Native Life
The Atlantic Spadefish, or Chaetodipterus faber, is common off the coast of North Carolina. It is often found schooling around the many shipwrecks along our shore, and it can be seen in the No...
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Native Community
Waterkeepers Carolina, a confederation of North Carolina Riverkeeper organizations, is growing and increasing its capacity and adding to its achievements, in pursuit of the goal of educating a...
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Spadefish is no angel
The Atlantic Spadefish, or Chaetodipterus faber, is common off the coast of North Carolina. It is often found schooling around the many shipwrecks along our shore, and it can be seen in the North Carolina Aquariums’ logo. It is sometimes mistaken for an angelfish because of the shape of its fins. Spadefish and Angelfish are members of two separate fish families: Ephippidae and Pomacanthidae.
The spadefish is generally larger than the angelfish. It can grow to three feet in length, weighing as much as 20 pounds. Because of its size, sportfishermen enjoy catching this fish -- it has a reputation for tenaciousness. Two species are found in North America: the Atlantic and Pacific spadefish.
Young spadefish are entirely dark brown or black with white molting. Adults are silvery with four to six black vertical bands on each side. Very large spadefish sometimes lack the dark stripes. Its deep, short body allows it to make quick and easy lateral movements in tight spaces such as shipwrecks.
The spadefish can be found in the Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts to Bermuda and in the Gulf of Mexico as far as the southeastern coast of Brazil. It prefers shallow coastal waters and is often found in large schools around natural and artificial reefs.
The French Angelfish is similar is body shape to the spadefish. It is generally found in warmer waters. The spadefish spawns in the spring and summer. Small juveniles sometimes drift on their sides, mimicking floating debris as a means of protection from predators. Crustaceans and small encrusting invertebrates are favorite foods of the spadefish. It finds these morsels around wrecks, buoys,
pilings and hard bottoms. Spadefish may also eat the tentacles of jellyfish!more...
Atlantic Sturgeon is officially endangered
From Canada to Florida along the Atlantic Coast, the Atlantic sturgeon was once abundant, but its numbers have declined significantly due to overfishing and water pollution. In colonial times, they were harvested for food and a leathery material used for clothing and bookbinding. Now, sturgeons are used mainly to produce caviar.
The fish does not have scales, but rather bony plates on five rows, called scutes. It can live to 60 years of age, 15 feet in length and over 800 pounds.
Born in brackish water, they stay there until at least six years of age before moving into the ocean. The fish is also known for "leaping" out of the water, creating a hazard for anyone in the way. No one knows exactly why they do this.
In February 2012, the Atlantic Sturgeon was officially classified as an endangered species by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service. Cape Fear River Watch reports that the Carolina section of this species was first identified as a candidate for the endangered list in 1991, and now the spawning populations have plummeted to less than 3% of their historic levels.
Some of the threats to the fish include water quality, dredging, climactic changes, incidental catch, and dams. The presence of dams has resulted in a 60% habitat loss for the sturgeon and, sadly, the 40% of habitat left has suffered a decline in water quality, making it not ideal for spawning.
Yet another hurdle the Atlantic Sturgeon will face in the future is the possibility of Titan Cement moving into an area very close to spawning grounds.
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Star fish is technically not a fish
The sea star is commonly called a star fish. It is an echinoderm, which means it belongs to a group of animals known for spiny skin. That group also includes sea urchins and sea cucumbers.
Sea stars belong to the scientific class called Asteroidea, which means star form. Their cousins, the brittle and basket stars, belong to the Class Ophiuroidea, which means serpent tail in appearance. A sea star is not a fish because, among other things, it does not have a backbone.
Fish are vertebrates, as are mammals, including humans. Sea stars normally have five arms, although some species may have more. The arms come together in the middle of the animal, forming a central disc. The arms, in most cases, are triangular in shape.
One of the most interesting characteristics of the sea star is its ability to regrow a severed arm. Each arm is lined with tiny feet that are tipped with small suction cups. The sea star uses them to move and to capture prey.
While sea stars have delighted many beachcombers along our shores, some fishermen don’t look upon them so kindly. Sea stars can wreck havoc on oyster beds and on other shellfish populations. The sea star has a voracious appetite - - it eats almost continuously -- and has been known to cause serious damage to coral reefs in certain parts of the world.
Ironically, the sea star’s mouth is about a quarter of an inch in diameter and as a result, it cannot take in large bites of food. Therefore, it has found unique ways to eat. For instance, the common sea star (Asterias forbesi) eats not with jaws and teeth as many other animals do, but with its stomach. It pushes its stomach out through its mouth and wraps it around its prey. Clams and mussels can be digested alive this way.
