Fish and Reptiles

The Fish and Reptile Group is composed of Manuel, Leslie, Armando and Jon. This group researches several fishes that inhabit Sheldon Lake. They find information on what the fishes eat, how much they weigh, and the kind of environment they live in. This information also helps them identify the water quality of the lake.

The Fish and Reptiles group has compiled information about several fish stocked in Sheldon Lake. We have made a chart out of this information that we have compiled. This chart includes things such as what the fish eat, their sizes, and how they are important to their ecosystem. For example, bass fishing adds greatly to the Texas economy each year and largemouth bass are highly prized for their value as food. We hope to find more information on the importance of these fish. Below are two examples of fish that we have found. Both the Bowfin and the Red-Eared Sunfish were fish that we found when we electroshocked and captured fish at Sheldon Lake on Feb. 24, 2006.

Bowfin (Amia calva)

Description:
The Bowfin has a large mouth equipped with many sharp teeth. Its large head has no scales. The dorsal fin is long, extending more than half the length of the back, and contains more than 45 rays. Young fish have a distinctive black spot near the base of the upper portions of the tail fin.

Life History:
Bowfins spawn in the late spring. Nests are constructed by males in shallow, weedy areas. Males guard both incubating eggs and fry which may remain in the nest for about nine days after hatching. Initially, Bowfin young feed on small invertebrates such as cladocerans (water fleas). By the time they reach about four inches in length they are primarily piscivorous, although crayfish can make up a substantial proportion of the diet, and frogs are also consumed. Young fish may grow as much as 12-14 inches during their first year. In general, the average size in Texas is six to eight pounds.

Other:
Although Bowfins are not usually sought after in Texas, it is generally acknowledged that once hooked they are excellent fighters. Indeed, some anglers relish the thought of hooking a bowfin. Relative to consumption, Bowfins are typiclly considered a rough fish rather than one for the table.

Other Names:
Shellcracker, Georgia Bream, Cherry Gill, Sunny, Sun Perch

Description:
Lepomis, the generic name, is Greek and means "scaled gill cover." The species epithet Microlophus is Greek for "small nape." The Redear is a deep-bodied sunfish with a relatively small mouth. Color ranges from dark olive green above to almost white on the belly. The sides are usually yellow to green. The spinous dorsal fin, which is anterior to the soft dorsal fin, is normally equipped with 10 spines, although 9 or 11 spines are sometimes observed, and it is broadly connected to the soft dorsal fin. The anal fin has three spines. The species' most distinct characteristic is the red edge on the opercle ("ear") flap of the male (orange on the female). The opercle flap is never greatly elongated as it is in species such as the redbreast sunfish (Lepomis auritus) or the Longear sunfish (L. Megalotis).

Life History:
Redear sunfish often utilize snails as a major food item, hence the common name "shell-cracker." However, insect larvae and cladocerans may also be found in their diet. The species is usually found near the bottom in warm water with little current and abundant aquatic vegetation. Redears normally reach sexual maturity by the end of their second year. They spawn during the warm months of late spring and early summer, and in deeper water than most other sunfish, congregating in spawning "beds." Nests are saucer-shaped depressions in gravel or silt, and are sometimes so close they almost touch. There are usually one or two peaks of activity during spawning season. Few individuals survive more than six summers.

Distribution:
Redear sunfish were originally found in the southeastern US from Texas north to a line even with southern Illinois and east to the Atlantic Ocean. As a result of introductions, the range has been expanded and now extends west into New Mexico and north into Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania. In Texas the species is native to the eastern two-thirds of the state from the Red River to the Rio Grande. It has been widely introduced throughout the state.

Other:
Unlike some other sunfish species, Redears rarely approach the surface to take flies or other artificial top baits. They may, however, be readily captured using natural bait such as earthworms and grubs. Redear are often taken in early summer when they are concentrated on spawning beds.

Below is a chart of the different lengths and weight of the fish we collected at Sheldon Lake on Feb. 24, 2006.