Photo: A likely Diplocardia ornata, a vat worm found in one of our vats and crawling on author’s hand. Long ago, I promised a blog updating two species of “vat worms” found in our greenhouses. At long last, I’ve just finished it. Before you read this blog, you might want to get some ... Read More
Invertebrates
Bryozoan, To Be or Not To Be…
Photo: A freshwater sponge (Dosilia radiospiculata) growing on aquaculture mesh in one of our vats. This blog is an update of another blog: https://goliadfarms.com/a-bryozoan-lives-in-the-greenhouses/. Read it for background. Way back in pre-Coronavirus ages, October 2019, I wrote ... Read More
Update on Scuds (Shrimp, not Missiles!)
Photo by Matt Hill of EcoAnalysts, Inc., our go-to expert on invertebrate identification, of one of our male scuds. One of the livefoods for fish we raise in our hatchery is scuds, also known as Gammarus. We recently sort of got our scuds identified. See this blog for details: Update on Gammarus ... Read More
Litter Worm Update
Litter Worm Update Photo: A group of litter worms (Bimastos heimburgeri) in one of our compost piles. I previously blogged about finally finding a lab to identify our scuds, litter worms, and vat worms. For information about the scud identification and some background see these ... Read More
A Cicada Ecloses
Photo: A cicada after eclosing and still clinging to its nymph stage exoskeleton. A few nights ago, the dogs (German Shepherds Oso and Maya and rescue mutt Sunshine) and I headed out to check the greenhouses and closeup the warehouse. As we approached the yard gate, Oso and Maya alerted at ... Read More
Update on Gammarus Identification
Photo by Matt Hill (EcoAnalysts, Inc.) of one of our male scuds. This is the first in a series of blogs about finally getting some of our hatchery’s invertebrates identified. You might want to read this blog for ... Read More
Maybe I can get some invertebrates identified, finally.
Photo: Grandnephews, grandnieces, and nephew’s girlfriend’s daughter returning home from a visit to our greenhouses to see the fish. Our German Shepherds, Oso and Maya, are providing escort and security. Our nephew Devin Rokyta, his girlfriend Anndrea, Anndrea’s daughter, and whole passel of ... Read More
Update on Fingernail Clams, Sphaerium corneum
Photo: Closeup of three Fingernail Clams, Sphaerium corneum, on a finger. Okay, I thought I could get away with a short blog (see my previous blog: http://goliadfarms.com/fingernail-clams-sphaerium-corneum/), but right off the bat its shortness and lack of natural history led to a question from ... Read More
Fingernail Clams, Sphaerium corneum
Photo: Some fingernail clams on a hand. The few spiral shells are dead pond snails. A couple of years ago, we started noticing some small white, translucent clams living in the bottom of some of our vats. I idly wondered what they might be. It wasn’t until I read an article by Sara Sneath a ... Read More
Living Close to Nature
Photo: A yellow jacket or paper wasp (Polistes sp.) nest on a ladder. On the farm, we live very close to nature. An example of this happened today. Susie, my wife, complained that the cellphone booster wasn’t working right. She thought Saturday morning’s storm might have misaligned it. Yes, we ... Read More