Practical 1 - Fish Combined Set

suffix for fish orders

“-iformes”

suffix for fish families

“-idae”

fish in order Petromyzontiformes

chestnut lamprey

chestnut lamprey location

historically in Missouri River tributaries (not seen since 1989)

chestnut lamprey life history

adults live in rivers and reservoirs

breed in small streams (excavate shallow nests)

semelparous (spawn and die)

larvae live 5-7 years

benthic filter feeders in slow moving water

metamorphose into parasitic adult

chestnut lamprey status in Kansas

threatened

families in order Acipenceriformes

Acipenseridae

Polyodontidae

fish in family Acipenseridae

lake sturgeon

shovelnose sturgeon

pallid sturgeon

sturgeon general characteristics

cartilaginous

heterocercal tail

boney scute rows

sensory barbels, protrusible mouth

declining or endangered in Kansas

lake sturgeon location

historically present in Missouri River

lake sturgeon characteristics

short, thick caudal peduncle - not covered in scutes

no spiracle

lake sturgeon life history

large, slow growing, late maturing (20 years)

hunted for caviar

deep, clean water with firm sand or gravel

lake sturgeon status in Kansas

SINC (and in trouble elsewhere)

shovelnose sturgeon location

historically - Republican, KS

present - Eastern Kansas River

shovelnose sturgeon characteristics

darker, brown

inner and outer barbels halfway between mouth and tip of snout

no scale-like scutes on belly

shovelnose sturgeon life history

most abundant sturgeon in Kansas

eats benthic invertebrates and fishes

lives in large turbid rivers

shovelnose status in Kansas

declining, protected because similar to pallid sturgeon

pallid sturgeon location

Missouri River (northeast KS)

pallid sturgeon characteristics

lighter, grey

barbels closer to mouth than tip of snout

inner barbels shorter than outer barbels

naked belly or scattered scale-like scutes

pallid sturgeon life history

rare

eats benthic invertebrates and fishes

lives in large turbid rivers with strong current

pallid sturgeon status in Kansas

endangered

fish in family Polyodontidae

American paddlefish

American paddlefish location

rivers and reservoirs - common in Marais de Cygnes and Neosho

American paddlefish characteristics

large rostrum with ampullae (detecting plankton)

cartilaginous

no scutes, scales, or barbels

gill arches for filtering plankton

American paddlefish life history

adapted for eating plankton via ram filtration

rostrum is NOT used for digging

lives in rivers rich with zooplankton, gravel bars for spawning

American paddlefish status in Kansas

stable - sport fish in KS

family in order Lepisosteiformes

Lepisosteidae

fish in family Lepisosteidae

longnose gar

shortnose gar

spotted gar

gar general characteristics

ambush predators

heterocercal tail

ganoid scales (armor)

long snout, sharp teeth

cylindrical body

vascularized swim bladders for respiration

longnose gar location

East Kansas: rivers, large streams, reservoirs

longnose gar characteristics

long thin snout

no dark markings on top of head

longnose gar life history

groups of 2-5

piscivore diet - forage fish, mostly shads

lives in larger streams or reservoirs

longnose gar status in Kansas

stable - sport fish

shortnose gar location

East Kansas - slackwater area of rivers

shortnose gar characteristics

short blunt snout

no markings on top of head

can’t tell small shortnose and spotted gar apart

shortnose gar life history

solitary

piscivore diet - sunfish, common carp

more tolerant of turbidity than other gars

shortnose gar status in Kansas

stable - sport fish

spotted gar location

Southeast Kansas - slackwater areas of Neosho and Verdigris rivers

possibly expanding

spotted gar characteristics

short blunt snout

dark markings on top of head

can’t tell small shortnose and spotted gar apart

spotted gar life history

piscivore diet - surface fish and shad

least tolerant of gars to turbidity

spotted gar status in Kansas

stable - sport fish

family in order Hiodontiformes

Hiodontidae

fish in family Hiodontidae

goldeye

goldeye location

historically - Marais de Cygnes river

present - reservoirs/pools of Missouri and Kansas rivers

goldeye characteristics

straight back from gill to dorsal fin

large eye with yellow iris

smooth keeled belly

dorsal fin far back, above anal fin

laterally compressed

goldeye life history

eats zooplankton and invertebrates (occasionally small fish)

crepuscular surface feeders

goldeye status in Kansas

recommended SINC, but understudied

family in order Clupeiformes

Clupeidae

fish in family Clupeidae

gizzard shad

gizzard shad location

almost anywhere with large pools of water

gizzard shad characteristics

serrated keeled belly

dorsal fin close to middle (above or slightly behind pelvic fins)

dark spot behind upper operculum (fades with age)

