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 | Pogy |
|---|---|
| Common Name of Fish | Gulf Menhaden |
| Scientific Name of Fish | Brevoortia patronus |
| Image of Fish | Gulf-Menhaden.pdf |
| Image Caption and Credit | Gulf Menhaden |
| Description of Why This Fish Is Important/Interesting | This species represents the second largest commercial fishery by weight in the United States. In 2014, around 845 million pounds were fished from the Gulf of Mexico. The entire fishery is based on two year classes as this species rarely lives more than 3 years. If you eat farm-raised fish, use cosmetics, use organic fertilizer, consume chickens and hogs, menhaden fish meal, fish solubles and fish oil were used in to raise or make those products. In the past menhaden oil was shipped to Europe for use as cooking oil. Menhaden oil was used in paints, soaps, margerines and a fuel source for oil lamps and for lubricants. Though you won’t find it on your plate, it is almost everywhere else: in livestock feed, fertilizer, farmed fish food, pet food, and fish oil dietary supplements. Because menhaden is a food source for many fish species it has been called "the wheat of the sea". |
| Website or Journal Article for More Information | https://www.gsmfc.org/publications/GSMFC%20Number%20240.pdf |
| Your Name | Dennis Riecke |