Fish Ids

Atlantic sturgeon

Acipenser oxyrinchus

• long, V-shaped rostrum
• 2 pairs of barbels
• heterocercal tail
• subterminal mouth

paddlefish

Polyodon spathula

• long, paddle-shaped rostrum; "spatula" nose
• fleshy, pointed flap on rear edge of gill cover
• small eyes

shortnose gar

Lepisosteus platostomus

only dry specimen

• broad snout, slightly longer than rest of head
• black spots on median fins
• paired fins usually lack spots
• ganoid scales that do not overlap..."suit of armor"

bowfin

Amia calva

• long, nearly cylindrical body
• dorsal fin extends more than half the length of the back
• black spot near base of upper caudal fin

American eel

Anguilla rostrata

• slender, snakelike body
• dorsal fin extends over much of the body and is continuous with the caudal and anal fins

gizzard shad

Dorosoma cepedianum

• body strongly compressed
• last dorsal ray very long
• have conspicuous adipose (fatty, protruding) eyelid
• belly with sharply pointed scales creating a "sawtooth edge"
• blunt, smushed nose
  

common carp

Cyprinus carpio

• 2 barbels, rear one much larger, each side upper jaw
• saw-toothed, spine-like rays at front of dorsal and anal fins
• long dorsal fin

golden shiner

Notemigonus crysoleucas

• extremely compressed body
• strongly decurved lateral line
• scaleless keel along belly from pelvic to anal fin

yellowfin shiner

Notropis lutipinnis

• dark stripe along side of body from head to caudal fin
• very small, less than 3 inches long
• breeding males have yellow or red fins

bluehead chub

Nocomis leptocephalus

• short snout, slightly subterminal mouth
• large lateral scales
• tubercles (little bumps) present on head
• breeding males have large hump on head
• no markings on back

northern hog sucker

Hypentelium nigricans

• large rectangular head, subterminal mouth..."vacuum cleaner fish"
• head of adult slightly concave between eyes
• 3 to 6 dusky brown saddles extending obliquely forward on upper sides

striped jumprock

Moxostoma rupiscartes

• head wider than deep, subterminal mouth
• head of adult slightly convex between eyes
• prominent dark stripes on back and sides

• have barbels around mouth
  
• lack scales
• have stout spines at bases of dorsal and pectoral fins
• have an adipose fin present

channel catfish

Ictalurus punctatus

• caudal fin deeply forked
• dark spots on light back and sides (except in young and large adults)

flathead catfish

Pylodictis olivarus

• wide, flat head
• lower jaw projects beyond upper jaw
• white tip on upper lobe of caudal fin; caudal fin slightly notched
• dark mottling on sides and back

snail bullhead

Ameiurus brunneus

• flat head and upper jaw even with or projecting slightly beyond lower jaw
• caudal fin slightly notched
• sides and back may be mottled or solid yellowish-brown

an adipose fin present

eastern brook trout

Salvelinus fontinalis

• blue halos around pink or red spots on sides
• light green or cream wavy lines or blotches on back and dorsal fin

brown trout

Salmo trutta

• red and black spots on head and body
• many spots on gill cover; no spots on caudal fin

rainbow trout

Oncorhynchus mykiss

• irregular black spots on back and most fins
• rows of black spots on caudal fin
• no spots on gill cover

• dorsal and anal fin located far back on body
• "duckbill" rostrum
• forked caudal fin

grass pickerel

Esox americanus

• black suborbital bar slanted toward rear

chain pickerel

Esox niger

• black suborbital bar vertical

pirate perch

Aphredoderus sayanus

• large mouth
• anus and urogenital opening between the gill membranes

sheepshead minnow

Cyprinodon variegatus

• irregular dark bands extend over most of side
• body short, deep

lined topminnow

Fundulus lineolatus

• flattened head
• upturned mouth
• dorsal fin located far back on body
• 6 to 8 black stripes on females; 11 to 15 black bars on males

