Fish of the Week!

It may not be the "most" chub, but this unique native fish has a lot to offer! Kaitlyn Purington and Chance Broderius from the Utah Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife Resources offer a state perspective on the public value of the very cool Least Chub . Like chubs? You might like these episodes: S3:E51 Bonytail Chub S2:E7 Bluehead Chub S2:E6 Humpback Chub S1:E47 Lake Chub

Granddaddy Opossum Pipefish rolls in wearing burnt sienna and looking like a wet stick. Time to go explore Florida and get to know this remarkable native fish! Fish Biologist Eddie Perri with our Peninsular Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office is going to get you pumped about this straightened-out seahorse relative, the Opossum Pipefish. Read more: https://www.fws.gov/story/floridas-remar...

Katrina and Guy dig into one of America's native catfish groups: the bullheads! Learn how to find and identify these fish, and get hyped to complete the bullhead slam for all seven species! This episode also includes a dive into the latest fanmail darter, so take a listen to hear what's on listeners' minds! You might also like these episode: S5:E6: Sailfin Catfishes S3:E24 Flathead Catfish S2:E33...

What does it mean to be an "amphibious" fish? How many fish fall into this category? It might be more than you think! We've got guest Noah Bressman from Salisbury University's Department of Biology to help us dig into this very interesting behavior.

 Get to know the shimmery sister species to the East Coast's American Shad. The beautiful, migratory Alabama Shad is native to the the Mississippi River basin, the Gulf, and other Gulf coast rivers. Katrina, Guy, and guest Steve Herrington with The Nature Conservancy explore the decline of this fish and all the current and potential future values it holds. If you like this episode you might also l...

Get to know a valuable species in North America and the Great Lakes region. We dig into what it might look like to local economies to place value on 100% of the fish instead of just the fillet by highlighting a project lead by the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers. Our guests are Dave Naftzger (Executive Director and founder of the 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge) and Bill Bod...

Get to know Colorado's state fish and its roller coaster history. Once abundant in the South Platte drainage, it's now found in only a few high-elevation streams and lakes. Josh Homer from our Leadville National Fish Hatchery in Colorado and Chris Kennedy from our Colorado Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office are guests. If you like cutthroat trout, you might also like these episodes: S3:E47 Laho...

We've got two great guests with decades of combined knowledge who will help you get to know and appreciate these very large, migratory fish. Adam Kaeser is a fish biologist from our Panama City Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office and Frank Paruka is a retired biologist and distinguished gulf sturgeon researcher. We cover everything from biology basics to heritage and history, and answer question...

Wildlife Inspector Daniel Sahakian joins us for a special episode focused on the international pleco trade as a follow-on to the armored suckermouth catfishes episode. This is the first in a mini series of themed episodes we plan to air that are focused on illegal fish trade, U.S. and international wildlife protection laws, and the amazing work our U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enfo...

 This episode broadly introduces the family of South American armored suckermouth catfishes (Loricariidae) with a focus on genus Pterygoplichthys (AKA janitor fish/sailfin plecos/sailfin catfishes). You might know them from your fish tank or where they've been released into U.S. waters. We also introduce "Fan Mail Darter" where we answer questions and read fan feedback. This is part 1 of 2. Part 2...

How well do you really know Smallmouth Bass? There's still a ton to learn, even about super popular fish! We dig into the fascinating diversity of Smallmouth Bass with guest Andrew Taylor from the University of North Georgia.  Learn the latest science, the places these fish call home, and pro tips about how to complete the Smallmouth Slam! If you like this topic you might also like these episodes:...

The majestic mountain is found in beautiful places and will challenge your fishing skills (in a good way)! Some even have snoots like the Whoville residents in The Grinch Stole Christmas. We hope you enjoy getting to know this important member in the family Salmonidae who's related to fan favorites like salmon, trout, and grayling. Want more whitefish?? Check out these episodes: S4:E6 Bloater S2:E...

Get to know the warpaint shiner, a vibrant southeastern U.S. species with striking red and black markings. This trout-like minnow is found in cold, clear, fast-flowing streams and is both important prey for sportfish (including bass) and host for native freshwater mussels. If you're feeling like a challenge, we discuss partaking in the "shiner slam" (for both anglers and snorkelers). If you like t...