While the sea star may seem invincible, it is completely defenseless against certain predators. Gulls, ravens and other birds, parasites and some fishes will eat the sea star, whose only protection is its rough, spiny armored skin. Its ability to regenerate limbs certainly comes in handy after an attack by these foes.
Sea stars may live in the low tide line close to shore or on sandy or rock bottoms out in the deep ocean. They do not travel fast and as a result, do not migrate far. Several species of sea stars inhabit North Carolina waters, but the three most common are the common sea star, the striped or gray sea star (Luidia clathrata), and the margined or armored sea star (Astropecten articulatus).
from "Ask the Aquarium"
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Menhaden are rich resource that need fishing limits
Along North America’s Atlantic coast, menhaden (aka bunker, pogy) are arguably the most important plankton predator. People don’t eat menhaden, as the fish are small, bony and oily and have a brief shelf life. Yet each one is a rich packet of embodied solar energy and a nutritious serving for a striped bass, bluefish, osprey, whale or one of many other larger animals.
Fish-science wonks call menhaden a “low trophic level species,” meaning they are at the base of the food chain. Our marine ecosystem needs plenty of menhaden to function properly — to transfer solar energy from plankton to higher-level species. Probably for thousands of years, people have harvested menhaden for fertilizer and bait. But only during the last 150 years or so have menhaden been the target of industrial-scale fisheries.
We take menhaden out of marine food webs to feed cats, dogs, pen-raised salmon and pigs and to enhance various products ranging from lipstick to paint. Incredibly, until a few days ago, the east coast’s largest fishery — about 403 million pounds of menhaden were harvested last year — was managed with no annual catch limits. That’s highly unusual in the 21st century, and wrong.
For over a decade, scientists have talked about the need to manage fisheries in consideration of whole ecosystems — in other words, tuning harvest levels to ensure that solar energy gets captured by plankton and enough of it flows upward so that fish, whales and birds don’t go hungry. Unfortunately, while scientists were talking, Atlantic menhaden were fished down to historic lows, and mounting evidence suggests negative impacts to predators.
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, which is in charge of the menhaden fishery, reported really bad news in its 2010 stock assessment: the reproductive capacity of Atlantic menhaden is now at just 8% of a (theoretically) unfished population. Sometimes it takes bad news to make good news happen, and since the report was released, the Conservancy and many partners have pushed to the surface both the science and a compelling case for change.
Last week in Boston, in front of a standing-room-only crowd of anglers, conservationists and a sprinkling of lawyers, the commission voted decisively to establish much more conservative harvest limits for menhaden — charting a rebuilding course that could triple the menhaden in our sea. We commend the commission for its action, which will benefit menhaden, our coastal and marine ecosystem, and the diverse businesses and people who directly and indirectly depend on a healthy menhaden population.
It’s incredibly satisfying to report good news about the ocean — and this is very good news for fish and people — but the story is still being written. Between now and May 2012, the commission will evaluate options, collect public comments, and make rules regarding harvest monitoring and measures to reduce catch. These decisions will either delay progress or help set a global good example for ecosystem-based fishery management.
The Conservancy is ramping up efforts at high-priority places all around our blue planet, addressing ecosystem overfishing in ways that respect and help secure the future for communities that depend on ocean resources.
... from the Nature Conservancy blog
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Dolphin "talk" is like ours
Back in the 1970's, biologists studied dolphin communication and concluded that their method was through a whistle made by air resonating through their nasal cavities. This would mean that the dolphin's swimming depth would affect the size of their nasal cavities as the air pressure changed, creating different pitched sounds.A new study by researchers in Denmark found that the whistle isn't a whistle at all, but a sound that is produced by tissue vibrations, similar to those made by humans, mammals and birds. They discovered this by digitizing the recordings made by the original 1970's team, and learning that the pitch did not change.
Peter Madsen, lead author of the new research, says this means dolphins can communicate at any depth they are swimming. They convey information as well as their identity as they move about. Wouldn't it be great to talk with them?
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True's Beaked whale stranded
On Wednesday, August 16, around 10 a.m. a True’s Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon mirus) stranded alive on the beach near the Ocean Hills section of Corolla, N.C. Staff members from the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island also members of the Outer Banks Marine Mammal Stranding Network (OBXMMSN) arrived on scene at 10:15 a.m. Volunteers and beach-goers secured the animal in the surf and began taking vitals.
