kays-catch-of-the-day

[kays-catch-of-the-day]

Good morning yall! Hope you're ready for a new fish today cuz we got an all timer here today!

Today's fish is none other than my personal favorite fish, the Brook Trout (salvelinus fontinalis)! These beauties are native to Eastern North America, in both Canada and the United States, ranging from Lake Superior, to the coastal waterways from the Hudson Bay to Long Island, though they have spread far beyond their native ranges, mostly via aquacultural practices and artificial propagation, making them invasive species in many regions of North America and the world at large!

Two ecological forms of Brook Trout have been recognized by the US Forest Service, the longer-living potamodromous (fish whose migration occurs fully within fresh water) population, known as coasters , and the anadromous (fish whose migration occurs from fresh water to salt water) population, known as salters. Adult coasters typically reach lengths over 2 feet in length and weigh up to 15lbs, compared to adult salters, which average between 6 to 15 inches and about 5lbs. They're characterized by their vibrant coloration, with olive green bodies and spectacular yellow and blue rimmed red spots, white and black trimming along their orange fins, and dense, irregular lines along the top of their bodies. Often, the bellies of male Brook Trout becomes bright red or orange when spawning.

During the spawning season, female Brook Trout will construct a depression in the stream bed, referred to as a "redd", where groundwater percolates upward through the gravel. Male Brook Trout will approach the female, fertilizing the eggs. The eggs are only slightly denser than water, and can easily be swept away by the current. To avoid this, the female will bury the eggs in a small gravel mound, from which they hatch 4 to 6 weeks later. During this incubation period, the eggs receive oxygen from the streamwater that passes through the gravel beds and into their gelatinous shells. Once they hatch into small fry fish that retain their yolk sack for nutrients, which compensates for the lack of nutrients provided by the parents during the early stages of development. Following the consumption of the yolk, the fry Brook Trout will shelter from predatory species in rocky crevices and inlets, growing from fry to fingerlings, until reaching full maturation at the ripe old age of 6 months.

Despite their native range spanning across low-elevation lakes and watersheds, Brook Trout are increasingly confined to higher elevations in the Appalachian Mountains, especially in southern regions of Appalachia. Over seas, however, Brook Trout have thrived in introduced populations in much of Europe, Argentina, and New Zealand since as early as the 1850's! Their typical habitats include large and small lakes, rivers, creeks, and spring ponds in cold temperate climates. They thrive in clear spring water with moderate flow rates and healthy vegetation populations and other resources which provide natural hiding places. Although they are more resilient and adaptable to varying environmental changes, such as pH levels and temperatures, Brook Trout struggle in temperatures warmer than 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Their diets include aquatic insects at all stages of life, adult terrestrial insects such as grasshoppers and crickets, crustaceans and frogs, molluscs, invertebrates, smaller fish, and even small aquatic mammals such as voles, and even other young Brook Trout! This highly indiscriminate diet and environmental resiliency allows for their success across the globe.

Given all of this, Brook Trout are classified as a Secure by NatureServe's conservation metrics, but that label may be misleading; these incredible fish face severe and repeated extirpation (localized extinction) in many of their native habitats due to habitat destruction, pollution, damming, and invasive species. Meanwhile, Brook Trout present the danger of extirpation to other fish in their nonnative habitats, indicating that efforts must be taken to curb these populations. In short, there are more than enough Brook Trout, but they simply are not where they are meant to be.

A true fish out of (the specifically correct body of) water, the Brook Trout scores within the top percentile of all fishies on our highly advanced fish ranking scale.

[kays-catch-of-the-day]

Good morning folks! Last week is a mulligan and today we start fresh with a new fish every day! And boy do we have a fish for you today, an all-timer all star that I hope yall learn a new thing or two about!

Thats right, today’s fantastic fish is none other than the Swordfish (Xiphias Gladius)! Also known as the Broadbill, the Swordfish is a large, migratory predatory fish that are among the most sought after game fish. They are the sole member of their family xiphiidae, and are named for their long, pointed flat bill, which resembles a sword.

