Greenback Cutthroat Trout

Oncorhynchus clarki stomias

We are bouncing all over the world now-- from India, to Antarctica, and now to the Rocky Mountains of the United States!

Today's animal is a subspecies of fish that is found only in those particular mountains-- the Greenback Cutthroat Trout. These freshwater fish once had a massive range that extended over the Rockies and the American West. Today they are limited to only 1% of that, and are found only in the state of Colorado (where it is the state fish).

The Greenback Cuttroat Trout grows to lengths of around 1.5ft, and weighs up to 10lbs. They have brilliant green and red coloration, complete with spots, and become even more vibrant during spawning.

The reason for the decline of this fish is threefold-- they were over-fished, they dealt with industrialization and toxic runoff from mining, and they had to compete with introduced fish species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been undertaking recovery efforts for the past few decades. Unfortunately, inter-breeding and the persistence of threats have kept these fish to just a 4 mile stretch of the Bear River.

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IUCN Status : Not listed, but Endangered by USA Endangered Species Act
Location : North America
Size : Length up to 18in (45cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Actinopterygii -- Order : Salmoniformes
Family : Salmonidae -- Genus : Oncorhynchus-- Species : O. clarki -- Subspecies : O. c. stomias
Image :  Joel Sartore

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Sun Catfish

Horabagrus brachysoma

Finally we get to our last animal of the Western Ghats series (for now...), the Sun Catfish. It goes by a whole mess of other names-- Guther's Catfish, Yellow Catfish, Bullseye Catfish, etc. Thankfully we have scientific names to sort out the confusion!

Sun Catfish make their homes in the high-vegetation-filled, slow-moving rivers and streams pf western India. Because they live in waters of varying depths and salinity levels, they aren't especially picky when it comes to diet. These adaptable fish will eat anything and everything they can swallow, and since they can grow up to 18in in length that gives them lots of options!

Sun Catfish have been captured for the pet trade, and for food. They are currently listed as "Vulnerable" due to over-exploitation and because of habitat degradation in the nearby areas.

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IUCN Status : Vulnerable
Location : India
Size : Length up to 18in (45cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Actinopterygii -- Order : Siluriformes
Family : Horabagridae -- Genus : Horabagrus-- Species : H. brachysoma
Image :  N. Hepworth

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Denison's Barb

Sahyadria denisonii

Finally we move to a cold-blooded inhabitant of the Western Ghats-- the Denison's Barb. This small fish makes it home in the fast moving rivers and streams of that particular range.

Like the other creatures this week, the Denison's Bard is Endangered. Unlike those animals, it's number one threat isn't habitat loss. Primary issue for the Barb? Overfishing for the Aquarium Trade. While these animals are becoming rare in the wild, they are growing in popularity in captivity. Which is really unfortunately, because they don't breed well in captivity, which means even more are taken from the wild as a result.

Denison's Barbs grow to around 6in in length, are can be identified by the lateral black and red lines on their bodies. They live in small schools, and forage for just about anything they can find. Algae, Crustaceans, Insects, and plant detritus are all commonly consumed.

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IUCN Status : Endangered
Location : India
Size : Body Length around 6in (15cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Actinopterygii -- Order : Cypriniformes
Family : Cyprinidae -- Genus : Sahyadria-- Species : S. denisonii
Image :  Stan Shebs

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Blotched Upside-down Catfish

Synodontis nigriventis

Meet a curious little fish that hails from the Congo River in Africa-- the Blotched Upside-down Catfish.

As the name and picture illustrate, these Catfish actually do spend most of their time swimming upside down. Crazy, huh? Their coloration actually reflects their preferred bodily orientation. Unlike other fish who are dark on the top and paler on the bottom (to beldn with predators who would be looking up or down at them), these guys have pales backs and dark bellies!

Why do they swim like this? For hunting reasons. By looking up at prey they can surprise it easier, catching it quickly from below. They feed on small insects and crustaceans.

