I’m sometimes asked by Museum Guests what type of fish, if any, are in the Wetlands. The stock answer is “As far I can tell there are Gambusia (Mosquito Fish) and some kind of shiner down there, I plan to find out for sure this winter.”
A floating dead fish caught my attention on October 18, just off the Wetlands Overlook. It was a Golden Shiner of approximately 6 inches in length. The largest fish previously seen by this observer was about 3’’ long. The dead fish in the water had marks on its side as though something had held it in its mouth, a larger fish or, more likely, a turtle since there are no large fish (I don’t think) in the Wetlands.
I went to get a net to scoop up the fish for a closer look. By the time I returned with the net (from a distance of perhaps 100 feet) the fish was gone. A mystery, but further testimony that you never know what will show up in the shadowy shallows of the Wetlands.
Lovely new blogsite, Greg! So nice to know what one is looking at when walking around the Museum’s wetland!