Largemouth Bass
The largemouth bass is the undisputed king of freshwater game fish. Although largemouths are now in every one of the lower 48 states, the largemouth bass was originally native to the Mississippi Basin and the Atlantic slope drainages of the Southeast from Florida to North Carolina, just below the Virginia state line. Their current distribution […]
Common Carp
Carp are beloved in their most elegant form – koi – but unfairly maligned as a “common” in their natural state. However, carp are intelligent as fishes go, and can be very long-lived, reportedly surviving over 50 years in captivity. Carp are rightly categorized as bottom feeders, but their diet is mainly herbivorous.
Channel Catfish
Catfish are an iconic group of fishes. They inhabit nearly every aquatic habitat across the world; a testament to their adaptability and biological success. Virginia has several catfishes but the channel is likely most popular; they are good to eat, large enough to catch for sport and found statewide.
Longnose Gar
Gars have existed for more than 200 million years and look like it; they are heavily armored with thick interlocking scales, and they possess formidable teeth. Those teeth come in handy as gar lie motionless snapping their long toothy jaws on unsuspecting prey, from which prey rarely escapes.
Bowfin
Bowfin are an ancient species well suited to swamp life. They can withstand very high water temperatures and very low oxygen by gulping surface air. Although they are largely disregarded by fishermen as table fare, bowfin are tenacious and powerful fish.
Yellow Tang
The yellow tang is a common tropical herbivore that uses its tubular mouth and rasping teeth the scrape algae off rocks and coral. Though generally not aggressive, tangs will be territorial against each other and are best kept singly.
Yellow Tail Blue Damsel
This small damsel is relatively peaceful for a damsel and strikingly colored, making them a very popular species in home aquaria.
Mushroom Leather Coral
There are many similar species in this Genus that can only be identified by differences in their polyp stalk and caps. The common name refers to its shape; often called a toadstool or trough coral as well.
Flame Angel
A strikingly colored angelfish, this species is popular for its beauty and small size, rarely exceeding 3 inches.
Bubbletip Anemone
This large anemone is actually highly mobile and may even split into multiple animals overnight.
Ocean surgeonfish
Ocean surgeonfish is a common subtropical fish found among wrecks and coral reefs in the Atlantic Ocean. They are named “surgeonfish” after the razor sharp bone spurs or “scalpels” on both sides of the base of the tail.
Windowpane Flounder
Windowpanes resemble their flounder cousins, except they are generally smaller and broader, forming a rhomboid shape.
