Fish of the Week!
Episodes
Bringin' Bloater Back!
05 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We're bringing bloater back...Go ahead and tell them skinny fishes that...'Cause every inch of bloater's perfect from the bottom to the top (sha-wop, ...
Lake Trout: Lacustrine Lunker!
30 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Explore the past, present and future of the Lake Trout that inhabit North America's Great Lakes. Larry Miller with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service'...
Greatest Rock Basses of All Time
22 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you've come here for music, all we've got is fish (sorry no John Paul Jones or Flea). Special back stage pass to meet the four members of Ambloplit...
C'waam: Lost River Sucker
15 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Get to know the endangered Klamath C'waam (Lost River Sucker) with guests Don Gentry (a Natural Resources Specialist with the Klamath Tribes) and Jane...
Swordfish: Lessons From Sea
08 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Meet a ridiculously strong and fast fish who can warm its eyes and slash its prey. Swordfish boat captain and best-selling author Linda Greenlaw share...
All Aboard! Season 4
01 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's a new year, and we have no shortage of new fish and guests! Jump on board as we reflect on Season 3 and go behind the scenes, cast our line towar...
Snowflake Moray Eel!
25 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meet a fascinating fish that can swallow its prey on land! From California to Hawaii and beyond, Snowflake Morays are an important player in both the ...
Bonytail Chub: Pencil-Peduncled Piscine!
18 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meet the Bonytail Chub: an Endangered Colorado River fish with a pencil-thin peduncle and a penchant for wetlands. Zane Olson with our Ouray National ...
Cabezon: Through the Photographer's Lens
11 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meet the Cabezon! This large "introverted" sculpin is found along the Pacific Coast of North America. National Geographic photographer Kiliii Yuyan br...
Texas' Fountain Darter
04 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Whether you're on campus or tubing or just curious about fish, get to know the Fountain Darter, a little Endangered fish found only in Texas' San Marc...
Atlantic Tarpon: Silver King
27 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From the Florida Keys to the Sistine Chapel, this prized saltwater fish has been getting into people's heads for centuries. Author and tarpon fly fish...
Lahontan Cutthroat Trout of Pyramid Lake
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Visit Kooyooe Pa'a Panunadu (also known as Pyramid Lake) and get to know the Agi/Lahontan Cutthroat Trout! Whether it's a big or small one on the end ...
Cui-ui: Pyramid Lake Suckers
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meet a beautiful, long-lived sucker found nowhere else on Earth except Nevada's Pyramid Lake (known also as Kooyooe Paβa Panunadu/"Cui-ui Standing W...
Pacific Herring: Haida/TlingΓt Perspective
06 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When it's herring egg weather, a snow flurry may usher in blue skies that quickly cloud up and castdown rain or snow. Boats are readied and hemlock br...
Hagfish: DIY Slime Machine!
30 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meet the Hagfishes! Their superpower is producing a ridiculous amount of slime in just a fraction of a second. Dr. Douglas Fudge from Chapman Universi...
Wolf Eel: "Grandpa" Fish
23 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meet the Wolf Eel: an extraordinary fish with a face resembling that of an old man. An aquarist, museum curator, and diver bring their perspectives ab...
Marvelous Midwest Muskies (Muskellunge)
16 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meet the Muskellunge, a so-called "green railroad tie with fins" that might inspire you to cast a ridiculously huge lure ten thousand times. Jordan We...
Humphead (Napoleon) Wrasse!
09 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Weβd like to welcome you to the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument and introduce you to an enormous coral reef fish: the Humphead (AKA ...
Atlantic Cod!
02 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Award-winning author Mark Kurlansky joins Katrina and Guy to celebrate the Atlantic Cod, a "down to earth" fish that once reached sizes rivaling the m...
Arapaima: Astronomical Air-Breathing Fish
25 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Get to know the largest freshwater scaled fish with a face that looks like a topographical map of Mars: the Arapaima. Wait, there's more! Their swim b...
