Transcript Outline - Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Identification of Nongame
Fishes Workshop
Michigan AFS
Lake Superior State University
March 3-4, 2008
Presented by Kevin Wehrly
Institute for Fisheries Research
Michigan Department of Natural Resources and
University of Michigan
Acknowledgement
All photographs were taken by John Lyons
and accessed from www.WiscFish.com
Cyprinidae
Minnows
Cyprinid characteristics
• Single dorsal fin
• Fins without spines (except carp and
goldfish)
• Lack teeth in the mouth
• Lips thin and simple, lacking sensory
papillae or plicae
Most common species
• Bluntnose minnow
• Common shiner
• Creek chub
Bluntnose minnow
• Small, sub terminal mouth
• Crowded predorsal scales
• First dorsal fin ray short
and not bound
Common shiner
• Large, oblique mouth
• Scales on sides twice
as tall as wide
Creek chub
• Large, terminal mouth; upper lip large
• Spot at anterior base of dorsal fin
• Small scales, crowded towards head
Species related* to or often
confused with most common
species
• Bluntnose
– Fathead minnow*, most minnows!
• Common shiner
– Striped shiner*, golden shiner
• Creek chub
– Pearl dace, hornyhead chub, river chub
Fathead minnow
• Small, oblique mouth
• Crowded predorsal scales
• First dorsal fin ray short
and not bound
Striped shiner
• Large, oblique mouth
• Scales on sides twice
as tall as wide
• Occurs only in
southern lower peninsula
Common shiner
Striped shiner
Golden shiner
• Small, superior, oblique mouth
• Decurved lateral line
• Large, falcate anal fin
• Unscaled keel between
Pelvic fins and anus
Young-of-year
Pearl dace
• Mouth similar to creek chub
• Smaller mouth, shorter snout
• No spot at anterior base of dorsal fin
• Small scales,
sides speckled
Hornyhead and river chub
• Large, sub-terminal mouth; barbel
• Caudal blotch,
tail fin red in young
• Large scales, appearing outlined
Hornyhead chub
• Crimson spot behind eye
• Tubercles from snout to nape
River chub
• More snout than hornyhead
• Tubercles from snout to eye
Other major groups of minnows
• Sub-terminal mouth minnows
– May look like bluntnose
• Sharp face minnows
– May look like common shiner
• Fine-scale minnows
– May look like creekchubs
Sub-terminal mouth minnows
• May look like bluntnose minnow
• Often have unique pigmentation
• Body often straw color
Stoneroller minnow
• Sub-terminal mouth
• Lower jaw a cartilaginous chisel
• Scales different color;
orange eye
Sand and mimic shiner
• Sub-terminal mouth
• Black equal signs on side of body ====
• Mimic has pigment around anus
• Anal rays—7=sand; 8=mimic
Spottail shiner
• Sub-terminal mouth
• Spot at base of caudal fin
• Dorsal fin forward and falcate
Blacknose shiner
• Sub-terminal mouth
• Black crescents on side of body (((((
• Black stripe on nose
Blackchin shiner
• Mouth more terminal
• Black NNNN pattern on side of body
• Black stripe on chin
Bigmouth shiner
• Sub-terminal mouth
• Eyes looking upward
•
Equal signs on side of body ====
Brassy minnow
• Sub-terminal mouth; overbite
• Dusky sides
•
Rounded dorsal fin
Sharp face minnows
• May look like common shiner
• Large upward-slanting terminal mouth
• Body often bright silver
Spotfin shiner
• Pigment in posterior dorsal
fin webbing
•
Sides appear cross hatched
•
Body slab-sided (deep)
• Dark streak on midline
of chin
Redfin shiner
• Spot at anterior base of
dorsal fin
• Body slab-sided (deep)
• Anal fin larger than
spotfin shiner
Emerald shiner
• Slender bodied
• Silver and emerald streak on sides
• Falcate anal fin
Rosyface shiner
• Slender bodied, very silver
• Black pigmentation on lips
• Dorsal fin set far back on body
• Red breeding colors
Fine-scale minnows
• May look like creek chub
• Scales very small
• Red pigmentation during breeding
Blacknose and longnose dace
• Scales very small; body speckled
• Frenum present,
• Barbels at corners of mouth
Blacknose dace
• Black stripe on nose
Longnose dace
• Mouth overhung by snout
Northern redbelly dace
• Scales very small
• Small, oblique mouth
northern
• 2 black stripes on side
Note—Mouth smaller, not oblique in
southern redbelly dace (endangered)
southern
Finescale dace
• Scales very small
• Small, terminal mouth
• Upper lip not large as in creek chub
• 1 black stripe on side
Redside dace
• Scales very small
• Large superior mouth; lower jaw long
• 1 stripe on side
• Endangered