Interestingly, the Catfish aren't born swimming upside down-- they don't really invert until they are around 2 months old. Overall they don't get particularly large as they age. 3-4 inches is their maximum size.

Blotched Upside-down Catfish can be kept as pets, and do best in small groups of 3 or 4.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Congo River Basin
Size : Length up to 4in (12cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Actinopterygii -- Order : Siluriformes
Family : Mochokidae -- Genus : Synodontis-- Species : S. nigriventis
Image : SeriouslyFish

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Marble Trout

Salmo marmoratus

Meet the Marble Trout, a freshwater fish that has distinct coloration pattern and a very limited range.

The name "Marble Trout" comes (obviously) from its scales, which have a marbled pattern to them. Their specific habitat affects the darkness and the exact coloring. Aside from color, the Marble Trout can be identified by their skinny, cylindrical bodies and their 1-2ft size at maturity.

Marble Trout are found only in a handful of rivers and basins in the world. Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro are the only nations that they are currently found in. They live only in freshwater, and feed on smaller fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Despite their small range, the Marble Trout are considered to be of Least Concern. Though damming and habitat loss have made them rare (and possibly extinct) in some localized areas, there are enough of them, and they breed fast enough, that they aren't in major imminent danger as a species.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Europe
Size : Length up to 2ft (65cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Actinopterygii -- Order : Salmoniformes
Family : Salmonidae -- Genus : Salmo-- Species : S. marmoratus
Image : Jaz pa Pojdem

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Florida Gar

The Florida Gar is a large freshwater fish found in the waters of the southern United States, especially in Florida and Georgia. They can grow to lengths of 3-4ft, and can be identified by their blotchy dark spots that cover the body and fins.

Florida Gars are able to live in shallow waters that have very little oxygen. They have a special organ, called an air bladder, that allows them to breathe air.

You'll find these fish living in small groups that number between 2 and 10 individuals. They breed in the early spring during a large spawning events where the females lay sticky eggs in the aquatic vegetation and males swim over them and release sperm to fertilize. The parents have no more involvement with the eggs after the spawning event.

As juveniles, Florida Gars feed on insect larvae, plankton, and very small fish. As they grow up they move to larger fish and invertebrates. The Gars hunt by stalking prey very slowly, and then lunging with inedible speed and catching the victims in their jaws.

Florida Gar don't taste very good, so they are not commonly captured by human fishermen. They are abundant through their range and the population is currently stable.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Southern United States
Size : Length up to 4ft (1.3m)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Actinopterygii -- Order : Lepisosteiformes
Family : Lepisosteidae -- Genus : Lepisosteus-- Species : L. platyrhincus
Image : Kihn Quyen

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Northern Snakehead

Channa argus

The Northern Snakehead is a fish that is originally found in China, Russia, North Korea, and South Korea. However, in the past decade or so they have also made their way over to the United States and Canada, where they are considered to be an invasive
species.

You can identify a Northern Snakehead by its large mouth, very long dorsal fin, and a rounded tail fin. They come in shades of brown, with both lighter and darker blotches.

Northern Snakeheads are excellent hunters, with no natural predators of their own. Which is why their introduction to non-native areas has been so damaging. They disrupt the normal food chain and threaten the livelihood of other species. In North America, the fish have been both intentionally and unintentionally introduced, and have been found from Florida all the way to British Columbia.

One reason they are so hard to contain is the fact that they can breathe air, and can survive out of water for long stretches of time. This means that they have the ability to move between nearby bodies of water by wiggling their bodies.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : East Asia
Size : Length up to 40in (1m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Actinopterygii  -- Order : Perciformes
Family : Channidae -- Genus : Channa -- Species : C. argus
Image : Cornell

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Beluga Sturgeon

Huso huso

The Beluga Sturgeon is the largest of all the Sturgeon species, and is also one of the largest freshwater fish in the entire world (though they can also be found in brackish and saltwater areas). Some of the largest ones caught were close to 20ft long, though most observed around in the 6-10ft range.

