American eel [photo | Encyclopedia of Alabama]
Alabama is widely known for its natural beauty, rich cultural history, love of food and, of course, our state’s love of football. What many might not know about Alabama is its wide array of biodiversity, particularly along the Gulf Coast. From eels to sharks, numerous beautiful and fearsome creatures are teeming in our coastal waters.
You can find the American eel swimming in Alabama’s waters. They are instantly recognizable for the long fin that runs nearly the entire length of their bodies and for their very sharp teeth. This gleaming, snakelike creature migrates all the way from Alabama to the Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic Ocean where it spawns and then dies. American eels are especially prevalent in the Mobile Delta and have been collected from every river in the Mobile basin and in several coastal drainages in southeastern Alabama. Unfortunately, the eel population in our state is declining due to migration routes being blocked by high-lift locks and dams.
You can find the American eel swimming in Alabama’s waters. They are instantly recognizable for the long fin that runs nearly the entire length of their bodies and for their very sharp teeth. This gleaming, snakelike creature migrates all the way from Alabama to the Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic Ocean where it spawns and then dies. American eels are especially prevalent in the Mobile Delta and have been collected from every river in the Mobile basin and in several coastal drainages in southeastern Alabama. Unfortunately, the eel population in our state is declining due to migration routes being blocked by high-lift locks and dams.
Alabama Cavefish [photo | endangeredlist.org]
Tennessee heelsplitter mussels [photo | Encyclopedia of Alabama] Alabama is home to an extremely rare and highly endangered species called the cavefish. It has only been found in five underground pools in Lauderdale County’s Key Cave, which is part of our state’s National Wildlife Refuge. In 1967 the cavefish was discovered by biologist John E. Cooper, and it is so rare that a new genus, Speoplatyrhinus, was created for it. The pink-white and eyeless Alabama cavefish is the rarest cavefish in North America, and it is believed to be one of the rarest of all freshwater fish. There are believed to be fewer than 100 cavefish in existence, and they are classified as an endangered species. Read more about the cavefish from AH Issue 80.
If you enjoy preparing and eating mussels, you will be glad to know they are abundant in our state, which is home to 180 species, the most diverse array of freshwater mussels in all of North America. Many of the mussel species native to Alabama do not occur in any other part of the world. Mussels have been important to humans for a long time; shells can still be found along Alabama riverbanks from the time that Native Americans harvested them for food and also used their shells for tools and decoration for clothing. In the late 19th and early 20th century, Alabama mussels were frequently used to make pearl buttons, and mussels are still used to create cultured pearls. Unfortunately, due to water pollution and channel dredging, among other factors, Alabama has lost more mussel populations than any other state.
If you enjoy preparing and eating mussels, you will be glad to know they are abundant in our state, which is home to 180 species, the most diverse array of freshwater mussels in all of North America. Many of the mussel species native to Alabama do not occur in any other part of the world. Mussels have been important to humans for a long time; shells can still be found along Alabama riverbanks from the time that Native Americans harvested them for food and also used their shells for tools and decoration for clothing. In the late 19th and early 20th century, Alabama mussels were frequently used to make pearl buttons, and mussels are still used to create cultured pearls. Unfortunately, due to water pollution and channel dredging, among other factors, Alabama has lost more mussel populations than any other state.
Loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings emerge from their nest [photo | Encyclopedia of Alabama]
American paddlefish [photo | Encyclopedia of Alabama] Turtles are perhaps one of the most endearing of sea creatures and are known for their calm natures and distinctive shells. The loggerhead sea turtle is the most common species of sea turtles in Alabama, and they seasonally nest along the coastlines of Baldwin and Mobile counties. They can be found nesting on Alabama beaches, particularly between Fort Morgan and Gulf Shores. They nest and hatch their eggs between April and August, so watch where you step! As soon as baby turtles hatch, they make their way to the sea and do not become mature adults until they are 65 years old.
