Fishes did not participate in last year’s March Species Madness, unfortunately. With over 5,000 different species calling rare home, some choices had to be made. But it’s about time that fishes saw some love, here. There are a. number of creeks and wetlands at rare, including a cold-water stream. These provide critical habitats for these aquatic animals that are critical parts of the wider ecosystem.
Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), for instance, depend on cold, clear waterways and, where they find them in southern Ontario, they can grow up to 12-14 inches (in really cold, clear waterways, they can reach 22 inches in length). Brook trout are found across Canada and in the northeastern United States as far south as North Carolina. They eat insects that stay close to the water (both adults and nymphs), but will also eat beetles, ants, and small fish, should the opportunity ever present itself. Brook trout are a good indication that the river they are in is clean, so if you want to see brook trout, clean those rivers and keep them clean! Check out this page about Brook Trout, created for students and teachers in Pennsylvania.
The rainbow darter (Etheostoma caeruleum) is a much smaller fish, growing up to around two to three inches in length. The males have the bright orange scales with iridescent blue spots that give the creature its name. You’ll find them in small, clean rivers and streams in eastern North America, darting among the fast-moving, shallow riffles, preferring rocky or gravelly stream bottoms. They eat insect larvae, small snails and crayfish, and are an important food source for larger fish. This entry by BioKids, featured at the University of Michigan, tells you more.
So, who goes forward in this contest between the fishes, and who sleeps with the… fishes (and wakes up in clear, clean streams to swim another day)? That’s for you to decide, so vote now!