Inshore Fishes of Les Cheneaux
A simple way to get to the main types of fishes.
 
 
Illustrations and characteristics of fishes.
A - Bowfin, dogfish, mudfish
 
bowfin Amia calva
Distinguishing Feature: Single long dorsal fin which visibly undulates under water.

Caudal Fin: Round. Black eyespot at top of base (in males, spot is surrounded by a yellow-orange halo).

Dorsal Fin: Single.

Color: Green-black.

Body: Long and cylindrical.

Often confused with: Brown Bullhead.

  

 
B - Alewife - Herring Family
 
alewife Alosa pseudoharengus
Distinguishing Feature: Deeply curved ventral body ("herring-like").

Caudal Fin: Deeply forked.

Dorsal Fin: Single, pointed.

Color: Silvery.

Body: Ventral side has sharply pointed scales (like a saw-toothed edge).

Uncommon.
 
C - Mudminnow
 
mudminnow Umbra limi
Distinguishing Feature: Dark vertical bar at the base of caudal fin.

Caudal Fin: Round.

Dorsal Fin: Single, rounded, posterior.

Color: Dark olive dorsal blending into gold on ventral side.

Body: Robust, stocky body. No lateral line.

Anal fin: Posterior.
 
D - Pike
 
northern pike Esox lucius
Distinguishing Feature: Dark green with rows of bean-shaped yellow spots on larger specimens.

Caudal Fin: Forked.

Dorsal Fin: Single, round, posterior.

Body: Elongate.

Anal fin: Posterior.

Uncommon.
 
E - Smelts
 
smelt Osmerus mordax
Distinguishing Feature: Silvery color, adipose fin present. 

Caudal Fin: Forked.

Dorsal Fin: Single, pointed.

Color: Silvery.

Body: Cigar-shaped, laterally compressed. Large mouth.
 
F - Trout, salmon, whitefish
 
rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss
Distinguishing Feature: Adipose fin with a dark margin around the entire edge.

Caudal Fin: Forked.

Dorsal Fin: Single, pointed.

Color: Sides often with rainbow hues.

Body: Vertical blotches along lateral line (parr marks). Irregular dark specks on dorsal side and on most fins.

Uncommon.
 
G - Suckers
 
white sucker Catostomus commersoni
Distinguishing Feature: Ventral mouth designed for sucking.

Caudal Fin: Forked.

Dorsal Fin: Single, pointed.

Color: Grayish-white, sometimes with three gray blotches along side.

Body: Scales crowded toward head.

Uncommon.
 
H - Minnows

No spines on dorsal, anal, or pectoral fins, except carp and goldfish.
Dace have very small scales.

 
Common carp Cyprinus carpio
Distinguishing Feature: Single long wedge-like dorsal fin. Two whisker-like barbels near the back of the mouth.

Caudal Fin: Forked. 

Dorsal and anal fins: Each has a single, stout, toothed spine.

Color: Gray-gold

Body: Large scales.

"Mirror carp" may appear almost scaleless – in this case use dorsal fin for identification.
  
golden shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas.
Distinguishing Feature: Downward curving lateral line.

Caudal Fin: Forked.

Dorsal Fin: Single, pointed.

Color: Silvery, sometimes with golden tint.

Body: No dark lateral stripe. Oblique mouth.

Anal fin: Long base and falcate shape.

Often confused with: Sand shiner, Common shiner.
 
  
common shiner Luxilus cornutus (formerly Notropis cornutus).
Distinguishing Feature: Tall and narrow scales along side of body (compared to those of other shiners and minnows).

Caudal Fin: Forked.

Dorsal Fin: Single, pointed.

Color: Silver, with parallel lateral stripes on dorsal side when viewed from above. No dark lateral stripe.

Often confused with: Golden shiner, Sand shiner.
  
sand shiner Notropis stramineus
Distinguishing Feature: Short "= =" marks along side at lateral line.

Caudal Fin: Forked.

Dorsal Fin: Single, pointed.

Color:  Silvery. Anus is not pigmented.

Body: Cylindrical. Sub-terminal mouth - a little bit of a snout.
 
  
spottail shiner Notropis hudsonius.
Distinguishing Feature: Pronounced dark spot at base of caudal fin.

Caudal Fin: Forked.

Dorsal Fin: Single, pointed.

