common Name: Blue Crab

Scientific Name: Callinectes sapidus Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: ArthropodaClass: Malacostraca Order: DecapodaFamily: Portunidae

Geography/Habitat:Habitat ranges from the low tide line to waters 120 feet (36 m) deep

Life Strategy:Spawning peaks are closely associated with the region they inhabit.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Eats clams, oysters, and mussels as well as almost any vegetable or animal matter.

bodden, s. 2011. "Callinectes sapidus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed December 11, 2011 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Callinectes_sapidus.html.


Common Name: Atlantic Sand Fiddler

Scientific Name: Uca pugilatorKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ArthropodaClass: Malacostraca Order: DecapodaFamily: Ocypodidae

Geography/Habitat:Found from Cape Cod to Texas with the exception of Florida and south of St. Augustine.

Life Strategy:Breeding occurs in burrows approximately every two weeks for most of the summer.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Ingests particles of sand or mud and they use their mouthparts to scrape food materials from the sediment, and then deposit the sediment back down on the ground as a "feeding pellet."

Patterson, C. 2001. "Uca pugilator" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed December 11, 2011 http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Uca_pugilator.html.


Common Name: Blue Land Crab

Scientific Name: Cardisoma guanhumiKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ArthropodaClass: Malacostraca Order: DecapodaFamily: Gecarcinidae

Geography/Habitat:Lives within several hundred meters of the shore, particularly along estuaries and river banks.

Life Strategy:Reproductive cycle is heavily dependent on weather and the lunar cycle. At the beginning of the rainy season females begin to actively search for a mate while migrating from their burrow to the shore.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Feeds on insects, carrion, and feces.

Myers, P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, and T. A. Dewey. 2006. The Animal Diversity Web (online). Accessed December 12, 2011 at http://animaldiversity.org.


Common Name: Yellowline Arrow Crab

Scientific Name: Stenorhynchus seticornisKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ArthropodaClass: Malacostraca Order: DecapodaFamily: Majidae

Geography/Habitat:Commonly found along the coral reefs of the Caribbean, in the Atlantic Ocean.

Life Strategy:During mating, a male holds the female against his belly to deposit a sperm packet into the female crab, who then carries her eggs under her abdomen until they are ready to hatch.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Mainly a nocturnal scavenger, but is also occasionally carnivorous, preying on small feather duster worms and other tiny animals of the coral reefs

Myers, P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, and T. A. Dewey. 2006. The Animal Diversity Web (online). Accessed December 12, 2011 at http://animaldiversity.org.


Common Name: Marsh Periwinkle

Scientific Name: Littorina irrorataKingdom: Animalia Phylum: MolluscaClass: Gastropoda Order: NeotaenioglossaFamily: Littorinidae

Geography/Habitat:Found in brackish water marshes and can be found on marsh grass living at or above the water level.

Life Strategy:Sexual reproduction; everything happens internally.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Feeds mainly on algae

Munoz, A. 2005. "Littorina irrorata" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed December 12, 2011 http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Littorina_irrorata.html.

Freshwater Invertebrates

Species #121-125

Title: Freshwater Invertebrate Species #121

Common Name: Eastern Grass Shrimp

Scientific Name: Palaemonetes paludosusKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ArthropodaClass: Malacostraca Order: DecapodaFamily: Palaemonidae

Geography/Habitat:Reside in some sort of aquatic cover and are most abundant in dense beds of submerged vegetation

Life Strategy:Females become receptive to males after molting, during which time their exoskeleton is soft. Copulation occurs within seven hours of molting.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Diet dominated by diatoms and green algae, but also consume vascular plants, detritus, aquatic insects, and other benthic coarse particulate organic matter.

"ADW: Palaemonetes Paludosus: Information." Animal Diversity Web. Web. 10 Dec. 2011. <http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Palaemonetes_paludosus.html>.

"NOAA Photo Library." NOAA Photo Library - HOME. Web. 10 Dec. 2011. <http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/brs/esind7.htm>.


Common Name: Vernal Pool Tadpole Shrimp

Scientific Name: Lepidurus packardiKingdom: Animalia Phylum: ArthropodaClass: Branchiopoda Order: NotostracaFamily: Triopsidae

Geography/Habitat:Habitats include small, clear, well vegetated vernal pools to exceedingly turbid, alkali scald pools or large winter lakes.

Life Strategy:Reproduction occurs throughout the spring wet season when females average between 10 and 12 mm in carapace length. A female can produce thousands of fertilized eggs during her short lifespan.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Omnivorous; feed primarily on detritus found on the substrate of temporary pools, but capture living organisms, such as fairy shrimp Anostraca and other invertebrates.

"ADW: Lepidurus Packardi: Information." Animal Diversity Web. Web. 10 Dec. 2011. <http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Lepidurus_packardi.html>.


Common Name: Eastern Pearlshell

Scientific Name: Margaritifera margaritiferaKingdom: Animalia Phylum: MolluscaClass: Bivalvia Order: UnionoidaFamily: Margaritiferidae

Geography/Habitat:Native to European rivers and streams

Life Strategy:In early summer months, cued by rising temperatures, males release sperm into the water column, where it is ingested by females carrying eggs.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Filter small organic particles from the water column.

Mitchell, D. 2011. "Margaritifera margaritifera" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed December 12, 2011 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Margaritifera_margaritifera.html.


Common Name: Freshwater Jellyfish

Scientific Name: Craspedacusta sowerbyiKingdom: Animalia Phylum: CnidariaClass: Hydrozoa Order: HydroidaFamily: Olindiidae

Geography/Habitat:Found in any type of freshwater environment all around the world.

Life Strategy:Will reproduce asexually in the polyp form, via budding

Food/Feeding Strategy:Diet consists primarily of zooplankton, which range in size from 0.2 to 2.0 mm in size

Erwin, A. 2000. "Craspedacusta sowerbyi" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed December 12, 2011 http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Craspedacusta_sowerbyi.html.


Common Name: Giant Floater

Scientific Name:,Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: MolluscaClass: Bivalvia Order: UnionoidaFamily: Unionidae

Geography/Habitat:Found mainly in lakes or slower moving waters, including backwaters of streams, rivers, and impoundments.

Life Strategy:Females brood fertilized eggs in their marsupial pouch. The fertilized eggs develop into glochidia. There is no parental investment after the female releases the glochidia.

Food/Feeding Strategy:Uses cilia to pump water into the incurrent siphon where food is caught in a mucus lining in the demibranchs.

Mulcrone, R. 2006. "Pyganodon grandis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed December 12, 2011 http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Pyganodon_grandis.html.

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