T & E is an acronym for threatened and endangered. These are both status metrics for risk of extinction. Endangered species are considered on the “brink of extinction” throughout their range and threatened species are likely to become endangered in the near future. The species that are on this list in the United States receive … [Read more…]
A fish species is considered endemic to a location if that is the only place it occurs naturally. It may have evolved in that region or over time has become so adapted to that specific environment that it cannot survive elsewhere. For example, Devil’s Hole Pupfish (Cyprinodon diabolis) is only found in Devil’s Hole, Nevada. If a … [Read more…]
A fish species is considered invasive if its position in an ecosystem negatively impacts other species. Generally, these are non-native species which have been introduced into a region by humans (either intentionally or unintentionally) with detrimental consequence to resident fish and other aquatic organisms. However, some argue that a native species can also be considered invasive … [Read more…]
A fish species is considered non-native to a location if it does not occur naturally there and only is present as a result of direct or unintentional human introduction. This does not necessarily mean that these fish cannot thrive in their non-native habitat. In fact, some fish, such as Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), can be in … [Read more…]
A fish species is considered native to a location if it occurs naturally there. It may have evolved in that region or dispersed and become established there without human assistance. For example, Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) is native to some locations in North America but is considered non-native in other locations where it has been introduced … [Read more…]
Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) are a specific type of bycatch reduction device (BRD) that are a modification to a trawl net to keep turtles, which are not targets of the fishery, from being caught in the net. TEDs are generally composed of a set of bars over the trawl net. While small target animals, such … [Read more…]