Episodes
Meet the knifefishes! From the Clown Knifefish to the to the Electric Eel, Katrina and Guy take a broad brush look at this bizarre group of fascinating fishes.
Published 05/12/24
Published 05/12/24
Meet the Southern Flounder, a temperature-sensitive fish that's one-third of the "Texas Slam” with Redfish (Red Drum) and Speckled Trout. Learn about their transformation from regular fish with two matching sides to amazing flatfish, how they hunt tidal creeks and saltmarsh wetlands, and how to safely and sustainably catch and eat them. Texas A&M University at Galveston Marine Biology PhD student Daniel Kemp and Mark Fisher from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department join as guests.
Published 05/06/24
Hear how Palisade High School in Colorado is helping a huge, cool Colorado native: the Razorback Sucker! Teacher Pat Steele and student Kiera Stephen share their connections to this fish, take us on a tour of the Palisade High School Fish Hatchery, and celebrate their 1000th Razorback Sucker released.
Published 04/29/24
Meet a very important native fish that gets no respect: the White Sucker! Turns out this fish is a total catch! Kids love 'em. Walleyes and muskies love 'em. Eagles love 'em. Otters love 'em. Fishermen and fisherwomen love 'em. Katrina and Guy are joined by guests Tyler Winter (Native Fish for Tomorrow) and Rick Bruesewitz (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources).
Published 04/22/24
Meet big-gaped Green Sunfish! This beefy, bass-like sunfish is fun to catch and beautiful to behold. Learn about its habits, where it's found, how to catch it, where it fits in the fish family tree, and more.
Published 04/15/24
Put on your spelunking gear and get ready to head to Key Cave National Wildlife Refuge in northern Alabama. Key Cave is the only place in the entire world where the bizarre-looking Alabama Cavefish is known to exist. By the time you finish listening you'll either be glad or jealous you didn't soil your pants sliding down gray bat guano to meet this amazing fish. We are joined by special guests Nick Wirwa with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Bernie Kuhajda with the Tennessee Aquarium.
Published 04/08/24
Meet a soft and flabby wonder with the smallest brain-to-body weight ratio of any vertebrate and a name that's bound to stimulate conversation. Two guests deep dive into assfish territory with us: Peter Auster from Mystic Aquarium and the University of Connecticut, and Brittany Peterson from our National Conservation Training Center (and formerly with the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument).
Published 03/25/24
You’ll be hooked when you meet this shoal habitat specialist and Apalachicola-Flint-Chattahoochee River native. Learn how to think like a shoalie, understand the importance of knowing its prey, and pursue it safely in class 3 rapids on foot or from a raft. Fly tier extraordinaire Fletcher Sams and Shoal Bass enthusiast Jay Shelton are our guests.
Published 03/18/24
Meet a cucumber-scented fish that feeds the masses and sometimes crashes. Our guests are Yumi Arimitsu with the USGS Alaska Science Center Seabird and Forage Fish Ecology Program and Seabird Biologist Robb Kaler with the Marine Birds Section of our Alaska Division of Migratory Bird Management.
Published 03/11/24
Come on an adventure into high elevation and rugged terrain to find Mexico's diverse native trout. Illustrator and Mexican native trout enthusiast Joe Tomelleri takes us on a journey of discovery and art inspired by stunningly beautiful fishes.
Published 03/04/24
Hey, you guys! One distinguishing feature of invasive carp is eye placement at or below the mouth opening. They also have a very particular set of skills that makes them so successful at outcompeting the native fish you love. Fish Biologists Mark Fritts and Tyler Gross join the conversation from our Lacrosse Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office in Wisconsin and our Lower Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office's Ohio River Substation in West Virginia.
Published 02/26/24
Anglers take note...this fish is a sleeper, not a snooze! Meet the Bigmouth Sleeper, the natural "top dog" in Puerto Rico's streams. The name tells you all you need to know about the appearance and behavior of this underappreciated fish. Augustin (Gus) Engman from the University of Tennessee joins us again to dig further into the native fishes that inhabit the island, including what we know about this fish and how to get it on the end of your line.
Published 02/19/24
If you happen to be an unfortunate men’s size 7 Nike shoe, one of 50+ species of octopus, a big shard of plastic or rope, or any number of reef, oceanic, and deep sea fish, you might find yourself undigested in a Longnose Lancetfish’s stomach! That’s after you’ve been trapped between cage-like teeth with no get-out-of-jail-free card. That said, we’d like to give a big thank you to lancetfish for being amazing samplers of the marine environment and helping scientists understand ocean food webs...
Published 02/12/24
We're bringing bloater back...Go ahead and tell them skinny fishes that...'Cause every inch of bloater's perfect from the bottom to the top (sha-wop, wop). We've got a great episode for you about an amazing fish with a rich history in the Great Lakes: the Bloater! Brian Weidel with the U.S. Geological Survey's Great Lakes Science Center and Dimitry Gorsky from our Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office are guests.
Published 02/05/24
Explore the past, present and future of the Lake Trout that inhabit North America's Great Lakes. Larry Miller with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Allegheny National Fish Hatchery is our guest. On deck: Bloater (another Great Lakes native)!
Published 01/30/24
If you've come here for music, all we've got is fish (sorry no John Paul Jones or Flea). Special back stage pass to meet the four members of Ambloplites, a somewhat undervalued yet beautiful group of fishes in the sunfish family.
Published 01/22/24
Get to know the endangered Klamath C'waam (Lost River Sucker) with guests Don Gentry (a Natural Resources Specialist with the Klamath Tribes) and Jane Spangler (a Sucker Recovery Biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service).
Published 01/15/24
Meet a ridiculously strong and fast fish who can warm its eyes and slash its prey. Swordfish boat captain and best-selling author Linda Greenlaw shares her insights about fishing, life at sea, and leadership.
Published 01/08/24
It's a new year, and we have no shortage of new fish and guests! Jump on board as we reflect on Season 3 and go behind the scenes, cast our line towards ALL THE FISH we plan to cover in Season 4, and continue our week-by-week tour of interesting ichthyofauna with guests from all walks of life. On deck: Swordfish with Linda Greenlaw!
Published 01/01/24
Meet a fascinating fish that can swallow its prey on land! From California to Hawaii and beyond, Snowflake Morays are an important player in both the marine and intertidal zones. Dr. Rita Mehta, an evolutionary biologist from the University of California Santa Cruz, is our guest.
Published 12/25/23
Meet the Bonytail Chub: an Endangered Colorado River fish with a pencil-thin peduncle and a penchant for wetlands. Zane Olson with our Ouray National Fish Hatchery and Chris Smith with our Green River Basin Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office in Utah join our conversation about all the fish.
Published 12/18/23
Meet the Cabezon! This large "introverted" sculpin is found along the Pacific Coast of North America. National Geographic photographer Kiliii Yuyan brings his multi-cultural perspective to a discussion about Cabezon, underwater photography, and storytelling.
Published 12/11/23
Whether you're on campus or tubing or just curious about fish, get to know the Fountain Darter, a little Endangered fish found only in Texas's San Marcos and Comal rivers. Two guests join from our San Marcus Aquatic Resources Center: Dave Britton (Center Director) and Dr. Katie Bockrath (a geneticist and research lead for the Edwards Aquifer Refugia Program).
Published 12/04/23
From the Florida Keys to the Sistine Chapel, this prized saltwater fish has been getting into people's heads for centuries. Author and tarpon fly fishing enthusiast Monte Burke joins the conversation to help dig into the allure of the "silver king."
Published 11/27/23