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Redhorse ID help

Started by Guest_Mike_* , Apr 13 2011 11:30 PM

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9 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_Mike_*

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Posted 13 April 2011 - 11:30 PM

I was trying to ID this fish for my son, but the photo is not that great for ID purposes. (I had my Peterson Field Guide out but he did not have a photo of the mouth or a close up of the tail or fins. I was unable to even count the scales on the lateral line.)

I think it is eather a Golden Redhorse Sucker or a Black Redhorse Sucker. He caught it in Sugar Creek in Turkey Run State Park, in Indiana.

It looks like something tried to eat it, missing a lot of scales.

Anyone know for shure?

Attached Files

Blackredhorse.jpg 33.31KB 1 downloads

Edited by Mike, 13 April 2011 - 11:30 PM.

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#2 Guest_Newt_*

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Posted 14 April 2011 - 12:01 AM

I agree it's one of those two species, but I couldn't say beyond that. My attempts to count the lateral line scales put me in the 43-44 neighborhood, which unfortunately is right on the borderline between the two.

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#3 Guest_panfisherteen_*

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Posted 14 April 2011 - 01:31 AM

A picture of it's mouth would really help with this ID (the mouth itself from the underside of the fish).

Edited by panfisherteen, 14 April 2011 - 01:33 AM.

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#4 Guest_Outdoors4life_*

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Posted 14 April 2011 - 09:12 PM

Mike I tried to enlarge the pic but it is too blurry. If you can count the anal rays there would be 9 if it is a Black. Steven catch this?

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#5 Guest_Mike_*

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Posted 14 April 2011 - 11:09 PM

Yes, my son Steven caught this fish. He did not think to get a mouth, or any fin shots.

Lets see what it looks like if I don't shrink it.

Attached Files

goldenredhorse.jpg 78.02KB 3 downloads

Edited by Mike, 14 April 2011 - 11:27 PM.

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#6 Guest_Outdoors4life_*

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Posted 15 April 2011 - 11:21 PM

Yes, my son Steven caught this fish. He did not think to get a mouth, or any fin shots.

Lets see what it looks like if I don't shrink it.

You may have seen Fiddle's responce on RF but as I was was thinking it is a golden with the deeper body. Blacks tend to be more streamlined. Not that I have caught my Black yet but A golden is still a new lifer for Steven!

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#7 Guest_mywan_*

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Posted 16 April 2011 - 04:29 AM

I counted 48 lateral line scales (with some difficulty). My most conservative count puts it at a minimum of 46, which makes it a black redhorse. The keys go:
Lateral line scales usually >43 = black redhorse
Lateral line scales usually <44 = golden redhorse

The range is 43 to 51 lateral line scales for the black redhorse. Some sources give the range of lateral line scales on the golden redhorse as 39 to 42.

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#8 Guest_Outdoors4life_*

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Posted 16 April 2011 - 10:13 PM

The tail is wrong for a black IMO

Here is a thread that a buddy of mine has a pic of a Golden then a Black

2nd pic down is a Golden 3rd is a Black

Redhorse Thread

Edited by Outdoors4life, 16 April 2011 - 10:14 PM.

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#9 Guest_Mike_*

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Posted 18 April 2011 - 03:58 PM

Well now I don't know what to think. It does look thicker, but I count between 46-48 scales too.

I wish he got a mouth or better anal fin photo.

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#10 Guest_smbass_*

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Posted 22 April 2011 - 10:42 AM

I too am getting too high of a scale count to be a golden and also the head shape looks more black like than golden. Goldens have a bulkier head than is more angular and not so rounded. If I had to make a guess I would say that is a rather large black redhorse which would explain it seeming a little deeper bodied than usual. Blacks don't get as big as goldens and when you do see a big one (a little under or over 20") they look thicker than they should.