150 Fish Nominations

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 are 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 150^th 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.

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FULL LIST OF NOMINATED FISH

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Catchy Title	You say redfish, I say spot-tail
Common Name of Fish	Red Drum
Scientific Name of Fish	Sciaenops ocellatus
Image of Fish
Image Caption and Credit	Bull Reds (image by Jeffrey Hamil)
Description of Why This Fish Is Important/Interesting	The red drum is highly sought-after fish by anglers along the Atlantic and Gulf Coast. Sciaenops ocellatus has many common names: red drum, spot tail, redfish, channel bass, puppy drum, spot-tail bass, and red. As a nearshore fish, anglers do not need to travel far to capture themselves a red. Reds can be caught from the beach or a pier and if one chooses, they can take a boat or a kayak and search for a redfish in an estuary. The most distinguishing mark on the redfish is a large dark spot on the upper part of the caudal fin. It is not uncommon to catch a red with more than one spot and this has led to some fishing tournaments rewarding anglers who catch a red with the most spots. The red drum is the official state salt water fish for Georgia, Texas, and North Carolina.
Website or Journal Article for More Information	http://www.asmfc.org/species/red-drum
Your Name	Rebecca Brown