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 | A Microterus that wants to be a salmonid |
|---|---|
| Common Name of Fish | Shoal Bass |
| Scientific Name of Fish | Micropterus cataractae |
| Image of Fish | |
| Image Caption and Credit | Spawning Shoal, Angler with a Shoal Bass, and Closeup of Shoal Bass, all by Steve Sammons |
| Description of Why This Fish Is Important/Interesting | Shoal Bass are native to the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint Basin in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. Unlike many congeners, they are a river-obligate species, needing flowing water to complete their life cycle. Like other riverine species, Shoal Bass have been undergoing a steady decline due to anthropogenic impacts such as land use changes, dam construction, and non-native species introductions. The species has largely been extirpated in the Chattahoochee River downstream of the city of Atlanta. The species is no longer found in Alabama, and only one population is extant in Florida. In the Flint River, Georgia, the species is still holding strong, mostly due to the rural and relatively unaltered nature of that watershed. Shoal Bass undergo potadromous spawning migrations in that river, moving up to 200 km to access spawning shoals where they form large spawning aggregations. Shoal Bass commonly reach 5lbs or more and aggressively strike lures, making them very popular with anglers. |
| Website or Journal Article for More Information | https://thefisheriesblog.com/2018/11/13/stalking-the-elusive-shoal-bass/ |
| Your Name | Steve Sammons |