While staff consulted with their veterinarian, the animal began making some erratic movements and around 10:30 a.m., the animal
died. Volunteers got the animal shaded and iced down while the marine mammal stranding network decided what to do with the carcass. Being an extremely fresh animal and one that rarely strands in NC ( about one every 10 years) there was great interest in finding out why the whale had beached and died.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the NC Marine Mammal Stranding Partners decided that it would be best to get the animal to a large facility where a complete and intensive work up could take place. Corolla Construction and A-1 Towing of Corolla answered the call for assistance. One tow-truck, one flat bed, one front end loader, and two Currituck County Sheriff ATV escorts arrived on scene slowly working their way through an intrigued crowd of beach-goers.
Once off the beach, University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW) biologists arrived with a road ready flatbed to take the animal to NC State Veterinary School in Raleigh where several vets and pathologists would be on-site to help with the necropsy. Local agencies and business responding to the stranding included: North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island (NCARI) staff, Outer Banks Marine Mammal Stranding Network (OBXMMSN), Network for Endangered Sea Turtles (N.E.S.T.), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), University of North Carolina at Wilmington, (UNCW), NC State Veterinary School,; Currituck County Sheriff’s Department, Corolla Ocean Rescue, Corolla Construction and A-1 Towing with equipment and transportation off the beach. These agencies and business donated their energy and equipment to help this stranded whale.
... from NC Aquariums
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Goosenecks have no attachment issues
Gooseneck barnacles are odd-looking creatures, mounted on fleshy, rubbery stalks that attach to drifting wood, bottles, buoys, almost anything floatable. When alive, goosenecks are handsomely colored, with a dark purplish stalk, limey shells of snowy white or tinted pale bluish, and edged with bright orange. Adults can reach 1¾ inches long.Like all barnacles, goosenecks filter plankton carried by ocean currents. From inside their armored shell, feathery “legs” called cirri, covered in fine hairs, extend to feed. The hairs strain water for tiny organic particles and plankton and sweep food toward the barnacle’s mouth deeper inside the shell.
Generally speaking, barnacles are sessile animals, meaning they spend their lives attached to fixed, solid objects. Some attach to living or moving objects like sea turtles, whales or ships and become ocean hitchhikers. Such cosmopolitan wanderers can sometimes be found on flotsam washed ashore.
Barnacles are marine crustaceans greatly modified for their sedentary lifestyle. Although they don’t look like other crustaceans – for example shrimp, crabs and lobsters – barnacles have jointed limbs and a method of reproduction involving several larval stages, which qualifies them as crustaceans.
As a rule, barnacles are considered fouling organisms because of their habit of attaching to objects. Large colonies affixed to ship hulls greatly increase drag and require ships to use more fuel. Colonies also makes it more difficult for ships to cut through waves.
These oceanic hitchhikers are food for whelks and some sea stars, fishes and sea birds.
... from Ask the Aquarium
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Be careful releasing speckled trout
Speckled trout like to roam but hang out in holes, often deep ones between two shallow areas. The deeper water gives more oxygen and favors bait fish congregations. Speckled seatrout season reopens June 15 and if you're a fisherman practicing catch and release, you need to be most careful with the speckled trout to give them the best chance of surviving.
“Of all the fish we deal with, speckled trout is one of the most important to take great care with when releasing,” said Louis Daniel, director of N. C. Division of Marine Fisheries.
The recreational fisherman tends to catch small, young fish and there is a 10 percent discard mortality rate for recreational fishing. An increase in the minimum size limit from 12 inches to 14 inches and reduction in bag limit from 10 fish to 6 fish was designed to allow more of these fish to live to spawning age. But Daniel said he would still like to see that 10 percent release mortality rate reduced.
According to Daniel, the most devastating practice when fishing for speckled trout is to use live shrimp on small gold treble hooks because the fish tend to swallow these lures. When the angler tries to remove the hooks, the angler can cause internal damage to the fish and give the fish less chance for survival. Anglers should avoid using treble hooks on small fish and tailor the lure for the least amount of harm to the fish.
One recommended hook has a shorter shank and a wider gap, tending to hook the trout more in the jaw than deep hook the trout. Circle hooks are also an option, though some say they are not as effective with speckled trout.
This fish has a light strike, and with its eyes far forward on the head and a large mouth, they go after the bait but the angler might not feel the tug. He doesn't pull off with the bait, he sucks it into the back of his throat. Sensitive to the metal of the hook, the fish will try to expel the hook and the circle hook will then hook in the jaw. Going to circle hooks is not only a good thing for the fish, it improves the percentage of fish less-experienced people catch since they are not required to set the hook, he said. If the line gets tight, all they need to do is start reeling in because the fish is hooked.
from Fish Eye News, NC Division of Marine Fisheries
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Jellyfish are not fish
Jellyfish are primitive, floating marine animals. They have no backbone but they have muscle fibers and a central nervous system. The round body is for flotation and the hanging tentacles are for trapping plankton or prey.They are what's called "pelagic," meaning they live in the open ocean. In the summer, they often swarm coastal waters, many washing up on the beaches to die.