Color: Silvery, may have faint lateral stripe.

Body: May have tiny "== =" along lateral line.

Often confused with: Bluntnose minnow.
  
Differentiating four cyprinids with distinct dark lateral stripes
Bluntnose minnow
Fathead minnow
Blacknose shiner
Blackchin shiner
Pre-dorsal scales crowded
Pre-dorsal scales not crowded
Distinct caudal fin spot. "Humped" back and pronounced belly. Mouth somewhat sub-terminal. Mouth terminal and somewhat oblique.
Black lateral stripe continues over nose. Dusky marks rather than lateral stripe. Black lateral stripe continues over nose (above mouth). Black lateral stripe continues across mouth pigmenting the lower jaw. 
  
Bluntnose minnow Pimephales notatus.
Distinguishing Feature: Black lateral stripe continuing over nose and caudal spot.

Caudal Fin: Forked. Dark spot at the base.
Dorsal Fin: Single, pointed.

Color: Dark dorsal side, light ventral side, with dark lateral stripe that continues over the nose.

Body: Mouth subterminal.

Often confused with: Spottail shiner, Blackchin shiner, Blacknose shiner.
  
fathead minnow Pimephales promelas
Distinguishing Feature: Lateral line incomplete, usually terminated before origin of dorsal fin.

Caudal Fin: Forked. Darkish bar at base of caudal fin.

Dorsal Fin: Rounded.

Color: Distinct lateral band.

Body: Predorsal scales small and crowded. Deep-bodied, often with pronounced belly.

Uncommon.

  

  
blacknose shiner Notropis heterolepis
Distinguishing Feature: Dark lateral stripe continues over nose but not on lower jaw.

Caudal Fin: Forked.

Dorsal Fin: Single, pointed.

Color: Dark dorsal side, light ventral side, with dark lateral stripe.

Body: Predorsal scales not crowed. Mouth opens below snout (subterminal). Crescent marks - ((((( - in lateral stripe.

Often confused with: Blackchin shiner, Bluntnose minnow.
  
blackchin shiner Notropis heterodon
Distinguishing Feature: Dark lateral stripe continues over nose and lower jaw.

Caudal Fin: Forked.

Dorsal Fin: Single, pointed.

Color: Dark dorsal side, light ventral side, with dark lateral stripe very similar to blacknose shiner.

Body: Scales not crowded. Oblique mouth (see golden shiner). N-shaped marks in lateral stripe.

Often confused with Blacknose shiner, Bluntnose minnow.
 
finescale dace Phoxinus neogaeus
Distinguishing Feature: Very small scales.

Caudal Fin: Forked.

Dorsal Fin: Single, rounded.

Color: Top and about half way down the sides of the body are darkly pigmented. beneath this cap is an olive-green of gold lateral stripe.

 

I - Catfishes
 
brown bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus
Distinguishing Feature: Many whisker-like barbels. Adipose fin present.

Caudal Fin: Square or very slightly forked.

Dorsal Fin: Single, round, slightly anterior. Very sharp barbed spine at anterior of fin.

Color: Dark brown-black.

Body: No scales.

Often confused with: Bowfin
 
J - Topminnows, Killifishes
 
banded killifish Fundulus diaphanus.
Distinguishing Feature: Mouth opens on top of head.

Caudal Fin: Round.

Dorsal Fin: Single, round, somewhat posterior.

Color: 0-20 zebra-like vertical bars.

Body: Large eye. No lateral line along body.

Uncommon.
 
K - Sticklebacks
narrow caudal peduncle and triangular tail, not forked.
 
brook stickleback Culaea inconstans.
Distinguishing Feature: 4-6 spines on dorsal side (usually 5).

Caudal Fin: Fanlike, rounded.

Dorsal Fin: Triangular with a long base, posterior, symmetric with anal fin.

Color: Dark green, mottled.

Body: Lacks scales.

Anal fin: Triangular with a long base, posterior, symmetric with anal fin. 

Often confused with: Ninespine Stickleback.
  
ninespine stickleback Pungitius pungitius.
Distinguishing Feature: 7-12 spines on dorsal side (usually 9).

Caudal Fin: Fanlike, slightly forked.

Dorsal Fin: Triangular, long-base, posterior, symmetric with anal fin.

Color: Dark mottling.

