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.