Calling All Fish Biologists,

Myself, Dr. Marty Hamel with the University of Georgia and fellow biologist from North Carolina, Kevin Dockendorf are in the process of hopefully pulling together a standard weight equation and standard length categories for the Flier (Centrarchus macropterus). Georgia has a popular and very abundant population of Flier residing in the Okefenokee Swamp. North Carolina also has several well established coastal populations from the Dismal swamp all the way down to South Carolina . Flier typically inhabit low PH, typically very acidic, tannic, blackwaters and can live in lakes, rivers, backwater swamps, creeks. Kevin recently helped put together a excellent video with Carolina ALL OUT on North Carolina Flier fishing. See the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGwyoX_B2DU

The Flier is found in the southern part of the United States along the Atlantic seaboard from the Potomac River drainage in Maryland, where it was most likely introduced down to central Florida. It is then found along the Gulf of Mexico drainages as far west as the Trinity River, Texas, and then north in Mississippi River system to above the fall line in southern Illinois and southern Indiana.

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We are looking for TL (mm) and weight (g) data in the following 16 states (FL, GA, SC, NC, MS, TX, ILL, IND, KY, AL, ARK, OK, MZ, TN, VA, MD).

We prefer data that has a associated date and GPS coordinates, to help us fill out the data distribution map for the eventual manuscript.

This equation would come in handy for university and agency field staff when attempting to assess proper condition and size structure of any Flier population needing to be managed.

We are not in a rush to secure data, as this is typically a year-long process of pestering folks until they find the time to dig up the data or even go and try to catch some data (either with electrofishing or better yet hook and line!).

We would like each population to have a minimum of 10 fish but will take whatever you can provide, with populations of 30 to 50 being preferred but we will take as high a number of fish and as many populations as you want to give us. More data is definitely better! We would rather not bootstrap, if we don’t have too.

We realize some of these states will not have enough fish in the data set. Just send what you have and we will determine if you have enough we can work with.

If your agency has a centralized area where data is stored that is probably the best place to look for this data and send this request to them.

Feel free to forward this request to a biologist in your state that may have data separate from a statewide database. As I have learned the hard way in the past, not all agencies or universities have one centralized location to report data too.

We sincerely thank you for your time,

Tim Bonvechio

[email protected]