Fort William Fish ID

Black Chin Shiner

1) Upturned Mouth

2) black pigment on the snout and chin

3) scales darkly outlined

4) black stripe along side has zig-zag appearance

Blacknose Shiner

1) black stripe around snout barely onto upper lift

2) black crescents within the stripe along side

3)scales darkly outlined

Blacknose Dace

1) thin barbel in corner of the mouth

2) no groove separating the snout from the upper lift

3) pointed snout slightly overhands mouth

4) stripe along side, through eye, and onto snout

Longnose Dace

1) thin barbel in corner of mouth

2) no groove separating snout from upper lift

3) long, fleshy snout extends beyond the mouth

Bluntnose Minnow

1) crowded scales between head and dorsal fin

2) no groove separating snout from upper lift

3) scales darkly outlined (cross-hatched)

4) conspicuous black spot on caudal fin base

Fathead Minnow

1) crowded scales between head and dorsal fin

2) blunt snout with slanted mouth

3) head short and flat on top

Brassy Minnow

1) brassy-yellow body

2) diffuse dusky stripe, developed on rear half of side

common shiner

1) large scales, much deeper than wide

2) dark stripe along middle of back

3) crowded scales between head and dorsal fin

creek chub

1) large black spot at front of dorsal fin base

2) black caudal spot

3) black stripe along side around snout and onto upper lip

Hornyhead chub

1) thin barbel at corner of large mouth

2) large, dark-edged scales

3) spot at base of tail

river chub

1) thin barbel at corner of large mouth

2) large, dark-edged scales

3) spot on base of tail

lake chub

1) thin barbel at corner of large mouth

2) large pectoral scales

3) spot on base of tail

emerald shiner

1) slender, elongate body

2) large mouth on fairly pointed snout

3) dorsal fin origin behind pelvic fin origin

4) black lips

finescale dace

1) very small scales

2) large mouth extending to under eye

3) single black stripe along side

northern redbelly dace

1) very small scales

2) small mouth

3) two black stripes along side

northern pearl dace

1) very small scales

2) small mouth

3) barbel in groove above lip (one or both sides)

4) many small black and brown specks on silver side

spottail shiner

1) round snout overhanging mouth

2) no barbel

3) large black caudal

silver shiner

1) slender, elongate body

2) large mouth on long snout

3) dorsal fin over pelvic fin

4) two black crescents between nostrils

longnose sucker

1) thick lips with many “pimples”

2) very small scales

white sucker

1) thick lips (lower lip about twice as thick as upper lift) with many “pimples”

2) small scales

Central mudminnow

1) dorsal and anal fins far back on body

2) black bar on caudal fin base

3) rounded caudal fin

rainbow smelt

1) streamlined, elongate body

2) adipose fin

3) large teeth on jaw and tongue

trout perch

1) large, unscaled head

2) adipose fin

3) spines in dorsal, anal, and pelvic fin

4) rows of 7-12 dusky spots along back, upper side

brooke stickleback

1) 4-7 (usually 5) short dorsal spines

2) deep, thin body with no bony plates on sides

ninespine stickleback

1) nine short dorsal spines

2) slender body

3) well- developed keel on caudal peduncle

4) no bony plates on side

three spine stickleback

1) three dorsal spines, last very short

2) boney plates on sides

3) boney keel along side of caudal peduncle

mottled sculpin

1) dorsal fins jointed at base

2) 2-3 dark bars on body under second dorsal fin

3) large black spots at front and rear of first dorsal fin

log perch

1) slender, elongate body

2) blunt snout

3) 9-10 horizontally oblong black blotches along side

4) black X’s and W’s on back and upper sides

Johnny darter

1) slender, elongate body

2) small mouth

3) teardrop

4) dark brown X’s and W’s along side

slimy sculpin

1) long, fairly slender body

2) three pelvic rays

3) prickles on head and behind pectoral fin base

white sucker

1) thick lips with many pimples

2) small scales

fourspine sickleback

1) four dorsal spines of various lengths, wide gap before last spine

2) no boney plates on side

ruffe

1) fairly deep, compressed body

2) broadly jointed, spiny dorsal fins

3) many small black spots on dorsal and caudal fins