May 1st 2018

Humboldt Redwood’s Favorite Fish, Little Blue, Stays Behind

 

SCOTIA, CA (May 1, 2018) – Humboldt Redwood’s Scotia Fisheries Exhibit, located south of the  company’s office on Mainstreet, houses Chinook Salmon, Steelhead Trout, Rainbow Trout, and Sacramento pike minnow—all local species. The exhibit is an example of Humboldt Redwood’s continuous commitment to environmental protection, and it is a great place for visitors and students to learn about the local environment and fish living in the nearby streams and river. A year ago, Humboldt Redwood remodeled the exhibit by adding new images and signage. The remodel has added to their mission of providing an educational community space.

 

In addition to housing various types of local fish, the exhibit showcases informative signage about the types of species in the tanks and their lifecycles. Each tank is sized for fish in specific growth stages.

 

In one of the tanks lives Little Blue, a Rainbow trout that Humboldt Redwood employees grew to cherish for his uniqueness. “Little Blue is a Rainbow trout with a genetic mutation that doesn’t allow him to regulate his pigment” explains Mike Connich, Humboldt Redwood employee of Forest Management and caretaker at the Scotia Fisheries Exhibit.

 

Beyond his color, Little Blue also gets his name because he is much smaller in size than the other fish, despite being the same age. When asked why Little Blue struggled to grow and make friends with the others, Connich clarified that “Little Blue did well with the others but just grew too slow. He was not as aggressive during feeding as the others and was shy.” Little Blue’s inability to fight for food, resulted in his size being much smaller than the others.

 

To help ensure that Little Blue will succeed in the future and continue to grow, Connich explained that they have “decided to hold him back. The other, larger fish will graduate to a bigger tank equipped for their larger sizes, and Little Blue will stay in his current, smaller tank.” The new baby fish will join him. “I believe [Little Blue] will do better with the new, smaller fish because they are much closer in size. Eventually his old school mates may have gotten large enough to eat him or make him even more reclusive,” which is why they decided to leave him behind, explains Connich.

 

The Humboldt Redwood team expects Little Blue to do much better with his new, younger friends in the tank and will be able to grow faster. Humboldt Redwood takes pride in caring for the success of species and the environment. The fisheries exhibit is a way of fulfilling that commitment.

 

Open five days-a-week for self-guided tours, Monday through Friday, Humboldt Redwood encourages all community members to visit. The exhibit is a great opportunity for all to learn about the local types of fish and their presence in the ecosystem. School groups are encouraged to schedule a guided tour by calling 707-764-4299.