Puerto Rico's Spectacular Sicydium Gobies
18 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Get to know Puerto Ricoβs migratory and waterfall-climbing Sicydium gobies! These amphidromous fishes are an essential part of Caribbean streams and...
Beautiful Brook Trout
11 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From its vermiculated dorsum all the way to its vermillion ventrum, the Brook Trout is a most charming fish! Guests Emily Hill and Tom Hoffman are her...
Fishing Adventures: Special Episode!
04 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For one week and one week only Katrina and Guy discuss some of their recent best fishing adventures and what they learned. Come along as they continue...
Atlantic Sturgeon: Humongous Among Us
28 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Like dinosaurs? Aerial acrobats? Sensitive barbeled snoots? Get to know the Atlantic Sturgeon with special guests Albert Spells and Steve Minkkinen. T...
Ultimate Goth Sucker (Hogsuckers)!
21 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you're into an intimate, small stream "mini golf style fishing experience" with gothic vibes, you'll want to make time for the hogsuckers! The oxbl...
Candy Darter: Sweet Appalachian Fish
14 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meet the Endangered Candy Darter, one sweet Appalachian fish we'd like to see more of! Guests Andrew Phipps from our White Sulphur Springs National Fi...
Yukon River Chinook: A Gwichya Gwich'in Perspective
07 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Arctic Youth Ambassador Mackenzie Englishoe from Gwichyaa Zhee (Fort Yukon, Alaska) brings her Gwichya Gwichβin perspective about Yukon River C...
Common Carp: Dog of Fish
31 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hated by some, revered by others, get to know a fish with a rich history. From Heather the Leather to Christmas traditions, one thing is for certain.....
Tennessee's Pretty Little Barrens Topminnow
24 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about a flat place where herds of bison and elk once grazed and a gorgeous little endangered fish is now being squeezed between a rock and a har...
The Slow, Old Greenland Shark!
17 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you're feeling old and slow today, the Greenland Shark has you beat! In addition to being the largest Arctic fish and one of the slowest swimming s...
Pygmy Sunfish: The Mini Seven
10 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meet a miniaturized group of brightly-colored fishes (jet black and electric blue anyone??) with a wiggle-waggle dance and love for tea-colored blackw...
Mooneyes & Goldeyes: Alien Curiosity
03 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Minnesota guests and fish enthusiasts Eric Kolcinski and Tony Schollmeier bring their angling perspectives and enthusiasm for the uniquely shiny-eyed ...
Goliath Grouper: Volkswagen Beetle of Fishes
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Maxing out at around 800 pounds and eight feet long, the weight of this fish is comparable to an adult grizzly bear, American bison, or grand piano......
Mariana Snailfish: Trench Fish Extraordinaire
20 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Buckle up for a trip down into the Mariana Trench to discover an amazing fish living miles beneath the surface! Learn the brilliant ways these fish su...
Flathead Catfish: Chocolate, Cavities, and Constantine Samuel Rafinesque
12 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you cavity search a river or reservoir, you might meet the business end of a Flathead Catfish! In this episode, we share our favorite anatomical fe...
Red Snapper
05 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Big head, broad shoulders, red emerging from deep blue. Greg Stunz (AKA Dr. Snapper) joins Katrina and Guy to chat about a beautiful, tasty, and coope...
Bluegill: The Gateway Fish
29 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A sunny fish with a pan-shaped profile, the Bluegill is an excellent "gateway" fish into fishing! Their widespread abundance and ease of being fooled ...
The Colorado River's Mega Minnow (Colorado Pikeminnow!)
22 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Take a step back in time and imagine the possibility of casting a bird or rabbit into the Ovaltine-colored water of the Colorado River and reeling in ...
The Man-Sized "Megafishes"
15 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dive in with the world's largest freshwater fishes on a special "megafish" episode. Our guest is Zeb Hogan: big fish enthusiast, researcher, author, h...