mosquitofish

Gambusia affinis

• large dark "teardrop" spot below eye
• 1 to 3 rows black spots on dorsal and caudal fins

sailfin molly

Poecilia latipinna

• about 5 longitudinal rows of small, dark spots on sides
• male has large, sail-like dorsal fin

largemouth bass

Micropterus salmoides

• large mouth, upper jaw extending well past eye
• broad black stripe (sometimes broken) along side and onto snout
• dorsal fins nearly separate

smallmouth bass

Micropterus dolomieu

• upper jaw extends to under eye
• dark brown with brassy specks often coalesced into 8-16 bars on side
• dorsal fins joined

redeye bass

Micropterus coosae

• upper jaw extends to rear half of eye
• upper and lower edges of caudal fin white
• faint dark blotches or bars on middle of sides; rows of small spots on lower portion of sides

warmouth

Lepomis gulosus

• large mouth, upper jaw extending well under the eye
• dark lines radiating from back of red eye
• small patch of teeth on the tongue

green sunfish

Lepomis cyanellus

• large mouth; upper jaw extending well under the eye
• dark spot at base of dorsal and anal fins
• greenish back and sides, sometimes with faint bars

bluegill

Lepomis macrochirus

• black spot at rear of dorsal fin only
• dark bars on sides
• long pectoral fin, extends past eye when bent forward

redear sunfish

Lepomis microlophus

• pectoral fin extends past eye when bent forward
• rear edge of ear flap red or orange
• no spot on dorsal fin

redbreast sunfish

Lepomis auritus

• ear flap long and narrower than the eye
• pectoral fin does not reach the eye when bent forward
• breeding males have orange-red breast

longear sunfish

Lepomis megalotis

• ear flap long, at least as wide as the eye, and with a white margin
• pectoral fin does not reach the eye when bent forward
• adults olive or brown above and orange below

black crappie

Pomoxis nigromaculatus

• long space between the eye and the dorsal fin origin
• large mouth; upper jaw extends to under eye
• dark mottling scattered across the sides

white bass

Morone chrysops

• 4 to 7 dark gray-brown stripes on silver-white side
• deep body, strongly arched behind head

striped bass

Morone saxatilis

• 6 to 9 dark gray stripes on silver-white side
• slender body, not strongly arched behind head

yellow perch

Perca flavescens

• forked caudal fin
• 6 to 9 green-brown saddles extend down yellow side (often triangular bars)
• black blotch at rear of dorsal fin (often another at front)

black-banded darter

Percina nigrofasciata

• possess scutes on the breast and small air bladders
• 12 to 15 bars on sides
• 6 to 8 dark saddles on the back

turquoise darter

Etheostoma inscriptum

• largest genus of North American fishes
• lack scutes and air bladders
• 6 dark saddles on the back and 6 dark blotches on the sides

hagfishes

class Myxini

• elongate, eel-like bodies with no true fins
• terminal mouth surrounded by 6 barbels
• 5 to 15 separate gill openings
  

lampreys

class Petromyzontida

• mouth surrounded by funnel-like oral disk, with epidermal teeth
• 7 separate gill openings

• body flattened dorsoventrally (depressed), pectoral fins greatly expanded and joined in front to side of head
• 5 gill slits on ventral surface of the disk
• spiracles large and used to take in water for respiration

skate

class Chondrichthyes, subclass Elasmobranchii

• tail thick, never whiplike
• dorsal fins small, located near tip of tail

ray

class Chondrichthyes, subclass Elasmobranchii

• thin, whiplike tail
• without a caudal fin
• with 1 or 2 barbed spines near base of fin

ratfish

class Chondrichthyes, subclass Holocephali

• gill slits covered with an operculum
• jaws with tooth plates
• lateral line an open groove

lungfish

grade Teleostomi, class Sarcopterygii, subclass Dipnoi

• fleshy fins
• diphycercal tail