Liberty University BIOL 418 - Fish Exam

Bowfin Family

Amiidae

- one living species

- survivor of early primitive group

- retain lot of cartilage in skeleton

- bony plates covering skull

Bowfin features

- modified heterocercal caudal fin

- cycloid scales

- "eyespot" on tail

- live in stagnant water

- short anal fin

Bowfin

Gar Family

Lepisosteidae

- long cylindrical bodies

- considered primitive

- large amounts of cartilage + bony plates

- long jaws with sharp teeth

Lepisostediae breeding

- spawn in spring

- lay eggs at random

- eggs are toxic to warm-blooded vertebrates

Longnose Gar features

- large elongated fish

- dorsal and anal fins far back on body

- broad dark strip though eye down lateral line

Longnose Gar

Eel Family

Anguillidae

- single species

- enters brackish water along coast and rivers often penetrating to headwaters

American Eel features

- scales are minute and embedded in skin

- pelvic fins absent

- dorsal fin is very long

- catadromous (live in freshwater, migrate to Sargasso Sea to breed)

- lay up to ten million eggs

- onmivorous

- nocturnal

- throughout VA

American Eel

Salmon Family

Salmonidae

- gamefish

- adipose fins

- axillary process at base of each pelvic fin

- cold water fish

- predaceous

- some anadromous

Rainbow Trout features

- stocked in montane habitats

- wide pink, red, or purple band on side

- black spots

- small forested springs

- cold water

Rainbow Trout

Brown Trout features

- stocked in montane areas

- orange to red spots with lighter ring around

- breeds October to December

- cool streams and creeks

- found in warmest water of trout species

Brown Trout

Brook Trout features

- native and stocked

- dorsal fin spotted with black

- lower fins with pale anterior margin bordered by black

- breeding season is late Oct. to Nov.

- rocky mountain creeks and small streams

Brook Trout

Minnow Family

Cyrpinidae

- largest freshwater fish family (25% of species)

- lack spines

- breeding tubercles on males occur

- strictly freshwater

- most are random spawners

Central Stoneroller features

- high-backed minnow with ventral mouth

- dorsal and anal fins with a black band

- lower jaw has hard ridge

- males dig pits for nests and defend them

- clear streams in Montane habitats

- tubercles on head and dorsum

Central Stoneroller

Goldfish features

- throughout VA

- dorsal fin has a long base

- gold or silver

Goldfish

Rosyside Dace features

- slight rosy tinge on the side, most intense behind eye

- large mouth, terminal in position

- dorsal fin origin usually behind pelvic fin origin

- lay eggs in nests of other minnows

- typically in creeks

Rosyside Dace

Satinfin Shiner features

- color uniform silver

- posterior end of scales darker

- diamond shaped scales

- breeding in summer

- streams to rivers

- slower regions of water

Satinfin Shiner

Common Carp features

- throughout VA, invasive

- 2 pairs of barbels

- high-back

- large adults

- very long dorsal fin

- scales darker at anterior ends (front darker than back)

- omnivorous

- slow streams and rivers with soft bottom

Common Carp

Cutlips Minnow features

- upper jaw is hood-like

- lower lip appears 3-lobed

- males construct mound-shaped nests

May to June

- Gravel and rocky streams of moderate to larger size

Cutlips Minnow

Fish fins

Crescent Shiner features

- crescent-shaped dark marks on side

- circumpeduncle scales usually 14

- common in creeks, streams, small rivers

- prefer pools but found in runs and riffles

Crescent Shiner

Common Shiner features

- circumpeduncle scales 15-16

- clear creeks, streams, rivers of moderate gradient

- prefer pools

- common in James River drainage

Common Shiner

Rosefin Shiner features

- montane and piedmont

- slender

- dark pigment at anterior base of dorsal fin

- unpaired fins have reddish color in breeding males

- warm large creeks to rivers moderate gradient

Rosefin Shiner

Bluehead Chub features

- no tubercles on snout, only b/t eyes and on forehead

- head bluish in breeding males

- smaller headwaters and streams

- breeds May + early June

Bluehead Chub

River Chub features

- mouth is subterminal

- head reddish in breeding males

- no tubercles on forehead

- nests are built

- medium to large streams and rivers

River Chub

Bull Chub features

- breast in usually naked (less than 30% scaled)