Something Fishy: Freshwater Mussels
08 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Is it a fish? A lure? Why is it attached to that freshwater mussel?? There's something fishy about the Unionid mussel family, and we're going to help ...
Tuna: a Hawaiian Perspective
01 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From pre-contact times to today, tuna have interacted with the people of Hawaii. William Aila shares his knowledge about traditional and contemporary ...
Ancient Eats: Royal Lamprey Pie!
24 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you travel from Alaska to the Eastern Seaboard and across the pond to England, you're in lamprey country! Lampreys are an important First Food for ...
Roanoke Logperch
17 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You'll love this aloof little fish with the bulbous, piggy snout. Roanoke Logperches are built for rooting around and flipping things over in search o...
River Herring Return: A Spring Wonder
10 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Do you like eagles and ospreys? Seals? Striped bass, bluefish and tuna? Add alewives and blueback herring to your list (collectively called "river her...
Herbivore and More: The Chiselmouth!
03 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meet a lesser-known (but not less cool) Pacific Northwest fish with a unique face and primarily herbivorous feeding behavior. Chiselmouth enthusiast D...
Mexican Tetra: Surface Swimming to Spelunking
27 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Beautiful on the surface and fascinating underground, the Mexican Tetra has an incredible story as told by our guests Dr. Paty Ornelas from the Univer...
Freshwater Drum: Thank Your Lucky Stones
20 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Freshwater Drum (AKA "sheepshead") has a song to sing and a story to tell. Fishermen Drew Geving and Josh Knuth of Native Fish for Tomorrow recall...
Char-dcore Dolly Varden: Isolated Arctic Dwarfs
13 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meet the little Dolly Varden char that eke out their living in the perennial springs of Northeast Alaska. Here, these amazing freshwater oases hold th...
The All-Female Amazon Molly
06 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Amazon mollies are an all-female fish named after the tribe of warlike women in Greek mythology. However, the females do require sperm, so they do hav...
Yellow Perch: Friday Fish Fry
27 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Yellow Perch enthusiast Erin Huggins joins us to talk about "the people's fish" (it's a real beauty). We hope you're hungry and ready to hear about a ...
Lionfish! Not Your Mane Squeeze
20 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You: minding your business. Lionfish: corners you with flamboyant fins, shoots a jet of water at your lateral line. You: discombobulated. Lionfish: st...
California Killifish: Wee King of the Salt Marsh
13 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meet a serious player in the salt-marsh ecosystems of the Pacific coast! You'll find the Cali Killi migrating with the tides and feeding everything fr...
Sacramento Perch: California's Heritage Sunfish!
06 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meet the only Centrarchid endemic to California! This underappreciated and intriguing game fish continues to swim under the radar in its native Califo...
Razorback Sucker: Colorado River Livin'
30 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Looking sharp! Maybe the "razor" of this Colorado River fish serves as a keel. Or perhaps it deters another local fish (the Colorado Pikeminnow) from ...
Rainbow Trout!
23 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Taste the rainbow, or just enjoy its opportunistic and adventurous spirit! Learn the fate of a family of misfortunate shrews in Alaska; where rainbows...
Opah! Warmest Fish in the Cold Blue Sea
16 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This polka-dotted piscine anomaly is the only fish known to science capable of whole-body endothermy. Dr. Nick Wegner from our sister agency NOAA Fish...
Lingcod: Pacific Coast "Buckethead"
09 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Get to know the largest member of the greenling family. Alaska Department of Fish and Game guests Donnie Arthur and Brittany Blain join Katrina and Gu...
Reflections & Casting Forward
02 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As we reflect on bright spots from Season 2, we also cast our lines towards Season 3 and #AllTheFish we're excited to cover!
Walleyes!
26 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Usher in the new year with a popular, shiny-eyed North American fish and our very own take on the "Walleye Drop" (who needs a ball when you can have a...
