Source: Maria Rasche 2010.
Source: Maria Rasche 2010.
Source: Maria Rasche 2010.
Source: Maria Rasche 2010.
I spent much time observing the pond at the Arboretum. At my nature spot, I observed many different animals. While there were several insects and birds swimming around, and I saw rabbits and squirrels hopping past, the animals I observed most were the fish in the actual pond. It was pretty difficult to look at the fish to determine what specific type they were, so I contacted Mr. Michael Girvins, the manager of Grounds Maintenance at Indiana University. While the pond has never been officially stocked, I found, with the help of Mr. Girvins, the following fish there:
One of the fish found in the pond is the Carassius auratus, commonly known as the goldfish (FINS 2009). Another fish found was the Lepomis macrochirus Rafinesque, or bluegill (Rend Lake Sporting Good n.d.). A third type of fish was the Cyprinus carpio, or carp (Indiana DNR 2005). The fourth type of fish discovered in the pond was possibly Micropterus dolmieui, or a small-mouth bass (Rend Lake Sporting Good n.d.).
The fish I saw most of was the bluegill. Bluegill are "deep, slab-sided" fish and have "joined dorsal fins that appear as one" (Fish Rap News 2010). Bluegill's diets generally begin with zooplankton and then aquatic insects. Because of their small mouths, they traditionally only consume insects and other small organisms (Rend Lake Sporting Good 2009). On the surface of the water, much algae can be seen. This is probably often times the what helps to feed the fish in the pond.
According to Rend Lake Sporting Group, “Bluegill is the most abundant and widespread member of the sunfish family. It is found in nearly all waters of the state but is far more abundant in lakes and ponds than in streams and rivers” (n.d.). As described on this website, I found a decent amount of bluegill in the pond in the Arboretum.
References
Fish Information Service (FINS). 2009. http://fins.actwin.com/index.php
Fish Rap News. 2010. http://www.fishrapnews.com/species/speciesinfo.aspx?x=26
Indiana DNR. 2005. http://www.in.gov/dnr/files/COMMON_CARP.pdf
Rend Lake Sporting Good. n.d. http://rendlakesportinggood.tripod.com
