NY Times Article: Almost Paradise

[mgchan]

Check out this neat article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/01/nyregion/01PARA.html

[ October 01, 2003, 08:26 AM: Message edited by: mgchan ]

 

[zahner]

Saw that too, pretty cool. Wonder if anyone collects those misguided fish since they are going to die anyway. If they are THIS lost, they are probably all male specimens.

 

[mgchan]

Hard to believe this place is so close to us! I was thinking the same thing, the fish should be collected if they're going to die anyway.

 

[marrone]

When I lived in Brooklyn around late August or early September small Butterfly fish, Queen Triggers, French Angels and other smaller fish would appear in the LFS caught by drivers around the area. These fish would get swept up by the gulf stream in the summer months and when the water started to get colder the fish would slow down and make it easy for the drivers to catch them.

 

[House of Laughter]

Mike,

Actually, there is a guy who maintains a tank somewhere near bay 8th with these caught fish - some people I work with have pictures of tangs in this area as well as those small butterfly fish - ironcially, they are not just brought here from the gulf, they hatch here too according to these divers. Who knows though, but it is still pretty kewl. I'll see if I can get my hands on some of the pics to share with everyone.

Jim

 

[marrone]

Jim

It would be nice to see the pictures if the fish are very colorful. Except for the French Angel and Queen Trigger most of the fish that I saw was drab in color. The Queen Triggers were very large.

 

[Crakeur2]

we get all kinds of tropicals in the tanks out in the hamptons. I have a small butterfly in the 180 now that was caught in a killie trap. We've had angels, triggers and a few other carib fish over the years.

 

[House of Laughter]

You'd be surprised what's out there - I used to race with a guy on my team who worked for an Estuary (sp?) non-profit org and he specifically studied mollusks and their reintroduction back into the hudson and NY Bay area, including Jamaica bay - very interesting to talk to and listen to hear whats ACTUALLY out there in these water.

House

 

[Crakeur2]

House, you make it sound like there is alien life in them thar waters.

nessie, white whales etc.

I've been fishing out of the east end my whole life (34 years) and I have seen some bizarre things. the tropical fish have been coming here for years, more so now than before.

 

[mgchan]

My sister-in-law has a place out in Aqueboque (Suffolk County) and in the back by the bay there are snails & hermit crabs. On a whim, I picked up a few this summer and put them into my tank. I'll have to work on identifying what type they are but if they do the same job as the other snails & hermit crabs, why not use them!

Then we'd all have our own local critters that we can use in our tanks!!!

I'll try to take pictures of them and post it.

 

[Crakeur2]

mgchan, tell your sis-in-law to pick up a killie trap and plop it in the water. that's how we get the butterflies, blowfish, etc. Only one butterfly this year but we also snagged some funky killie that is loving the 180.

we snag some seaweed for the tangs too. they love it.

 

[mgchan]

What's a killie trap? I've used a bait trap for catching bait fish like achilles (sp?), is it the same one?

I can picture myself making every excuse to go out there to catch tropical fish and critters! LOL 'Sweetie, don't you miss seeing your sister? I know we were there yesterday, but how about today?'

 

[Crakeur2]

go to any local tackle shop. tell them you need a small killie trap. bait trap, same thing. we use them to hold the live bait between fishing trips. plunk it in the water and wait. We usually have some live bait in them to start so I am assuming that the fish we trap are usually coming in to feast on the dead.

Put the trap in, leave it for a week or two and it should be loaded with life. My dad checks his almost daily and when he finds something worth keeping, he transfers it to a separate trap or into a bait bucket that comes equipped with an aerator (battery operated cheapo). He takes the ride from the hamptons to NYC, on a monday in full traffic, and the fish survive without incident.

 

[mgchan]

I have one of those bait traps and bait bucket. I just need a battery operated aerator.

I'll have to give it a try the next time I'm out there!

 

[House of Laughter]

Crakeur,

Well, no not Nessie - we all now know she doesn't exist - but some of my faculty here dive and have brought in pictures of the butterfiles, tangs, etc that they personally photographed off the bay street #'s bay 8, 4th etc - additionally, there are oysters, lobster beds and a ton more - including rare mollusks in Jamaica Bay - I'll try to see if I can get some pics or links - not talking out of my A** here but from people I have met who know my reef passion - pretyy kewl how it comes all together.

Keep an eye out for them.

Jim

 

[Crakeur2]

house, spiny lobsters or the good, clawed kind? the clawed kind I know of. I've pulled up a trap or two in my day.

Oysters? again, we get tons from Blue Point. Thus the offering of Blue Points at many restaurants around here.


I've watched whales play, fed one that was stranded in Moriches Bay, watched sea turtles feed and I have played with ocean sunfish. Accidentally hooked one of them once. Took forever and a day to get it in so I could remove the hook. friendly animal. ugly as hell.

Nessie Lives