Great Plains Fishes

Guide to Fishes Inhabiting Great Plains Streams
   Missouri, Arkansas, and Red River Basins of
      Alberta, Saskatchewan, Montana, North Dakota,
      South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado,
      Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas

     This website includes keys and documented biological summaries for species of fish
inhabiting streams, perhaps only sporadically, on the Great Plains of North America. Some
of the species are more characteristic of the Central Lowlands of the Mississippi River basin
and reach the western limits of their native distributions on the Great Plains. Other species
are more likely to inhabit streams in the Rocky Mountains and their foothills. And there are
the exotic species from Eurasia and species native to other regions of North America that
have been introduced, intentionally or unintentionally, or expanded their ranges westward
onto the Great Plains.
     The goal of this project is to provide a freely available, on-line source of biological
information about these species to interested biologists, resource managers, and the
general public. This is a work in progress, an attempt to initiate the process. We will see
how it develops, and the website will be updated as new information becomes available.
Please contact the editor with questions, comments, or proposed contributions, and
thank you for your interest.

Mark E. Eberle, Editor
Department of Biological Sciences
Fort Hays State University, Hays, KS
meberle@fhsu.edu

Contributions Welcome
Species Account Template
(MS Word doc file)
Latest update: 4 November 2009

Dichotomous Key (pdf file)
Species Accounts (pdf files available where highlighted: 9 posted thus far)
    Acipenseridae, Sturgeons
        Scaphirhynchus albus, Pallid Sturgeon
        Scaphirhynchus platorynchus, Shovelnose Sturgeon
    Polyodontidae, Paddlefish
        Polyodon spathula, Paddlefish
    Lepisosteidae, Gars
        Lepisosteus osseus, Longnose Gar
        Lepisosteus platostomus, Shortnose Gar
    Hiodontidae, Mooneyes
        Hiodon alosoides, Goldeye
    Anguillidae, Freshwater Eels
        Anguilla rostrata, American Eel
    Clupeidae, Herrings and Shads
        Alosa chrysochloris, Skipjack Herring
        Dorosoma cepedianum, Gizzard Shad
        Dorosoma petenense, Threadfin Shad (nonnative species)
    Cyprinidae, Minnows
        Campostoma anomalum pullum, Central Stoneroller
        Carassius auratus, Goldfish (exotic species)
        Couseius plumbeus, Lake Chub
        Cyprinella camura, Bluntface Shiner
        Cyprinella lutrensis, Red Shiner
        Cyprinella venusta, Blacktail Shiner
        Cyprinus carpio, Common Carp (exotic species)
        Hybognathus argyritis, Western Silvery Minnow
        Hybognathus hankinsoni, Brassy Minnow
        Hybognathus placitus, Plains Minnow
        Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, Silver Carp (exotic species)
        Hypophthalmichthys nobilis, Bighead Carp (exotic species)
        Luxilus cornutus, Common Shiner
        Lythrurus umbratilis, Redfin Shiner
        Macrhybopsis australis, Prairie Chub
        Macrhybopsis gelida, Sturgeon Chub
        Macrhybopsis hyostoma, Shoal Chub
        Macrhybopsis meeki, Sicklefin Chub
        Macrhybopsis storeriana, Silver Chub
        Macrhybopsis tetranema, Peppered Chub
        Margariscus margarita, Pearl Dace
        Nocomis biguttatus, Hornyhead Chub
        Notemigonus crysoleucus, Golden Shiner
        Notropis atherinoides, Emerald Shiner
        Notropis bairdi, Red River Shiner
        Notropis blennius, River Shiner
        Notropis buchanani, Ghost Shiner
        Notropis dorsalis, Bigmouth Shiner
        Notropis girardi, Arkansas River Shiner
        Notropis heterolepis, Blacknose Shiner
        Notropis hudsonius, Spottail Shiner
        Notropis potteri, Chub Shiner
        Notropis shumardi, Silverband Shiner
        Notropis stramineus, Sand Shiner
        Notropis topeka, Topeka Shiner
        Phenacobius mirabilis, Suckermouth Minnow
        Phoxinus eos, Northern Redbelly Dace
        Phoxinus erythrogaster, Southern Redbelly Dace
        Phoxinus neogeus, Finescale Dace
        Pimephales notatus, Bluntnose Minnow
