Pacific herring at Cove 2?
Pacific herring at Cove 2?
Sorry, I don't have a picture, but I saw what I thought might have been some pacific herring (Maybe 5-6) at Cove 2 this evening. They were swimming close to the surface, maybe 15 feet away from shore, presumably snacking on the huge numbers of small jellyfish at, or near the surface. They looked to be about 6 inches, silvery, with black tips on their caudal fins.
I ask, because when I search for images of pacific herring, none of them have the black on the tips of the caudal fin that I noticed. I've seen the same sort of fish at Edmonds at a similar depth. (meaning very close to the surface)
I ask, because when I search for images of pacific herring, none of them have the black on the tips of the caudal fin that I noticed. I've seen the same sort of fish at Edmonds at a similar depth. (meaning very close to the surface)
Re: Pacific herring at Cove 2?
Could they be Pacific Sandlance? I think that's what I was seeing there yesterday.
Georgia
NOT diving is NOT an option
NOT diving is NOT an option
Re: Pacific herring at Cove 2?
I don't think they were Sandlance. They were within inches of the surface, and I think sandlance are bottom dwellers. Their dorsal fin also didn't extend all the way along their body. It was more short and triangular.
Smelt maybe?
Smelt maybe?
- nwscubamom
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Re: Pacific herring at Cove 2?
Although sandlance bunk down in the gravel/sand at night, they come out by day and swim in huge schools near the surface. However, I'd be hard pressed to say what their fins looked like any time I've ever seen them. Same with schools of herring. I ID'd them by the shape of their bodies and swimming style.
Sandlance:
Pacific Herring:
So the fact you got a good look at their fins must mean they're something else. (or you have amazing eyesight).
- Janna
Sandlance:
Pacific Herring:
So the fact you got a good look at their fins must mean they're something else. (or you have amazing eyesight).
- Janna
Janna Nichols
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Re: Pacific herring at Cove 2?
Oh, and I've seen Tubesnouts numerous times near the surface, and they're also long and silvery and schooling:
- Janna
- Janna
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Re: Pacific herring at Cove 2?
Definitely not Tubesnouts.
REEF totally needs to add a category for UI Baitfish!
REEF totally needs to add a category for UI Baitfish!
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Re: Pacific herring at Cove 2?
Good point! I will get that added to the species list ASAP.
- Janna
- Janna
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Re: Pacific herring at Cove 2?
Surf Smelt perhaps?
“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.” -- John Muir
Re: Pacific herring at Cove 2?
The schools I saw on all three dives on Wednesday at Cove 2 were Sandlance. As Janna does, I ID them by swimming style.
Georgia
NOT diving is NOT an option
NOT diving is NOT an option
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Re: Pacific herring at Cove 2?
OK, so Greg just emailed me with another suggestion.
fnerg said there were only 5-6 individuals in the school - (I had misread that to be their length, not the size of the school). Which isn't anything like any group of sandlance or herring I've ever seen. Too small.
Greg suggests they might be juvenile salmon or cutthroat. I know this shot is really blurry, but was it anything like this?
- Janna
fnerg said there were only 5-6 individuals in the school - (I had misread that to be their length, not the size of the school). Which isn't anything like any group of sandlance or herring I've ever seen. Too small.
Greg suggests they might be juvenile salmon or cutthroat. I know this shot is really blurry, but was it anything like this?
- Janna
Janna Nichols
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Re: Pacific herring at Cove 2?
That's exactly what they looked like! Awesome! Do you suppose they came from Lake Washington, or the Duwamish?
- nwscubamom
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Re: Pacific herring at Cove 2?
I would have no clue!
Glad we tracked down your sighting (thanks Greg!!)
And, thanks to your suggestion, the REEF database now has a new 'species':
0499: Unidentified Silvery Baitfish
And for Salmonids like you saw there's always:
0359: Juvenile salmonid
- Janna
Glad we tracked down your sighting (thanks Greg!!)
And, thanks to your suggestion, the REEF database now has a new 'species':
0499: Unidentified Silvery Baitfish
And for Salmonids like you saw there's always:
0359: Juvenile salmonid
- Janna
Janna Nichols
My underwater photo galleries
REEF Citizen Science Program Manager
Seen any cool critters lately?
><((((°>
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REEF Citizen Science Program Manager
Seen any cool critters lately?
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