Rock your Sea Bass Off!
Tucked along the edges of Georgia’s vast estuarine system is an important connection to one of the coast’s lesser-known fish: the rock sea bass (Centropristis philadelphica). While adults are most often associated with offshore reefs, ledges, and live-bottom habitats, they also depend on inshore areas during key stages of their life cycle. Georgia’s productive salt […]
The Vocal ‘Toad’ in our Estuaries
If you’ve spent time around Georgia’s tidal creeks, docks, or oyster reefs, chances are you’ve crossed path knowingly or not, with the oyster toadfish (Opsanus Tau). This stocky, bottom‐dwelling fish is a year‑round resident of Georgia’s estuaries, where it prefers dark, sheltered spots such as oyster reefs, pilings, rocks, and even discarded shells or debris. […]
Horsing Around in the Estuary
One of the most striking fish we have encountered in our sampling ironically doesn’t look much like a fish at all! The lined seahorse (Hippocampus erectus) is a small but remarkable fish that is found throughout the western Atlantic, including the shallow coastal and marine waters of Georgia. Along our state’s marsh‑dominated estuaries, these uniquely […]
Say Hello to the Ocellated Flounder!
The ocellated flounder (Ancylopsetta ommata), is a small but striking member of the large‑tooth (or sand) flounder family. This distinctly noticeable flatfish inhabits coastal waters along the Atlantic and Gulf regions including Georgia’s estuaries. As with many flatfish, ocellated flounder inhabit soft-sediment bottoms and are able to seamlessly blend into their surrounding environments by changing […]
A Shad-Tastic Story!
We recently caught several hickory shad (Alosa mediocris) during our monthly sampling, and it reminded me that these silvery members of the herring family have quite an interesting life history. The hickory shad is known as an anadromous species. They spend most of their lives in the Atlantic Ocean but return to freshwater to spawn, […]
That Marks the SPOT!
A common catch in our trawls, the spot (Leiostomus xanthurus) is a small member of the drum family (think redfish and spotted seatrout) that play a key role in the ecology of Atlantic estuaries—especially the marshes and tidal creeks of coastal Georgia. Each spring, young spot arrive from offshore spawning grounds and settle into muddy and […]
Now that’s a Big Goby!
For many, the mention of the word “goby” likely conjures up an image of a tiny secretive fish that often hides in and around reefs. However, as with many species in Georgia’s estuaries gobies can come in an impressive mix of shapes and sizes. Meet the violet goby (Gobioides broussonnetii), AKA the dragon goby. Reaching […]
As Winter Comes and Goes Say Hello to the Spotted Hake
Many of the fish we encounter on our monthly trawls rely on Georgia’s estuaries year-round for food and shelter. For others, our estuaries might only provide seasonal refuge. As water temperatures continue to drop and we head into the winter months one such fish I look forward to encountering is the spotted hake (Urophycis regia). […]
Quite the Dapper Snapper
Many people have only encountered fish referred to as “snapper” on seafood menus or perhaps fishing a reef offshore. If you’ve read our other Fish Facts, then you already know our estuaries on the Georgia coast are full of surprises, and this fish is just that! The Mangrove snapper (Lutjanus griseus), or gray snapper, is […]
Bats in the Estuary? Meet the Polka-dot Batfish
I know I am biased, but I think it’s fair to say (in a complementary fashion of course) that the polka-dot batfish (Ogcocephalus cubifrons), is perhaps one of the most curious-looking fish to inhabit Georgia’s coastal waters. Found along sandy and muddy bottoms near reefs, this small, flattened fish uses its unusual body shape and […]