MUMMICHOG Health in the Elizabeth River

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

MUMMICHOG Health in the Elizabeth River PRE & POST ACTIVITIES THE ELIZABETH RIVER PROJECT LEARNING BARGE THE MUMMICHOG health in the Elizabeth River. His Fahrenheit at 14 ppt salinity. He most recent data shows that liver emerges from mud burrows in the cancer is most prevalent in the spring as the water gets warm. In mummichogs that live in the spawning season, from April to industrialized portion of the September, the color of the males Southern and Eastern branches. becomes distinct. He turns dark This is correlated with greenish brown with bright blue contamination from former creosote spots with a belly color from white The non-migratory killifish called facilities that polluted the river to orange. The females are larger the mummichog , Fundulus bottom with PAHs (polycyclic and pale green with light belly. She herteroclitus , is known to reflect aromatic hydrocarbons). In lays her eggs in marsh leaves, the quality of habitat in which it contrast, fish living in more empty mollusk shells and can lives. These tiny fish live on river residential areas of the river (e.g. tolerate long-term exposure to air. bottom and among the marsh Western Branch and Lafayette Two weeks later, on the next spring grasses in shallows. They are River) do not have liver cancer. tide, the eggs hatch. They live for sensitive to toxins and carcinogens about three years. and when exposed to elevated UMummichog Facts: U This killifish is concentrations of contamination, found in brackish and coastal UInteresting facts :U The mummichog they can develop cancer in their waters along the east coast of the eggs are used in teaching, because livers. Because the health of this United States. It grows up to 5 it is possible to see the eyes and tiny fish is a direct result of where it inches (130 mm) and is a year- beating heart. The fish have been lives, it is important to track the round resident. Its Native American used as natural method of mosquito mummichog in order to track name means “they go in great control in marsh ponds and ditches. progress with cleaning up the numbers”. It is an important food It has been reported that one contaminated Elizabeth River source for larger fish and is often mummichog can eat as many as bottom. It is expected that high used as bait. It also feeds on other 2,000 mosquito larvae a day. rates of cancer in the mummichog insects, small fish, crustaceans and will be reduced as the river bottom plant material. is cleaned up. U Anatomy & Habitat: U The mummichog can tolerate a wide UScience :U Dr. Wolfgang Vogelbein of Virginia Institute of Marine range of salinities and rather high temperatures, up to 93 degrees Science tracks the mummichog’s .
Recommended publications
  • Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Organochlorine Pesticide Concentrations in Whole Body Mummichog and Banded Killifish from the Anacostia River Watershed: 2018-2019
    U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Organochlorine Pesticide Concentrations in Whole Body Mummichog and Banded Killifish from the Anacostia River Watershed: 2018-2019 CBFO-C-20-01 Left: Mummichog, female (L), male (R); Right: Banded killifish, left two are males, right two are females. Photos: Fred Pinkney, USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Chesapeake Bay Field Office June 2020 Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Organochlorine Pesticide Concentrations in Whole Body Mummichog and Banded Killifish from the Anacostia River Watershed: 2018-2019 CBFO-C20-01 Prepared by Alfred E. Pinkney U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Chesapeake Bay Field Office Annapolis, MD and Elgin S. Perry Statistical Consultant Colonial Beach, VA Prepared for Dev Murali Government of the District of Columbia Department of Energy and Environment Washington, DC June 2020 ABSTRACT In 2018 and 2019, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Chesapeake Bay Field Office (CBFO) monitored polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and organochlorine (OC) pesticide concentrations in whole body samples of forage fish. Fish were collected along the mainstem Anacostia River, Kingman Lake, five major tributaries, and (as a reference) a section of the Potomac River. Mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus; referred to as MC in this report) and banded killifish (F. diaphanus BK) were chosen because of their high site fidelity and widespread presence in the watersheds. The objectives are to: 1) establish a pre-remedial baseline of these contaminants in fish from the Anacostia mainstem and major tributaries, Kingman Lake, and the Potomac River; 2) compare total PCB, total chlordane, and total DDT among sampling locations; and 3) interpret patterns in PCB homologs.
