Central Stoneroller?

I was wondering if anyone could tell me anything about this fish? For example, what is its maximum size? I think its a Central Stoneroller but I can't be sure from the pictures.

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Looks like one to me. I think they grow to about 8 to 11ish inches.

Yeah, it's a stoneroller. The big ones like this are edible, too; better than trout to most people.

In what drainage was this fish caught? The crescent shaped row of tubercles that run along the nostril fit anomalum/pullum best, but some of the other tubercle patterns on it's head seem characteristic of oligolepis. While the scales look pretty large, the more I look at them, they don't seem quite big enough for oligolepis. I wish we could see the anal fin, too (although I think I see a speck of black pigment on the folded anal fin in the 1st photo).

Edited by blakemarkwell, 21 April 2012 - 04:41 PM.

Thanks for the replies.

Sorry I don't have any other pics with the anal fin. The creek doesn't have a name, it just runs under the Erie Canal in Albion, NY.

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Thanks for the replies.

Sorry I don't have any other pics with the anal fin. The creek doesn't have a name, it just runs under the Erie Canal in Albion, NY.

Then it's a central stoneroller, only stoneroller in NY.

awesome thorny body on that fish, it looks really cool.

Excellent photo.
Central Stoneroller. Breeding Male. They only carry these sharp "horns" during breeding season, the tubercules fading away when the season is over. They dig pits in clean gravel in stream flows. Females are attracted into the defended pits and they spawn. After 2 or 3 weeks there will be fry downstream. The males put on a pretty good show digging their pit nests and defending the site from other males. Often you will encounter a blinded, tattered, scarred, spent or dead bull male downstream. It's a tough experience for these high males.
Stonerollers are algae eaters, scrapping off that slippery stuff with their lower chisel lip. You can often see the pattern they leave behind on smooth rocks... a mottled pattern of little horseshoe shapes. Standing on the bank you can often ID them by their sides flashing bright in the sun as the strike and shave off a bit of algae.
They travel in herds, like grazing cattle, often sized to the same individuals. Small Stonies will be in one group while largers gathered in another.
They are a little skittish while snorkel observing them, but with calm patience they are fun to observe grazing.
I have read that yes people eat them put my experience has been they taste like algae! I collected a lot during a electro shock session... they can be hammered by the wrong settings easily.
They are a wonderful species for our native streams. Often found in heavily urbanized streams they are survivors. They eat the algae that is common in such environments and help churn up the gravel at key sites providing other species breeding habitat. When they are spawning often other species will be encountered using their spawning site such as Rainbow Shiners.
Stone Rollers.
Cool Fish.
They do well in algaed aquariums too. A good learning species as they are common and easy to care for and offer interesting behavior.

Super cool fish. I've never seen a photo of one with the tubercles out so far like that. He looks like a armored creature from a Sci-Fi movie.

Casper, that entire description needs to be in a book or something. Great reading.

When they are spawning often other species will be encountered using their spawning site such as Rainbow Shiners.

Just last week, I had the pleasure of witnessing colored up swarms of SRBD all over several stoneroller nests while the male stonerollers feverishly rooted pebbles from their pits. Quite a spectacular show.

Stonerollers are algae eaters, scrapping off that slippery stuff with their lower chisel lip. You can often see the pattern they leave behind on smooth rocks... a mottled pattern of little horseshoe shapes. Standing on the bank you can often ID them by their sides flashing bright in the sun as the strike and shave off a bit of algae.
They travel in herds, like grazing cattle, often sized to the same individuals. Small Stonies will be in one group while largers gathered in another.

I wonder if they could be used to control the invasive didymo "rock snot" algae.