Swordfish are found across much of the globe, ranging from temperate and tropical climates within the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, where they can typically be found near the more densely populated surface waters. Their normal range of depth varies from the surface to 550m (1,800ft), though they are known to go as deep as 2,234m (7,330 ft)! Their size is no less impressive, with adult Swordfish commonly reaching up to 10ft long, with a maximum size of 14ft and 1,430lbs! Female Swordfish tend to be longer than males, and Pacific Swordfish tend to grow larger than in other oceans.

Swordfish reach maturity within 4-5, living to a total of about 9 years, although the oldest recorded living Swordfish are a 12 year old male and a 16 year old female. During their adolescence, Swordfish have teeth and scales, which they lose gradually throughout their puberty. As they grow, they become more and more solitary, and are never what could be considered as schooling fish.

By adulthood, Swordfish are quoted at being capable of speeds of up to 60mph, although the methodology behind studies claiming this are suspect at best. A more reasonable speed of 25mph, with short bursts at approximately 35mph, has been measured and is far more accurate. This great speed is the Swordfish’s greatest asset for predation, and the idea of Swordfish using their bill as a spear for offensive and defensive purposes has yet to he proven or observed, and is likely a falsehood entirely. Their bills are instead used in slashing motions, striking their prey and causing superficial injuries which mildly weaken or stun their prey enough to allow for easy predation. Swordfish feed often, usually at night, upon a wide variety if fish including mackerel, barracudinas, silver hake, rockfish, herring, lanternfishes, and squid. Adult Swordfish have few natural predators, such as Orcas and particularly daring Mako sharks. Despite this, they are susceptible to parasitic fish, including remoras, lampreys, and cookie cutter sharks, as well as a wide range of invertebrates.

Perhaps their most prolific predators are humans, with annual fishing rates counting to millions of pounds of Swordfish. Given this, Swordfish are classified as Near Threatened according to the IUCN Red Book, indicating that action should be taken to protect these fabulous fishies.

Given all this information, it should be no surprise to see the Swordfish receive a ranking of S++ on our fishy tier system!

[kays-catch-of-the-day]

plenty of sea in the fish or some shit like that idfk

[kays-catch-of-the-day]

Hello once again! New day, new fish! And what a fish we have today!

Today’s Catch of the Day is the Tambaqui (*colossoma macropomum*), otherwise known as the Black Pacu, Black Finned Pacu, Giant Pacu, Cachama, Gamitama, and sometimes simply Pacu, which is the common name referring to a variety of omnivorous freshwater fish of the *serralsalmid* family, local to South America, which are related to piranha.

The Tambaqui is the second heaviest scaled freshwater fish in South America, after the arapaima, and can reach up to 3.6 ft in length and 97lbs, although you’re more likely to see them at about 2.3 ft long and at about 60 lbs. Their similar shape to piranha has led to many misidentifications of juvenile Tambaqui as their carnivorous cousins; the Tambaqui is tall and narrow, with a large arched back. Their most distinct divergence from piranha can be noted at their teeth, which are flat and molar-like, adapted for crushing seeds and nuts. The lower half of the fish is mostly black, with the front half ranging between a gray, yellowish, or olive hue. Tambaqui sit alone as the only member of the genus *colossoma*, though the members of the *piractus* genus were included in the past.

The Tambaqui is native to the Amazon and the Orinoco River basins, ranging from nutrient rich whitewater rivers such as the Putumayo, to blackwater rivers such as the Rio Negro, to clearwater rivers such as the tributaries of the Madeira. They are commonly kept in aquaculture worldwide.

They are largely solitary animals that spend the 5-7 month duration of the local flooding season in flooded forests, moving out to main river channels and floodplains lakes as the water levels drop. The aforementioned months spent in flooded forests comprise their non-breeding season, while their breeding season begins with the start of the next flood season, between November and February During this time they gather in large numbers and spawn in whitewater rivers along grassy rivers and shores with wood strewn about. Tambaqui are long-living fish, known to live between 40 and 65 years old! Not exactly what you picture when you think of a sexagenarian!