    [Show full text]
  • For Summer Flounder Is Defined As
    FISHERY MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE SUMMER FLOUNDER FISHERY October 1987 Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council in cooperation with the National Marine Fisheries Service, the New England Fishery Management Council, and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Draft adopted by MAFMC: 29 October 1987 Final adopted by MAFMC: 16 April1988 Final approved by NOAA: 19 September 1988 3.14.89 FISHERY MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE SUMMER FLOUNDER FISHERY October 1987 Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council in cooperation with the National Marine Fisheries Service, the New England Fishery Management Council, and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council See page 2 for a discussion of Amendment 1 to the FMP. Draft adopted by MAFMC: 21 October 1187 final adopted by MAFMC: 16 April1988 final approved by NOAA: 19 September 1988 1 2.27 91 THIS DOCUMENT IS THE SUMMER FLOUNDER FISHERY MANAGEMENT PLAN AS ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL AND APPROVED BY THE NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE. THE REGULATIONS IN APPENDIX 6 (BLUE PAPER) ARE THE REGULATIONS CONTROLLING THE FISHERY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS PRINTING (27 FEBRUARY 1991). READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT THE COUNCIL ADOPTED AMENDMENT 1 TO THE FMP ON 31 OCTOBER 1990 TO DEFINE OVERFISHING AS REQUIRED BY 50 CFR 602 AND TO IMPOSE A 5.5" (DIAMOND MESH) AND 6" (SQUARE MESH) MINIMUM NET MESH IN THE TRAWL FISHERY. ON 15 FEBRUARY 1991 NMFS APPROVED THE OVERFISHING DEFINITION AND DISAPPROVED THE MINIMUM NET MESH. OVERFISHING FOR SUMMER FLOUNDER IS DEFINED AS FISHING IN EXCESS OF THE FMAX LEVEL. THIS ACTION DID NOT CHANGE THE REGULATIONS DISCUSSED ABOVE. 2 27.91 2 2.
    [Show full text]
  • Viral Haemorrhagic Septicaemia Virus in Marine Fish and Its Implications
    Journal of Fish Diseases 2005, 28, 509–529 Review Viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus in marine fish and its implications for fish farming – a review H F Skall1, N J Olesen1 and S Mellergaard2,* 1 Department of Poultry, Fish and Fur Animals, Danish Institute for Food and Veterinary Research, A˚rhus, Denmark 2 Department for Marine Ecology and Aquaculture, Fish Disease Laboratory, Danish Institute for Fisheries Research, Frederiksberg, Denmark marine fish to farmed fish are discussed, as are Abstract measures to prevent introduction of VHSV from the Viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) has, marine environment to aquaculture. in recent decades, been isolated from an increasing Keywords: aquaculture, legislation, marine VHSV number of free-living marine fish species. So far, it isolates, review, viral haemorrhagic septicaemia has been isolated from at least 48 fish species from the virus (VHSV), wild marine fish. northern hemisphere, including North America, Asia and Europe, and fifteen different species inclu- ding herring, sprat, cod, Norway pout and flatfish Introduction from northern European waters. The high number of Viral haemorrhagic septicaemia (VHS) is one of the VHSV isolations from the Baltic Sea, Kattegat, most important viral diseases of salmonid fish in Skagerrak, the North Sea and waters around Scot- European aquaculture (Olesen 1998), causing esti- land indicate that the virus is endemic in these wa- mated losses of £40 million pounds per year in ters. The VHSV isolates originating from wild 1991 (Hill 1992). The economic consequences of marine fish show no to low pathogenicity to rainbow VHS outbreaks on two Danish fish farms in 2000 trout and Atlantic salmon, although several are producing approximately 165 tonnes rainbow trout, pathogenic for turbot.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Download
    The Canadian Field-Naturalist Banded Killifish (Fundulus diaphanus) and Mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus) distributions in insular Newfoundland waters: implications for a Species at Risk Philip S. Sargent1, *, Kate L. Dalley1, and Derek R. Osborne1 1Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre, 80 East White Hills Road, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador A1C 5X1 Canada *Corresponding author: [email protected] Sargent, P.S., K.L. Dalley, and D.R. Osborne. 2020. Banded Killifish (Fundus diaphanus) and Mummichog (Fundus hetero­ clitus) distributions in insular Newfoundland waters: implications for a Species at Risk. Canadian Field-Naturalist 134(4): 307–315. https://doi.org/10.22621/cfn.v134i4.2373 Abstract Newfoundland’s Banded Killifish (Fundulus diaphanus) population is listed as a species of Special Concern under Canada’s Species at Risk Act and Vulnerable under Newfoundland and Labrador’s Endangered Species Act. Mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus) is a similar looking fish species and is currently under review by Newfoundland and Labrador’s Species Status Advisory Committee. Both species have limited known distributions in Newfoundland waters that overlap. They may occur sympatrically in estuaries and occasionally hybridize; thus, field identifications can be challenging. We found that dorsal fin position and caudal fin depth were the most useful morphological characters for distinguishing Banded Killifish and Mummichog in the field. We used local ecological knowledge, literature review, museum records, and field surveys to update the known distribution ranges and found both species in more locations than previously documented in Newfoundland. Thus, we extend their known ranges. Our results will be critical in future status assessments of these species in Newfoundland.
