Iconic research images from the Evolutionary Fish Ecology Lab

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Atlantic sturgeon fin spine sections

FigS1---fin-spine-sections — (A) Picture of a whole pectoral fin spine (~20 cm) of an Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus), with red lines indicating where sections were taken from the fish. (B) Example of a fin spine section from a fish estimated to be 11 years old, with annuli marked by red dots. (C) Example of a fin spine section with inclusions in both lobes (indicated by red arrows). Inclusions are secondary fin rays that get absorbed in the lobes of the primary spine (modified after Mosca et al. Fishery Bulletin 2025).

Beachseining and Strip-spawning silversides 30 April 2022

Beachseining-Stripspawning-4-30-22 — [1] On 30 April 2022, Max and David stretch out the beachseine in Mumford Cove during sunset [2] Matt carefully pours silverside sperm over the screens with stripped eggs, thereby fertilizing them [3] David and Max pull up the beach seine [4] Devan and Matt strip sperm from silverside males [5] The beachseine is being pulled ashore in Mumford Cove, CT [6] Two fertilized silverside eggs between fingers (Pictures: H. Baumann

Max-Rankin-Truck — On 30 April, Max loads the UConn DMS truck for beachseining in front of the Rankin Lab

Research_13 — 1. On 28 September 2021, a juvenile Atlantic sturgeon caught in the Connecticut River is being checked for any previously implemented tags 2. Juvenile or sub-adult sturgeon are being measured for fork and total length using a measuring board 3. CTDEEP researcher Jacque Benway inserts a PIT tag into an sub-adult Atlantic sturgeon 4. Subadult sturgeon on a wet tarp before being released into wild again 5. All sturgeon are measured for mouth gape and head width 6. All sturgeon are being weighed with a gentle contraption 7. Master student Kelli Mosca with an adult sturgeon (all images by Jacob Snyder, RedSkiesPhotography)

In March 2020, research comes to a standstill due to COVID19

Mumford-Cove-seine-11-11-19 — On 11 November 2019, our seine is being laid out on the beach of Mumford Cove. The biweekly seine survey has run continuously since 2015.

Juvenile-River-herring-11-11-19 — Juvenile River herring caught in Mumford Cove (Nov 2019)

Sarina-Striped-Bass-11-11-19 — Sarina holding a juvenile striped bass, a frequent predator in Mumford Cove

HB-Sarina-Mumford-Cove-11-11-19 — Beach seining crew Sarina and Hannes on 11 November 2019

Beachseining-crew-30-May-2019 — Beachseining crew on 30 May 2019 (f.l.t.r. Mia Dupuis, Callie Concannon, Lucas Jones, Emma Cross, Chris Murray)

TheLab01 — Awfully proud of this lab!

Pipefish — A Northern pipefish (Syngnathus fuscus) larvae caught in a light trap in August 2018

tilefish — A puffer or tilefish larvae caught by light trap in Long Island Sound (August 2018)

Neuromast01-heli — Neuromasts on the head of a live, juvenile Atlantic silverside. More ...

CTscan Menidia — Head of an adult Atlantic silverside, imaged by a high-resolution CTscan. The densest structures inside the skull are the 3 pairs of otoliths.

CTscan-Menidia02 — 3D reconstruction of all 3 pairs of otoliths by a CTscanner

IMG_8658_web — Young-of-the-year Atlantic silversides schooling near the seafloor of Bluff Point beach, Long Island Sound (Photo: Jacob Snyder, RedSkiesPhotography)

IMG_8369_web — On 12 September 2017, young-of-the-year Atlantic silversides (Menidia menidia) school in nearshore waters (Photo: Jacob Snyder, Bluff Point, CT)

IMG_8292_web — Juvenile silverside school in shallow water above a juvenile black sea bass (Jacob Snyder, 12 Sept 2017, Bluff Point)

IMG_8434_web — A sea scallop opening to feed in coastal Long Island Sound (Jacob Snyder)

Butterfish — Rock gunnel (aka butterfish) Pholis gunnelus

Sculpin-MFC — Longhorn sculpin Myoxocephalus octodecemspinosus

Beachseine-clearwater — In June 2017, our 100ft beach seine is being pulled onto the beach in Mumford Cove, CT

Seahorse-MFC — An rare, but not unusual seine catch in Mumford Cove

Mumford Cove_20170424_1 — The first seine of the spring season is getting pulled up on the beach of Mumford Cove during early morning on 24 April 2017

Mumford Cove_20170424_2 — James and Hannes wading into Mumford Cove hoping to catch the first spawning ripe Atlantic silversides of the season.

elk21-2009-1b — Digital x-rays radiographs of juvenile topsmelt, Atherinops affinis, a Pacific coast silverside species. Radiographs like these can be used to determine the number of vertebrae, a meristic trait that systematically increases with increasing latitude in many fish populations.