Paddlefish might be an unfamiliar name to you; you might not even be able to conjure up what they look like. They certainly have a nose! Paddlefish are known for their long, paddle-shaped noses that are 1/3rd of their total body length. They are smooth-skinned, have tiny eyes, toothless mouths and can grow up to 5.9 feet long. Paddlefish are also known as spoonbill catfish and belong to the Acipenseriformes family along with sturgeons. They are to be found in the Tennessee, Mobile-Tensaw, Black Warrior, Alabama, Tombigbee basins and are also native to the lower stretches of the Cahaba, Tallapoosa and Black Warrior Rivers.
Paddlefish might be an unfamiliar name to you; you might not even be able to conjure up what they look like. They certainly have a nose! Paddlefish are known for their long, paddle-shaped noses that are 1/3rd of their total body length. They are smooth-skinned, have tiny eyes, toothless mouths and can grow up to 5.9 feet long. Paddlefish are also known as spoonbill catfish and belong to the Acipenseriformes family along with sturgeons. They are to be found in the Tennessee, Mobile-Tensaw, Black Warrior, Alabama, Tombigbee basins and are also native to the lower stretches of the Cahaba, Tallapoosa and Black Warrior Rivers.
Alabama sturgeon [photo | Outdoor Alabama] Sturgeons are also to be found in our state and like their cousin, the paddlefish, they are not terribly pretty. They can grow to 2.6 feet long and call the Mobile basin home. Recently they have been discovered in the Alabama River, downstream of Claiborne Lock and Dam. They are also local to Smith Lake in Monroe County. Gulf sturgeon can be found in the Choctawhatchee and Yellow Rivers when they spawn, and they have also been seen in the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta and lower Tombigbee and Alabama rivers. Unfortunately, according to Alabama Wildlife edited by Ralph E. Mirarchi, Alabama sturgeons are very close to extinction and are considered one of the most endangered fish species in the country.
Atlantic Sharpnose shark [photo | Outdoor Alabama]
Did you know that there are sharks in Alabama? And just when you thought it was safe to go in the water this summer…
Not one, but eight kinds of sharks are native to Alabama waters: Atlantic Sharpnose, Blacktip, Bull, Finetooth, Sand Tiger, Scalloped Hammerhead, Spinner, and Tiger sharks. Not all of them are dangerous to humans, and some are on the small side like the Atlantic Sharpnose—they are almost cute. The Blacktip shark is the most common shark in Alabama, and the Bull Shark is the most dangerous to humans; they can grow up to 11 feet long and travel up the warm Alabama and Mississippi Rivers. Most of the sharks are found in Gulf waters, and as recently as this past April, a dead 14-foot hammerhead shark that was carrying 40 pups washed up on Orange Beach. Watch out for those dorsal fins when you hit the beach this summer!
If you would like to learn more about the diverse sea life off the Alabama coast there are multiple opportunities. The Orange Beach Indian and Sea Museum in Orange Beach, Baldwin County is housed in the oldest school building in Orange Beach. The museum features Native American artifacts, which often featured marine fossils in their bead making, and a wide array of artifacts relating to our state’s natural history and the fish that are native to Baldwin County.
Not one, but eight kinds of sharks are native to Alabama waters: Atlantic Sharpnose, Blacktip, Bull, Finetooth, Sand Tiger, Scalloped Hammerhead, Spinner, and Tiger sharks. Not all of them are dangerous to humans, and some are on the small side like the Atlantic Sharpnose—they are almost cute. The Blacktip shark is the most common shark in Alabama, and the Bull Shark is the most dangerous to humans; they can grow up to 11 feet long and travel up the warm Alabama and Mississippi Rivers. Most of the sharks are found in Gulf waters, and as recently as this past April, a dead 14-foot hammerhead shark that was carrying 40 pups washed up on Orange Beach. Watch out for those dorsal fins when you hit the beach this summer!