    [Show full text]
  • Visual Navigation and Terrestrial Locomotion of the Intertidal Killifish Fundulus Heteroclitus
    Look before you leap: Visual navigation and terrestrial locomotion of the intertidal killifish Fundulus heteroclitus Honors Thesis Presented to the College of Arts and Scienes Cornell University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Biological Sciences Honors Program by Noah Bressman May 2016 Supervisor Dr. William Bemis RESEARCH ARTICLE Look Before You Leap: Visual Navigation and Terrestrial Locomotion of the Intertidal Killifish Fundulus heteroclitus NOAH R. BRESSMAN1*, 1 2 STACY C. FARINA , AND ALICE C. GIBB 1Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 2Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona ABSTRACT Mummichogs (Fundulus heteroclitus; Cyprinodontiformes) are intertidal killifish that can breathe air and locomote on land. Our goals were to characterize the terrestrial locomotion of mummichogs and determine their method of navigation towards water in a terrestrial environment. We used high-speed video to record behavior during stranding experiments and found that mummichogs use a tail-flip jump to move overland, similarly to other Cyprinodontiformes. However, mummichogs also prop themselves upright into a prone position between each jump, a previously undescribed behavior. After becoming prone, mummichogs rotate about their vertical axis, directing the caudal fin towards the water. Then, they roll back onto their lateral aspect and use a tail-flip behavior to leap into a caudally-directed, ballistic flight path. We conducted experiments to determine the sensory stimulus used to locate a body of water by placing mummichogs on a square platform with one side adjacent to a sea table. Under artificial light, mummichogs moved towards the sea table with a higher frequency than towards the other sides. Under dark conditions, mummichogs did not show a preference for moving towards the sea table.
    [Show full text]
  • Fundulus Luciae, Is More Common Than You Thought Bruce Stallsmith Rm
    9 American Currents Vol. 30, No. 2 The Spotfin Killifish, Fundulus luciae, is More Common Than You Thought Bruce Stallsmith Rm. 331, Wilson Hall, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35899 [email protected] he spotfin killifish (Fundulus luciae, Fig. 1) may be 2003). These fears of diminishing populations may be an the most habitat-specific species in its generally artifact of the difficulty of sampling this fish. Or, the fish may adaptable genus. Its distribution is much of the suffer from destruction of its salt marsh environment. T U.S. Atlantic coast, from Massachusetts to as far Herein is a review three recent field surveys for spotfins, south as Georgia. But spotfins are specialists adapted to living one in southern Massachusetts (Stallsmith, 1999), one in the on the upper edge of tidal salt marshes, and typically spend lower Hudson River estuary in New York (Yozzo and Ottman, their entire life history on the upper marsh. The mummichog 2003), and the third a marsh utilization study in Connecticut (F. heteroclitus) is more numerically dominant in these salt (Osgood et al., 2003). The species has been known from marshes and is also much more flexible in habitat choice. Long Island, New York, but there were no reports from the Spotfins are poorly known and infrequently reported Hudson estuary. Similarly, until recently there have been no because their preferred habitat on the upper marsh is not easily collection reports from Connecticut (Osgood et al., 2003) or visited by humans. This is an area of treacherous mud requiring Rhode Island, and one reported collection in Massachusetts hip waders and careful walking.