Beluga Sturgeons grow very slowly, meaning that the largest of them are also the oldest. They can live over 100 years, and the oldest recorded was 118!

You'll find these predatory fish in the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, the Volga River, and occasionally in the Adriatic Sea as well. They live at sea most of their lives, but swim up rivers in order to spawn. When the time to reproduce arrives, a single female can lay up to 3.5 million eggs!

Unfortunately, those eggs are the reason why these giant fish are listed as Critically Endangered  You see, Beluga Sturgeons are where Beluga Caviar comes from. That Caviar is the most expensive in the world, and close to 50% of it is illegally traded. The Sturgeon are over-fished, and on top of that, their habitats are degrading. They are protected by CITES and a few other agreements, and the importation of the caviar is now banned in the United States.

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IUCN Status : Critically Endangered
Location : Eastern Europe
Size : Length up to 10ft (3.2m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Actinopterygii -- Order : Acipenseriformes
Family : Acipenseridae -- Genus : Huso -- Species : H. huso

Image : 1stfun

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Hybodontiformes

Hybodus fraasi (one of the many Hybodontiformes)

The Hybodontiformes Order is a sister group to the one that contains all of our modern Sharks, Rays, and Skates. It was first identified back in 1846, and since then species from five different Families have been uncovered.

These prehistoric sharks were successful for a very, very long time-- they lasted nearly 200 million years and went extinct at the same time as the Dinosaurs-- 65 million years ago.

There have been numerous species discovered within this order, and fossils have been found in places like China and Brazil. Interestingly, these animals lives in both saltwater and freshwater. Unfortunately, that freshwater adaptation didn't save them from going extinct, and they began their decline during the cretaceous period.

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Status : Extinct for 65 million years
Location : Worldwide

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Chondrichthyes -- Subclass : Elasmobranchii
Order : †Hybodontiformes

Image : Haplochromis

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Lissodus

Lissodus

Normally when one thinks of prehistoric sharks, they imagine gigantic sea dwelling monsters like Megalodon-- huge beasts with jaws the size of human beings that could devour anything and everything.

Today's animal breaks that stereotype. Lissodus was an entire genus of Sharks that lived on this planet for over 100 million years, spanning from the Triassic into the late cretaceous. They swam not in the oceans, but in fresh water, and their fossils have been found all over the world. So far there have been ten different species identified.

Other differences between these sharks and their giant counsins? Lissodus was tiny. Especially compared to some of the super sharks. These guys measured only 6in long! They also had very interesting teeth, which they used for a specialized diet. Lissodus had flat teeth that allowed it to crush and eat clams.

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Status : Extinct for 100 million years
Location : Worldwide
Size : Length up to 6in (14cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Chondrichthyes -- Order : † Hybodontiformes
Family : Lonchidiidae -- Genus : Lissodus

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Prussian Carp

Carassius gibelio - image by Viridiflavus

If you look closely, and use some imagination when it comes to color, you might just recognize today's animal.

You see, the Prussian Carp, which actually originated in Siberia and not Germany, is the wild ancestor to our domesticated Goldfish. Around 1,000 years ago these fish were selectively bred in China to become the colorful aquarium fish that are so prevalent around the world. Like their domestic progeny, Prussian Carp have also spread from their native habitat, and can now be found in rivers and ponds across Europe and Asia.

Prussian Carp are medium sized members of their family, measuring up to 1.5ft long and weighing up to 6lbs.  They have an omnivorous diet, feeding off of plant matter as well as various small invertebrates.

As adults, the Prussian Carp have a grey, greenish color. But when they are younger they tend to be more golden, which  is where the inspiration for the domestication may have some from.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Asia, Europe
Size : Length up to 18in (45cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Actinopterygii -- Order : Cypriniformes
Family : Cyprinidae -- Genus : Carassius -- Species : C. gibelio

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Huchen

Hucho hucho

Today's animal is the Huchen, a freshwater fish also known as the Danube Salmon. These Salmon-family members originated in the aforementioned river basin, but have since spread to other parts of Europe and Morocco. However, even with introductions, the species is still considered Endangered due to habitat fragmentation and pollution.