        Pimephales promelas, Fathead Minnow
        Pimephales tenellus, Slim Minnow
        Pimephales vigilax, Bullhead Minnow
        Platygobio gracilis, Flathead Chub
        Rhinichthys cataractae, Longnose Dace
        Rhinichthys obtusus, Western Blacknose Dace
        Scardinius erythrophthalmus, Rudd (exotic species)
        Semotilus atromaculatus, Creek Chub
    Catostomidae, Suckers
        Carpiodes carpio, River Carpsucker
        Carpiodes cyprinus, Quillback
        Carpiodes velifer, Highfin Carpsucker
        Catostomus catostomus, Longnose Sucker
        Catostomus commersoni, White Sucker
        Catostomus platyrhynchus, Mountain Sucker
        Cycleptus elongatus, Blue Sucker
        Erimyzon sucetta, Lake Chubsucker (nonnative species)
        Ictiobus bubalus, Smallmouth Buffalo
        Ictiobus cyprinellus, Bigmouth Buffalo
        Ictiobus niger, Black Buffalo
        Moxostoma erythrurum, Golden Redhorse
        Moxostoma macrolepidotum, Shorthead Redhorse
        Moxostoma pisolabrum, Pealip Redhorse
        Moxostoma sp., "Kansas River Basin" Redhorse
    Ictaluridae, Bullhead Catfishes
        Ameiurus melas, Black Bullhead
        Ameiurus natalis, Yellow Bullhead
        Ictalurus furcatus, Blue Catfish
        Ictalurus punctatus, Channel Catfish
        Noturus flavus, Stonecat
        Noturus gyrinus, Tadpole Madtom
        Noturus nocturnus, Freckled Madtom
        Pylodicits olivaris, Flathead Catfish
    Esocidae, Pikes
        Esox americana vermiculatus, Grass Pickerel
        Esox lucius, Northern Pike
        Esox masquinongy, Muskellunge (nonnative species)
        Esox niger, Chain Pickerel (nonnative species)
    Osmeridae, Smelts
        Osmerus mordax, Rainbow Smelt (nonnative species)
    Salmonidae, Trouts
        Oncorhynchus clarki, Cutthroat Trout
        Oncorhynchus mykiss, Rainbow Trout (nonnative species)
        Salvelinus fontinalis, Brook Trout (nonnative species)
        Salmo trutta, Brown Trout (exotic species)
    Gadidae, Codfishes
        Lota lota, Burbot
    Atherinidae, Silversides
        Labidesthes sicculus, Brook Silverside
        Menidia beryllina, Inland Silverside
    Fundulidae, Topminnows and Killifishes
        Fundulus diaphanus, Banded Killifish
        Fundulus kansae, Northern Plains Killifish
        Fundulus notatus, Blackstripe Topminnow
        Fundulus sciadicus, Plains Topminnow
        Fundulus zebrinus, Plains Killifish
    Poeciliidae, Livebearers
        Gambusia affinis, Western Mosquitofish
    Cyprinodontidae, Pupfishes
        Cyprinodon rubrofluviatilis, Red River Pupfish
    Gasterosteidae, Sticklebacks
        Culea inconstans, Brook Stickleback
    Moronidae, Temperate Basses
        Morone americana, White Perch (nonnative species)
        Morone chrysops, White Bass
        Morone mississippiensis, Yellow Bass
    Centrarchidae, Sunfishes
        Ambloplites rupestris, Rock Bass (nonnative species)
        Archoplites interruptus, Sacramento Perch (nonnative species)
        Lepomis cyanellus, Green Sunfish
        Lepomis gibbosus, Pumpkinseed
        Lepomis gulosus, Warmouth (nonnative species)
        Lepomis humilis, Oranegspotted Sunfish (species account started 17 October 2009)
        Lepomis macrochirus, Bluegill (nonnative species)
        Lepomis megalotis, Longear Sunfish
        Lepomis microlophus, Redear Sunfish
        Micropterus dolomieu, Smallmouth Bass (nonnative species)
        Micropterus punctulatus, Spotted Bass (nonnative species)
        Micropterus salmoides, Largemouth Bass (nonnative species)
        Pomoxis annularis, White Crappie (nonnative species)
        Pomoxis nigromaculatus, Black Crappie (nonnative species)
    Percidae, Perches and Darters
        Etheostoma cragini, Arkansas Darter
        Etheostoma exile, Iowa Darter
        Etheostoma nigrum, Johnny Darter
        Etheostoma spectabile pulchellum, Plains Orangethroat Darter
        Perca flavescens, Yellow Perch
        Percina caprodes, Logperch
        Percina macrolepida, Bigscale Logperch
        Percina phoxocephala, Slenderhead Darter
        Sander canadensis, Sauger
        Sander vitreus, Walleye
    Sciaenidae, Drums
        Aplodinotus grunniens, Freshwater Drum