Fish
Nearly 350 species of fish live in the Chesapeake Bay. Some fish are year-round residents, while others swim into the Bay from the ocean to feed, reproduce or find shelter.
Types of Fish:
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American Brook Lamprey
Lampetra appendixThe American brook lamprey is a jawless filter feeder than can be found in freshwater streams and rivers.
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American Eel
Anguilla rostrataThe American eel is a smooth, snake-like fish that lives in rivers, streams and other freshwater areas throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Blue Catfish
Ictalurus furcatusThe blue catfish is a large, smooth-skinned fish with a slate blue body and whisker-like barbels around its mouth. It was introduced to the region in the 1970s, and is now considered an invasive species.
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Bluegill
Lepomis macrochirusThe bluegill is a colorful sunfish with an olive green, saucer-shaped body. It lives in lakes, ponds, streams and other freshwater bodies throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Brook Trout
Salvelinus fontinalisThe brook trout is a brilliantly colored fish that lives in clear, cold freshwater streams and rivers in undeveloped areas throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Brown Bullhead
Ameiurus nebulosusThe brown bullhead is a smooth-skinned catfish with a mottled, brownish body and whisker-like barbels around the mouth. It lives in slow-moving ponds, streams and rivers throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Channel Catfish
Ictalurus punctatusThe channel catfish is a large, smooth-skinned fish with a bluish or greenish-gray body and whisker-like barbels around the mouth. It lives in fresh and brackish rivers throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Common Carp
Cyprinus carpioThe carp is a large, sturdy fish with thick scales. Native to Europe, the carp was introduced to the Chesapeake region in the late 1800s and can now be found throughout the rivers, lakes and ponds of the watershed.
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Flathead Catfish
Pylodictis olivarisAlso known as the yellow or mud catfish, the flathead catfish is a large, smooth-skinned fish with a yellow to purple-brown body and whisker-like barbels around its mouth. It was introduced to the region in the 1960s, and is now considered an invasive species.
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Largemouth Bass
Micropterus salmoidesAlso known as the green bass, the largemouth bass has a lower jaw that extends well past its eye.
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Longnose Gar
Lepisosteus osseusThe longnose gar is a primitive-looking fish with a long, spotted body and a slender, beak-like snout. It lives in quiet, fresh- and brackish-water tributaries throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Mummichog
Fundulus heteroclitusAlso known as the mud minnow, the mummichog is a minnow-like killifish found along muddy marshes, tidal creeks and the sheltered shores of the Chesapeake Bay.
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Northern Pike
Esox luciusAlso known as the American pike or northern pickerel, the northern pike’s range extends farther than that of any other freshwater gamefish.
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Northern Snakehead
Channa argusThe northern snakehead is a large, long fish with a mottled, snake-like pattern. It is an invasive species that can be found in Maryland and Virginia.
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Pumpkinseed
Lepomis gibbosusThe pumpkinseed is a bright, beautiful sunfish with a saucer-shaped body that is mottled orange, blue and green. It lives in freshwater lakes, ponds and streams throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Rainbow Trout
Oncorhynchus mykissRainbow trout are common and widespread in most of the United States, but in certain regions are considered endagered due to pollution.
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Shortnose Sturgeon
Acipenser brevirostrumThe shortnose sturgeon is a bony, ancient-looking fish that lives mostly in the Potomac and Susquehanna rivers. It is an endangered species.
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Smallmouth Bass
Micropterus dolomieuAlso known as the black bass, the smallmouth bass has a pale brown or olive green body and is common in Chesapeake Bay tributaries north of the Rappahannock River.
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Tessellated Darter
Etheostoma olmstediThe tessellated darter is a small, sprightly relative of the yellow perch whose rapid movement along stream bottoms gives it its common name. It is a frequent find in the tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay.
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Walleye
Sander vitreusWalleyes are nocturnal top predators that feed on other fish. They are the largest member of the perch family and are not native to the Chesapeake Bay.
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Yellow Perch
Perca flavescensThe yellow perch is a bright yellow fish with dark, vertical bars on its sides. It lives year-round in the rivers of the Chesapeake Bay.