Habitat fragmentation has had a huge impact on the reproductive cycle of the Huchen. Like their cousins in the west, they need to swim upriver in order to spawn, a process made very difficult by the addition of dams. Furthermore, some populations cannot breed at all, due to high water temperatures (like those introduced to Morocco). Huchen eggs need specific water temperatures in order to hatch.

There have been efforts made to protect the Huchen and their environment, including cleaning up the rivers, placing more regulations on fishing, and restocking.

You can identify a Huchen by their slender, cylindrical bodies, reddish-brown coloration, and dark patches. They feed on other fish, invertebrates, and water dwelling birds and mammals.

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IUCN Status : Endangered

Location : Europe
Size : Length up to 5ft (1.5m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Actinopterygii -- Order : Salmoniformes
Family : Salmonidae -- Genus : Hucho -- Species : H. hucho

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South American Armored Catfish

Corydoras semiaquilus

The South American Armored Catfish gets its name from the visible plates on their sides. Many Catfish species have no scales at all, but this small fish has bony scutes that run the length of their body, giving them a very interesting look (as opposed to the smooth appearance of other members of their Order).

The Amazon Basin of South America in where these fish call home. Like many Catfish, they are nocturnal bottom feeders, using their flat heads and barbels to search for and uncover food. They are very small, usually not growing larger than a few centimeters, which means their prey must also be small-- they consume worms, insects, small crustaceans, and various bits of plant matter.

The species is commonly kept in captivity, and are also referred to as the Peru Black Cory. They are said to be a very peaceful fish that won't bother other tank residents, and they prefer to live in small groups. The fish do best in tanks that have bottoms covered in a small substrate, rather than large rocks (since they dig around to feed).

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IUCN Status : Not Listed

Location : Amazon Basin
Size : Length up to 2.5in (6cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Actinopterygii -- Order : Siluriformes
Family : Callichthyidae -- Genus : Corydoras -- Species : C. semiaquilus

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Midas Cichlid

Amphilophus citrinellus

Many of the other Cichlids that we've talked about up to this point live in the African Rift Valley. Today's species is a bit different, and actually hails from the other side of the world-- the San Juan River and nearby waters in Central America.

The Midas Cichlid, as it is often called in the aquatics trade, is a large, hardy freshwater fish that is actually a pretty popular pet, due to their size and coloration. In nature, males have much larger humps than females, though they are only especially large during the breeding season. Those same humps remain year round in captive individuals.

Midas Cichlids are not at all picky about what they eat. In the wild they consume plants, invertebrates, and small fish. In captivity they have a similar diet, and will readily consume vegetation, as well as live and frozen creatures.

One interesting quirk that I discovered is that these fish really like to redecorate! If you keep a Midas Cichlid as a pet, don't put them in a tank with decor that can be easy moved around. The fish will dig up substrate, dislodge plants, and even knock around water heaters and filters!

Keep in mind though, Midas Cichlids can be very aggressive. This behavior is less pronounced when they have more space, so a big aquarium is a must.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed

Location : Central America
Size : Length up to 30in (75cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Actinopterygii -- Order : Perciformes
Family : Cichlidae -- Genus : Amphilophus -- Species : A. citrinellus

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Pumpkinseed

Lepomis gibbosus

The Pumpkinseed is a species of small freshwater fish that belongs to the same genus as the Bluegill. They once had a range that spread only through eastern North America, but they can now be found all the way west to the Pacific Coast. Pumpkinseeds have also been introduced in Europe, where they are considered an invasive species (due to their competing with other fish for food).

Pumpkinseeds have body shapes similar to their namesake, and have scales that range from brown to olive green. They also have small speckles across their bodies, and faint vertical lines. The coloration is more vibrant and pronounced during the breeding season. The Pumpkinseeds' scales are used for protection-- they are able to reflect back their surroundings and serve as camouflage.

