13 replies to this topic

[truecrimson]

I'm going to take a stab at this.  I am thinking bluntnose minnows for the first 2 pics and of course more sculpins for last one.

 

 06022017BluntnoseMinnows.jpg   321.85KB   1 downloads

 

 06022017BluntnoseMinnow.jpg   229.2KB   1 downloads

 

 06022017Sculpins.jpg   459.4KB   1 downloads

[littlen]

Blacknose dace

[truecrimson]

Awesome, thanks.  I'm looking at pictures now trying to figure out how to tell them apart.

[gerald]

Compare the snout/mouth shape (more snout overhang in Rhinichthys) and size of scales (larger in Pimephales); easy to distinguish once you know what to look for.

[Michael Wolfe]

Tiny tiny smooth scales = dace

It's a decent rule of thumb almost all the time.

[Matt DeLaVega]

Really different black nose dace. Usually they have a more peppered appearance. Talking about pigment, not blackspot. Not sure I have ever seen them so uniform.

[truecrimson]

Really different black nose dace. Usually they have a more peppered appearance. Talking about pigment, not blackspot. Not sure I have ever seen them so uniform.

 

I'm glad you mentioned that.  That was one of the things that was confusing me in pictures.

 

Tiny tiny smooth scales = dace

It's a decent rule of thumb almost all the time.

 

Cool, thank you.  I'll remember that.

[Matt DeLaVega]

They are blacknose dace for sure, but certainly have less pigment than most populations. Funny how much regional or even specific drainage populations can vary. I could see that being confusing with those fish for sure if you weren't pretty familiar with them. Pretty common in smaller streams, so you will likely see them alongside bluntnose minnows and the differences will become clear. A fish in the hand is worth twelve in the book.

[BenCantrell]

Matt, it's because they're the east coast species / subspecies.

 

Eastern from Virginia.

 

Western from Tennessee.

[Matt DeLaVega]

Duh. Didn't think about that. Pennsylvania seems so close that I didn't even think about it having Atlantic drainages. Thanks Ben.

[MtFallsTodd]

Yep, looks like the ones in northern virginia

[keepnatives]

we have both black nose daces in NY the easterns are quite colorful in the spring

[truecrimson]

Matt, it's because they're the east coast species / subspecies.

 

Eastern from Virginia.

 

Western from Tennessee.

 

Wow.  I would not have thought those were the same type of fish.

[BenCantrell]

Honestly I'm not sure if they're considered the same species now or are still separate (R. atratulus and R. obtusus).