15 replies to this topic

[FishyJackson]

think I've finally caught a Spottail that is 100% Notropis hudsonius, you guys agree? 

 

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[FishyJackson]

also, while I am failing to catch the species I'm after, strides are at least being made with my identification skills.  I was going to ask what this fish is, but I have ascertained on my own that this is Luxilus, just bigger than I'm used to seeing them.  

 

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[Dustin]

That is definitely not a spottail.  It looks like Exoglossum maxillingua.  The bottom fish does not look like a Luxilus, maybe a fallfish?  I have never seen a fallfish in my hand but that mouth and the small scales lead me in that direction.

[FishyJackson]

 

strides are at least being made with my identification skills

 

ok so I take this back

[FishyJackson]

I thought the bunched up scales behind the gills were indicative of Luxilus

[FishyJackson]

Here are pics of the possible Exoglossum, I was blinded by the clear round spot I guess.  How does cutlips minnow have a better tail spot than a spottail minnow...The controversial antics of these fish are getting out of control.   Exoglossum is one of the fish I was hoping to encounter, I didnt even think to check the lips of this fish because of the spot and horizontal band which I wasn't expecting.

 

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[Dustin]

Luxilus are much deeper bodied fish.  That is definitely a cutlips.  Spottails on the Atlantic slope (at least down my way) don't have the obvious caudal spot.  It is there but it is covered by scales so it's not obvious. 

[FishyJackson]

Thanks for clearing these up Dustin, also agree now the non-luxilus fish is a fallfish

I may post another fish later lol had another one that was questionable

[mattknepley]

ok so I take this back

Welcome to my world, brother!

[FishyJackson]

this was the fish I wasn't sure what it is, but know it's not something I haven't caught.  Actually now thinking this is the controversial form of hudsonius

 

 

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[FishyJackson]

Welcome to my world, brother!

 

lol tough sledding with these minnows

[gerald]

I think that last one is another fallfish.  Lateral stripe can come and go on young ones; it stays gone after they get big.

[Dustin]

Agree with Gerald.

[FishyJackson]

thanks guys, well I'm officially done declaring anything a Spottail at this juncture.  May this serve as the last erroneous declaration of hudsonius.  

[gerald]

In that last juvenile fallfish pic, you can really see the resemblance to a creek chub (same genus).  The first fallfish i ever saw they were bigger ones, and looked nothing like the other Semotilus I knew (creek chub and sandhills chub).

 

Study the head and mouth shape of N. hudsonius pix in NANFA and other sources, and you'll see why these fish are not that species.  N. hudsonius lateral stripe and caudal spot can come and go with mood, and like the fallfish and most other minnows witrh a stripe, it is more frequent and prominent in juveniles.  

[Matt DeLaVega]

Good stuff. Keep them coming. If it were easy, it wouldn't hold our attention for so long. I love the cutlips. We have western tonguetied minnow here. Pretty similar, but a bit bigger headed and even more chubish, and a more funky mouth.