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Exploring South Carolina Fish  

Created by Dr. Ed Donovan

Science Lab Teacher

Beech Springs Intermediate School

200 South Danzler Road

Duncan, SC 29334-0800

donovaep@spart5.k12.sc.us or scieddie@aol.com

during July, 2000

INTRODUCTION

Graphics borrowed from: http://www.animfactory.com

Most students in South Carolina have been fishing or have a family member who has fished.  We have all heard tales of the enormous fish that got away.  In South Carolina, we are fortunate to have a variety of habitats for wildlife ranging from the coastal area to the midlands and the piedmont region and finally the mountains.  The four primary drainage basins, Santee, Savannah, Pee Dee and the ACE in South Carolina, the man-made lakes and the extensive coastal area makes our state an excellent place for freshwater and saltwater fish.  In a 1991 study of the distribution of freshwater fishes of South Carolina, James Bulak reported that there are 126 different species of freshwater fish in SC streams.  This study reported that bluegill, redbreast sunfish and warmouth were found in 44 of the 46 South Carolina counties.  There were fifteen fish species found only in one county.  He discovered that fish species abundance ranged from 71 species in Kershaw County to only 20 species in Spartanburg County streams.

  The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, also known as the “SCDNR”, has made two fish posters available to state citizens.  These posters, “South Carolina Freshwater Fishes” and “South Carolina Marine Fishes,” contain detailed color pictures of 37 freshwater fish and 60 marine fish found in South Carolina.  In creating these posters, SC DNR has selected 97 of the most common fish in South Carolina to demonstrate the wide variety of fish in our state.

                If you were to ask yourself to identify ten fish found in South Carolina, could you?  How about five freshwater fish or five saltwater fish?  Could you identify at least one migratory fish in South Carolina?  Migratory refers to those fish that live part of their lives in a marine environment, but return to freshwater streams and rivers to spawn.  In the case of the American Eel, they spawn in the ocean and live the rest of their lives in freshwater.  Could you name the South Carolina State fish? How about the State Gamefish?  If you can name a South Carolina fish, could you also describe the fish’s life cycle?  How about their habits and habitat?  What they eat?  If given a drawing of a typical freshwater or marine fish, could you identify the major external fish structures?  Probably most of us could not successfully answer these suggested questions, unless they are avid fishermen.  In fact, the majority of South Carolina adults probably could not answer these questions.  What does this mean to our citizenry?  It probably tells us that we need to do a better job of teaching students about the wildlife found in South Carolina.  We are so fortunate to live in a state with a great diversity of habitats and wildlife.  As good stewards of the environment, it is critical that we have knowledge and understanding of the creatures that inhabit the “Mountains to the Sea.”  Since most of us have had experiences with fish, or have had family share fishing stories with us, learning about South Carolina fish may be a great place to start.

ALL GRAPHICS EXCEPT THOSE OTHERWISE NOTED ARE FROM VARIOUS PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED BY THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES.

        Much of the web information was taken from a South Carolina Project WILD Supplementary Teacher Activity Guide written by Dr. Ed Donovan in 1998. The development of this supplementary teacher activity guide was funded by the Harry Hampton Memorial Wildlife Fund and SCDNR.  It is being considered for publication by the SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES  for the following Project WILD activities: Hooks and Ladders, Aquatic Project WILD, page 76; Fashion a Fish, Aquatic Project WILD, page 88.

 

Additional Aquatic Project WILD Activities Addressed: Fishy Who’s Who, page 86; Migration Headache, page 94; Net Gain, Net Effect, page 104;

Where Have All The Salmon Gone?, page 110

 

Additional Project WILD Activities Addressed: Migration Barriers, page 262; Who Lives Here?, page 174; Planting Animals, page 176