13 replies to this topic

[Sean Phillips]

Caught in the lower Allegheny River on corn, measured 14". I'm thinking silver Redhorse. It had a black tail so according the Redhorse ID guide it's either a silver, golden, or black. Also had 6 anal rays if that helps but I wasn't able to count the dorsal rays.  image.jpg   242.13KB   0 downloads

[Matt DeLaVega]

Looks like a golden to me, but I am not that great with them. Next time get a mouth shot. Works very well with Mox ID.

[Sean Phillips]

This is a crappy picture but it's the only other one I got of it.  image.jpg   254.58KB   0 downloads

[Matt DeLaVega]

I am sticking with golden until someone better than me corrects me.

[olaf]

Based primarily on dorsal fin shape, but also on what I can see of the mouth shape: silver.

[BenCantrell]

Yup, silver based on dorsal fin shape.

[mattknepley]

The pictures themselves are fine; better than most of what I put up here when looking for id help. I think one of the biggest challenge for us amateurs is remembering what part of the fish to photograph. Like Matt said, mouth shots for Moxostoma; but then there's a myriad of other characteristics useful for ids. All of which I seem to forget in the field. One of these days I'm gonna make myself a cheat sheet to throw in with my collecting gear...

[Matt DeLaVega]

I think that Ben and Olaf have enough sucker experience to ID these without mouth shots. Most of us don't.

[BenCantrell]

It would have been tough with just the first picture.  A nice perpendicular side photo is what's most helpful.  You can see the head and body shape undistorted and count the lateral line scales.  Having the dorsal fin up seals the deal.  I don't think you even need a lip photo.

[olaf]

One of these days I'm gonna make myself a cheat sheet to throw in with my collecting gear...

Someone should definitely make such a thing...

[Michael Wolfe]

pegged my sarcasm meter... http://moxostoma.com...e-id-downloads/

[mattknepley]

I know you have the Moxostoma angle covered, Olaf. I was thinking of making myself more of a localized, personally tailored one to remind myself, "OK, you're in the field, and you a fish of x family in front of you that you can't further id. Take a picture of this body part and that body part so when you post on the forum somebody won't say 'What we need is a picture of this body part or that particular body part."

[Matt DeLaVega]

Crayfish  too.

[olaf]

My thinking is always: "take photos from every angle, of every part." Then when I do catch something I'm unsure of and need help or confirmation I either forget to get the key shot or accidentally release the fish prematurely. I would probably forget to look at a what-to-photograph guide until it was too late.