These tremendous fish are listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN Red List, meaning that while they are not in major danger of extinction, we must be mindful and diligent in our stewardship of them and their habitats, especially as the Amazon is continuously harvested and damaged for resources. Please, if possible, do what you can to ensure the longevity and conservation of the Tambaqui and their homes, at the link below and in many other places!

Lastly, of course, the Tambaqui places as a Platinum-tier fish on our fishy rating system!

[kays-catch-of-the-day]

Good morning folks! Apologies for the brief absence of your fishy facts, but we are right back to it with a truly amazing top-tier bottom feeder!

Today’s Catch of the Day is the Blue Catfish (*ictalurus furcatus*), North America’s largest native catfish, native to the Mississippi River watershed.

Blue Catfish are known to reach lengths of about 65 inches (5ft 5in) and weigh as much as approximately 140lbs! Heavily bodied and blueish gray in color, they are often misidentified as their Channel Catfish, as both species share a distinctive dorsal hump, among other prominent features. The most easy mode of distinguishing between the two species is to count the rays on the anal fin, with the Blue Catfish holding between 30 to 36 rays, while a Channel Catfish has 25-29 rays. Blue Catfish also have prominent barbels, a forked tail, and a protruding upper jaw. Much of their bodies are covered in chemoreceptors, which allow them to essentially “taste” whatever they touch and “smell” chemicals in the water! Blue Catfish, like many other larger catfish, have a reduced gas bladder and a heavy, bony skull, which allows them to sink more easily and facilitate their bottom-feeding diet.

With their wide. gaping jaws that lack traditional teeth, Blue Catfish are opportunistic predators, eating just about anything it can swallow, from other fish, including other Blue Catfish, along with mussels, crabs, worms, frogs, among other aquatic life. Their loosey-goosey diet, in tandem with their ability to tolerate brackish water, enables Blue Catfish to thrive as invasive species in non-native environments, most notably and prolifically in the Chesapeake Bay, where they are considered very problematic, having become one of the most prominent fish species in the watershed, with recent electrofishing studies recording rates exceeding 6,000 fish/hr!

An angling world record was set on June 18, 2011 in Kerr Lake on the Virginia/North Carolina border, where a Blue Catfish weighing 143 lbs and measuring 57 inches was caught by a local fisherman!

As its highly successful invasive abilities success would suggest, the Blue Catfish is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN Red Book. So, while these goliaths should always be respected and treated with care in their habitats, it is important that measures be taken to control the Blue Catfish populations in their invasive habitats. Overall, these majestic mud-dwellers qualify as a Blue Ribbon Fish on our fishy rating scale!

[kays-catch-of-the-day]

Today’s Catch of the Day is the Dwarf Pufferfish (*carinotetraodon travancoricus*), aka the Malabar Pufferfish, Pygmy Pufferfish, or the adorably named Pea Pufferfish!

Dwarf Pufferfish are small freshwater pufferfish native to Southwest India. They are typically a bright greenish-yellow with iridescent black patches along the flanks and dorsal surfaces, though patterns vary quite a bit between individuals! They are popular aquarium fish due to their unique and vibrant appearance, as well as their small size of approximately 2.5cm (just shy of one inch!). Their pectoral fins are short, fanlike, and thin, ending in slight indentations at the tip, and their dorsal and anal fins are similarly short and rounded. In contrast, their caudal fin is larger, ending in a truncated vertical edge.

As I’m sure you all guessed, Dwarf Pufferfish defend themselves by swallowing large amounts of water, which cause the spines on their body to become erect, creating one of nature’s most iconic deterrents! The spines are coated in an epidural layering of a tetrodotoxin, a highly lethal neurotoxin that has no antivenom! So watch out! Dwarf Pufferfish accumlate this neurotoxin in special glands of the epidermis, ovaries, and livers. In addition to this potent defense, inflating their bodies also makes it harder for predators to swallow or grab onto the Dwarf Pufferfish.

