Clean Ocean Advocate, April 2009
Coastal Creature Feature
The February creature feature, Scup or Porgey (Stenotomus chrysops), is a small, fiesty fish that prefers temperatures above 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Spawning occurs May to August, and larvae thrive in very shallow estuarine waters. As they grow, the silvery fish inhabits harbors, beaches, and rocky coastal areas and will move farther offshore, migrating to deeper waters in the winter. They are important prey species for cod, bluefish, and other larger fish. Judge Mac Kerel thanks all who submitted guesses and congratulates the contest winner Thomas Olsen of Wall, NJ!
April's creature feature is a type of stinging jellyfish that is found from Cape Cod to Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico. This bell-shaped invertebrate may be white or have pink with reddish stripes and has a feeding tube and tentacles that can be several feet long. The tentacles have microcells that release toxins to kill tiny animals which is also what causes mild to moderate stings to people. This jellyfish feeds non stop on fish eggs, larvae, zooplankton, comb jellies, and other small marine life. For a chance to win a COA T-shirt, submit your guess (one entry per person) to Judge Mac Kerel by mail or fax (18 Hartshorne Dr., Suite 2, Highlands, NJ 07732; 732-872-8041), or using the online form below. Winner to be announced in the April newsletter.
(Coastal Creature Feature appears every other month in the Clean Ocean Advocate.)
PLEASE NOTE: Please only complete and send the following online form ONCE. After clicking "Here's my guess," a new window will appear saying "Thank you for your input!" Your form has been submitted and received; please do not click "Here's my guess" or fill out the form again. The page will reload/refresh.
