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NFC: Re: First spring collection

I liked reading your story on your recent collecting trip, good job. Be
great if more people posted their collecting trips, makes one want to grab
the net and head to the nearest stream.
                                                               Terry
----- Original Message -----
From: <PrplShark at aol_com>
To: <nfc at actwin_com>
Sent: Friday, February 01, 2002 8:36 AM
Subject: NFC: First spring collection


> I have been a member since May, and I've been lurking on the side lines
since
> then. With the weather here in Florida as it has been, I was able to go
> collecting in a nearby lake that I've been investigating. I have recently
> finished the majority of my new fishroom, so with a dipnet, some buckets
and
> my fishing license off I went.
>    The morning I decided to go was great. The temperature was 75, and the
> lake was starting to stir with life as small ripples were seen here and
there
> breaking the mirror surface.  Upon arriving to the water's edge,
scattering
> Gambusia are seen just a few feet from shore.
>    With water hyacinth on both sides of the makeshift boatramp, I decided
to
> checkout the shallow part first where the grass was intertwining with
> thewater hyacinth. With a few dips of the net, I was able to see the life
not
> visible from the surface. Gambusia was very numerous as was grass shrimp.
> Crayfish and dragonfly nymphs were abundant too. The next net yielded the
> biggest nymph I've seen. It was andark grass green, and close to 4 inches.
>    The next few nets yielded the same species until I noticed a small 1
inch
> minnow, with a lateral band, and small dark circular markings on it's
dorsal
> and anal fin. The least killifish, Heterandria formosa! A female. This was
> the first time seeing a live specimen. More netting in the area did not
yield
> any more H. formosa, so I went to the deeper side.
>    The grasses were forming patches and was intertwining with the water
> hyacinth here as well, but there was about a foot to 2 feet of water
> clearance underneath. About 2 feet away from the grasses edge, I noticed a
> dark patch about 2 feet deep in the tea-colored water. A scoop of the
dipnet
> reveled what it was. Hydrilla, another introduced plant.
>    After a lot of netting in this area, I was able to aquire a total of 6
> Least killifish. All of these were females, with no males to be found. I
also
> placed some Gambusia in the bucket, along with a few crayfish. I then took
a
> large root system of a hyacinth and shook it in a bucket of water to see
what
> kind of microscopic life was available. This was to be done at the
fishroom.
>    With a water sample and a test strip (these things are time saver)! The
> following are the results: Ph-7.8 , amm-0, nitrites-o, nitrates-trace,
Kh-80.
>    After temps equaled a little, my water pH close to the same(7.6), I
> awaited for the fish to settle down in there new homes for photographing.
I
> just got back the photographs and the are good.
>    If you've read this far, I hope that someone can answer a question for
me.
> How do you copyright a photo?
>    Do you know of some sites to collect native fish near Orlando?
> I've been doing research on Florida's native fish and introduced species,
and
> I am also looking for specimens to photograph. Do you have Florida
specimens
> you would like to sell? Let me know. Would you like an updated list of
> Florida's fish list? This is what my research has turned up for the last 2
> years. Serious inquires only.
>    Hope you enjoyed reading, and hope to here from some of you.
>
>    Victor Atkins
>
> Prplshark at aol_com
>
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