Opsanus tau
Size: to 15"
Habitat:
Generally inshore on hard bottoms and in shellfish beds, in 30-40 foot depths.
Notes:
Small but feisty, this fish may snap at your fingers with its powerful jaws when caught. Up close, Toadfish have ugly ogre-like faces, and eyes that seem to glow red from inside. They also make loud croaking noises during the breeding season. Toadfish are favorite laboratory subjects and have even flown in orbit on the Space Shuttle.
Fish traps are only practical in shallow water. They have the advantage of keeping both the targeted catch and the bycatch alive ( unless a shark gets in ! ) You can still see a few fish traps in use in Raritan Bay, where they are built around fixed pilings rather than buoys and anchors as shown here. In years past, shore-based trawling or "haul seining" was also practiced in the bay, where a net would be deployed off the beach by a small boat, and drawn in by donkeys or trucks.
More: Fish Traps ...
