ypsi~dixit

Wait--the meaning of "aestivate" is a bit different--it means to hibernate or go dormant in the summer (not in the winter). Interesting.

"Bowfin, when caught, should be handled carefully. They are very pugnacious, and consider themselves a match for anything - including a human being. Once in the boat, they will make every attempt they can at biting the fisherman - and they have a mouthful of very sharp teeth."

This fish has got gumption. Grit. The more I read about them the more I like them. No mushy-mouthed, mild-mannered carp here, no sir.

One more cool word: ocellus. It means primitive eye. Bowfins can have ocelli near their tails. But I don't know if in this case ocellus means "functioning primitive eye" or just "eye-shaped colored spot."

Hm, turns out caterpillars have ocelli, too, which can detect light changes but cannot form an image. So caterpillars are functionally blind, just moving through a haze of light and darkness. Weird.

It turns out ocelli can be functioning eyes or just colored eye-spots, and caterpillars can have both. The working ocelli are on their head, and some have big ocelli on their hindparts to make them look like something bigger and more threatening, like a snake. Interesting.

"Sight:
Caterpillars have six pairs of simple eyes (ocelli). Ocelli (also called stemmata) are small, simple eyes that can detect changes in light intensity, but cannot form an image. Ocelli are composed of photoreceptors (light-sensitive cells) and pigments. Ocelli are usually located in two clusters of six eyes on the sides of a larva's head."

I had no idea that Michigan had its own version of the lungfish. Very interesting. I'd like to see more schools and sports teams use the bowfin as a mascot. Bowfin have survived for millions of years, they're apparently mean and somewhat dangerous - who wouldn't want to use the bowfin as a symbol of their tenacity and athletic prowess?



Thanks for the Tuesday morning science lesson, Ypsidixit. Keep 'em coming.

The older I get the more astonished I get at how woefully ignorant I am of the simplest things. But that just means I have a chance to learn.

I have become absolutely captivated by this bizarre and grumpy fish. I will go so far as to say that it has displaced my lovely carpies as the local fish closest to my heart. I read more on bowfins and turns out they will actually LEAP out of the water to bite you if you hover over the surface!

I admire the way they can laugh at drought by using their air bladder to breathe. When other, less-versatile fish are washing up on dried mud, the tough, resourceful bowfin is chilling out in the mud, taking a breather. Chuckling. Biding his time.

I also read a charming description of their high socialibility--it said they'll hang out in groups in the water-weed "stacked like cordwood." They aren't so social to other fish, though--they're piscivorous, like pike are, and prey on smaller fish. I read a description of their teeth as "peglike."

The bowfin. Nobody ya wanna fool around with. I salute this tough, resourceful oldster.

They are pretty fune to catch. Minnows are the best bait. Where creeks meet lakes are the best spot I have found. And when you catch one. It usually means there are a bunch in that spot and it will be a bowfin spot year after year.

PS: I can't fish worth a dam.

It's said they're really fighters, and can easily snap a pole into flinders. Awesome fish.

Cool story. Bonus points for using "archeopteryxes" in a sentence.

I found a page at the DNR that says they're often confused with invasive snakeheads. Seems like that leaping out of the water to bite you would also get them confused with Asian carp, who will leap into boats and into people's faces. Back in my day, it seems like the fish stayed in the water until they were properly caught. ;)

Thank you. :)

They look a lot like snakeheads it's said--I read that, too. But snakeheads are non-native invaders, whereas the noble bowfin is a true Michigan native that's been here since the Jurassic, which is 146-200 million years ago. Other Jurassic animals included the very first birds, plant-eating dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and allosaurs. There were not yet any flowering plants.

Another reason they've survived, in addition to their breathing versatility, is that their diet is also very versatile. They'll eat any sort of insect, crayfish, frog, and other fish.

Versatility seems to be the key to the bowfin's amazing survival.