Species

This is the protected NJ black-banded sunfish. I would not have held it out of the water had I known what it was right away but it’s still cool to see, and another new species for the books!

****Note: Per NJ law these fish were quickly released once identified as protected species****
Species #2 (final species on hook and line) from the Pine Barrens on Saturday (Aug. 6th), my first ever Blackbanded Sunfish!! Managed to catch 2 of these beautiful micro sunfish on a tanago hook baited with a tiny piece of worm. I also dipnetted more of the sunfish and various other unique species such as swamp darters and chubsuckers. If you ever catch one of these beautiful NJ native sunfish (Banded, Blackbanded, Bluespotted, Mud) make sure to handle them with care and quickly release them as they are a protected species in the state of NJ. 

I caught this guy using my net at Scotland run. They are a new species for me. And if you ever visit the Scotland run nature center, You could see this little guy swimming around.

OMG!!! This is crazy!! No idea why these were in the water body i was at, but Species 93, and very unexected, the black banded sunfish!! Such a beautiful fish!! Just insane!!

The Blackbanded sunfish is a small freshwater fish native to the eastern United States. It typically measures 2-3 inches long and weighs less than 0.1 pounds. Characterized by its striking black vertical bands, it inhabits slow-moving waters with dense vegetation. Its diet consists mainly of small invertebrates. Known for its shy behavior, it often hides among aquatic plants.

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