Issue 035 | Feb 2019         

Something Fishy's Going on Here . 
When considering local nature, members of the animal kingdom classified as bony fishes are often "out of sight, out of mind."  Still, fish play vital roles in aquatic ecosystems and are an important food source for many animal species that live in proximity to watery habitats, including several species of wading birds.  The fish population in our area is diverse, and range in size from tiny "minnows" such as the Western Mosquitofish and Blackstripe Topminnow, to "panfish" such as Bluegill, to larger game fish such as Largemouth Bass and Channel Catfish,  The toothy Spotted Gar has also been documented in local waters.
 
They're Here
It's possible to observe native fish in North Texas just about anywhere there is a pond, lake, or stream. Bluegill and other "true" sunfish frequently concentrate around lake fishing piers, and oftentimes can be spotted when they cruise relatively close to the surface. The shallow, clear waters of many local park creeks offer opportunities to view sunfish and schools of minnows. If you'd like to see a variety of Texas native fish from a vantage point beneath the surface, but don't want to don snorkeling or scuba gear, consider a road trip to Athens, Texas, home to the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center.   
Citizen Science
Fishes of Texas, accessible through Texas Parks and Wildlife's Nature Trackers projects as well as through iNaturalist, allows citizen scientists to contribute to scientists' understanding of fish species distribution in Texas and surrounding U.S. and Mexican states. Data collected from this project is intended to complement museum specimen vouchered data from the  
Fishes of Texas Project,  "A Virtual Museum on the State's Fish Biodiversity."  The project database is part of the University of Texas at Austin's Ichthyology Collection.
Schooling Together
For many children, a family fishing trip or participation in a community fishing event provides an early opportunity to interact with and appreciate the natural world.  In addition to the delight of hooking and landing a fish, kids can take away a life lesson whether a fish is harvested for dinner or released unharmed back to it's watery home.  
 
For grown-up children actively pursuing the scientific discipline of ichthyology (the study of fishes), knowledge exchange with other ichthyologists is available through participation in academic/professional societies such as the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH) and the American Fisheries Society. 
Access our Podcast!
We invite you to deepen your knowledge of the beautiful natural world that is all around us and to connect with passionate naturalists by listening to our bi-weekly podcast. All in the spirit of lifelong learning!
 
Featured Books 
Darwin's Fishes : An Encyclopedia of Ichthyology, Ecology, and Evolution
by Daniel Pauly

Presenting everything Charles Darwin ever wrote about fishes and many more topics, the entries in this encyclopedia are arranged alphabetically and extracted from Darwin's books, short publications, notebooks and correspondence. Readers can start wherever they like and are then led by a series of cross-references directly or indirectly to Darwin's original writings. The material is interpreted in the context of Darwin's time as well as of contemporary biology.
Do fish sleep? : fascinating answers to questions about fishes
by Judith S. Weis

A fish's heft in water may vary, but these diverse aquatic animals certainly carry a lot of weight in our ecosystems and environment. From freshwater to ocean habitats, Judith S. Weis offers a fascinating look at these deceptively simple creatures. Fishes may appear to live a dull existence, but appearances change once we understand more about how they survive. These wonders actually possess attributes that would make us superpowers--they can change color, sex, produce light and electricity, regenerate injured fins, prevent themselves from sinking, and some can even walk on land.
Ecology of North American freshwater fishes
by Stephen T. Ross

Ecology of North American Freshwater Fishes provides readers with a broad understanding of why specific species and assemblages occur in particular places. Additionally, the text explores how individuals and species interact with each other and with their environments, how such interactions have been altered by anthropogenic impacts, and the relative success of efforts to restore damaged ecosystems.
Freshwater fishes of Texas : a field guide
by Chad Thomas

Containing habitat information, physical descriptions, photographs, and range maps for more than 150 species of freshwater fishes that can be found in Texas, this field guide is an indispensable reference and research tool for ichthyologists, professional fisheries biologists, amateur naturalists, and anglers alike.  The introductory section offers an illustrated guide to the common counts and measurements used for fish identification; a brief explanation of fish phylogeny; and a scientific key to help identify the fish families in Texas.  The book includes species accounts of native and introduced fishes found in the freshwaters of Texas. Each account covers the physical characteristics, habitat, and distribution of the fish, with additional comments of interest or importance to its life history and conservation status.  
What a Fish Knows : The Inner Lives of Our Underwater Cousins
by Jonathan Balcombe

The author of Second Nature challenges popular misconceptions to explore the complex lives of the planet's diverse fish species, drawing on the latest understandings in animal behavior and biology to reveal their self-awareness, elaborate courtship rituals and cooperative intelligence.
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