Aquatic Life
How Sheepshead Got Its Name
When I grew up on New York’s Long Island, I knew of a town called Sheepshead Bay. I incorrectly thought it was because the community raised sheep in colonial times, but the town was named for the abundance of an edible fish in the bay there called Sheepshead. The fish got its name because of […]
Florida Drought 2017
It is May 2017 and the Southwest Florida Water Management District has issued Phase 3 water shortage restrictions limiting the use of water for watering lawns and washing cars. The below average rainfall this winter has contributed to the dearth of water. Lakes are receding into shallow ponds concentrating fish, frogs and other aquatic […]
The Fish That Breathes Air
A fisherman filets groupers and red fish at a cleaning station along Kings Bay in Crystal River Florida. He tosses the heads, tails and fish bones into the water where several cormorants gather feast on the scraps as gulls attempt to pluck the scraps from the water. Nothing goes to waste. A large shadowy fish […]
Florida’s Largest Snail in Lake Tsala Apopka
On a recent walk along the lake, Anne pointed out white egg masses “glued” to the stalks and leaves of semi-aquatic plants growing at the edge of the water. “Snail eggs,” I replied. I took a few photographs and examined them at home. They were the egg cases of Florida’s largest fresh water snail – […]
Lake Tsala Apopka – Florida
A chain of lakes, wetlands and islands consisting of 19,000 acres makes up Lake Tsala Apopka. Three large “pools” – the Floral City Pool, the Inverness Pool and the Hernando Pool – are within Tsala Apopka Lake. It is part of the Withlacoochee River system. The chain of lakes was once linked to the river […]
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