Goldfish Gone Wild
19 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How well do you REALLY know your goldfish? We have some real suprises for you! Christine Boston from Fisheries and Oceans Canada joins Katrina and Guy...
Special 100th! Pallid Sturgeon
12 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hi. Pallid Sturgeon here. Just been hanging out doing sturgeon things since before the dinosaurs went extinct...Migrating. Living a long time. Growing...
America's Pickerels
05 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Get to know the ornery little cousins of the Northern Pike and Musky: the pickerels!
Broad Whitefish: Trade & Tablefare
28 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dried, boiled, or frozen with seal oil, the broad whitefish is a vital table fare here in Alaska. Ernest Nageak brings his IΓ±upiat perspective to the...
Blue Sucker: Fish Nerd's Fish
20 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Meet the linebacker of the suckers with the redonkulous peduncle...the musky of the Catostomids...papa papillose himself...THE BLUE SUCKER!! Guests T....
Prince of Wales Island Sockeye Salmon
14 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Head to Prince of Wales Island, Alaskaβa temperate rainforest where moss grows thick on giant trees and Sockeye Salmon are the "lifeblood" of this s...
First Food: Pacific Lamprey
07 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's not a flute. That jawless mouth is not an embouchure hole and those arenβt finger holes either...they lead to gills. It's a Pacific Lamprey. Fi...
Beneath the City: North America's Blindcats
31 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Learn what's swimming deep beneath San Antonio. Hint: Satan's not alone down there! Dr. Dean Hendrickson (Curator of Ichthyology at the University of ...
Goblin Sharks: Life in the Slow Lane
24 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's deep. It's dark. A big, soft, pink body is barely disturbing the water. You don't even know it's coming. You're not worried. Then its jaws shoot ...
Utah's One and Only June Sucker
17 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Head to the former "greatest sucker pond in the universe" where old timey ichthyologist David Starr Jordan once got his boat stuck on a shoal of sucke...
Arizona-Grown Apache Trout
10 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Picture it: a small, high elevation stream surrounded by ponderosa pines, Douglas fir and aspens. A beautiful spotted Arizona native trout. Get to kno...
Tennessee's Snail Darter
05 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This little brown fish with a penchant for escargot has one of the most interesting legal histories in the United States. Katrina ...
Molas: solar-powered fish with jellies in their bellies
26 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The mega-sized Molas like the ocean sunfish may look like lazy half fish with no tails. But don't be fooled! They have an active agenda and are capabl...
Fish On! Falling for Fallfish
19 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You're going to totally fall for this brassy, aggressive underdog sometimes referred to as the Shenandoah Tarpon or James River Bonefish. Join Katrina...
Scraping & Shimmering: The Stonerollers
12 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Retired Kennesaw State University biology professor Bill Ensign joins Katrina and Guy to chat about a splendid group of fishes called the stonerollers...
Flying Fish!
05 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When you're prey for fast underwater predators sometimes the best option is to catch an updraft and leave them behind! Katrina and Guy dig into the fl...
Gone Fishing!
22 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We'll be back September 5th. Get out there and enjoy all the fish!
Channel Catfish!
15 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you're a catfish, and there's a party, how will you enjoy the cake? We'll answer this question and delve into the superhero-ish senses of this popu...
Alaska's Wild Salmon: An UnangaxΜ Perspective
08 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Maria Dosal, an UnangaxΜ mother and fisherman from King Cove, Alaska who now resides in Dillingham shares her perspectives and love for Alaska's wild...
The Rio Grande (Texas) Cichlid
01 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Texas fly fisherman and guide Chris Johnson joins the conversation about the United State's only native cichlid. Learn all about the ecology of this b...
Long Valley Speckled Dace: A Cryptic Desert Fish
25 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Cryptic desert fishes...they're so cool! Katrina and Guy chat with Rosa Cox and Kaylan Hager about a type of dace with a unique population found in th...