- tubercles all over head

- breed in nests in May

- rocky bottoms of major rivers and tributaries

Bull Chub

Spottail Shiner features

- large eyes

- spot at base of caudal fin

- usually dark midlateral line

- breeding in April and May

Spottail Shiner

Swallowtail Shiner features

- well developed narrow midlateral stripe

- dorsal scales darkly outlined

- warm large creeks to rivers moderate to low gradient

- prefer head or tail of pools

Swallowtail Shiner

Rosyface Shiner features

- red on head and sides of body, strongest behind operculum

- slender

- warm medium streams to large rivers moderate to low gradient

Rosyface Shiner

Telescope Shiner features

- very large eye

- middorsal stripe

- scale margins black

- clear, moderate to low gradient streams and some rivers

Telescope Shiner

Mountain Redbelly Dace features

- fine-scaled

- dark blotches dorsally

- lower side and belly are red

- eggs laid in gravel nest of other minnows

- small streams, often in pools or slower waters

Mountain Redbelly Dace

Bluntnose Minnow features

- blunt nose with stream-lined body

- intense caudal spot

- mouth subterminal

- scales start small and get larger towards tail

- build nest cavities under cover objects

- prefer pools/slower runs

Bluntnose Minnow

Blacknose Dace features

- downward turned head

- broad black midlateral stripe

- diet: aquatic insects

- small to medium streams, usually gentle riffles and runs

- breed April and May

Blacknose Dace

Longnose Dace features

- long snout, ventral mouth

- elongated body (kinda looks like shark)

- males are territorial

- moderate to high gradient streams

Longnose Dace

Creek Chub features

- throughout VA

- dark spot on anterior base of dorsal fin

- mouth terminal

- breeding on nests mid-March to mid-May

Creek Chub

Fallfish features

- large silvery minnow

- pelvic fins rosy

- breeding late April and early May

- juveniles have dark, broad midlateral stripe

Fallfish (Semotilus corporalis)

Sucker Family

Catostomidae

- toothless, sucker like mouth

- head is naked

- cycloid scales

- mostly omnivorous

- spawn in spring

- lay large numbers of eggs at random

Quillback features

- dorsal fin is sharply concave on the posterior margin with anterior tip much longer

- caudal fin well forked

- warm lakes, reservoirs, low-medium gradient rivers

Quillback

White Sucker features

- mouth is ventral

- largest of the suckers

- wide variety of aquatic habitats

- breeding late march to june

White Sucker

Northern Hogsucker features

- concave head

- forward-protruding lips

- breeding occurs March to May

- wide variety of aquatic habitats

Northern Hogsucker

Roanoke Hogsucker features

- light horizontal lines on sides and back

- similar to Northern Hogsucker

- smaller

- Roanoke drainage

Roanoke Hogsucker

Blacktip Jumprock features

- tips of dorsal and caudal fins are black

- mouth is small

- large creeks to small rivers

- swift waters

Blacktip Jumprock

Golden Redhorse

Golden Redhorse features

- sides yellowgold or brassy

- James and Roanoke rivers

- split bottom lip

- breeding April and May

Shorthead Redhorse features

- short-headed high-backed sucker

- scales have dark anterior base

- bottom lip not symmetrical

Shorthead Redhorse

Torrent Sucker features

- two light spots on tail, one above the other

- elongated sucker

- swift water

- late March into April

Torrent Sucker

Catfish Family

Ictaluridae

- long barbels on mouth

- sharp pectoral and dorsal spines

- larger species are edible

- venomous glands in spines

- omnivorous

- most nocturnal

- spawn in Spring/early Summer using nests

- males guard nests and young

White Catfish features

- largest of bullheads

- deep fork in caudal fin

- anal rays 22-24

- warm ponds, reservoirs, medium to large rivers

- pools and slow water

White Catfish

Yellow Bullhead features

- tail not forked

- light barbels

- found in pools of rivers, lakes, reservoirs

- breeding spring to mid-summer

Yellow Bullhead

Brown Bullhead features

- throughout VA

- tail not forked

- barbels dark

- venter pale

- warm water, ponds, lakes, reservoirs

- pools of sluggish large creeks to rivers

Brown Bullhead

Blue Catfish features

- largest catfish species in VA

- deeply forked tail

- straight anal fin margin

- breed late spring to early summer in warm water of rivers and lakes

Blue Catfish

Channel Catfish features

- throughout VA

- tail deeply forked

- anal fin margin rounded

- body usually spotted

- warm water, large streams to rivers, ponds, lakes

Channel Catfish

Flathead Catfish features

- introduced into large river systems of VA

- broad and flat head

- upper tip of caudal fin pale

- warm large streams, rivers, and lakes

- juveniles prefer riffles, adults prefer pools

Flathead Catfish

Margined Madtom features

- throughout VA

- fins usually dark-edges

- chin barbels white or brown

- low to moderate gradient sections of large creeks or rivers

Margined Madtom

Topminnow Family

Poeciliidae

- livebearers, ovoviviparous

- male uses gonopodium to deposit sperm in female

- feed on small insects

- shallow pools

- many are invasive

Eastern Mosquitofish features

- supraterminal mouth

- posteriorly placed dorsal fin

- small

- sexually dimorphic

- mosquito larvae major prey

- lowland quiet aquatic habitats

Eastern Mosquitofish

The Sculpin Family

Cottidae

- large flat heads, slender bodies

- pectoral fin enlarged

- presence of spines on edge of preopercle

- bottom fish

- eggs attached to underside of rocks or logs

Blue Ridge Sculpin features

- chin is unmottled

- first dorsal fin dark

- dark saddle markings

- cool, clear moderate and high gradient streams, creeks, rivers