Select Stream Fishes of North Texas Greg Conley, Pollution Biologist Adam Whisenant, Regional Biologist Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Kills and Spills Team 11810 FM 848 Tyler, Texas 75707
Fish ID During Fish Kills There s an art to it!!!
Fish Kill Statistic Species Richness by County
69 events Dallas and Collin Counties Fish Kill Statistics (last 5 years) 80,983 fish dead from all habitats (streams, rivers, lakes, ponds) 38 species Top five: 38% threadfin shad, 15% gizzard shad, 12% unclassified sunfish, 5% mixed species, 5% longear sunfish 29,144 fish dead in streams 28 species Top five: 20% gizzard shad, 13% green sunfish, 11% unclassified sunfish, 11% mixed species, 7% green sunfish Top five causes: 32% chlorine, 32% bacterial respiration, 21% animal respiration, 5% sewage, 3% other
Gars - Lepisosteidae
Longnose Gar Lepisosteus osseus Large canine teeth in one row on each side of upper and lower jaw Snout long and narrow Spots on median fins
Spotted Gar Lepisosteus oculatus Large canine teeth in one row on each side of upper and lower jaw Snout of medium width and length Spots on body, head, and all fins
Shads - Clupeidae
Gizzard Shad vs. Threadfin Shad Dorsoma cepedianum vs. Dorsoma petenense Snout overhangs lower jaw Shoulder spot diameter = eye diameter Length up to 20.5 Mouth terminal Spot diameter < eye diameter Length up 7.9 but usually much smaller
Carps and Minnows - Cyprinidae
Blacktail Shiner Cyprinella venusta Fairly deep body Snout pointed Mouth terminal/sub terminal Large, black caudal spot Diamond shaped scales
Bullhead Minnow Pimephales vigilax Snout rounded Mouth subterminal Caudal spot Dorsal fin pigmentation Body stout
Central Stoneroller Campostoma anomalum Snout blunt and rounded Mouth subterminal Cartilaginous ridge of lower jaw prominent Dark olivaceous on top grading to whitish on underside
Golden Shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas Snout pointed Mouth superior Lateral line greatly decurved Dorsal fin origin well behind pelvic fin origin Deep bodied
Red Shiner Cyprinella lutrensis Mouth nearly terminal Black stripe on chin Purple triangleshaped bar above pectoral fin Deep body and compressed
Suckers - Catostomidae
River Carpsucker vs. Smallmouth Buffalo Carpiodes carpio vs. Ictiobus bubalus Streamlined body Blunt face Subtriangular subopercle Mouth subterminal Deep body Semicircular subopercle Mouth subterminal
Spotted Sucker Minytrema melanops Slim-bodied Rows of black spots Mouth inferior and horizontal Pollution intolerant
Bullhead Catfishes - Ictaluridae
Black Bullhead Catfish Ameiurus melas Black barbels (lower) Caudal fin square - slightly forked Yellow Bullhead Catfish Ameiurus natalis Yellow barbels (lower) Caudal fin rounded
Blue Catfish Ictalurus furcatus Caudal fin deeply forked Anal fin straight Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus Caudal fin deeply forked Anal fin rounded Juveniles may have black spots
Liverbearers Poeciliidae Western Mosquitofish Gambusia affinis Mouth superior Dark bar below eye Scales outlined in melanophores Body may have black specks
Killifishes - Fundulidae
Blackstripe Topminnow Fundulus Notatus Black spots on upper body Dark middorsal stripe from snout to caudal fin Body slender
Plains Killifish Fundulus zebrinus Vertical bands along body Mouth terminal Lower lip large and fleshy
Temperate Bass - Moronidae White Bass Morone chrysops Single medial tooth patch One stripe to caudal fin Hybrid Striped Bass Morone sp. Two medial tooth patches Broken lines below lateral line
Black Basses & Sunfishes - Centrarchidae
Warmouth Lepomis gulosus Large mouth Brown and yellow stripes from eye to opercle margin Long gill rakers Eyes red Tooth patch
Dark spot at base of dorsal fin Long pectoral fin Opercular flap mostly black, sometimes with an iridescent blue anterior edge Opercle flexible Long gill rakers Bluegill Lepomis machrochirus
Large mouth Short pectoral fins Posterior dark spot on dorsal fin Cheeks streaked with blue-green Opercle stiff Opercle black with light margin Fin highlights Long gill rakers Green Sunfish Lepomis cyanellus
Short and round pectoral fins Opercular flap flexible with white margin Short gill rakers Longear sunfish Lepomis megalotis
Orangespotted Sunfish Lepomis humilis Head pointed and small Opercle flap dark, flexible with with white margin Pectoral fin short and rounded Males with orange spots on lateral region
Margin of opercle light or red Long pectoral fin Opercular flap stiff to margin Short gill rakers Redear Sunfish Lepomis microlophus
White crappie Pomoxis annularis Length of dorsal fin base < distance from dorsal fin origin to posterior edge of eye Dorsal spines 6 Black Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus Length of dorsal fin base reaches from dorsal fin origin to posterior edge of eye Dorsal spines 7-8
Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides Maxilla extends beyond eye Dorsal fins narrowly joined with deep notch Spotted Bass Micropterus punctulatus Maxilla does not extend beyond eye Tooth patch on tongue Dorsal fins broadly joined with shallow notch
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Questions? Sabine River below Lake Tawakoni 2008