Fish Bio News

Common names: Longfin Smelt Scientific name: Spirinchus thaleichthys Native range: North Pacific, including regional streams and lakes Status: Globally—IUCN Red List Least Concern, California—ESA Threatened Habitat: Marine, estuarine, and freshwater environments Longfin smelt (Spirinchus thaleichthys) are native to the West Coast, ranging from Alaska to California. This anadromous species is typically found in bays and estuaries before moving into coastal streams for spawning.

Common names: Largemouth Bass Scientific name: Micropterus nigricans Native range: Midwestern and Southern United States Status: Least Concern Habitat: Freshwater Largemouth bass (Micropterus nigricans) is a widespread species native to the midwestern and southern United states. Their range has expanded to include every state excluding Alaska.

Logging, mining, and agriculture have drastically altered California’s historic waterways, significantly impacting the species that depend on them. These practices all contributed to straighter, more incised, and simplified stream channels. Large scale mining operations dredged much of the critical spawning gravel used by salmonids, often removing it from rivers and depositing it onto floodplains. This frequently left behind long, deep pools with little suitable riffle habitat for spawning.

For the first time in three years, Central Valley anglers are once again watching the Sacramento River for returning Chinook salmon. Last week marked an important milestone when the summer Chinook salmon fishing season opened on the river after three years of closures. This is the second time in the last 20 years that the fishery has closed, with closures in 2008 and 2009 occurring in response to poor returns in 2007.

As the FIFA World Cup dominates the world’s attention, fans everywhere debate which nation will ultimately lift the trophy. While soccer analysts brood over statistics, we couldn’t help but wonder which fish species hold special places in the hearts of front running teams. Argentina, Spain, and England are teams frequently predicted to contend for the championship, and we’ve picked a remarkable fish from each country that reflects something unique about its waters and culture.

The primitive fish eye evolved nearly 500 million years ago—about 250 million years before dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Since they first appeared, fish eyes have experienced rapid modification across this diverse group of species. Not only did the primitive fish eye set the stage for sight in fishes, it also set the foundation for the basic anatomy of all vertebrate eyes—including ours! Humans and fish share a similar eye structure with a lens, cornea, pupil, and optic nerve.

Salmon species have a remarkable range of common, scientific, and colloquial names. Of the seven Pacific salmon species, five are found in North American waters and there are many ways to refer to these fish. Each of those species comes with at least two names attached to it—a Latin name and a common name. However, most of these species go even further with multiple common or colloquial names.

Common names: Topsmelt Scientific name: Atherinops affinis Native range: West coast of North America Status: Least Concern Habitat: Marine (kelp forests and estuaries) Topsmelt (Atherinops affinis) are native to the west coast of North America, ranging from Baja California, Mexico to Vancouver Island in Canada. These fish have blue-gray to green coloration on their backs and silver bellies with an eye-catching stripe along their sides and thin, elongated bodies growing up to 14 inches.

Common names: Jacksmelt Scientific name: Atherinopsis californiensis Native range: West coast of North America Status: Least Concern Habitat: Marine (nearshore) Topsmelt (Atherinopsis californiensis) are native to the west coast of North America, ranging from Baja California, Mexico to Oregon. Like their closely related cousins, the topsmelt , jacksmelt have blue-gray to green coloration on their backs and silver bellies with an eye-catching stripe along their sides and thin, elongated bodies.

The conservation statuses of fish species flash through our news feeds more often than desired—Threatened, Vulnerable, Endangered, or the dreaded Extinct. It may feel like an uphill battle with more and more species ending up on endangered species lists in the face of environmental degradation, habitat loss, nonnative species invasions, and many other factors. But just because a species is placed on a list, that does not mean that it is there to stay.