Lumpsuckers: Nature's Cutest Suction Cup
18 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Get to know a group of orb-like marine fishes called lumpsuckers! Ketchikan, Alaska artist Ray Troll joins Katrina and Guy to share his love for these...
Great Lakes Cisco (Lake Herring)
11 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Pack your bags, we're headed to the Michigan side of Lake Huron to talk Coregonus artedii with fisheries biologist Kevin McDonnell. This silvery fish ...
Crappies!
04 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Katrina and Guy have a crappie (not crappy) conversation about the two species of North American freshwater fish in the genus Pomoxis...the black and ...
Alaska Pollock: Face Behind Ye Fillet o' Fish
27 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Meet the fish likely behind ye fillet o'fish, your favorite fish sticks, and surimi: the Alaska Pollock, a fish who finds its home in the north P...
The Percussive Red Drum (redfish)
20 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Whether you prefer a good drum circle around your kayak or going on a Cajun sleigh ride, this percussive coastal fish will have you hooked! Katrina an...
Topeka Shiner: Little Fish, Big Story
13 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
From oxbows to farmers and a must-visit hatchery, this little fish has a big story to tell. Guests Roderick May from our Neosho National Fish Hat...
Big Skates: Roombas of the Ocean
06 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Meet the largest skate in the waters off North America with a very clever name (Big Skate). These "Roombas of the ocean" can reach the size of an aver...
Bigmouth Buffalo: Misunderstood Centenarian Fish
30 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This exceptional fish can live to be well over 100 years old and still be advancing into its prime as it approaches centenarian status! Reaching a siz...
Gambusia (Mosquitofish)
23 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
No guests, just two friendly fish nerds chatting about gambusia. This mosquito-killing, live-birthing relative of popular aquarium fish like guppies, ...
American Shad: Running Silver
16 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
American shad/Oh the migrations you've had/Rivers ran silver. Katrina and Guy talk migratory fish, rivers and history with John Waldman, an&...
Redeye Bass: "Trout of Alabama"
09 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's not just trout that live in beautiful places. Redeye bass (commonly called the βtrout of Alabamaβ according to this episode's guest) can be f...
Moi of Molokai (Pacific Threadfin)
02 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Uncle Mac Poepoe and Hi'ilei Kawelo share their Hawaiian perspectives about Moi (Pacific Threadfin) and the fishponds of Molokai.
Bowfin: Beauty Beneath the Bow
25 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Katrina and Guy talk talk bowfin with Tony Brady from Welaka National Fish Hatchery in Florida. This aggressive, neat fish is the only living member o...
Pacific Footballfish: A Deep Sea Treasure
18 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This big, black blob of a fish comes with its own fishing rod! Dr. Ben Frable (Scripps Institution of Oceanography) and Dr. Bill Ludt (Natural History...
Ugiidatli (Sicklefin Redhorse): A Cherokee Perspective
11 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Cherokee people call this large southeastern fish Ugiidatli ("wears/has a feather"). Redhorses, including the Sicklefin, are also sometimes referr...
Rio Grande Suckers
04 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When Gunnison sage-grouse are all puffed up and strutting their stuff on the lekking grounds, the Rio Grande Sucker is putting on its coat and getting...
The Southeast's Secretive Smoky Madtom
28 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Like annual flowers, most Smoky Madtoms only live a year. One of the smallest of the madtom catfishes, these cuties can also sting like a bee. Katrina...
West Virginia's Diamond Darter
21 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Shine bright like a diamond...darter. Katrina and Guy head to West Virginia to meet the man who described and named the sparkly, nocturnal Diamond Dar...
Pacific Salmon (with a side of Striped Bass) with Jeff Corwin
14 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
American biologist and wildlife conservationist Jeff Corwin joins Katrina and Guy to talk about Pacific salmon and some of his Atlantic Coast faves. F...
Coelacanths!
07 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Katrina and Guy depart from their usual focus on North American fishes to talk about the coelacanth, a fish different from all the rest. The conversat...