    [Show full text]
  • Finfish of Jamaica
    Sampling Stations — Jamaica Bay Finfish Inventory Recreational Fishing Survey Gateway National Finfish of Recreation Area: 1985-1986 Jamaica Based on interviews of 450 fishermen, fishing the shores or bridges of Jamaica Bay: 1. The average number of years fished Jamaica Bay : 13 years. 2. When asked importance of "fishing for food" as a reason to fish on Jamaica Bay; 46 respondents said it was very important, 86 important, and 206 not impor­ tant. 112 persons did not respond. 3. When asked, "Do you eat fish caught in Jamaica Bay," 304 persons said Yes, 139 said No, and 7 did not respond. 4. People who eat fish from Jamaica Bay indicated that an average of 2.4 family members also eat Jamaica Bay fish. 5. The 304 persons who said they consume fish from Jamaica Bay were asked which species of fish they eat. The respondents answered as follows: bluefish, 89; winter flounder, 88; summer flounder, 77; porgy, 57; blackfish, 22; weakfish, 11; striped bass, 6; American eel, 5; black sea bass, 5; menhaden, 1; herring, 1. Total Number of Each Fish Species Captured by Otter Trawl, Gill Net, and Beach Seine in Jamaica Bay, November 1985 to October 1986 Compiled by: Smooth dogfish 37 White hake 2 Yellow jack 1 Butterfish 12 Little skate 2 Mummichog 210 Crevalle jack 2 Striped searobin 71 Acknowledgments Don Riepe Cownose ray 1 Striped killifish 700 Lookdown 2 Grubby 29 This list was compiled with the help of many National John T. Tanacredi, Ph.D. American eel 5 Atlantic Scup (porgy) 229 Smallmouth flounder 22 Park Service staff and volunteers.
    [Show full text]
  • Fundulus Heteroclitus): Recent Anthropogenic Introduction in Iberia
    This is a repository copy of Invasion genetics of the mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus): recent anthropogenic introduction in Iberia. White Rose Research Online URL for this paper: http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/142627/ Version: Published Version Article: Morim, T., Bigg, G.R. orcid.org/0000-0002-1910-0349, Madeira, P.M. et al. (5 more authors) (2019) Invasion genetics of the mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus): recent anthropogenic introduction in Iberia. PeerJ, 7. e6155. ISSN 2167-8359 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.6155 Reuse This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) licence. This licence allows you to distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon the work, even commercially, as long as you credit the authors for the original work. More information and the full terms of the licence here: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/ Takedown If you consider content in White Rose Research Online to be in breach of UK law, please notify us by emailing [email protected] including the URL of the record and the reason for the withdrawal request. [email protected] https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/ Invasion genetics of the mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus): recent anthropogenic introduction in Iberia Teófilo Morim1, Grant R. Bigg2, Pedro M. Madeira1, Jorge Palma1, David D. Duvernell3, Enric Gisbert4, Regina L. Cunha1 and Rita Castilho1 1 Centre for Marine Sciences (CCMAR), University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal 2 Department of Geography, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom 3 Department of Biological Sciences, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO, United States of America 4 IRTA, Aquaculture Program, Centre de Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Spain ABSTRACT Human activities such as trade and transport have increased considerably in the last decades, greatly facilitating the introduction and spread of non-native species at a global level.
    [Show full text]
  • Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) Is a Serious Systemic Disease of Fish
    Viral Hemorrhagic Importance Viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) is a serious systemic disease of fish. The Septicemia VHS virus (VHSV) is carried by at least 50 species of marine and freshwater fish. The infection is subclinical in some species, but it is associated with severe disease Egtved Disease, and high mortality rates in others. Clinical infections are economically important in farmed fish, particularly rainbow trout, turbot and Japanese flounder. Outbreaks have Infectious Nephrotic Swelling and also been reported in some wild populations, including Pacific herring and pilchard Liver Degeneration, along the Pacific coast of North America. Abdominal Ascites of Trout Recently, viral hemorrhagic septicemia has become an emerging disease of Infectious Anemia of Trout freshwater fish in the Great Lakes region of North America. The virus was apparently Pernicious Anemia of Trout introduced into this region by 2003, and deaths have been reported since 2005. Massive die-offs have occurred in some wild species. Affected fish include several warm-water species previously thought to be resistant to VHS. The epizootic seems to Last Updated: May 2007 be caused by a new substrain of VHSV. The source of this virus is unknown, but it may be a mutated marine virus that became pathogenic for naïve freshwater fish. This isolate causes moderate mortality in salmonid species not affected by other VHSV isolates, including Pacific (chinook) salmon, and could threaten farmed salmonids in the area. Etiology Viral hemorrhagic septicemia is caused by the viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV or Egtved virus). This virus is a member of the genus Novirhabdovirus, family Rhabdoviridae. Currently, the evidence suggests that VHSV contains a single serotype with three subtypes.