The species is most commonly calm, clear waters. They are active during the day, feeding on insects and small aquatic creatures both at the surface and near the bottom. At night they hide out in submerged plants and other covered areas.

During the breeding season males will actually build little nests in the lake floor, sweeping away rocks and debris and making an indent. These nests are often built in small colonies, and are sometimes intermingled with Bluegill nests (Bluegills and Pumpkinseeds sometimes school together, and will even interbreed). Females can lay up to 1,700 eggs, and will sometimes lay them in multiple nests. They leave after the laying is done. Males hang around until the eggs hatch (around 3 days) and will actually guard their new offspring for up to two weeks. If they wander off the dads will even return them back to the nests in their mouth!

Pumpkinseeds are often fished up by anglers, due to the fact that they swim close to shore and will take worms very easily. They are sometimes a source of some frustration though, as they'll often bite when fishermen are going after larger fare.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : North America
Size : Length up to 8in (20cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Actinopterygii -- Order : Perciformes
Family : Centrarchidae -- Genus : Lepomis -- Species : L. gibbosus

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Cephalaspis

Cephalaspis

We've talked about Placoderms before on Animal A Day. Remember? Those armored Devonian fish with gigantic shearing teeth? Well, the now-extinct Placoderms weren't the only Devonian fish swimming around with armor. Cephalaspis did as well, partially as a defensive mechanism against the much larger Placoderms. Their name is actually Greek for "head shield," as they had very large, spade-shaped armored heads.

Cephalaspis is the genus name for four different species of ancient fish. They, along with dozens of other species, belonged to the Osteostraci class (making them Ostracoderms). All Ostracoderms had bony armor, but lacked jaws. They all went extinct at the end of the Devonian, around 360 million years ago.

Cephalaspis in particular only lasted till the early Devonian, around 400 million years ago, and all fossils have been found in what is now Western Europe. They ranged in size from a few inches, to about a foot. These fish were most likely fresh water bottom feeders, since their mouths were located on the bottom side of the head. They may have moved their large heads from side to side, stirring up debris and locating smaller animals to feed on.

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Status : Extinct for 400 million years
Location : Western Europe
Size : Length up to 1ft (30cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Osteostraci -- Genus : Cephalaspis

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Coccosteus

Coccosteus

There are several different types of fish swimming around today. We have the Ray-finned Fish, The Cartilaginous Fish, the Jawless Fish, and the awesome prehistoric Lobe-finned Fish. But once upon a time we have a 5th group-- the Placoderms, or Armored Fish.

Placoderms once swam in waters all over the world, but the entire class died out during the late Devonian period around 360 million years ago. These scary looking armor plated fish are probably best known from their largest class member-- Dunkleosteus. But keep in mind that not all Placoderms where over 20ft long. Like the other fish classes, they had members of all sizes!

Coccosteus is one genus of fish on the opposite side of the size spectrum. These little guys were only around 16in at the longest. They still possessed the same armored heads as their larger cousins, and they also had a modified jaw that let them open their moths extra wide in order to eat larger prey.

Coccosteus fossils have been sound in freshwater areas of Europe and North America. Also proving that Placoderms were found in both water types. There are several species within the Coccosteus species, but all died out at the end of the Devonian, along with their larger Placoderm cousins.

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Status : Extinct for 360 million years
Location : Europe and North America
Size : Length up to 16in (41cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : †Placodermi -- Order : Arthrodira
Family : Coccosteidae -- Genus : Coccosteus

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Giant Pangasuis

Pangasius sanitwongsei

Meet the Giant Pangasuis, who certainly is one monster of a fish! These dwellers of the Mekong and Chao Phraya River basins can grow nearly 10ft long, and they are second in Catfish size only to the Mekong Giant Catfish. The species is also sometimes referred to as the Paroon Shark and the Chao Phraya Giant Catfish.

In the wild, the Giant Panasuis is a migratory creature, moving upstream in order to spawn just before the monsoon season hits. And when it comes to feeding they are technically omnivores, though they tend to consume meat more often then not. Adults live in the large rivers, while juveniles are found in smaller tributaries.

