The Pugnose Shiner: One of the Rarest Minnows in North America

The Pugnose shiner (Notropis anogenus) is a fragile, small, minnow that is highly endangered. Found in the basins of the Great Lakes, it is one of the rarest minnows in North America. This species of fish is silver in colour, with pale, olive-coloured tints and males become golden when spawning. They are about 50-60cm long and have an upturned mouth for feeding. They feed on green algae and small cladoceran-like organisms. Their habitat ranges from Ontario to Illinois and they tend to live in clear, slow-moving water of streams and lakes, predominantly Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake St. Clair and Lake Ontario in Canada. They are currently protected under SARA and several community outreach programs have been developed to reduce damage to the species. Since this fish requires clear, vegetative water, habitat degradation is a major threat to this species.

Fun Fact: its sharply upturned mouth gives this fish a “pugnose” feature, hence the name Pugnose Shiner. They are also very weak swimmers!

Sources:

- http://mnfi.anr.msu.edu/abstracts/zoology/Notropis_anogenus.pdf

-http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/species-especes/species-especes/pugnoseshiner-menecamus-p-eng.htm

-http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/26022.html

Historic Atlantic Salmon

Atlantic Salmon

The Atlantic Salmon, silver in colour like that of our Canadian dime, is a widely appreciated fish species. They have occupied an abundant geographical range from Europe, Baltic and North America, specifically Lake Ontario. They begin their development for a range of 2-3 years in freshwater and then commence their journey to the ocean where they reside for an additional 2-3 years. When they are equipped to spawn, they make their way back to their birth river to do so and consequently, rear their offspring in this location.²   This historic population of Atlantic Salmon that used to call Lake Ontario their home, is now extinct.³ The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR) have made great progress in initiating and implementing restoration programs to help bring back the Salmon. ³ Currently The Atlantic salmon are classified as a species of ‘least concern’, which posits that a species has been evaluated but doesn’t fit smoothly into a conservation category. Despite this notion, they are a crucial part of our biodiversity and as such, continued efforts to maintain steady increase of population size, following restoration efforts, is necessary, as it is estimated that a self sustaining population will not exist for an additional 10 years.³ The Atlantic salmon prefer frigid waters, and agriculture destruction removing forest cover over streams aiding in maintaining cooler water temperatures contributed to the species decline. Additionally, over-harvesting was also a major factor in their reduction. ³ Atlantic salmon are mystical creatures and have been widely engraved as a staple species emulating hope for conservation biology success across the world.

Interesting fact: The Atlantic Salmon are the best jumpers of all salmons. Watch it here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIL3vwk-HP0

Sources:

¹ Endangered Populations. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2015, from http://www.asf.ca/endangered-populations.html

² Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2015, from http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/pr/species/fish/atlantic-salmon.html

³Frequently Asked Questions | Lake Ontario Atlantic Salmon Restoration Program. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2015, from http://www.bringbackthesalmon.ca/?page_id=101

⁴"Fly Fishing Chile -Andes Mountains." Fly Fishing Patagonia Chile Andes for Trout and Atlantic Salmon. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.

Atlantic Salmon⁴    

Introducing the American Eel

American Eel

This one finned snake resembling aquatic vertebrate has a protruding lower jaw as compared to its upper jaw. American Eels are capable of living in both fresh and salt water with all spawning and discharging of eggs occurring in the fresh waters.² Once eggs are hatched, this is when they begin their journey towards Canadian bodies of water. Males are inherently smaller than females, while both genders are capable of altering their exterior with varying light intensities in their habitats.² In the late 20^th century (1990s), American eels were highly abundant and were amongst one of the top 3 species being used as commercial harvest from Lake Ontario, as they have sweet tasting white flesh enjoyed feverishly by the human palate.^1,2 However, a drastic reduction in American Eel began to be observed following this time period, as less and less Eel were returning through the St. Lawrence River. Commercial harvesting of American Eel was rightfully halted. This is an endangered species and has been threatened since 2008. Habitat protection for the American Eel has been established, in addition to a recovery strategy that has also been implemented. There are lots of actions that the public can take to aid in the return of abundant American Eel fish numbers. Stay tuned for more to come on this!

Interesting fact: 88! The age of the oldest eel ever to be recorded.

Sources:

¹ "American Eel." Government of Ontario. Web. 18 Oct. 2015. <http://www.ontario.ca/page/american-eel>.

² "American Eel Website." American Eel Website. Web. 18 Oct. 2015. <http://www.speciesatrisk.ca/eel/factvfiction.asp>.

American Eel ¹ 

Getting to know the Grass Pickerel !

Grass Pickerel

As you saunter for a casual afternoon walk alongside slow moving streams, near ponds or by shallow bays of lakes, you may stumble upon the intriguing grass pickerel fish species. They have a large preference for clear water and wealth of vegetation. They feed mostly on other smaller fish but have interestingly been found to additionally chow down on some invertebrate species like crayfish or our friend the frog.  Females have the advantage of faster growth and longer life span than the males. They have long snouts enabling for a rapid sneaky catch of their unsuspecting prey. They are often less than the length of your average 30 cm ruler. They are currently classified as a species of special concern. 

Interesting Fact: Grass Pickerel exert no parental care! Their eggs are disseminated through their aquatic habitat.

Sources:

¹Grass Pickerel. (n.d.). Retrieved October 17, 2015, from http://www.ontario.ca/page/grass-pickerel

²Grass Pickerel. (n.d.). Retrieved October 17, 2015, from http://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/grass-pickerel

³Ohio.gov / search. (n.d.). Retrieved October 17, 2015, from http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/species-and-habitats/species-guide-index/fish/grass-pickerel

Juvenile Grass Pickerel ³