Ken Schultz's Field Guide to Saltwater Fish - Macaw Pets store

of freshwater fish that are native to
freshwater and that migrate from lake to
stream or river to spawn. These are not
technically anadromous but adfluvial.
Fish that originate in saltwater but
have freshwater forms are often called
“landlocked,” whether or not they have
a clear path to and from the sea. Sometimes
these fish are physically blocked
from reaching the ocean. Fish in a reservoir
or a lake may be unable to leave.
Fish in some streams, like those in highmountain
areas, have a clear passageway
to the sea but no means of returning
because of waterfalls. Coldwater species
may be effectively landlocked in the
colder headwaters of a stream because
temperatures are too high for them in
the lowland parts of that stream or in the
ocean in that area. Dolly Varden, for
example, are landlocked in the southern
tip of their range, but anadromous forms
are common farther north.
ANAL FIN
The median, unpaired, ventrally located
fin that lies behind the anus, usually on
the posterior half of the fish.
AXILLARY PROCESS
A fleshy flap, which is usually narrow and
extends to the rear, situated just above
the pectoral or the pelvic fins on some
fish.
BAITFISH
A generic term used by anglers for any
fish species that are forage for predators,
although it often specifically pertains to
smaller fish; this term also references fish
that are used in live bait angling.
BARBEL
A whiskerlike feeler on the snouts of
some fish that contains taste buds and is
used for touching and tasting food
before ingesting it. One or more barbels
may be present on either side of the
mouth of a fish that is primarily a bottom
feeder and is attracted by food odor.
Catfish, carp, and sturgeon are among
the species with such appendages.
266 Glossary
BASS
Many species of fish, in both freshwater
and saltwater, are referred to as “bass.”
Some are truly bass and some are not,
but all have a physique and a profile that
are generally similar. Three of the most
prominent freshwater sportfish with this
name include the largemouth bass and
the smallmouth bass, both of which are
actually sunfish, and the peacock bass,
which is actually a cichlid.
True bass are members of the Serranidae
family of sea bass, which in
freshwater includes the white bass and
the yellow bass, and in saltwater includes
the black sea bass, the striped bass, the
giant sea bass, the kelp bass, and many
other species that do not carry the name
“bass.”
BENTHIC
The bottom layer of the marine environment
and the fish or the animals that live
on or near the bottom.
BILLFISH
The term “billfish” refers to members of
two families of marine fish: Xiphidae,
which has only one genus and one
species, the swordfish; and Istiophoridae,
which numbers 11 species in three
genera and includes marlin, sailfish, and
spearfish. Of the latter family, the term
“marlin” is used for the larger species,
“spearfish” for the smaller species, and
“sailfish” for the species with a high
dorsal fin. All are good sportfish, and
some—especially swordfish, blue marlin,
and black marlin—are among the largest
and most coveted angling quarries.
A billfish is characterized by a long
spearlike or swordlike upper jaw or beak
that may be used to stun prey during
feeding; although this bill has been
employed in apparent aggression to
spear objects, including boats, it is not
deliberately used to spear prey. These
species are pelagic, migratory, and found
in all oceans. They are related to tuna
and mackerel and, like those fish, are
able to swim at great speeds; the sailfish
is considered the fastest of all fish, having