There are several types of jellyfish in our area. The moon jelly is a translucent, milky white color or yellowish brown. The NC Aquarium actually grows their own moon jellies, keeping them in a circular tank that continuously turns. 
The most common jellyfish here is the Cannonball Jellyfish, also known as the Jellybomb (I like that) or Cabbage Head. It has a firm ball with a brownish band around the edge, translucent and as much as 8 inches wide. It doesn't really have tentacles and its sting is not strong.
The Portugese Man-of-War is here as well. It is blue, pear-shaped with long tentacles - up to 60 feet! It is not really one animal, but a colony of
hundreds of organisms. T
he toxins in the tentacles are injected into prey, like a bee stinger. This sting is very painful.
Predators for jellyfish include the giant Ocean Sunfish and sea turtles, neither of which is bothered by the tentacle stings.
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Stripers come home to spawn
The striped bass is an anadromous fish, meaning it is born in freshwater, migrates to the ocean and comes back to freshwater to spawn. Their migration is often inhibited by dams, in some cases leading them to become landlocked. On the Cape Fear River, three dams prevent the fish from getting through over 160 miles of the river. 
Built in the early 1900's to enable commercial vessel passage, the dams also impound drinking water for the New Hanover/Wilmington area. A federal grant for $12 million has been approved for construction of a rock ramp at the first dam, enabling the fish to move north. More funds will be needed to construct similar ramp passages at the other two dams. The ramps will help not only the striper population, but sturgeon, shad and herring as well.
The striped bass population is also benefitting from a restocking effort on the Cape Fear. Late last year, over 100,000 native stripers were stocked by biologists with the N. C. Wildlife Resources Commission. And the Third Annual Striper Tournament in January will raise awareness and support for the efforts of the Cape Fear Riverwatch and others to build the striper population.
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Whelks are either Knobbed, Channeled or Lightning
The whelk is a common native on our beaches. Mistakenly sometimes called a "conch," the whelk is actually a large marine snail. A gastropod - meaning it has one shell and a broad foot - it is large, sometimes up to 12 inches long. The three most common ones here are the Lightning Whelk, the Knobbed Whelk and the Channeled Whelk.The Lightning Whelk is the only one that opens to the left. The Knobbed Whelk has knobs on the top (spire). The Channeled Whelk has grooves or channels on top.
These creatures are carnivorous, devouring bivalves like clams, oysters and mussels. The grab it with their foot and try to open it with the tip of its shell.
Whelk shells are often inhabited by hermit crabs looking for a home. Whelk meat is a delicious addition to chowder and can be substituted for clams.
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Sharks are have been here over 400 million years
Of the 400 known shark species in the world, 56 of those are known to frequent North Carolina’s coastal waters. While the great white shark is probably the most publicized dangerous shark, it rarely comes close to our shore, preferring the edge of the Carolinian continental shelf. Whew!
From 1935 to 2009, there have been 34 confirmed, unprovoked incidents of sharks biting people in North Carolina waters, three of which were fatal. Most shark bites are thought to be cases of mistaken identity – a shark looking for food and mistaking a person or a person’s appendage for a fish. The majority of these encounters are attributed to bull sharks.
Other sharks that frequent North Carolina waters and may be prone to be involved in biting incidents are the tiger, mako, dusky, blue, blacktip, great white and hammerhead. Some of these sharks can tolerate varying levels of salinity, allowing them to enter estuaries and rivers and increasing their potential for encounters with humans. Bull sharks occur from spring to fall in coastal, inshore, estuarine and often fresh water, before migrating southward.
Sharks can frequently be seen just past the breakers near shrimp trawlers, feeding on fishes that escape the nets. Sharpnose sharks are the most abundant inshore shark, and juvenile black tip and spinner sharks are sometimes caught on hook and line by surf fishermen. Small hammerheads and their relatives often forage near fishing piers, feeding on migrating schools of fish.
Sharks are one of the ocean’s top predators and help maintain balance in the oceanic food web. A number of populations are declining, however, which could have a tremendous impact on the natural order of the world’s oceans. Humans harvest thousands of pounds of shark annually for food, medicine, leather and jewelry. Many sharks are killed needlessly out of fear.
As a result of the declines, some states are imposing fishing restrictions on specific shark species. This may seem like a good idea; however, sharks don’t recognize state boundaries and many migrate seasonally. To make a significant impact, states will need to work together with the National Marine Fisheries Service to impose and enforce restrictions.