    [Show full text]
  • Interactions Between Bluefish and Striped Bass
    Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 368 (2009) 129–137 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jembe Interactions between bluefish and striped bass: Behavior of bluefish under size- and number-impaired conditions and overlap in resource use Jeffrey A. Buckel a,⁎, Jeffrey P. Pessutti b, John E. Rosendale b, Jason S. Link c a Department of Zoology, Center for Marine Sciences and Technology, North Carolina State University, 303 College Circle, Morehead City, NC 28557 USA b NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, James J. Howard Marine Sciences Laboratory, 74 Magruder Road, Highlands, NJ 07732 USA c NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543 USA article info abstract Article history: A decline in bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix L.) recreational landings during the 1990s and the early 2000s led Received 1 June 2008 to multiple theories on the ultimate cause. One theory was that a large portion of the bluefish population Received in revised form 9 September 2008 moved offshore and was unavailable to nearshore recreational fishers; one reason given for the movement Accepted 10 September 2008 offshore was increased competition with striped bass (Morone saxatilis W.). We conducted laboratory experiments (feeding and non-feeding) to examine behavioral interactions between adult bluefish and sub- Keywords: adult striped bass in a large (121,000 L) research aquarium. Additionally, we examined diet and habitat Bluefish overlap of bluefish and striped bass from the fall and spring bottom trawl surveys conducted by the National Striped bass Competition Marine Fisheries Service.
    [Show full text]
  • Fundulus Heteroclitus) from a Creosote-Contaminated Site?
    W&M ScholarWorks Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects 2001 Vitellogenin -- a Biomarker of Exposure to Environmental Estrogens for Mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus) from a Creosote-Contaminated Site? Sara Mirabilio College of William and Mary - Virginia Institute of Marine Science Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd Part of the Biodiversity Commons, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, Fresh Water Studies Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, and the Oceanography Commons Recommended Citation Mirabilio, Sara, "Vitellogenin -- a Biomarker of Exposure to Environmental Estrogens for Mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus) from a Creosote-Contaminated Site?" (2001). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. Paper 1539617770. https://dx.doi.org/doi:10.25773/v5-dzx1-cc28 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. VITELLOGENIN: A BIOMARKER OF EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL ESTROGENS FOR MUMMICHOG (Fundulus heteroclitus) FROM A CREOSOTE-CONTAMINATED SITE? A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of the School of Marine Science The College of William and Mary in Virginia In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science By Sara E. Mirabilio 2001 APPROVAL SHEET This thesis is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Science Sara E. MiVabilio Approved, November 2001 TV Jeter A. Van Veld, Ph.D. Committee Chairman/Advisor Michael C. Newman, Ph.D. Charles D.
    [Show full text]
  • Banded Killifish Fundulus Diaphanus
    COSEWIC Assessment and Update Status Report on the Banded Killifish Fundulus diaphanus Newfoundland Population in Canada SPECIAL CONCERN 2003 COSEWIC COSEPAC COMMITTEE ON THE STATUS OF COMITÉ SUR LA SITUATION DES ENDANGERED WILDLIFE IN ESPÈCES EN PÉRIL CANADA AU CANADA COSEWIC status reports are working documents used in assigning the status of wildlife species suspected of being at risk. This report may be cited as follows: Please note: Persons wishing to cite data in the report should refer to the report (and cite the author(s)); persons wishing to cite the COSEWIC status will refer to the assessment (and cite COSEWIC). A production note will be provided if additional information on the status report history is required. COSEWIC 2003. COSEWIC assessment and update status report on the banded killifish Fundulus diaphanus,Newfoundland population in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. vii + 21 pp. Chippett, Jamie D. 2003. Update COSEWIC status report on the banded killifish Fundulus diaphanus,Newfoundland population in Canada, in COSEWIC assessment and update status report on the banded killifish Fundulus diaphanous in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada). Ottawa. 1-21 pp Previous report: Houston, J.J.P. 1989. COSEWIC status report on the banded killifish Fundulus diaphanus in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, Ottawa. 22 pp. Production note: This report covers only the Newfoundland population. Other populations of this species occur on the mainland in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba. Mainland populations were listed as not at risk in April 1989.
    [Show full text]