Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: clarki on May 02, 2023, 09:29:54 PM
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Over the weekend I attended a talk by biologist David Hancock https://hancockwildlife.org/ about eagles in South Surrey, the highest concentration of nesting bald eagles in the world, he says.
He attributed the density partly to the plainfin midshipman that breed in the intertidal zone of Boundary Bay. One, I had only heard of the midshipman in passing and two, I had no idea of the important role the fish played in the diets of eagles and their eaglets.
I learned about the midshipman during Mr Hancock's talk and then did some further digging...
* most of the year the midshipman live in the depths, up to several hundred metres deep, but they migrate to shore to spawn in the intertidal zone.
* I thought it was a sculpin but it's actually a species of toadfish
* the midshipman spawns in May June which coincides with the eagle's nesting season
* in the depths the midshipman is bioluminescent. It has rows of photopores along it's flank. These photopores look like buttons on the uniform of a naval midshipman, hence the name.
* The midshipman hides under rocks or buries itself in the sand/mud at low tide. It can breathe through it's skin when not in water
*the midshipman vocalizes during the breeding season. If you are on the beach at low tide, you can hear them grunt or hum
It's been interesting learning about midshipman and the significant role they play in the diet of seashore nesting eagles.
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Thanks, that was interesting.
It also helps explain why, one late May day some years back, I was poking about on the beach south of Crescent Beach during a low tide and counted over 30 eagles out on the sand flats.
according to Wikipedia it can grow to about 15 inches (38cm). It certain does look like a sculpin with shiny bright buttons.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porichthys_notatus
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It also helps explain why, one late May day some years back, I was poking about on the beach south of Crescent Beach during a low tide and counted over 30 eagles out on the sand flats.
Be careful poking about the beach, some people fishing might thing you are odd and looking for drugs...
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Be careful poking about the beach, some people fishing might thing you are odd and looking for drugs...
Ha ha! I actually was fishing but didn't want to admit it.
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Be careful poking about the beach, some people fishing might thing you are odd and looking for drugs...
Or trying to hop a ride on a BNSF train
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I always ride Amtrak... there is a decent bar car.