Friends of Murphys Point Park

This week’s #SpeciesOfTheWeek is the Fallfish (Semotilus corporalis). Fallfish are one of the largest minnow species in North America, reaching over 40cm in length. Often mistaken for Creek Chub, the body of an adult is olive to golden-brown with dorsal fins that are darker. There is also a dark stripe along the dorsal line. Their native range is eastern Canada and northeastern North America; Murphys Point Provincial Park lies at the northwestern edge of their range. The preferred habitat of Fallfish are streams with a shallow gradient and accompanying slack pools, though the young prefer streams with a faster flow. They can tolerate temperatures between 6℃ and 27℃ but when temperatures fall below 15℃, Fallfish cannot spawn. Young fallfish feed primarily on fly larvae and other zooplankton; once they reach about 10cm in length, they change over to the adult diet of small fish (including their own young), as well as fish eggs and insects. This individual was caught in Hogg’s Bay.

This week’s #SpeciesOfTheWeek is Ontario’s smallest, but loudest, frog. Spring Peepers are under 4 cm in length, a bit smaller than other chorus frogs. The Latin name, Pseudacris crucifer, means cross-bearer and refers to their distinctive X-shaped mark on the back. The Spring Peeper is rarely seen but often heard in the spring. Living in marshes, ponds, and swamps, Spring Peepers emerge from hibernation and start calling shortly after the ice melts. Male peepers have a vocal sac near the throat that expands and deflates like a balloon to make their characteristic peeping call. This call is used to attract a mate. The male will call 15-25 times per minute, and the females select a mate based on the speed and volume of the calls. These calls can be as loud as 90 decibels, which is about as loud as a motorcycle from 25 feet away. Some males, called ‘satellite males’, don’t make calls themselves, but instead position themselves near the loudest males. They will then attempt to intercept females attracted by these loud calls. Peepers call during their breeding season, from March to early June. Males sometimes also call on warm fall days. Have you heard these loud frogs yet this spring?