Sheepshead Minnow

Vocabulary

• Salinity –  saltiness or dissolved inorganic salt content of a body of water.
• Detritus – waste or debris of any kind.
• Swim Bladder – an internal gas-filled organ that keeps the fish at a certain depth in the water without having to swim.
• Breeding – the production of offspring (babies) by animals.

Fun Facts

• Male Sheepshead Minnows get shiny and metallic during breeding season only.
• They hibernate in the winter by burying themselves under the soft bottom of the water.
• They are commonly used as bait by recreational fisherman.
• Sheepshead Minnows have been used for pollution studies such as helping to determine the effects of oil spills on marine life.