Body: Extremely narrow caudal peduncle.

Anal fin: Triangular, long-base, posterior, symmetric with dorsal fin. 

Often confused with: Brook Stickleback.

Uncommon.
 
L - Perches
All have two dorsal fins, the anterior fin spiny, the posterior fin soft-rayed.
 
yellow perch Perca flavescens.
Distinguishing Feature: 6-8 vertical triangular bars.

Caudal Fin: Slightly forked.

Dorsal Fin: The anterior dorsal is larger than posterior dorsal.

Color: Variable, but dorsal side greenish and ventral side golden/silver.

Body: Humped back.

Often confused with: Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass.
  
walleye Stizostedion vitreum
Distinguishing Feature: Canine teeth (long and pointed) easily seen.

Caudal Fin: Forked tail.

Dorsal Fin: Two dorsal fins.

Body: Huge mouth. 

Uncommon.
  
Iowa darter Etheostoma exile.
Distinguishing Feature: Large pectoral fins. Black teardrop below eye.

Caudal Fin: Fan-like.

Dorsal Fin: Two dorsal fins.

Color: Sand colored with dark brown markings. Breeding males reddish.

Often confused with: Johnny darter.
  
Johnny darter Etheostoma nigrum.
Distinguishing Feature: W-shaped markings along middle of body. Large pectoral fins.

Caudal Fin: Fan-like.

Dorsal Fin: Two dorsal fins.

Color: Sand colored with dark brown markings. 6 brown saddles on dorsal side. Lighter colored than Iowa.

Often confused with: Iowa Darter.
 
M - Bass and Sunfishes
All have single dorsal fin, with a deep notch between the spiny anterior and soft posterior portions.
 
smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu
Distinguishing Feature: 8-16 green to grayish vertical stripes, single dorsal fin with a deep notch. 

Caudal Fin: Forked.

Dorsal Fin: Single, deeply notched which can look like two fins.

Color: Light background to stripes. 

Body: Large mouth extends under eye.

Often confused with: Largemouth Bass, Rock Bass, Pumpkinseed Yellow Perch.
  
largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides.
Distinguishing Feature: Broad black stripe made up of ovalish spots.

Caudal Fin: Forked.

Dorsal Fin: Single, deeply notched, often looks like two fins.

Color: Green.

Body: Large mouth extends past eye.

Often confused with: Smallmouth Bass, Rock Bass, Pumpkinseed, Yellow Perch
  
rock bass Ambloplites rupestris.
Distinguishing Feature: Red eye. Camouflage brown marbling.

Caudal Fin: Slightly forked.

Dorsal Fin: Single, slightly notched.

Color: Green/Brown mottled

Body: Deeper that basses.

Often confused with: Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Pumpkinseed, Yellow Perch.
  
bluegill Lepomis macrochirus.
Distinguishing Feature: Dark spot on operculum.

Caudal Fin: Somewhat forked.

Dorsal Fin: Single.

Body: Deep body. Long pointed pectoral fin. Small mouth.

Uncommon. 

Often confused with: Rock bass, Pumpkinseed.
  
pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus.
Distinguishing Feature: Orange opercular tip ("ear"). Blue-green irregular stripes, especially over operculum.

Caudal Fin: Somewhat forked.

Dorsal Fin: Single, slightly notched.

Color: Blue-green. Blue rays from nose to operculum.

Body: Deep body. Long, pointed pectoral fins.

Often confused with: Rock bass, Bluegill, Yellow perch.
  
black crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus.
Distinguishing Feature: Large, posterior, symmetric dorsal and anal fins

Caudal Fin: Forked

Dorsal Fin: Single, posterior, and large.

Color: Dark, irregularly speckled.

Body: Deep body.

Often confused with: Pumpkinseed, Rock bass, Bluegill.

Uncommon.
 
N - Sculpins
 
mottled sculpin Cottus bairdi.
Distinguishing Feature: Large fanlike pectoral fins. Large flattened head.

Caudal Fin: Fanlike.

Dorsal Fin: Deeply notched dorsal fin with anterior spiny part often looking separate from posterior soft-rayed part.

Color: Brown speckled body and fins.

Body: Tapering from wide head to narrow caudal peduncle.

Uncommon. 

Often confused with: Johnny darter, Iowa darter.