Tsunami Fish, Striped Beakfish in Washington

A small skiff was found washed ashore near Long Beach, Washington in March 2013. This skiff contained 5 knifejaw or striped beak fish, a palm-sized fish tropical fish. The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife euthanized most of them, out of likely misguided fears that the fish would become an invasive species (these are a TROPICAL fish, unlike the ocean waters of Washington State).

However one of the black-and-white striped fish was taken to the Long Beach City Hall where employees there in turn called the Seaside Aquarium, which came to the rescue.

This fish now resides at the Seaside Aquarium in Oregon:
200 North Prom, Seaside, Oregon 97138 Tel: (503) 738-6211.

This skiff was possibly lost in the Japanese tsunami in March of 2011, the boat reportedly has a registration number from a region where the tsunami hit (not as yet confirmed by the Japanese government).

The boat also contained several other forms of sea life including marine worms, crabs, scallops, a sea cucumber and marine algae, making it a reasonable substainable miniature ecosystem for the fish but for the temperature.

Considering the stripes on this particular rescued striped beak fish, it is likely this fish is immature. Mature beakfish turn a charcoal grey, and are considered a prized food fish in Japan.

A few Specifics:

Scientific Name: Oplegnathus fasciatus
Size; 80.0 cm, 31 inches.
Weight; at maturity 6.4 kg, 14 lbs.
Habitat; Inhabits tropical coastal rocky reefs
Diet; shelled invertebrates
Distribution; Northwest Pacific: Japan, Korea, Taiwan. Eastern Central Pacific: Hawaii.

References:

*Oplegnathus fasciatus (Temminck & Schlegel, 1844)
*Striped beakfish spearfishing in Japan

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Shark washes up on Oregon Coast

Dolphin, shark, other 'oddities' wash up along Oregon Coast

By ANTONIA GIEDWOYN, kgw.com Staff

Last week’s stormy weather at the Oregon Coast led to some unusual finds on the beach over the weekend, Seaside Aquarium staff said Tuesday.

Beachcombers found a dolphin, a porpoise, a shark and a rare fish.

“All died recently, and thanks to enormous west winds, blew up onshore with the storms,” said aquarium spokeswoman Tiffany Boothe.

The long-beaked dolphin was the first dolphin that aquarium staff have ever seen wash up in the area, even though they are common to Oregon coastal waters, Boothe said. It measured about 5 and 1/2 feet long.


The salmon shark was only about 3 and 1/2 feet long and is a type of shark often mistaken for great whites, although great whites are larger by a foot or more in length.

Someone also reported finding a mola mola -- ocean sun fish -- which are rarely spotted on the north coast.

The washed-up porpoise measured about 2 and 1/2 feet long.

Another beachcomber, Terry Morse of Newport, found a bunch of odd jellyfish, some of which were still alive, he discovered, when he took them back home and put them in a petri dish to study them under a microscope. They began swimming again when put in sea water.


COMMENTS:

Not much I can say here except for this is a sad but interesting story

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Rare Ratfish, Oregon

Rare Ratfish found on Oregon Shores dies -

Associated Press and KGW.com Staff


SEASIDE, Ore. - A rare fish from the deep that had the Seaside Aquarium buzzing today has died.

The ratfish, described as both cute and bizarre, and usually lives too deep in the ocean to show up on land.

But a group of kids from Oregon City brought in a three-foot-long Spotted Ratfish over the weekend. They had found it on the southern cove area of Seaside -- still alive.

Aquarium spokeswoman Tiffany Boothe says the spotted ratfish's technical name is 'Hydrolagus colliei,' and is named ratfish for its rat-like appearance.

Scientists were not sure if the fish would survive the night. It had a sore on it's right fin that was making life difficult. Boothe said "at one point, it got stuck upside down and couldn't right itself."

On Monday Boothe said the fish didn't make it through the night. She said "the fact that he was already washed up on shore was not a good sign to begin with."

The aquarium was keeping the fish in a freezer in case a local school wanted to disect it to try and figure out how it died.

The ratfish exists between southeast Alaska and Baha, California. But sometimes it is found in shallower waters off the Oregon coast.

The aquarium says sometimes fishermen bring the ratfish when they accidentally catch them. But Boothe says it's really very rare they wash up on the beach.

Steelhead will test the waters

Steelhead will test the waters -A half century after the dams, a reintroduction comes to fruition
By Kate Ramsayer / The Bulletin
Published: April 14. 2007 5:00AM PST

The pioneers now lie in trays in a hatchery north of Maupin, little more than a big eye and a yolk. But in a few weeks, once these summer steelhead eggs have hatched into tiny fry and used up the energy from the yolk, they'll be trucked to Whychus Creek downstream of Sisters and released. As they settle into the slow-moving side channels and backwaters of the creek, they will be the first steelhead to swim above Lake Billy Chinook since the Pelton Round Butte dam complex was constructed about half a century ago.

And they'll be the first test of whether more than a decade of planning by numerous agencies will enable ocean-going fish to migrate from and return to the Upper Deschutes Basin.

"We're certainly really, really excited about the reintroduction on all fronts," said Steven Marx, interim Deschutes District watershed manager with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

"The big thing is it's been 50 years since waters upstream from Pelton Dam have seen summer steelhead."




For the full article, please click above.

Comment: this an interesting article, well worth reading in its entirety.
Carl

Central Point might give exotic pets the boot

Central Point might give exotic pets the boot -An ordinance banning nontraditional critters in the city is under discussion tonight at 7

By buffy pollock
for the Mail Tribune

CENTRAL POINT — Exotic pets ranging from wolves to raccoons to large snakes could be banned in town under a new ordinance before the City Council.

The council will consider the animal ordinance at 7 tonight in City Hall, 140 S. Third St., Central Point.

The proposed law would allow existing pets to be grandfathered in if they are registered with city code enforcement officials by March 12.

The current policy on keeping pets came under scrutiny after neighbors of Blue Grass Downs homeowner Nick Kessler complained about Kessler's pet bobcat, Kona. The Kessler family moved into the subdivision — across from a city park — last summer.

For the full article, please click above.


Comment:

Not really an aquarium or pond story, but considering snakes are being considered, many fish can be thrown into this ban as well. Not that we don not need boundaries on which pets we can keep and not keep, it is possible as in some local and state governments to go too far, especially when bad information is used such as California’s statement that Piranha would populate the water ways (which is not true even for Piranha, as this fish will die off in water below 60-65 F, which there in not a body off water even in LA that does not get this cold in the winter.


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