Posted 14 April 2015 - 08:30 PM
Went collecting for the first time today, got four topminnows. Not sure if they're blackstripe or spotted, maybe someone could help me with the id. Collected them out of a backwater on the Des Plaines river in IL.
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120 low tech native planted - Blackstriped Topminnow, Central Stoneroller, Fathead minnow, Golden Shiner, Black chin shiner, Carmine Shiner, Emerald Shiner, Sand Shiner, Spotfin Shiner, Orangethroat darter, Johnny Darter, and Banded Darter.
Posted 14 April 2015 - 09:35 PM
Very cool!
Posted 14 April 2015 - 09:49 PM
Posted 15 April 2015 - 05:12 AM
Posted 15 April 2015 - 08:48 AM
Dorsal spotting.
The member formerly known as Skipjack
Posted 15 April 2015 - 10:01 AM
120 low tech native planted - Blackstriped Topminnow, Central Stoneroller, Fathead minnow, Golden Shiner, Black chin shiner, Carmine Shiner, Emerald Shiner, Sand Shiner, Spotfin Shiner, Orangethroat darter, Johnny Darter, and Banded Darter.
Posted 15 April 2015 - 11:14 AM
Dorsal spotting = points of pigment north of the lateral line.
Those are fun to catch, stealth, raise high the net, quick swope down and to you. You get a few tries before they figure your technique out and sink low.
Edited by Casper, 15 April 2015 - 11:16 AM.
Posted 15 April 2015 - 11:24 AM
Yes, what Casper said. I cannot really offer much ID assistance if you already have them at home. I know neither are protected in your state, and may have overlapping ranges, and could certainly be difficult to differentiate in those areas. But if you compare the two species on Google images I think you can come to a conclusion.
The member formerly known as Skipjack
Posted 15 April 2015 - 11:28 AM
Blackspotted (olivaceus) usually has more dorsal spotting than blackstripe (notatus).
Too bad the scientific names are backwards. "notatus" means spotted.
Gerald Pottern
-----------------------
Hangin' on the Neuse
"Taxonomy is the diaper used to organize the mess of evolution into discrete packages" - M.Sandel
Posted 15 April 2015 - 12:38 PM
Edited by strat guy, 15 April 2015 - 12:40 PM.
120 low tech native planted - Blackstriped Topminnow, Central Stoneroller, Fathead minnow, Golden Shiner, Black chin shiner, Carmine Shiner, Emerald Shiner, Sand Shiner, Spotfin Shiner, Orangethroat darter, Johnny Darter, and Banded Darter.
Posted 15 April 2015 - 12:39 PM
Olivaceus seems like slimmer more streamlined fish than notatus to me.
The member formerly known as Skipjack
Posted 15 April 2015 - 12:40 PM
120 low tech native planted - Blackstriped Topminnow, Central Stoneroller, Fathead minnow, Golden Shiner, Black chin shiner, Carmine Shiner, Emerald Shiner, Sand Shiner, Spotfin Shiner, Orangethroat darter, Johnny Darter, and Banded Darter.
Posted 15 April 2015 - 12:42 PM
Ha ha, "what does that mean," as in, "does that mean it's a spotted or a black striped?" I know what a dorsal fin is
That difficult to differentiate huh? I'll have to go with black spotted then. I saw Uland Thomas' pictures, which were taken near me and the stripe on the black stripe minnows appears to be more linear, whereas the black spotted looks like the stripe is "dripping."
I think that you are correct. The spots may become more pronounced when spawning, and are more obvious on males. That stripe can be deceiving.
The member formerly known as Skipjack
Posted 15 April 2015 - 01:22 PM
Well if Ben's maps are right, and I cannot imagine that much range expansion, then we would be wrong and notatus would be your fish. They do look pretty spotty, but I would trust the map more than the dorsal spotting.
The member formerly known as Skipjack
Posted 15 April 2015 - 01:39 PM
I agree with Ben's maps. Only F. notatus in the Des Plaines River.
Posted 15 April 2015 - 02:25 PM
Posted 15 April 2015 - 02:32 PM
That's a lot of BS about BS Topminnows
NS!
The member formerly known as Skipjack
Posted 15 April 2015 - 02:45 PM
Hey that makes sense to me. I thought Thomas had seen them in Kankakee, but looks like that was only the Blackstripe, the spotted was taken in Missouri. Problem solved! Now to go find more fish... 
120 low tech native planted - Blackstriped Topminnow, Central Stoneroller, Fathead minnow, Golden Shiner, Black chin shiner, Carmine Shiner, Emerald Shiner, Sand Shiner, Spotfin Shiner, Orangethroat darter, Johnny Darter, and Banded Darter.
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