FreeLists / bristol-birds / [bristol-birds] Fish

["Jack Litz" <wjlitz@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Many of you know Dr. Fred Alsop of ETSU as an ornithologist.  He is also an 
expert ichthyologist.  The five of us taking his Appalachian Fauna class this 
summer spend about 15 hours a week, mostly electrofishing area streams and 
birding, but also butterflying, and herping.  Today we worked the North Fork 
Holston River between Netherland Inn Road Bridge and the 11E Bridge in 
Kingsport turning up four of the most beautiful fishes that I have seen.  These 
are the Redline Darter, the Tennessee Snubnose Darter, and the Banded Darter - 
all in breeding colors and the very rare and most beautiful of all - Spotfin 
Chub (a threatened species).  The colors have to be seen to be believed.  Color 
plates in the field guides simply do not do these fishes justice.  Many of our 
native species put commercially available aquarium fishes to shame.

We all use binoculars for birding, observing butterflies, etc., but under some 
circumstances, they can be used effectively for identifying fishes in the water 
and observing them going about their business - give it a try.

Jack Litz
Kingsport





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