Kai (he/him) 🍉
LightNews LightNews
banner
kaiwalton.bsky.social
Kai (he/him) 🍉
@kaiwalton.bsky.social
1.4K followers 510 following 91 posts
MS student in the Bronson Lab at Cal Poly Humboldt. Larval fish taxonomist & aspiring ichthyologist. Huge hagfish enjoyer 🐟

All views my own.

🏳️‍⚧️ 🏳️‍🌈

https://sites.google.com/view/larvalfishguy/about
Posts Replies Media Videos
kaiwalton.bsky.social
November field work done! Crazy to think that I only have 2 more sampling trips left 😅
November 10, 2025 at 11:28 PM
kaiwalton.bsky.social
My wonderful labmate Nicole is defending her thesis this Friday! She studied the nasal morphology of wild and hatchery O. mykiss, and did some amazing work :)

Tune in if you can! Zoom info below

🐟
November 5, 2025 at 6:18 PM
kaiwalton.bsky.social
Made some donuts with homemade apple cider yesterday!
6 donuts sprinkled with cinnamon sugar on an orange plate.
October 26, 2025 at 6:01 PM
kaiwalton.bsky.social
Accidentally dressed like a cowboy at my local renaissance faire, but it was a fun time regardless :)
October 5, 2025 at 4:34 AM
kaiwalton.bsky.social
I received a free field guide from Sphyrnas, a queer-owned shark-themed brand, the other day! Very grateful to have been selected for one of these kits, and I'm excited to start using the equipment!

🐟🦈
A collection of all the items received. It includes copy of Sharks Don't Sink: Adventures of a Rogue Shark Scientist by Jasmin Graham, an all-weather mini notebook, a flash drive, a pamphlet for Field Inclusive, two mini sample vials, an LED headlamp, a small container of hand sanitizer, multiple stickers, a store voucher, a water proof shark behavior card, a water bottle with locking carabiner, work gloves, a Sphyrnas neck gaiter, a safety whistle, a shark bookmark, two N95 masks, and a dry bag with waterproof phone bag.
May 4, 2025 at 10:17 PM
kaiwalton.bsky.social
Any educational or nonfiction podcast recommendations 🤔 These are my most frequently listened to, but want to diversify!
A screenshot of Spotify showing my most recent podcasts. In order, it shows Coast Range Radio, Revolutionary Left Radio, Fish of the Week!, Sharkpedia, and Short Wave.
April 28, 2025 at 5:57 PM
kaiwalton.bsky.social
Did some cyanotyping with my lab mates today!
April 26, 2025 at 10:51 PM
kaiwalton.bsky.social
My lab mates decorated my desk (even my scope & some of my samples!) for my birthday! I feel so lucky to have such good friends :)
April 24, 2025 at 11:57 PM
kaiwalton.bsky.social
Absolutely massive osmerid larva!
April 10, 2025 at 11:06 PM
kaiwalton.bsky.social
Successfully advanced to candidacy yesterday! Once the paperwork goes through, I'll officially be a Master's Candidate :) hooray for larval fish!
April 6, 2025 at 1:37 AM
kaiwalton.bsky.social
Got a little stumped by this fish larva 😬 any ideas? About 6.1mm long, 53-60 myomeres. Heavy ventral pigment with a few ventral gut & isthmus spots, and some splotchy dorsal pigment near the caudal fin! Caught off of northern California in February
March 10, 2025 at 5:55 PM
kaiwalton.bsky.social
Found this beautiful larva the other day! Never seen pigment preserve this well before--hopefully it lasts until I'm able to take better photos!

