3. Superclass Gnathostomata, Class Osteichtyes: Bony Fish | | |
Family Anguillidae: Fresh-water Eels | | |
Anguilla rostrate | American Eel | native; fresh and brackish water; known from most ponds and brooks and one pond on Nomans Land Island. |
Family Clupeidae: Herrings | | |
Alosa aestivalis | Blue-back Herring | native; fresh and brackish water; known from several large coastal ponds. |
Alosa pseudoharengus | Alewife | native; fresh and brackish water; known from several large ponds. |
Family Engraulidae: Anchovy Family | | |
Anchoa mitchelli | Bay Anchovy | native; primarily a marine species but found occasionally in fresh/brackish ponds such as Chilmark Pond and Menemsha Pond. |
Family Cyprinidae: Carps and Minnows | | |
Notemigonus crysoleucus | Golden Shiner | native; fresh water only; known from two sites in West Tisbury and Chilmark. |
Family Ictaluridae: Bullhead Catfish | | |
Ameiurus nebulosus | Brown Bullhead | native; fresh water only; found in three island ponds in the moranial hills of West Tisbury and Tisbury. |
Family Esocidae: Pikes and Pickerels | | |
Stizostedion vitreum | Walleye Pike | fresh water only; introduced into Squibnocket Pond in the 1930's; now extirpated. |
Esox americanus | Redfin Pickerel | native; fresh water only; found in one pond in the West Tisbury moranial hills. |
Esox niger | Chain Pickerel | native; fresh water only; known from at least seven island ponds mostly in the moranial hills. |
Family Osmeridae: Smelts | | |
Osmerus mordax | Rainbow Smelt | native; salt and brackish water primarily; has been known to enter Squibnocket Pond when it was open to the sea; currently believed extirpated from there. |
Family Salmonidae: Salmon and Trout | | |
Oncorhynchus mykiss | Rainbow Trout | fresh water only; about 1 into Upper Chilmark Pond sometime between 1916 and 1950; now believed extirpated |
Salmo trutta | Brown Trout | fresh water only; introduced into Upper Lagoon Pond regularly since 1970; still present. |
Salvelinus fontinalis | Brook Trout | native; fresh water only; known from at least 12 island ponds and streams; individuals in some brooks such as Roaring Brook in Chilmark are dwarf forms known for over a century and probably have been present at least since the island separated from the mainland. |
Family Gadidae: Cods | | |
Microgadus tomcod | Atlantic Tomcod | native; brackish water primarily; known from two sites in Chilmark and West Tisbury. |
Family Belonidae: Needlefish | | |
Stronglura marina | Atlantic Needlefish | native; primarily salt water but found in brackish ponds and estuaries from July to October primarily to spawn; known from two island sites. |
Family Fundulidae: Killifish | | |
Fundulus diaphanous | Banded Killifish | native; fresh water only; known from at least ten island sites; in all towns but Edgartown |
Fundulus heteroclitus | Mummichog | native; primarily in brackish to salt water; known from most major coastal ponds on the island. Possibly the species seen at Nomans Land Island. |
Lucania parva | Rainwater Killifish | native; primarily fresh water but also brackish water in salt-marshes; known from most south shore island ponds and a few fresh water streams. |
Family Cyprinodontidae: Minnows | | |
Cyprinodon variegatus | Sheepshead Minnow | native; a fresh-water species elsewhere but in MA primarily found in brackish and salt water bays and estuaries; found in several south shore ponds Katama Bay Lake Tashmoo and the Lagoon; near the very north end of its East Coast distribution. |
Family Atherinopsidae: Silversides | | |
Menidia beryllina | Inland Silverside | native; mostly in brackish to salt water; found regularly in most island coastal ponds, bays, and estuaries. Uncommon local and cyclic north of Cape Cod. |
Menidia menidia | Atlantic Silverside | native; mostly in brackish water in coastal ponds, bays, and estuaries; common in such island localities. |
Family Mugilidae: Mullets | | |
Mugil cephalus | Striped Mullet | native; mostly in brackish water in coastal ponds, bays, and estuaries; known from Menemsha Pond the Lagoon Sengekontacket Pond and Tisbury Great Pond. |
Family Gasterosteidae: Sticklebacks | | |
Apeltes quadracus | Fourspine Stickleback | native; primarily in brackish salt marshes and tidal creeks; known from most south coast ponds and all brackish bays. |
Gasterosteus aculeatus | Threespine Stickleback | native; primarily salt water until spawning season in spring and early summer when it regularly enters brackish areas; known from Menemsha and Tisbury Great Ponds; the trimorphic fresh water form is a Threatened species in MA. |
Pungitius pungitius | Ninespine Stickleback | native; primarily in brackish water in salt marshes and coastal streams; known from at least nine sites in such island localities. |
Family Syngnathidae: Pipefishes | | |
Syngnathus fuscus | Northern Pipefish | native; primarily in salt water but regularly enters brackish bays and estuaries; known from Tisbury and Edgartown Great Ponds and Katama Bay especially August to October. |
Family Moronidae: Striped Bass Family | | |
Morone americana | White Perch | native; found in fresh brackish and salt water; known from three south shore coastal ponds and Menemsha Pond. |
Family Centrarchidae: Sunfish | | |
Enneacanthus obesus | Banded Sunfish | native; heavily vegetated fresh water only; found at two sites in West Tisbury in 1988. |
Lepomis macrochirus | Bluegill | originally introduced into Upper Chilmark Pond before 1980 but now thought to be extirpated; known from one West Tisbury site. |
Micropterus dolomieu | Smallmouth Bass | formerly introduced into Upper Chilmark and Squibnocket Ponds but now believed extirpated. |
Micropterus salmoides | Largemouth Bass | formerly introduced into Upper Chilmark Pond but now believed extirpated; found at one West Tisbury site. |
Pomoxis nigromaculatus | Black Crappie | records are from eDNA data collected in 2017 from Looks Pond in West Tisbury |
Family Percidae: Perch | | |
Etheostoma fusiforme | Swamp Darter | native; heavily vegetated fresh water only; known from two ponds in the moranial hills. |
Etheostoma olmstedi | Tessellated Darter | native; only in flowing fresh water streams of Chilmark and West Tisbury; known from five sites. |
Perca flavescens | Yellow Perch | native; fresh water ponds and slow-moving streams only; known from at least nine island ponds. |
Family Carangidae: Jacks | | |
Caranx hippos | Crevalle Jack | native; primarily salt water but often enters brackish bays; known from Menemsha Pond. |
Family Achiridae: American Sole Family | | |
Trinectes maculatus | Hogchoker | native; found in brackish estuaries and coastal streams influenced by the tide; known from Tisbury Great Pond. |