Wildlife and Recreation Management

Mr. Lemmons

Freshwater Fish

IDENTIFYING FISH

• Shape and number of spines• Number of type of scales• Teeth• Eye diameter• Internal anatomy• Location of specific body parts.

Why do fish change color?

STRESS!!1. Being hooked2. Being removed from water3. Environmental changes4. Spawning

Dorsal Fin Caudal Fin

Anal Fin

Pelvic Fin

Pectoral Fin

Operculum

Bluegill

• 1/2 as deep as long

• under 1” thick

• blue color on lower portion of both the jaw and operculum

• Color is NOT a good way to identify

• Dark round spot on the rear dorsal fin

• 5-9 dark vertical bands running down their sides.

• Aka: Bream, Brim, Perch, Sunfish, Sunperch

• Average size 4 - 6 oz• State Record 2.02

Lampasas River

Bluegill

Red Eared Sunfish

• Produced from a Bluegill and Pumpkinseed crossbreeds.

Red Eared Sunfish

Crappie

• Both Black and White (black = 7-8 dorsal spines, white = 6 dorsal spines.)

• Very thin, perhaps the thinnest of all sunfish• 8-10 inches is common

WHITE CRAPPIE:• Nest Builders• Average 3/4 to 1 1/2 lbs.

Crappie

WHITE CRAPPIE CONT.

•State Record 4.56 lbs. Navarro Mills Lake

•Vertical Bars on the side

BLACK CRAPPIE

•North and East Texas

•Irregular Dark side blotches

•Average size 3/4 - 1 1/4 lbs.

•State Record 3.92 lbs- Lake Fork

Yellow Perch

• Golden Yellow Coloration on their sides. (may vary)• 6-8 dark vertical bands along their sides• have two dorsal fins, membrane between the two is

black• caudal fin is slightly rounded and forked

Yellow Perch

Largemouth Bass

• Upper jaw extends beyond the eye

• Deep notch in dorsal fin

• Caudal fin is forked and rounded

• Brown and gold eyes

• Dark, irregular horizontal stripe along lateral line

• Dorsal Fin almost divided

• 12-13 Rays in Soft Dorsal Fin (rear section)• aka: Black bass, green trout, bigmouth bass, lineside

bass

• 2-6 lbs average

• State Record 18.18 lbs. - Lake Fork

Largemouth Bass

White Bass

White BassOriginated in Caddo Lake

State wide

Double dorsal fin

aka: Sand bass, barfish, streaker, silver bass

1 to 1 1/2 pounds average

State record 5.56 pounds - Colorado river

Striped BassIntroduced

Largest member of the bass family

2 sharp points on gill cover

7 - 8 horizontal stripes

State record 53 pounds - Brazos river

Yellow BassOften confused with white bass

Lower 2 stripes broken

Average size 1/2 pound

State record 1.44 pounds – Cedar Creek Lake

Smallmouth Bass

Smallmouth Bass• Upper jaw does not extends beyond the eye• Slight notch in dorsal fin• Caudal fin is not forked and not rounded• Red eye• Dark, vertical stripe along sides• Large clear water lakes• State record 7.93 pounds - Lake Meredith

Rock Bass

• Brown eye

• Brown coloration, with light vertical stripes along the sides

• Heavy bodied

• aka: warmouth, goggle eye

• Average size 8 oz

• State Record 1.3 lbs- Town Lake

Rock Bass

Other Bass• Guadalupe Bass• Flowing waters

• aka: Guadalupe spotted bass• State record 4.69 - San Marcos River

Other Bass • Spotted Bass • Native to East Texas• Confused with Largemouth• Kentucky spotted bass, spotted black bass

• State record 5.62 pounds – Lake Alan Henry

Hybrid Striped Bass

White Bass X Striped Bass

State Record 19.66 pounds - Lake Ray Hubbard

Channel Catfish

• Scaleless, tough skin

• 8 barbels

• Three sharp spines, (1 dorsal, 2 pectoral)

• Black spots on lower side of body

• Popular with Trotliners• aka: Willow cat, forked-tail cat

• Deeply forked caudal fin

• Excellent table quality

• Average 2-3 lbs.

• State Record 36.5 lbs - Pedernales River

Channel Catfish

Flathead Catfish

• Scaleless, tough skin• 8 barbels• Three sharp spines, (1 dorsal, 2 pectoral)• No spots on lower side of body• squared caudal fin• aka: Yellow cat, opelousas, mud cat, shovelhead

cat

• flattened head• lower lip protrudes past upper lip

Flathead Catfish

Yellow Bullhead

• Scaleless, tough skin• 8 barbels• Sharp spines (1 dorsal, 2 pectoral)• Black, Brown or Yellow species• Polliwog, chucklehead cat

• Caudal fin is slightly notched and squared• Texas nongame fish

Yellow Bullhead

Carp Grass and Common

Common Carp

• Rough fish

• Very scaly

• Barbels

• Considered a nuisance to American Anglers, prized in Europe

• Much like a sucker fish

• aka: German or European Carp

• Nongame Fish

Common Carp

Grass Carp

• Harmful to Native resources

• 100% Herbivorous

• Used for vegetation control

• Texas Nongame

• Triploid (sterile) are legal for use in Texas only

• Must have permit to obtain.

• Aka: White amur

Grass Carp

Freshwater Drum

Gaspergou, sheepshead

Only freshwater member of drum family

Forces air into smaller air bladders

State record 34.7 pounds - Texoma

GarAlligator Gar

Spotted Gar

Shortnose Gar

Longnose Gar

Alligator Gar

Others - Spotted, Longnose, Shortnose

Air breather - can survive in stagnant water

Long, cylindrical body

Hard, interlocking scales

State record 279 pounds - Rio Grande River

Fish need areas of protection

Streams and Rivers:

Riffles, pockets, pools

Overhangs

Current breakers

Dams, waterfalls

LAKES:

Depth Changes

Weedy Shallows

Gravel Bars

Channels

Road Beds

Trees & Obstructions

Fish need areas of protection