Lab #7

Date: 3/16/16

Location: Lumber River Conservancy

Lab Activity: Surveying fish with the use of fish traps

Habitat: Shallow freshwater pond

Temperature: 85 F

Wind: 12 mph

Humidity: 35%

    45 fish traps were placed in a pond and creek system at 10 AM on March 15th, 2016 and then collected the next day.

Numbers caught of each species:

Amphibians:
  Amphiuma 1
  Lesser Siren 1

 Fish:
  Red Finned Pickerel 1
  Chain Pickerel 3
  Pirate Perch 4
  Black Banded Sunfish 19
  Bluegill 9
  Blue Spotted Sunfish 30
  Lined Topminnows 22
  Mosquito Fish 11
  

Pirate Perch (Aphredoderus sayanus)

    The pirate perch can be found in freshwater systems all the way from here in North Carolina to southeastern Texas. The can be found in lakes, ponds and rivers and the lay their eggs in borrows. It is the behavior of laying these eggs in borrows which gave rise to a strange anatomical feature. The pirate perch's anus is not located in front of the anal fin like most fish it is instead anteriorly located just between the gills. The purpose of this is so that when the pirate perches go head first into these holes, the fish can get them as far back as possible.