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 | Drab is the new fab |
|---|---|
| Common Name of Fish | Longnose sucker |
| Scientific Name of Fish | Catostomus catostomus |
| Image of Fish |  |
| Image Caption and Credit | Longnose suckers in a Wisconsin tributary |
| Description of Why This Fish Is Important/Interesting | If there were an academy award for fishes, suckers (Catostomidae) such as the longnose sucker would win an award for best supporting fishes. In the spring, these marvelous creatures make awe-inspiring migrations into creeks and rivers to spawn. While in these tributaries to reproduce, suckers deposit nutrients that support aquatic insect larva growth. By kick-starting the food web at a time when nutrients are more scarce, suckers effectively support other fishes, birds, and bats. Sucker species, like the longnose sucker, are underappreciated for their ecological role and do not typically garner as much attention as species that are angler's quarries. But, once you get to know these beautiful native species, it's hard not to be a sucker for suckers. |
| Website or Journal Article for More Information | https://www.sheddaquarium.org/stories/researching-a-great-lakes-migration-the-sucker-spawning-run |
| Your Name | Karen Murchie |