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Remoras hitchhike a ride
The Remora is a fish that lives with sharks, sea turtles and whales. The Latin name Remora means "holding back." This fish uses a sucking disc on top of its head to hitch a ride. This type of relationship between animals is called "symbiosis," from the Greek word meaning "living together." The relationship is not parasitic because it is believed that both animals benefit. The Remora does not hurt the host; it acts as a cleaner fish, removing parasites from the host. It also detaches briefly when the shark attacks its prey, feasting on the scraps left over.
The remora is used by fishermen in some countries to catch other fish. They attach a line to the tail, release it and the remora swims off to attach itself to a large fish, enabling the fisherman to catch it. In ancient times, the Greeks and Romans believed remoras had magical powers. The Romans actually believed Emperor Caligula's death was due to remoras attached to his ship, holding it back and enabling enemy ships to attack it.
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Shrimp
This is the reason you buy shrimp with their heads off. We have three kinds in North Carolina - brown, pink and white - and they can grow 8-11 inches in length. They start life in the marsh and feed constantly, doubling in size every few weeks. Once full grown, they swim out into the ocean. Shrimp are considered an annual crop because they only live about two years. The weather can have a big impact on them; a cold winter means a smaller shrimp population the following spring.Brown shrimp are the largest catch here, harvested in the summer. Pink and white shrimp are harvested in the spring and fall. The commercial shrimp industry in North Carolina is the second largest fishery. Most are caught by fishermen trawling rivers, the intracoastal waterway and the sounds.
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Sea mullet is a kingfish
The sea mullet is called a kingfish and also a whiting! We actually have two varieties – the Northern and Southern kingfish – differentiated by their markings. These fish like to hang out just past the ocean breakers or around piers. They stay in our waters until the coldest months. The best place to catch them is in sloughs (pronounced slews), pools dropping off near the breakers where fish and crustaceans gather and feed. They love sand fleas and fresh shrimp bait. Their size is not large-usually a pound or less - but their tasty sweet meat is a treat. Fileted and pan-fried, they are a real reward for the persistent surf fisherman.
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Red drum is state fish
Over 97% of the nation’s supply of red drum comes from North Carolina. However, this once-abundant fish population is in danger of being depleted, partially through the practice of over-fishing. Gill-nets are allowed in our state, unlike SC, Georgia and Florida, and this practice allows for the capture of red drum in high numbers, as well as entangling sea turtles and dolphins.
A group of local filmmakers made a documentary about the fish and its struggle – Red Fish Can’t Jump. They recommend several solutions to help save the population. First, protect North Carolina’s state fish by declaration of gamefish status, thereby prohibiting the commercial harvest or sale of red drum/redfish. Second, terminate destructive fishing gear practices in NC waters by eliminating gill nets. Finally, initialize dual enforcement for our NC Division of Marine Fisheries Officers and NC Wildlife Officers, allowing each branch to ensure enforcement of existing regulations.
The red drum begins life as a puppy drum, and can grow to in excess of 40 pounds. They’re usually reddish-bronze in color. The name comes from a drum-like noise the male makes during spawning season.
Drumming up some interest from local females, I suppose.
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Ghost crabs haunt the beaches
More active at night, the ghost crabs burrow deep holes to hide out. The holes can be as much as four feet deep, and provide shelter in the winter when the crabs become dormant.
Ghost crab holes can be found on Masonboro Island, but on the more-populated beaches you probably won't find ghost crabs in abundance.
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Threatened mussels are spikes and threetooths
Another mussel on the threatened species list is the Cape Fear Threetooth . Interestingly, mussels mature as parasites on fish hosts’ gills. The female mussel carries the immature larvae –glochidia – and uses various means (depending on the mussel species) to transfer her young to passing fish hosts. Some use mimcry, to look like insects or minnows, by waving their tissues to attract the fish, who gets a mouthful of larvae instead of a meal. Others release the young into the water column, still tethered to the female mussel, until it is “eaten” by the fish host. In any event, the unsuspecting fish ends up with the little mussel critters attached to his gills, and they grow there into juvenile mussels, with the heart, liver, digestive tract and foot. When all grown up, they drop off the fish host and begin their own mussel –ly existence.
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Blue crabs wear aprons
They have ten legs – two that are swim paddles, six that are walking legs (with that many, you would think they could walk frontwards instead of sideways), and two that are claws. One big claw is for crushing and grinding, and the smaller claw is for cutting and ripping.
If you're catching them, the minimum size to keep is 5 inches wide, and no females with eggs can be removed. Happy crabbing!
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