Jump to content


Minnow ID?


  • Please log in to reply
22 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_alter40_*

Guest_alter40_*
  • Guests

Posted 05 May 2008 - 12:07 PM

Not sure exactly what this guy is. My guess was a bluntnose minnow but please help me verify.

Thanks for the help.

Posted Image

Posted Image

Posted Image

#2 Guest_fundulus_*

Guest_fundulus_*
  • Guests

Posted 05 May 2008 - 12:24 PM

Creek chub.

#3 Guest_scottefontay_*

Guest_scottefontay_*
  • Guests

Posted 05 May 2008 - 12:34 PM

Creek chub.


I don't know what it is, but it doesn't look like a creek chub to me.

#4 Guest_alter40_*

Guest_alter40_*
  • Guests

Posted 05 May 2008 - 01:58 PM

From the pictures in my book I use to ID fish with, National Audubon Society Field Guide to Fishes North America, it doesn't look like the creek chub they show. Maybe it has to do with the fact that the fish I have is younger then the one pictured. From this book the one that seems to look most like this fish to me is the bluntnose minnow.

Any other thoughts?

edit: This was caught in Hamlin Lake in Smethport, PA. I believe this is part of the upper Allegheny River drainage. I doubt that info will make too much difference but I figured I would throw it in here.

Edited by alter40, 05 May 2008 - 02:00 PM.


#5 Guest_fundulus_*

Guest_fundulus_*
  • Guests

Posted 05 May 2008 - 02:06 PM

This is, of course, a young fish. But it has the dark blotch at the base of the dorsal fin which is usually a dead give-away, and a quadrate spot at the caudal fin base. The clincher would be if the fish has a small barbel at each corner of the mouth. A lake is not typical habitat, but creek chubs are extremely adaptable and can live in just about any freshwater habitat. Your mileage may vary, as always.

#6 Guest_smbass_*

Guest_smbass_*
  • Guests

Posted 05 May 2008 - 09:11 PM

It is not a bluntnose minnow the scales are too small, bluntnose have relatively large visible scales. If that black mark is indeed pigmentation and not some sort of injury or something I would agree that it looks like a young creekchub. I hesitate on that because the mark looks to be only on one side of the dorsal and not at the front base like it should be for a creek chub. I think the mark is some sort of imperfection rather than an actual mark of pigmentation. After saying all this I would say it looks like a blacknose dace, rather than a creek chub. A close up of the dorsal fin to confirm or reject my thoughts on the mark their would be helpful and then a close up of the head would help id it as a blacknose dace if the mark is some sort of imperfection.

#7 Guest_alter40_*

Guest_alter40_*
  • Guests

Posted 05 May 2008 - 11:50 PM

Well blacknose dace was actually my 2nd guess. I will try to get some better close up pics of the head and the dorsal fin tomorrow.

One other thing about this fish is that it was in quite a large school in the lake I got it from. I don't know if that information helps at all to determine this fish between the species that it could be.

#8 Guest_NateTessler13_*

Guest_NateTessler13_*
  • Guests

Posted 06 May 2008 - 01:38 PM

I'd say Blacknose Dace as well.

#9 Guest_alter40_*

Guest_alter40_*
  • Guests

Posted 06 May 2008 - 10:14 PM

Alright here are a few new pictures I got tonight. The fish really didn't want to stay very still so they were tough to get. I don't think this fish every stops swimming all over the place.

Posted Image

Posted Image

Posted Image

#10 Guest_alter40_*

Guest_alter40_*
  • Guests

Posted 07 May 2008 - 09:37 AM

Did those pictures help at all?

#11 Guest_scottefontay_*

Guest_scottefontay_*
  • Guests

Posted 07 May 2008 - 09:52 AM

Did those pictures help at all?


blacknosed dace.

#12 Guest_mikez_*

Guest_mikez_*
  • Guests

Posted 07 May 2008 - 11:07 AM

yep, that's a BND.

#13 Guest_alter40_*

Guest_alter40_*
  • Guests

Posted 07 May 2008 - 11:40 AM

Thanks for the info I really appreciate it.

#14 Guest_smbass_*

Guest_smbass_*
  • Guests

Posted 07 May 2008 - 07:43 PM

Yep, I'm confident now thats a blacknose dace. They make nice aquarium fish but are jumpy so keep the tank covered. Here is a mature male...
Attached File  IMG_0555.jpg   49.13KB   0 downloads

#15 Guest_fundulus_*

Guest_fundulus_*
  • Guests

Posted 07 May 2008 - 08:02 PM

And, I'll agree with smbass, the second set of pictures was convincingly blacknose dace. The overhanging top lip became apparent.

#16 Guest_alter40_*

Guest_alter40_*
  • Guests

Posted 07 May 2008 - 09:20 PM

Thank you guys so much!

I'm hoping that I can catch some more of these for my tank.

#17 Guest_pes142_*

Guest_pes142_*
  • Guests

Posted 08 May 2008 - 02:09 PM

Hey Alter, i don't know how close you are to me during the summer, but i know the creeks near my house are full of BND. When i come back up to school in the fall, i can bring some up for you if you like.

#18 Guest_alter40_*

Guest_alter40_*
  • Guests

Posted 08 May 2008 - 02:16 PM

Thanks for the offer pes. I'm pretty sure I'm moving to NC in the next couple of months so I'm kinda working on getting there at the moment. It seemed like the lake here was full of them for some time, but now I can no longer find them in there. Your not allowed to wade or swim in this lake either, but hopefully I'm able to find a few more so I can have a small school of them.

#19 Guest_nativeplanter_*

Guest_nativeplanter_*
  • Guests

Posted 08 May 2008 - 06:46 PM

Hey Alter,
Having done a major interstate move myself a little over a year ago, I would think again about getting new fish a couple months prior. Moving tanks is a pain as it is, and the fish make it more stressful (for you and them). Just my take on it.

#20 Guest_alter40_*

Guest_alter40_*
  • Guests

Posted 09 May 2008 - 11:55 AM

Hey Alter,
Having done a major interstate move myself a little over a year ago, I would think again about getting new fish a couple months prior. Moving tanks is a pain as it is, and the fish make it more stressful (for you and them). Just my take on it.


I won't be adding any more fish to this tank till I know exactly what is going on. When started this tank I actually didn't have plans of moving, but something came up quick so I'm hoping that the fish will survive the move.

For now its going to just be collecting and releasing fish back into the water.




0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users