Fish Morphology and

Identification

Taxonomy - The classification of

organisms in an ordered system that indicates

natural relationships

Kingdom - Anamalia

Phylum - Chordata

Class - Osteichthyes

Order - Acipenseriformes

Family - Acipenseridae

Lampreys, Petromyzontidae

Sturgeons, Acipenseridae

•Five rows of bony scutes on body

•Mouth inferior

•Teeth absent in adults

•Four barbels anterior to mouth

Paddlefish, Polyodontidae

•Long nose (rostrum)

•Heterocercal tail

•Planktivore

Gars, Lepisosteidae

•Ganoid scales

•Grayish to olive green

back

•Long nose - large

pointed teeth

•Rhomboid shaped tail

Herrings, Clupeidae

•Scutes on the belly

•Scaleless head

•Cycloid scales

Mooneyes, Hiodontidae

•Similar to herring, but don’t have belly scutes

•Lateral line visible

•Prominent teeth

•Cycloid scales

Pikes, Esocidae

•Duck-bill shaped jaw

•Large canine like teeth

Pike vs. Muskie

Minnows, Cyprinidae

•Scaleless head

•Toothless jaws,

•Lack of adipose fin

•Lack of appendages at the base of the pelvic fins

•A single, soft dorsal fin in native species having < 10 rays

Other minnow examples

Silverside, Atherinidae

•Brook silversides are a long, slender, translucent

•Head is long and flattened above with a long snout that

forms a pointed beak.

•Two dorsal fins positioned above a long anal fin

Suckers, Catostomidae

•Primarily Bottom Feeder

•Some filter plankton

•Protusile lips - subterminal

•Toothless jaws

•Scaleless heads/cycloid scales

Sometimes, it’s all in the lips

River redhorse Silver redhorse

River carpsucker vs. Quillback

Catfishes, Ictaluridae

•Scaleless bodies

•Eight elongated fleshy barbels

•Strong, sharp spines

Large

Small

Medium

Temperate basses, Percichthydae

•Bony dorsal rays

•Distinct banding patterns

Sunfishes, Centrarchidae

•All have at least one spine at the front part of the dorsal fin

•Ctenoid scales

•Deep lateral compression

Perches, Percidae

•Dorsal fins are a very distinctive characteristic

•All members of the family are strictly carnivorous

Walleye vs. Sauger

Saugeye

Drums, Sciaenidae

•High arched back

•Mouth slightly sub terminal

•Color in wild, pinkish-green

•Defined lateral line

Sample Food Web