I didn't really have high hopes for fish. In fact, a quick survey revealed just a bunch of gambusia, either affinis or hobrookii. On top of that, I don't have my tanks set up yet - the house is a bit smaller than my old one and I'm having a hard time finding the gravel I want.
Well, it's really warm here in KY and my 4 year old is remembering the time he accidently caught a mudminnow in Wisconsin and thinks he's a great fisherman. He finally talked me into getting the net out and scooping out a few fish to look at.
The gambusia really are affinis or holbrookii and really not interesting unless you're 4
There were a few surpises though -
I caught a pair of non-descript darters. I didn't ID them because they were non-descript (?maybe fantail?) and the female was gravid. Since the fish are not common in my creek, I decided to let them go.
I also found a bunch of really big isopods. They look pretty much like aquatic pill bugs. I measured a big one and they are 3/4" long. I've never seen them before and they're pretty neat.
I also caught the largest gammarus I'd ever seen. Extended, they are 1/2" long. Most gammarus I have ever seen before are about 1/2 that size at best.
Other cathes included crayfish, a bullfrog tadpole and a 3-legged 1" salamander with gills (I called them mudpuppies as a child).
Anyway, my 4 year old couldn't keep his hands out of the temporary tank I set up so everything when back from whence it came. No flames, please. THe tank was clean and there was nothing in it before I set the temp tank up.
I know that this is not as exciting a collecting trip as others have reported, but I was kind of happy top find interesting stuff in the creek I own a very small part of.
Geoff Kimber
Nicholasville, KY
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