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Is this a Golden Shiner?

Started by Guest_Rtifs_* , Mar 19 2010 08:07 PM

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11 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_Rtifs_*

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Posted 19 March 2010 - 08:07 PM

Is this a Golden Shiner? They are all over a local pond, but I only catch them in spring. Not sure where they go the rest of the year, or how they manage to avoid being tasty bass-candy since there are no weeds to hide in.

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#2 Guest_fundulus_*

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Posted 19 March 2010 - 09:05 PM

It looks like a "yellowtail", threadfin shad. They're not native to Maryland and probably have problems overwintering that far north.
(Edit: no, not really!)

#3 Guest_Kanus_*

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Posted 19 March 2010 - 09:15 PM

That just looks like a really big Golden Shiner to me. Bruce, what is indicating a shad to you?

#4 Guest_smbass_*

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Posted 19 March 2010 - 10:17 PM

I agree that's a nice big fat healthy golden shiner, not a shad at all. They can get rather large, nearly 12 inches long. The more northern ones have yellow fins like that and down in Florida I have seen them with very red fins on the larger individuals.

#5 Guest_FirstChAoS_*

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Posted 19 March 2010 - 10:40 PM

Is this a Golden Shiner? They are all over a local pond, but I only catch them in spring. Not sure where they go the rest of the year, or how they manage to avoid being tasty bass-candy since there are no weeds to hide in.

Hmmm, spade shaped body, pointed sharky dorsal fin, ability to take over ponds (to the point i call them "pond roaches" at times) all points to golden shiner. Seeing one with actual golden coloration on it is rare but it does happen.

It also lacks the black spot on its side all the pictures of threadfin shad I can find seem to have.

Edited by FirstChAoS, 19 March 2010 - 10:44 PM.

#6 Guest_fundulus_*

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Posted 19 March 2010 - 11:03 PM

I stupidly looked at the yellow tail and very general shape... so much for depeche-mode type IDs.

#7 Guest_Casper Cox_*

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Posted 23 March 2010 - 02:09 PM

Tricked again Bruce.

Golden Shiners have a keel on their front breast. A unique feature. There are some at the TN Aquarium that are about 12" long. Very flowing fins. I have one in the cement pond that is approaching that size. 2 others are from Florida and sport the red tails. The red is now subdued from when i first caught them, blood red, in a Tates Hell ditch. They can be small and have those red fins. Ive also seen them in spring heads so they can vary in both habitat and temperature.
I wonder if there is any talk about splitting them as a subspecies?
I raised a bunch of fry once and i think they make nice aquarium fish, especially for a beginner.
A common bait bucket specie from my area. That and Fatheads or toughies as they call them.
Casper

#8 Guest_fritz_*

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Posted 23 March 2010 - 02:24 PM

I believe that rudd have been introduced into parts of MD. Could be this.

#9 Guest_gerald_*

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Posted 24 March 2010 - 09:51 AM

Fish in photo has approx 14 anal rays, typical for golden shiner. European rudd should have 10-11 anal rays according to Peterson Guide.

BTW, ive always wondered why does "crysoleucas" NOT have an "h" like every other critter with "chryso-" in its name? Was this just a typo in the original description?

I believe that rudd have been introduced into parts of MD. Could be this.

Edited by gerald, 24 March 2010 - 09:55 AM.

#10 Guest_Newt_*

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Posted 24 March 2010 - 10:42 AM

BTW, ive always wondered why does "crysoleucas" NOT have an "h" like every other critter with "chryso-" in its name? Was this just a typo in the original description?

Yes. In the pre-ICZN days, many authors would "correct" the spelling of names, either to eliminate a typo or just to change it to a more preferred spelling, which led to a profusion of junior synonyms. For example, some herpetological authors felt that names derived from Greek should be properly Latinized rather than merely transliterated, so the snake genus Agkistrodon was often corrected to "Ancistrodon". Part of the function of ICZN is to put a stop to that sort of thing. The published name, mis-spelled or not, is official.

#11 Guest_fritz_*

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Posted 24 March 2010 - 02:58 PM

Jenkins and Burkhead write "The name originally should have been spelled chrysoleucas; international rules of nomenclature require retention of the spelling in the first valid description."

#12 Guest_Fishwhisperer_*

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Posted 14 May 2011 - 02:12 PM

Just an observation - golden shiners dorsal fin is positioned posterior to the pelvic fins. They also have fine® scales than most shiners. I have caught and kept them several times. This fish certainly looks like a golden shiner to me.