A Few Cyprinid IDs Needed

Hey guys,

On my trip with Ben to the convention in NC I micro-angled a few Cyprinids I'd like to confirm IDs on.

Fishing Creek, KY - A Highland Shiner?
 DSCN0790.JPG   80.08KB   3 downloads


Fishing Creek, KY - Could this be a Steelcolor, or is it just a Spotfin?
 DSCN0808.JPG   94.3KB   4 downloads

French Broad Drainage, NC (sorry, I don't remember the name of the actual stream) - Tennessee Shiner?
 DSCN0889.JPG   79.51KB   0 downloads

Think this was Catawba? I got these, as did Ben, but he also scored a Spottail Shiner. I know surveys showed Sandbar Shiners. Could that be what these are? Again, I apologize if I have the drainage wrong.

Not sure if these two pics are from the same specimen or not.
 DSCN1184.JPG   86.67KB   1 downloads
 DSCN1187.JPG   95.62KB   1 downloads

Now here is what I think is a Greenfin Shiner. Again I can't remember what stream or drainage, I am sorry. But sympatric species may help. We both got Feiryblack Shiner and Warpaint Shiner. I was the only one to get the proposed Greenfin. Ben was the only one to get a Margined Madtom.
 DSCN1284.JPG   81.44KB   0 downloads
 DSCN1297.JPG   133.13KB   0 downloads

I'll leave the KY fish ID's to Josh, but will take a stab at the NC fish: YES on Tennessee shiner (#3) and Sandbar shiner (#4,5). Last two (#6,7) could be either greenfin (chloristia) or whitefin (nivea) if it's from Catawba drainage. Greenfin is more common, but they usually have a wider pale-diffuse lateral stripe; the dark narrow distinct stripe and slim body on that fish looks more nivea-like to me.

#1. Highland Shiner. Notropis micropteryx

#2. Could be a Steelcolor, but more likely a Spotfin. That one is a little tougher without seeing the fish and even then, it's tough.

I agree for what it's worth. Good luck telling spiloptera and whipplei apart unless you have jacked up males of each species in each hand. Some can do it, but most mortals have difficulty. In Ohio and Kentucky, spiloptera seems to be quite a bit more common. An observation, I find both in medium sized rivers, but rarely find steelcolors in the smaller tributaries, though I do find some spotfins. I suppose if you were not near the mouth of Fishing creek, it is likely a spotfin. If anyone has a different experience than I, let us know.

Josh, is Highland shiner a rubellus split?

Josh, is Highland shiner a rubellus split?

Yeah, it's rubellus in the Ky, licking, and Cumberland above the falls. I think everywhere else it's micropteryx (not sure about western ky).

I think the last two are greenfins. Greenfins are much more abundant in smaller creek and they are deeper bodied than whitefins. Whitefins mouth looks different as well.