If you would like to learn more about the diverse sea life off the Alabama coast there are multiple opportunities. The Orange Beach Indian and Sea Museum in Orange Beach, Baldwin County is housed in the oldest school building in Orange Beach. The museum features Native American artifacts, which often featured marine fossils in their bead making, and a wide array of artifacts relating to our state’s natural history and the fish that are native to Baldwin County.
Dauphin Island Sea Lab and Estuarium [photo | Encyclopedia of Alabama]
Anglers at the Weigh Station at Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo [photo | Encyclopedia of Alabama] The Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL) is a marine research and education center in Dauphin Island and offers educational programs with Alabama schools and universities. The estuarium on the DISL grounds enables the public to learn about the flora and fauna of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, Mobile Bay, and the Gulf of Mexico and promotes the preservation of Alabama’s ecosystem. The sea lab offers Sea Lab Summer Excursions, which offers field trips and “touch tanks” where the public can get up close and personal with Alabama sea life.
If you would like to learn about a fun event that has to do with the fish of Alabama, you could check out the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo. The event takes place off Dauphin Island and is the nation’s oldest and largest saltwater fishing competition. The fishing rodeo takes place over a 3-day period in July and offers 30 prize categories, the most diverse of any U.S. competitive fishing tournament. Interestingly, in 1984 the Alabama Fishing Rodeo aided the American Museum of Natural History in New York by working with ichthyologist Gareth Nelson, and 2,500 specimens were collected from the fishing rodeo for the prestigious museum’s collections. The competition welcomes both amateurs and professionals and set a Guinness world record in 2011 with 2,220 anglers participating in the event.
We hope that you will continue to learn about the fascinating marine life in our state and stay safe during your visits to the beach this summer!
If you would like to learn about a fun event that has to do with the fish of Alabama, you could check out the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo. The event takes place off Dauphin Island and is the nation’s oldest and largest saltwater fishing competition. The fishing rodeo takes place over a 3-day period in July and offers 30 prize categories, the most diverse of any U.S. competitive fishing tournament. Interestingly, in 1984 the Alabama Fishing Rodeo aided the American Museum of Natural History in New York by working with ichthyologist Gareth Nelson, and 2,500 specimens were collected from the fishing rodeo for the prestigious museum’s collections. The competition welcomes both amateurs and professionals and set a Guinness world record in 2011 with 2,220 anglers participating in the event.
We hope that you will continue to learn about the fascinating marine life in our state and stay safe during your visits to the beach this summer!
Additional Resources
- https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/media/american-eel/
- https://www.outdooralabama.com/other-species/freshwater-eel
- https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/alabama-cavefish/
- https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/freshwater-mussels-in-alabama/
- https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/loggerhead-sea-turtle/
- https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/american-paddlefish/
- https://www.outdooralabama.com/non-game-fish/paddlefish
- https://www.outdooralabama.com/sturgeon/alabama-sturgeon
- https://www.fws.gov/species/alabama-sturgeon-scaphirhynchus-suttkusi
- https://www.outdooralabama.com/invertebrates/shark-id
- 14-foot hammerhead pregnant with 40 baby sharks washes up on Alabama beach - al.com
- https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/orange-beach-indian-and-sea-museum/
- https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/dauphin-island-sea-lab-and-estuarium-disl/
- https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/alabama-deep-sea-fishing-rodeo/
- Mirarchi, R. E., ed. Alabama Wildlife. Vol. 1, A Checklist of Vertebrates and Selected Invertebrates: Aquatic Mollusks, Fishes, Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds and Mammals. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 2004.
About the Author
Katharine Armbrester graduated from UAB in 2019 with an MA in history and received an MFA in creative writing from the Mississippi University for Women in 2022. She loves the world of periodicals, Alabama history and writing. Katharine Armbrester graduated from UAB in 2019 with an MA in history and received an MFA in creative writing from the Mississippi University for Women in 2022. She loves the world of periodicals, Alabama history and writing.
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