{"id":8420,"date":"2022-11-18T03:12:17","date_gmt":"2022-11-18T08:12:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/tomsriver\/?p=8420"},"modified":"2022-11-18T03:12:17","modified_gmt":"2022-11-18T08:12:17","slug":"this-strange-cute-fish-is-showing-up-in-barnegat-bay-and-thats-good-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/tomsriver\/2022\/11\/this-strange-cute-fish-is-showing-up-in-barnegat-bay-and-thats-good-news\/","title":{"rendered":"This Strange, Cute Fish Is Showing Up in Barnegat Bay, And That’s Good News"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"A<\/a>

A skilletfish found in Barnegat Bay, fall 2022. (Photo: Linda Peters, ReClam the Bay)<\/p><\/div>\n

Observers of Barnegat Bay wildlife have been spotting an unusual-looking marine species in greater numbers recently, and a local advocacy group said that means good news for the health of the waterway.<\/p>\n

ReClam the Bay<\/a>, whose members are dedicated to growing Barnegat Bay\u2019s shellfish population, said this week via social media that its members have been spotting a species common known as the \u201cskilletfish\u201d with much greater frequency as of late. The group posted photos taken by member Linda Peters, who said she counted 18 of the small fish in a single cage one day in October.<\/p>\n

The skilletfish takes its name from its shape \u2013 it looks like a cooking skillet \u2013 but is known scientifically as Gobiesox strumosus. They are sometimes confused with the toadfish, which looks similar, but does not carry some of the same physical features. It is found in a diverse array of areas, usually in either tropical or temperate climates, and its most unique feature is a powerful sucking disk located on its underside. The species is not endangered or threatened in any way, but isn\u2019t one of the most common creatures found in local waters.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>

A skilletfish found in Barnegat Bay, fall 2022. (Photo: Linda Peters, ReClam the Bay)<\/p><\/div>\n

\"A<\/a>

A skilletfish found in Barnegat Bay, fall 2022. (Photo: Linda Peters, ReClam the Bay)<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Skilletfish<\/a>

Skilletfish (Credit: Robert Aguilar, Smithsonian Research Center)<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cThe skilletfish is also commonly called the oyster clingfish because of its tendency to latch onto particularly empty oyster shells,\u201d Peters was quoted as writing.<\/p>\n

The skilletfish\u2019s tendency to be found where there are health oyster populations are a good sign for Barnegat Bay, where groups like ReClam the Bay as well as a number of private oyster-farming concerns have been trying to bulk up the population for years. In addition to their contributions to the marine economy, shellfish such as oysters are natural filters for the water, self-cleaning their environment.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat excited me the most is that the skilletfish is suspected to be a signal that the oyster population is increasing in the area, as this is its favorite habitat,\u201d wrote Peters. \u201cThis suspicion is music to my ears!\u201d<\/p>\n