Massachussets Bottom Trawl Survey 2016-02 — The R/V Gloria Michelle before leaving port on 14 September for the 2nd leg of the fall 2016 Massachusetts Bottom Trawl survey. (Photo: Jacob Snyder, RedSkiesPhotography)

Massachussets Bottom Trawl Survey 2016-01 — On 15 September 2016, the bottom trawl net is emptied onto the R/V Gloria Michelle for the crew to sort, weigh and measure the catch. (Photo: Jacob Snyder, RedSkiesPhotography)

Massachussets Bottom Trawl Survey 2016-04 — On 16 September 2016, Jake measures skates on board the R/V Gloria Michelle. (Photo: Jacob Snyder, RedSkiesPhotography)

MumfordCove_6-6-16-9 — Hannes preparing a small bongo net to sample copepods and fish larvae on 6 June 2016 in Mumford Cove, CT. (Photo: Jacob Snyder, RedSkiesPhotography)

Jake counting — On 13 June 2016, Jake carefully counts larval Atlantic silversides that developed in our rearing system at 20C. Groups of fish are gently scooped into replacement containers during counting and then placed back into the system. (Photo: Jacob Snyder, RedSkiesPhotography)

New Eureka Probe — The new probe with a copper gauze protector against biofouling is getting deployed. (Photo: Jacob Snyder, RedSkiesPhotography)

MumfordCove_6-6-16-Panorama — A panorama of Mumford Cove from the South on 6 June 2016. To left, the cove is part of the Bluff Point State Park. (Photo: Jacob Snyder, RedSkiesPhotography)

Leptocephalus — On 1 June 2016, we caught a special critter in our bi-weekly beach seines in Mumford Cove - a leptocephalus, i.e. the larvae of an eel, born like all eels in the Sargasso Sea and drifting for months prior to metamorphosing. Leptocephali still feed mostly through the surface of their skin, while the digestive tract has yet to fully develop. (Photo: Jacob Snyder, RedSkiesPhotography)

Adult-silverside_s — An adult, live Atlantic silverside (Menidia menidia) from our spring 2016 sampling collection. It's easy to see what earned this group of forage fish the name 'silverside'. (Photo: Jacob Snyder, RedSkiesPhotography)

01---elephant — 120 hours old embryos of Menidia beryllina. The red dot in the middle is the yolk of an unfertilized infected with a ruby-red pathogen, a gram-negative but otherwise unknown bacterium. Oh and ... if you see an elephant in this picture, you're not alone (Photo: Chris Murray).

RSP_1947 — On 4 May 2016, Chris is carefully filling 24 individual chambers of a microrespirometer with seawater and fertilized silverside embryos before the chambers get sealed and oxygen levels are measured every 15 seconds. (Photo: Jacob Snyder, RedSkiesPhotography)

DCIM101GOPROG0213682 — On March 14 2016, Jake carefully pours Iodine solution into one of our rearing systems in order to thoroughly disinfect it prior to the onset of the new 2016 experimental season (Photo: Jacob Snyder, RedSkiesPhotography)

Fish measurement party — Some fish were measured immediately, others were preserved in formaldehyde/seawater solution, frozen at -20C or -80C

Avery Point with Rankin Lab and Lighthouse — Avery Point with Rankin Lab and Lighthouse | 12/2015 (Photo: Hannes Baumann)

Chris RV Auk Sediment grab — On 4 November 2015, Chris Murray checks the content of a sediment grab for sand lance. RV Auk (Photo: Jacob Snyder, RedSkiesPhotography)

Mumford Cove Oct 9th 2015 — On 14 October 2015, Hannes and Chris stretch out the 100 ft of beach seine on the Mumford Cove beach (Photo: Sean Flynn)

Mumford Cove Oct 9th 2015 — Measuring the catch right on the beach (Photo: Sean Flynn).

Mumford Cove Oct 9th 2015 — Liz being happy to go beach seining (Photo: Sean Flynn)

Mumford Cove Oct 9th 2015 — Measuring Atlantic silversides (Photo: Sean Flynn).

Measuring and weighing the beach seine catch — On the beach of Mumford Cove, Wes Liz, Megan, Jake, and Chris are seen working up the catch of the beach seine. (Photo: Jacob Snyder, RedSkiesPhotography)

Beach seining Mumford Cove 9-25-15 — It's important to look carefully through the entire bag of the beach seine for fish tugged within the folds of the net. (Photo: Jacob Snyder, RedSkiesPhotography)

A week after the first spawning moon of Atlantic silversides (M. menidia) at Mumford Cove, members of the lab and Dr. David Conover (SBU) are looking for silverside eggs. — A week after the first spawning moon of Atlantic silversides (M. menidia) at Mumford Cove, members of the lab and Dr. David Conover (SBU) are looking for silverside eggs.