Visiting Lake Houston

[Tsigoloeg]

Re: Visiting Lake Houston

Caught one in my trap this a.m., "mystery" solved...Cyprinodon vareigatus. Aka sheepshead minnow, like I initially guessed, I just needed more pictures to compare and a close look at the bugger.

This little fella is missing a big chunk of his tail as you can see. This area of the bayou is not very kind to the fish.

[Mzungu]

Re: Visiting Lake Houston

Greatness! What are you going to do with him? Did you find anything else while you were out there?

[Tsigoloeg]

Re: Visiting Lake Houston

I need to install a pond in my back yard, lol. I'm just going to observe him for a while, like I usually do.

Now I'm unsure of myself, whether it is actually a sheepshead or a Red River Pupfish.

In terms of finding other things, pretty much what I've already posted. Slight variations, such as a school of juvenile tilapia (actually made me think that the mystery fish was tilapia). I found the carcass of a crayfish that was a vibrant blue color, I'd like to see if there are some like that alive. Some pretty sorry looking almost dead fish (some really disgusting fungus infections). But overall it's just nice to sit by the water and watch the fish.

I was doing that yesterday and got the crap startled out of me by one of those blackish-green 'feral' ducks, it flew right over my shoulder and landed in the water directly in front of me! Then it tried talking to me. It sounds like **** Cheney.

[Mzungu]

Re: Visiting Lake Houston

I don't think the Red River Pupfish is very common around here. Since I'm at work, I can't look at my books, but I found this site that documents where some have been found...don't see Harris County, but I guess that doesn't mean too much.

http://www.npl.utexas.edu/tnhc/databases/Fish/na_searches/naresults.asp?Genus=Cyprinodon&Species=rubrofluviatilis

Pretty sure it's a Sheepshead, but I for one will keep looking to make sure.  :)