Unfortunately.. like many large fish in developed areas, they are becoming very, very rare. The Giant Pangasuis is now listed as Critically Endangered. Overfishing, habitat loss, pollution, and capture for the (doomed) pet trade have all been factors for their decline. (I say "doomed" because even though hundreds, if not thousands enter the trade, very few actually live to adulthood, due to their demands, size, and skittish nature that can result in injury.) The Catfish have also had religious rites and ceremonies associated with their capture.

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IUCN Status : Critically Endangered
Location : Southeast Asia
Size : Length up to 9ft (2.75m), Weight up to 660lbs (300kg)

Classification : Phylum: Chordata -- Class : Actinopterygii -- Order : Siluriformes
Family : Pangasiidae -- Genus : Pangasius -- Species : P. sanitwongsei

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Bowfin

Amia calva

Today's animal is one of those really neat fish that harkens back to the Dinosaur days! They are the Bowfins, and they are the only surviving members of their entire Family, as well as their whole Order. The three other extinct Families within the Order date back between the Jurassic and the Eocene, with most of the fossils going back 100 million years!

For whatever reason, the other neat ancient fish we've talked about are found in more exotic locations (or at least exotic to Americans)-- the Coelocanth of South Africa, the Lungfish of Australia, etc. But congratulations North America! This is a weird old fish all your own! Bowfins are found in southern Canada and in the eastern United States, where they can be found in the Great Lakes, as well as in other lakes and slow moving rivers.

You can tell that the Bowfin come from an ancient lineage because they have a half bone, half cartilage skeletal system. They also have the ability to breathe air, thanks to a modified swim bladder that acts as a primitive lung. This lung also lets them live in siltier and more stagnant waters. They are indiscriminate predators, and feed on small fish, invertebrates, and amphibians.

Bowfin reproduction is a curious affair-- the males actually build nests! They construct nests out of plant fibers that can be as large as 3ft in diameter. They then mate with a female (sometimes multiple females), the eggs are laid, and the female(s) depart. The male Bowfin stands watch over his eggs, protecting them until they hatch. He then keeps watch over his new brood until they grow to lengths of around 4in.

Bowfin are not often hunted commercially, as their meat is less tasty than that of other fish, and they tend to retain more Mercury. They are popular with some sport anglers, due to their fighting spirit, but many consider them to be pests since they feed on more desirable aquatic animals.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : North America
Size : Length up to 43in (1.1m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Actinopterygii -- Order : Amiiformes
Family : Amiidae -- Genus : Amia-- Species : A. calva

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Discus Cichlids

Symphysodon aequifasciatus   

Today's animal is actually.. well... three animals. There are three species of Discus Cichlids, all of which live in the Amazon River Basin, all of which have compressed, disc-like body shapes, and all of which have some really neat colors and patterns.

There is a little bit of controversy over how the three species are named and identified. There are two general camps, and both agree that there are three different species within the genus, but there is confusion over the classification. One group claims that S. discus  and S. aequifasciatus are close relatives, and a newly discovered species, S. tarzoo, is different due to its spots. Of course, a year after that finding was published another report came out arguing that S. tarzoo is actually S. haraldi, and that Haraldi adn Discus may have formed hybrids.

I'm confused just writing all that. And it doesn't help that these two studies give the same common names for different fish. The Green Discus is apparently both S. tarzoo and S. aequifasciatus! Anyway, for a little more clarity on the great Discus debate, check out this full article.

Discus Fish are popular in aquariums, and their farming has becoming quite a large industry in South Asia. Their bold coloring and interesting shape attract aquarists around the world. They also, like many Cichlids, have an interesting parenting style. While most fish lay their eggs and leave, both Discus Fish parents care for their larvae, even producing a secretion from their skin that their young can feed off of!

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Amazon Basin
Size : Length up to 10in (25cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Actinopterygii -- Order : Perciformes
Family : Cichlidae -- Genus : Symphysodon

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