Any guesses? 👀

🐟🧪🦑
March 1, 2025 at 9:26 PM
kaiwalton.bsky.social
Despite everything happening right now, I collected my first sample for my thesis on Monday! Hooray for larval fish! Look at these little cuties :)

I also started teaching an undergrad ichthyoplankton identification! Sometimes things are good

🐟🐠🧪
February 21, 2025 at 1:01 AM
kaiwalton.bsky.social
Sometimes I see a larval fish and think "this is basically a bug" and I think this guy is a prime example
February 7, 2025 at 9:07 PM
kaiwalton.bsky.social
Saw this weird little guy in some plankton samples the other day! I have no idea what this is--any ideas?? It was a bit offshore, collected in February-ish, and is about 3mm long. Maybe a worm larva?
January 31, 2025 at 10:15 PM
kaiwalton.bsky.social
Had my first research cruise in a minute & we had a stowaway! Not sure who this little guy is 🤔
January 15, 2025 at 5:13 PM
kaiwalton.bsky.social
Another larval fish! Any guesses as to what this big guy is?
January 12, 2025 at 8:40 PM
kaiwalton.bsky.social
It's been ages since I've done some serious larvae work! I missed these funky little baby fish

🦈🐟🧪
January 4, 2025 at 12:05 AM
kaiwalton.bsky.social
Presented a class research project analyzing structural differences of hagfish skulls! It was super fun but man CT scan reconstructions of cartilaginous animals are no joke

#fish 🐟 🧪 🦑
December 11, 2024 at 11:41 PM
kaiwalton.bsky.social
It was so great being able to go to the NHMLA over break! I wish I had remembered to try & take photos of the fish collection (thank you Todd!!) but at least I got some photos of some cool fossils :)
December 4, 2024 at 6:25 PM
kaiwalton.bsky.social
I'm finally back home after a week-long vacation & my cat's hardly even excited to see me :')
November 30, 2024 at 4:44 AM
kaiwalton.bsky.social
One last trans marine scientist! Allegra Recknor is a marine biology major at Cal Poly Humboldt and a volunteer in the Vertebrate Museum. They help prep dead animals for collections and research, and have also worked with MMERP in surveying local elephant seal populations.
A photo of Allegra Recknor smiling at the camera holding the dorsal lobe of a thresher shark caudal fin. The fin is about a foot taller than Recknor. They use they/them pronouns. The text below them reads: "Recknor is an undergraduate volunteer at Cal Poly Humboldt's Vertebrate Museum, interested in animal anatomy and morphology (bobcats, alpacas, bats, and more!), and most recently skeletinzed a thresher shark with Dr. Allison Bronson. They also work with MMERP to survey local elephant seal populations along the Lost Coast."
November 22, 2024 at 6:37 PM
kaiwalton.bsky.social
Next trans marine scientist is Madeline Eppley! Eppley studies population genetics of eastern oysters. Their work will inform conservation efforts in ever-changing marine environments. They also work to increase science communication and accessibility.

Follow them @madeline-eppley.bsky.social!
A selfie of Madeline Eppley in waders standing in knee-high water, smiling at the camera. They use they/them pronouns. The text below the photo reads: "Eppley is a PhD student in the Lotterhos Lab at Northeastern University studying eastern oyster population genetics over space and time. They aim for their work to inform conservation of marine species in rapidly changing environments. Eppley is also passionate aboht science communication and mentorship! Follow them on BlueSky at madeline-eppley."
November 21, 2024 at 12:21 AM
kaiwalton.bsky.social
Happy LGBT in STEM day!

I'm Kai (he/him), I'm a fish biologist & a MSc student with Dr. Bronson at Cal Poly Humboldt. I study larval fish taxonomy & diversity, & am interested in natural history and fish anatomy.

I'm trans & strive to create more welcoming scientific spaces for LGBT folks!

🐠🐡🐟
A photo of Kai standing in front of his research poster at a conference. The poster is titled "How does propeller size and effort impact multi-jet propulsion in colonial salps?" Kai is wear a black shirt and smiling at the camera.
November 18, 2024 at 6:49 PM
kaiwalton.bsky.social
Next trans marine scientist is Garrett Shipway! Shipway is studying environmental-based stress responses in elephant seals, and has a diverse background in mammals, endocrinology, and even botany. Throughout their work, they aim to create more inclusive spaces in STEM.
A photo of Garrett Shipway in foul weather gear with a camera, facing and smiling at the photographer. They use they/them pronouns. The text below them reads: "Shipway is a PhD student in the Costa Lab at UC Santa Cruz studying stress responses in elephant seals. They have a broad background in pinnipeds, monkeys, botany, and endocrinology. They hope to create a more welcoming environment in marine biology."
November 17, 2024 at 7:38 PM