150 Fishes to Celebrate 150 Years
This list is still in progress and being added to weekly. Check back again soon!
150 Fishes to Celebrate 150 Years
In 2020, the American Fisheries Society will celebrate its 150th Anniversary. As part of the celebration, the Society will be calling attention to 150 fishes. We solicited nominations of fishes for the list by the Society’s membership.
The 150 Fishes list is a celebration of the biodiversity of freshwater and marine fishes of North America. These fishes will help tell the story of fish and fisheries of the continent. They may illustrate unique life histories, beauty, conservation issues, and challenges of managing and conserving these animals and their habitats. These fishes represent our native biodiversity, but also illustrates how invasives and our own human nature have had impacts on our aquatic resources. Hence, this list will primarily focus on native species but may include non-natives when they tell a compelling fisheries story. From the stories of these fishes, the Society and the public can learn to better appreciate these amazing natural resources and be challenged to ensure that future generations will be able to experience these fishes in their native settings.
Nomination Process
Fish nominations are now closed.
Circulation Process
The 150 Fishes list will reside at the 150th Anniversary Website, information about individual fish from the list will be circulated through various social media platforms throughout the year.
This list is meant to be a fun for members and informative for the public. It is unlikely we will be able to include all nominations. We acknowledge that every fish has a story. There may be opportunities to discuss all the nominated fishes in the future.
FULL LIST OF NOMINATED FISH
| Catchy Title | The gateway fish that gets you hooked on fishing |
|---|---|
| Common Name of Fish | Bluegill |
| Scientific Name of Fish | Lepomis macrochirus |
| Image of Fish |  |
| Image Caption and Credit | Bluegill from Lobster Lake, MN, Rene Martin |
| Description of Why This Fish Is Important/Interesting | Although abundant and in no danger of being threatened or going extinct, the bluegill is immensely important to many freshwater ecosystems. It is a predator of small arthropods and is prey for larger game fishes, playing an intermediate role in the freshwater aquatic food web. It readily takes bait and inspires a desire to fish from people both young and old. They can grow to almost dinner-plate size if left to their own devices and come in such a huge range of color morphs that every time you catch another one you can't help but admire its beauty. It is one of my favorite fish and I imagine is a species that has sparked the love of fishing and fish-research in both myself and many others. |
| Your Name | Rene Martin |