laterally compressed

gizzard shad life history

stomach has thick muscular wall (like a gizzard)

eats zooplankton, phytoplankton, and detritus

gizzard shad status in Kansas

very abundant

family in order Anguilliformes

Anguillidae

fish in family Anguillidae

American eel

American eel location

historically common

presently - rare in Kansas River

American eel characteristics

elongate body with jaws

pectoral fins, but no pelvic fins

dorsal, caudal, and anal fins connected

American eel life history

opportunistic omnivores - especially likes crayfish

catadromous - spawns in marine environments

only females migrate inland

American eel status in Kansas

declining

Dams block migration into the Verdigris, Arkansas, and Neosho rivers

families in Cypriniformes

Catostomidae

Cyprinidae

general characteristics of Cypriniformes

homocercal tails

Weberian apparatus

one dorsal fin

toothless

cycloid scales

weberian apparatus

connects swim bladder to inner ear

amplifies hearing underwater

dorsal/anal/mouth on suckers

10+ rays in dorsal fin

anal fin closer to caudal fin

fleshy lips oriented downward

dorsal/anal/mouth on native minnows

8 rays in dorsal fins

anal fin farther from caudal fin

lips not fleshy

Catostomidae general features

single spineless dorsal fin with 10 rays

fleshy lips

no scales on head

fish in Catostomidae

river carpsucker

quillback

buffalo (smallmouth, bigmouth, black, and yellow)

white sucker

spotted sucker

golden redhorse

shorthead / pealip redhorse

river carpsucker location

reservoirs, pools, and backwaters in most of KS (historically absent from the west)

river carpsucker physical characteristics

angular lower lip with “nipple”

nares above mouth

shorter snout

laterally compressed w/ short rounded snout and falcate dorsal fin

river carpsucker natural history

opportunistic omnivore, “gizzard” that grinds food

needs reservoirs, pools, and backwaters

quillback location

Arkansas, Kansas, Republican, Verdigris Rivers and reservoirs

quillback physical characteristics

lower lip NOT angular, no lip nipple

longer snout

nares behind mouth

quillback natural history

opportunistic omnivore, has “gizzard” for grinding food

needs larger streams with clearish water, loose sand

smallmouth buffalo location

eastern half of KS, including Arkansas river

smallmouth buffalo physical characteristics

small conical head, long falcate dorsal fin

small subterminal mouth

keeled back, anterior to dorsal fin

smallmouth buffalo natural history

omnivore - primarily microcrustaceans and algae

medium/large rivers, firm substrate

bigmouth buffalo location

eastern half of KS (extirpated from Big Blue River)

bigmouth buffalo physical characteristics

long falcate dorsal fin

large head, large terminal mouth

rounded back anterior to dorsal fin

bigmouth buffalo natural history

omnivore - primarily Midge larvae, plankton, crustaceans

parts of medium/large rivers with little to no flow

black buffalo location

large rivers and reservoirs East Kansas

black buffalo physical characteristics

darker, long falcate dorsal fin

large head, small subterminal mouth

rounded back anterior to dorsal fin

black buffalo natural history

omnivore - Asian clams, diatoms, cyanobacteria

large rivers

plicate lips

semi papillose lips

papillose lips

white sucker location

north and northeast kansas

white sucker physical characteristics

slender body, slate dorsal and caudal fins

thick papillose lips

white sucker natural history

omnivore - highly variable across individuals and ages

tolerant of harsh conditions and high nutrient loads

spotted sucker location

southeast Kanas (Neosho, Verdigris, Walnut)

spotted sucker physical characteristics

slender body

horizontal rows of small back basal spots

fleshy, thin plicate lips

spotted sucker natural history

omnivore - whatever’s most abundant

clear pools of slow-flowing creeks with aquatic vegetation

status: SINC

golden redhorse location

east and southeast Kansas - most common redhorse in Arkansas River

golden redhorse physical characteristics

gold, slender body

plicate lips

lower lip V-shaped

golden redhorse natural history

eats primarily insects

needs streams with firm bottoms, little vegetation

status: not listed

shorthead / pealip redhorse location

East and south central Kansas

shorthead/pealip redhorse physical characteristics

slender body, gold with red fins

plicate lips (broken on lower lip)

lower lip straight or slightly concave

shorthead / pealip redhorse natural history

primarily insects

medium/large streams in riffle areas

status: not listed

family in the order Siluriformes

Ictaluridae

fish in the family Ictaluridae

catfish (blue catfish, channel catfish, flathead catfish)

bullheads (black bullhead, yellow bullhead)

stonecat

madtoms

general characteristics of Ictaluridae

homocercal tails

adipose fin

no scales

spines in dorsal and pectoral fins

long barbels on head (sensory organs)

tail shape in bullheads

rounded