Fish
Mummichog Fundulus heteroclitus
Common baitfish found in brackish and coastal waters in the Chesapeake Bay and the eastern United States. Very hardy and can survive in severely polluted waters. Was the first fish in space when individuals were carried along in Skylab 3 in 1973. These individuals were collected in the Lafayette River, Norfolk, VA.
Skilletfish Gobiesox strumosus “Chompy”
Skilletfish are small fish that are members of the family Gobiesocidae. They grow to approximately 3″ in length and have a modified pelvic fin which acts as a suction cup to allow them to cling to oyster shells, rocks etc. The individual in this aquarium was found attached to one of the Dept. of Ocean & Earth Sciences (OES) data sondes used on the Lafayette River to monitor water conditions. We named it “Chompy” as it likes to grab food from our fingers and feeds aggressively. Check out the video below to see the skilletfish feeding.
Oyster Toadfish Opsanus tau
Oyster toadfish are a commonly found fish in the Chesapeake Bay and surrounding estuaries. They are often inside structure such as oyster reefs, rocks, moored structures etc. They grow to approximately 17″. The two individuals in our aquarium (Thor and Loki) were found on a moored water quality instrument on the Lafayette River. Both were juveniles but are rapidly growing. They are voracious feeders. Interesting fact: “The fish has a distinctive “foghorn” sound used by males to attract females in the mating season, which is April–October. The sound-producing (sonic) muscles attached to its swimbladders are the fastest known vertebrate muscles. Following the foghorn sound, the female comes into the nest, lays eggs, and then leaves (the toadfish lays the largest eggs of any Chesapeake Bay fish). ” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oyster_toadfish)
Atlantic Croaker Micropogonias undulatus
Croaker are very common in the Chesapeake Bay and surrounding estuaries. They are often caught by anglers and grow to approximetely 18-20″. Our croakers were collected from the Lafayette River. “The name croaker is descriptive of the noise the fish makes by vibrating strong muscles against its swim bladder, which acts as a resonating chamber much like a ball. The Atlantic croaker is the loudest of the drum family.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_croaker)
