October 15, 2012 Necropsy of an Ocean Sunfish in Chipman's Cove.

-

Our team: Tammy, Michael, Spring and Tom.
Staff of NECWA and Mass Audubon at Wellfleet Bay worked together to necropsy a small male ocean sunfish that had stranded on Saturday in Chipman's Cove, Wellfleet. This beautiful fish had stranded as a result of being close to shore in shallow water as the tide was going out.

Michael rigging the carcass to be weighed. 
A Wellfleet resident, Swede, had notified NECWA of this animal on Saturday, but we were not able to respond.  Swede returned to the fish to try and push it back into deeper water, but the animal had already stranded and died. NECWA staff members Krill and Tammy worked with Mass Audubon staff members Tom, Spring and Michael to necropsy the carcass in order to collect body measurements, to sex the individual and to conduct a thorough internal examination.

Michael using the chain lift to weigh the carcass .
Tammy and Michael measuring the carcass. = 
This necropsy had to be conducted on site given the size of the carcass.  Although the fish was one of the smallest that NECWA has necropsied, it still weighed over 200 pounds.  So there was no relocating this carcass to a drier, less muddy location. We had to work on the carcass where it was which was a challenge in the marsh mud.

Michael, Tom and Tammy taking measurements of the carcass. 
Spring photographing the carcass. 
Tom, Michael and Tammy measuring the dorsal fin.

Thanks to Mass Audubon staff members Tom, Spring and Michael for their assistance in relocating this carcass and helping with the necropsy.  I am so blessed to work with such amazing staff at NECWA like our very own Miss Tammy, as well as these young professionals from Mass Audubon.

Spring and Tom examining the insides of the intestine.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Electric Torpedo Ray of New England

-
Image
The Shocking Ray of New England Blog by  Coleman Earner - December 21, 2020 Dead Torpedo Ray in Brewster, MA Torpedo Rays are a genus of rays that are part of the Order  Torpediniformes (electric rays). In reference to local sightings, the most commonly seen torpedo ray in the Cape Cod region is the Atlantic Torpedo ( Torpedo nobiliana ). They are cartilaginous fish (most similar to the structure of sharks and skates) with a flat and rounded disc-like structure. As suggested by their order, torpedo rays are most commonly known for their ability to discharge electricity of up to 220 volts from both pectoral fins (pectoral fins are flat and expanded and fused to the head area) as a self defense mechanism or as a means of capturing prey. Their feeding strategy consists of burying themselves under the sand and waiting for unsuspecting prey to wander by.  Dead Torpedo Ray on a Cape Cod Beach. Torpedo Rays feed mainly on benthic/pelagic fish such as flounders, damselfish, and o...
Read more
-
Image
NECWA Shark Week In Review Written by Emily Gerrior Intern Sarah helping at the blockprinting table. On July 24, 2024 and July 26, 2024, NECWA hosted two events themed around Shark Week. The first was at the Middleborough Public Library and the second was at the Bridgewater Public Library. For both events, we set up stations where attendees could make their own authentic shark tooth necklaces and create colorful block prints of sharks and other marine wildlife.  Free educational material for all Along with our assortment of diamondback terrapin, horseshoe crabs, and ocean sunfish artifacts, we also had shark jaws and a real fossil megalodon tooth on display.  Marine wildlife artifacts on display As soon as we opened the doors to both events, attendees poured into the room! The megalodon tooth and the shark tooth necklace station proved to be extremely popular among younger attendees. We also received several questions about our other marine life artifacts, which we w...
Read more

Ice Cream Social for NECWA Interns and Volunteers

-
Image
INTERN AND VOLUNTEER ICE CREAM SOCIAL AND FUN DAY   Written by Emily Gerrior Last Sunday (July 14 th , 2024), interns and volunteers were treated to an ice cream social, courtesy of NECWA. This event took place on the lawn outside NECWA’s Marion Field office. This event marked my first time meeting many of the interns outside of our weekly ZOOM meetings. I was also pleased to see many of the interns I had already worked with during previous NECWA educational events.  There was plenty of ice cream of all flavors to go around, served with reusable bowls and spoons, as well as popsicles, a fruit salad, chips, and cool drinks. After days of sweltering heat, it was certainly nice to have a cold treat!  Additionally, there were games for us to play. Some attendees chose to play cards and Jenga, while others participated in lawn games such as cornhole. We also swapped stories about NECWA events and successes.  Throughout the social, we had surprise visits from several (ador...
Read more