Dwarf Pufferfish consume a wide variety of animals, mostly favoring small crustaceans, insect larvae, and annelids. They are a slow swimming, bottom dwelling fish, and, unlike most other pufferfish, are very social and tend to gather in large shoals consisting of several hundreds of fish!

These cute lil murder balloons are sadly classified as Endangered: Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List, though the exact reason is speculative; mass deforestation, sedimentation of waterways, damming, and pollution are likely the key causes for this, but they are also known to be overfished for aquarium trade. So please, refrain from owning them and respect them within their natural habitats.

These tiny round fellas are more than deserving of a huge round of applause!

[kays-catch-of-the-day]

Hello once again! New day, new fish! And what a fish we have today!

Today’s Catch of the Day is the Tambaqui (*colossoma macropomum*), otherwise known as the Black Pacu, Black Finned Pacu, Giant Pacu, Cachama, Gamitama, and sometimes simply Pacu, which is the common name referring to a variety of omnivorous freshwater fish of the *serralsalmid* family, local to South America, which are related to piranha.

The Tambaqui is the second heaviest scaled freshwater fish in South America, after the arapaima, and can reach up to 3.6 ft in length and 97lbs, although you’re more likely to see them at about 2.3 ft long and at about 60 lbs. Their similar shape to piranha has led to many misidentifications of juvenile Tambaqui as their carnivorous cousins; the Tambaqui is tall and narrow, with a large arched back. Their most distinct divergence from piranha can be noted at their teeth, which are flat and molar-like, adapted for crushing seeds and nuts. The lower half of the fish is mostly black, with the front half ranging between a gray, yellowish, or olive hue. Tambaqui sit alone as the only member of the genus *colossoma*, though the members of the *piractus* genus were included in the past.

The Tambaqui is native to the Amazon and the Orinoco River basins, ranging from nutrient rich whitewater rivers such as the Putumayo, to blackwater rivers such as the Rio Negro, to clearwater rivers such as the tributaries of the Madeira. They are commonly kept in aquaculture worldwide.

They are largely solitary animals that spend the 5-7 month duration of the local flooding season in flooded forests, moving out to main river channels and floodplains lakes as the water levels drop. The aforementioned months spent in flooded forests comprise their non-breeding season, while their breeding season begins with the start of the next flood season, between November and February During this time they gather in large numbers and spawn in whitewater rivers along grassy rivers and shores with wood strewn about. Tambaqui are long-living fish, known to live between 40 and 65 years old! Not exactly what you picture when you think of a sexagenarian!

These tremendous fish are listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN Red List, meaning that while they are not in major danger of extinction, we must be mindful and diligent in our stewardship of them and their habitats, especially as the Amazon is continuously harvested and damaged for resources. Please, if possible, do what you can to ensure the longevity and conservation of the Tambaqui and their homes, at the link below and in many other places!

Lastly, of course, the Tambaqui places as a Platinum-tier fish on our fishy rating system!

[kays-catch-of-the-day]

Today’s Catch of the Day is the Walleye (sander vitreus), aka the Yellow Pike, the Yellow Pikeperch, or the Yellow Pickerel

Walleye are freshwater fish native to the Northern United States and most of Canada!

Their name comes from their shiny eyes, which allow them to see in murky waters with low visibility! They range in size from about 80cm (31 inches) to 107cm (42 inches), with the largest recorded walleye at just over 43 inches and 13 kg!

They can live for up to 29 years, and are commonly enjoyed as table fare in Canada. When you order Fish and Chips in Manitoba, you will often be eating walleye, rather than the traditional Cod!

While they are largely olive and gold in color, there are large species of blue and yellow color morphs, especially in more isolated waters in central Canada.

Walleye are the State fish of Minnesota, and the Provincial fish of Manitoba!

These beloved beauties are popular game fish, but thanks to regulations and frantic breeding habits, they remain classified as Least Concern (LC) according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species!

Overall these wall-eyed game fish are jewels of North America, and receive a fishy rating of 11/10