Casper Cox, a freshwater snorkeling enthusiast from Tennessee, takes us below the surface and into the underwater world of the Tangerine Darter! The beauty of this fish and enthusiasm of our guest will have you grabbing your snorkel gear and heading to your nearest/clearest water and immersing yourself in new worlds. If you're a darter fanatic, you might also like these episodes: Fantail Darter (S...

Katrina and Guy celebrate the start of season five by highlighting the journey so far through over 200 episodes. They reflect on what's been learned by digging into the rich diversity of fish and cultural connections across different geographies and cast a line towards topics to come. Journey across America and beyond with us as co-hosts Katrina & Guy + guests explore how to live with, live fr...

Find out which fishes have made the cut for season 5! Katrina and Guy bring listeners behind the scenes for a peek into their annual fish draft.

This episode explores the ability of Pacific salmon to colonize Alaska rivers flowing north into the Arctic Ocean. Are they able to spawn successfully or are they just adventurous strays probing north? Our guests are Peter Westley and Randy Brown. Randy, a Fishery Biologist, operates out of our Northern Alaska Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office and Peter is the Wakefield Chair of Fisheries and...

The cookiecutter shark has a very peculiar set of skills and is known for its distinctive feeding behavior. Despite leaving its mark on a wide variety of creatures (and even some humans and inanimate objects), much about these small sharks remains a mystery! Guest Aaron Carlisle from the University of Delaware's School of Marine Science and Policy brings his perspective and highlights the challeng...

Meet the Jack Dempsey, an American cichlid known for its beauty and aggressiveness. Your co-hosts Katrina and Guy have fun exploring the likeness between this fish and the 1920s heavyweight boxer, its aquarium presence, and how its found its way into unlikely places like South Dakota and Russia. If you like this fun take, you might also enjoy S4:E19 about the bizarre knifefishes.

We are joined by two (and a half) guests who really like Fantail Darters and have found a creative way to get people excited about overlooked nongame fish! Drew Holloway is a fisheries biologist for the Muncie Bureau of Water Quality in Central Indiana and North Central Division of American Fisheries Society President Elect. Luke Etchison is a conservation biologist with the North Carolina Wildlif...

For our 200th episode, we chat with Gene Gilliland - lifelong bass enthusiast and conservation director of the Bass Angler Sportsman Society (BASS). Learn about Largemouth Bass biology, the variety of ways to catch this fish, and why they're so popular. Here are some other bass episodes you might enjoy: Smallmouth Bass Complex (S5: E5) Fly Fishing for Shoal Bass (S4:E12) Greatest Rock Basses of Al...

Get to know the fish and places it calls home. We discuss fishing strategies, the importance of curiosity, and pathways into fishing and caring for native fishes. Our guest is Redband Trout enthusiast and Oregon State University student Roberto Ponce Velez. S4:E42 & S2:40 Apache Trout: Arizona Treasure S4:E28 Brown Trout! S3:E47 Lahontan Cutthroat Trout of Pyramid Lake S3:E47 Beautiful Br...

Get to know Ohio's second smallest fish, the Tippecanoe Darter - a lover of marble-sized rocks and riffles. Guests Brian Zimmerman (a rare and endangered non-game fish biologist at Ohio State University), Ethan Hendershot and Zeke Churchin (non-game fisheries research technicians) help tell the success story of this fish.

Get to know Hawaii's mullets through the eyes of University of Hawaii undergraduate students Andie Le Doux and Iokepa Frederick. We'll imagine the grand experience of the once great mullet migration that provided sustenance for the people who lived on the coast of O‘ahu while we appreciate conservation work being done in the muliwai (estuary) environments that attract them near shore. Check out al...

The beauty of this fish matches its home: high-elevation streams in the White Mountains of Arizona. We discuss its conservation successes and the continued commitment moving forward. The restoration of Arizona’s state fish marks the first sportfish and the first trout delisted due to recovery. Tim Gatewood from the White Mountain Apache Tribe and Zac Jackson from our Arizona Fish and Wildlife Cons...