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Officials asking for help in tracking American Eel found in Texas Waterways

Biologists seek assistance from anglers in tracking American Eel in Texas waterways

AUSTIN — Every now and then, anglers fishing Texas waterways may reel in something unexpected: the slimy, secretive American Eel.

“[The American Eel] is just such a unique species that you don’t see that often, and so when you catch one or you see one, you remember it,” said Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) aquatic biologist Stephen Curtis. “It’s going to leave an impression.”

The American eel is found in rivers throughout the eastern half of the United States, but there are still many unanswered questions about the species, especially in rivers that flow to the Gulf of Mexico. TPWD biologists are currently collecting data to better understand this unique species, and they are asking anglers to help in the effort by submitting pictures and information about eels they have caught or observed in Texas waterways.

“In order for us to better manage and conserve this species in Texas, we need to have a better understanding of its distribution, abundance and life cycle,” Curtis said. “We definitely need more data.”

The life cycle of the American Eel is markedly unique. These slippery snake-like fish spawn in the warm waters of the Sargasso Sea, an area of the Atlantic Ocean near Bermuda. The young eels, referred to as leptocephalus larvae, are paper-thin, leaf-like and transparent. Over the next year, they drift on ocean currents to the Gulf of Mexico and east coast of the U.S., where they make their way into estuaries and begin their migration up rivers. Most eels mature in rivers, and may remain inland for over 20 years before they return to the Sargasso Sea to spawn and die.

TPWD biologists urge anyone who catches or observes American Eel in Texas waterways to report their sighting by taking a photo of the eel, recording the location, and contacting the River Studies Program at (512) 745-6844. Anglers can also donate their eel for research by freezing it and contacting the River Studies Program for delivery instructions.

In some areas of Texas, American Eel “lookalikes” occur. American Eel can be distinguished from other eels, such as Snapper Eel and Shrimp Eel, by their distinctive underbite and the presence of a tail-fin. Another creature commonly mistaken for American Eel is the Lesser Siren, an aquatic salamander that can be distinguished by the tiny legs present behind its head. If someone is unsure whether they have captured an American Eel, Curtis encourages them to go ahead and report it.

Each American Eel donated to TPWD will provide scientists with a wealth of information, Curtis said.

“We plan to use the American Eel specimens for genetic testing in order to see if the population we have within Texas is different from the population we have along the Atlantic coast,” he said. “We also are going to be looking for parasites within the eel and extracting their otoliths, a small structure in their inner ear that we can use to age them and determine at what point the eel entered fresh water.”

Curtis said the photos, location data, and other input will be a valuable addition to the project, and will help TPWD better understand, manage, and conserve American Eel in Texas waterways.

2017-08-04

Find more info at Texas Parks & Wildlife

The Briscoe family of Medina County traces its heritage to William the Conqueror

The Briscoe house can be seen behind the Texas Historical Commission sign that stood in front of the home.

Many of the Briscoes in America are descended from Robert Brisko, a lineal descendant of the Normans who arrived in England with William the Conqueror in the year 1066. Continue reading “The Briscoe family of Medina County traces its heritage to William the Conqueror”

Mustang baseball splits non-District battles

With a full slate of games scheduled last week for the Natalia Mustangs, the boys in blue were confident they would be able to stay on track and continue to show improvement as they near 26-3A action.
On Tuesday night, March 7th the Mustangs got the week off on the right foot, with a huge road game in Cotulla leading into a scheduled Pearsall Tournament.
When Mother Nature arrived midweek, she won the war resulting in the tournament being canceled on Thursday and Friday eventually doing away with any hopes of games in Frio County.
Due to Natalia and neighboring Lytle being without a game for the weekend, they decided to schedule a late non-district battle Saturday with one another.
The boys in black and gold took advantage of a number of miscues, as the Lytle pitching staff did a great job keeping Natalia in check. As a result, the Pirates continued to hold the upper hand on the diamond, controlling the last three years of action.
Cotulla
The Cotulla Cowboy pitching staff struggled to hit their spots at home and the Natalia Mustangs took advantage of it. Natalia set the tone early in their first at bat versus the boys from LaSalle County. Natalia used three hit batters, three walks, two doubles (Rey Garza, Manuel Saldana), three singles and two Cowboy errors to produce a 10 run first inning.
This fueled the Mustangs past the Cowboys by a final score of 16-2 as Natalia won this one in a 5-inning run rule contest.
The Mustangs finished the non-district battle with a 9-4 advantage offensively. Defensively, the Cowboys surrendered four errors compared to just one by Natalia.
“We started off great against Cotulla and took advantage of the walks and errors,” Coach Philip Martinez said. “Alex Valdez, Rey Garza and Manuel Saldana had a good night at the plate for us. Defensively, we still need to clean it up if we want to compete for a spot in district.”
Isaiah Gomez and Antonio Trevino shared pitching duties for the boys in blue. Gomez pitched 2.2, allowed two hits, walked two, struck out two and gave up two runs, one of which was earned. Trevino pitched 2.1, allowed two hits, walked one and struck out one in the game.
At Bat: Richard Rodriguez 0-1, Garza 3-4-1RBI-3runs scored, Saldana 2-2-1RBI-3runs scored, Jeramiah Castro 0-2-1RBI-3runs scored, Anton Felker 1-3-1run scored, Gomez 0-1-1RBI, Javier Hernandez 0-4-1RBI, Trevino 1-3-1RBI-2runs scored, Valdez 2-4-7RBIs-3runs scored, Dustin Richardson 0-3, Alejandro Sanchez 0-0-1run scored.
Lytle
This past Saturday evening, things did not start out good for the boys in blue. Natalia was without two starters in all aspects of the contest due to spring break and regional powerlifting which included the starting catcher.
Defensively, Natalia was without a third starter who was only available offensively for the boys in blue.
Needless to say, there were still plenty of weapons available for Natalia versus old rival Lytle, but it was the black and gold who made less errors and controlled all aspects of the game.
“We did not get much going offensively or defensively against Lytle,” Coach Philip Martinez said. “When we got runners on base, Lytle made great plays to stop us from continuing the inning.”
A lack of offensive out-put and defensive errors resulted in a long night for Natalia, as the Pirates dominated with a 10-1 victory.
This marked the third straight year the Pirates were able to defeat the Stangs on the baseball diamond.
“Defensively, our pitchers struggled to get ahead on their hitters,” Martinez said. “We gave up a lot of walks that led to runs and errors hurt us as well. We just have to learn to stay relaxed and make plays when we have to.”
There was a technical error with the stat program, so no stats were available.
Upcoming Games
This coming Friday, the Natalia Mustangs travel to the Strawberry City to battle a much improved Poteet Aggie team at 6:30 p.m.
On Tuesday, March 24th the Mustangs are back in Atascosa County where they open 26-3A action versus the Jourdanton Indians at 6:30 p.m. at their brand new facility.

By Eric Smith
Staff Writer