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Red-breasted Sunfish

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Lepomis auritus (Centrachidae) in Crystal River and Rainbow Springs State Park, Florida.

It was surprising to see abundant sunfish in the brackish, tidally influenced, portion of Crystal River, and I was excited to see that I didn’t know which species it was on-sight. I think these are red-breasted sunfish, a species that may be found in Ohio, but relatively rarely, especially compared to bluegill (L. macrochirus) and green sunfish (L. cyanellus). In fact, the collection of Ohio fish that was used in Vertebrate Zoology at Kent State didn’t include this species.

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Adult West Indian Manatee

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A few resting adult West Indian Manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) from Crystal River area, including Three Sisters Springs.

The IUCN first classified T. manatus as vulnerable in 1982, where it has remained since; however, there are two subspecies reported: T. m. latirostris (the Florida manatee) and T. m. manatus (the Antillean manatee) that are both classified as Endangered. In January 2016, the US Fish and Wildlife Service proposed to reclassify and downlist the manatee as threatened from its status under the Endangered Species Act as endangered, but it is still afforded many protections against harassment and habitat loss under the ESA.

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Sphagnum moss

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A Sphagnum moss grows along the edges of a cool spring at George L. Smith II State Park. The moss is partly characterized by a capitum—a bunch of early branchings at the tip of the moss—and is most common in northern latitudes. It was interesting to see it in Georgia, and Amos was certainly happy to enjoy the cool water.

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Friends-giving 2013

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In 2013, Sean and Morgan offered to host a Friends-Giving dinner at their home in Savannah. The following year, I travelled to Merida, Mexico where two other friends, Ryan and Camilla, invited friends to enjoy a week in their new home and a lobster-based Thanksgiving dinner. Today, we’re enjoying  another gracious dinner in Buena Vista, Colorado, hosted by Libby and Casey.

I wish to share some photographs from the 2013 friends-giving event, and I’m thankful that I’ve met and can share company with these friends, who now live throughout the US (and Mexico…). Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!