Post by Victoria Starnes.—Terrestrial animals get all the press on Halloween. In any grocery store, you can find skeletal rats, horses, and anything in-between. Wolves stalk the halls of haunted houses, and black cats stretch out on front lawns. Avian creatures get in on the fun too! Flocks of ravens and colonies of bats fly through the air in almost every Halloween movie. However, excluding the occasional shark and piranha, how many aquatic species do you see in all the festivities? On the day before Halloween I thought it was fitting to cover a few spooky freshwater fishes and friends to prove they can be just as spooky.
- Freshwater Mussels
We'll start of like any haunted house, with a little jump scare! Freshwater mussels, like the one in the image below use lures to attract fish. These mussels then spray glochidia (essentially baby mussels) into the face of their unsuspecting hosts!
- Banded Sculpin
Next up on the list is the Banded Sculpin. These fish have fantastic camouflage which allows them to ambush their prey. Thanks to their large mouths, they can eat prey almost as large as themselves!
- Alligator Gar
Alligator gar are usually gentle giants. However, their large jaws, teeth, and impressive girth can be frightening. The record gar below was caught right here in Mississippi!
- Muskie
Another fish with some striking chompers is the Muskie. These fish can be found as far south as Tennessee and Kentucky. Unfortunately, in Mississippi we won't be fighting any of these fun fish on a line.
- Zombie Salmon
Next up we have another northerner, the Salmon! These fish are anadromous, which means that they migrate from the ocean to freshwater to spawn. As these fish begin spawning, their bodies begin to deteriorate. They use their fat stores and starve on the way to spawning grounds, and once there spawning and nestmaking is hard on their bodies. After the event is finished, these fish quickly deteriorate and die. The fish in this transition are sometimes called "zombie fish."
- American Eel
Much like the salmon the next fish on our list, the American Eel, transitions from saltwater to freshwater. However, these fish begin their lives in saltwater, transition to freshwater for 3-40 years, and then return to the ocean to spawn which makes them catadromous. These fish have relatively large jaws and are extremely slimy! They would make fantastic Halloween mascots!
- Chestnut Lamprey
Another primitive fish is up next! The Chestnut Lamprey is a parasitic fish that latches onto its host with several rows of sharp teeth. However, these fish are only parasitic as adults, and even then, they don't feed in the winter. Lamprey are rarely caught while still attached to their hosts, however, they leave behind telltale bloody rings.
- Leeches
The next fascinating, albeit gross individual on our list is the leech! The image below shows a mother leach and all her babies. Isn't that adorable?
- Snakehead
Our runner-up spooky fish is the snakehead! These invasive monsters have large jaws filled with teeth. The most terrifying thing about this fish is that they have an air bladder that they can use as a primitive lung. These horrible fish can survive for up to FOUR DAYS out of water and even longer in sediment.
10. Asian Carp
Our final fishes on the Frightening Freshwater Fishes countdown are the Asian carp. This category commonly includes Common Carp, Bighead Carp, Grass Carp, and Silver Carp. Once popular with aquaculturists and resource agencies alike, these fish are now an incredible foe. Although these fish are frightening to managers because of their effect on trophic systems, water quality, and resource availability they can also be terrifying to the public! Silver Carp can reach 100 lbs, jump 8-10ft out of the water, and cause severe injuries if collisions occur!
Image Credits: (1) Chris Barnhart MSU, (2) Brandon Brooke MU, (3) https://deltabohemian.com, (4) http://knsiradio.com (5) USFWS, (6) hakaimagazine.com (7) twitter: @ks_fishes, (8) watersheds.org, (9) snopes.com (10) lansingcitypulse.com