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 | Clever beauty |
|---|---|
| Common Name of Fish | Pacific mackerel |
| Scientific Name of Fish | Scomber japonicus |
| Image of Fish |  |
| Image Caption and Credit | Caption: The predation camouflage can be seen in the wavy lines on the back of the Pacific mackerel. Credit: NOAA Fisheries |
| Description of Why This Fish Is Important/Interesting | Pacific mackerel, also called chub mackerel, is a schooling fish that feeds on pelagic crustaceans and other small inverts and fish in the water column. The Pacific mackerel is commonly prey for larger ocean predators like tunas so it has a coloration pattern that acts as camouflage. Its dorsal pattern of wavy, maze-like wiggles, looks like sunlight passing through waves. Their dorsal pattern makes them difficult to spot from above by seabirds. When aquatic predators approach from below, mackerel rise close to the surface to be more difficult to see in the flickering light. |
| Website or Journal Article for More Information | https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/pacific-mackerel |
| Your Name | Emily Miller |