It's day four of Aquatic Week!

April 1, 2020

It's day four of Aquatic Week! In the spirit of April Fools' Day, I considered doing today's update on the Loch Ness Monster or something, but I ultimately decided that I didn't need to add more misinformation to Facebook. There's probably more than enough on there. Instead, please enjoy this fish! According to Kyle Snow, a fish expert from James Madison University, this is probably a bull chub (any uncertainty is the result of my photography, not his expertise). I caught this one in a small creek using a minnow trap. When we think of the types of fish that can commonly be found in creeks and streams, we generally think of tiny minnows. However, there are some pretty sizeable members of the minnow family (Cyprinidae) and the bull chub (Nocomis raneyi) is a great example. The family Cyprinidae contains not only minnows, but also carp. It's the largest and most diverse family of fish, with more than 3,000 recorded species divided into 370 genera. The most impressive member of Cyprinidae is probably the critically-endangered Siamese giant carp (Catlocarpo siamensis), which is found only in southeast Asia. It can grow to nearly 10 feet long and weigh more than 600 pounds! I doubt I'll spot one of those in my creeks, but I'll keep my eyes peeled just in case. Thanks to Dr. Tom Benzing for pointing me toward his JMU colleague! #BenInNature

About this post: Social distancing can be difficult, but the next few weeks present a great opportunity to become reacquainted with nature. While he is working from home, Administrator of Science Ben Williams is venturing outdoors each day to record a snapshot of the unique sights that can be found in the natural world.

This post brought to you by VMNH supporters Linda and Roscoe Reynolds.