PA Envirothon

Fins

American EelThe American eel is a

smooth and snake-like fish. Adults have: Greenish or yellowish-

brown coloring. A whitish belly. A rounded tail. A continuous fin

stretching around the tail from the back to the belly.

Tiny, elliptical scales embedded in the skin.

Females usually grow to about 3 to 5 feet long, while males are shorter, usually growing to about 2 feet long.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buRdRJLpE_Y&eurl

American ShadThin, silvery body that

varies in color from greenish to dark blue on the back. Adults have: A large, dark shoulder

spot followed by several smaller, paler spots.

Large, easily shed scales that come together to form a saw-toothed edge on the belly.

A deeply forked tail. Usually grow to about

20 inches, but can be up to 30 inches and weigh up to 12 pounds.

Blacknose DaceElongate, stocky body Forked tail finInferior mouth; long

snout, overhangs the mouth

Tubercles small and present on male on head, body, and all fins

Somewhat long anal fin Dark olive-colored body,

dark side stripe Speckled back Lower side may have

orange color

Bluegill Sunfish with a compressed,

olive green, saucer-shaped body. Adults have: Bluish-purple iridescence on

cheeks. An orange to yellowish belly. Black earflaps. Faint vertical bars on sides. A slightly forked tail fin with

rounded lobes. Front portion of dorsal fin

has about 10 spines; back portion is rounded with a dark-colored smudge at the base.

Can grow to about a foot long, but are typically 4 to 6 inches long.

Brook Trout Long, streamlined body with a

large mouth that extends past the eye

Color variations include olive, blue-gray, or black above with a silvery white belly and wormlike markings (vermiculations) along the back.

They have red spots sometimes surrounded by bluish halos on their sides.

The lower fins have a white front edge with black and the remainder being reddish orange.

The tail fin is square or rarely slightly forked.

During breeding time in the fall male brook trout can become very bright orange-red along the sides.

Brown BullheadDistinguished as a

bullhead by its broad, flat, barbel strewn head.

Brown Bullhead has barbels light colored at the base, darkening to grey or black at the tips

Body color varies, and is not a reliable indicator of species

Brown TroutTwo dorsal fins

including one adipose fin, broad square tongue with 11-12 large teeth

light pectoral finssquare tail9-10 rays in the

anal fin.

Common CarpThe common carp is a

heavy-bodied minnow with barbels on either side of the upper jaw.

Color varies from brassy green or yellow, to golden brown, or even silvery.

The belly is usually yellowish-white.

The dorsal fin with 17-21 rays, and the anal fin both have a heavy toothed spine.

Northern PikeIt’s back and sides are

dark yellow-green or gray-green, shading to whitish undersides.

The smooth body scales may show silvery highlights. Over the sides are lateral rows of whitish or yellowish oblong or bean-shaped spots.

The fins have black blotches or spots and usually have yellow, orange or red coloring.

Rainbow Trout Rainbow trout are silvery-gray

to dark-green on the back and sides.

They have a pinkish or reddish lateral stripe, sometimes with lavender or orange overtones, from the gill cover running the length of the fish to the tail.

The caudal fin has rows of small dark spots, and there are more small blackish spots sprinkled on the head and sides, and spotting on the dorsal and adipose fins.

The belly is whitish. The lower fins are pale-pink

without spots. At spawning time, males

become deeply colored with an intensely red side stripe.

Rock Bass Robust fish, not as flattened from

the sides as most other sunfish. They are an overall dark-olive to

golden-brown, mottled and shading lighter on the sides.

The belly is whitish. The scales on the sides have a

dark spot at the base. Together these spots form loose,

horizontal rows of dots along the fish’s body.

The eye is bright-red or orange, and its gill cover has a smudged-looking dark spot at its upper rear corner.

The mouth extends past the front edge of the eye.

Can also be distinguished by the five to seven spines on the front edge of the anal fin.

Sea LampreyTheir round, sucking

mouth, lack of pectoral and pelvic fins, and eellike body make lampreys appear very different from “typical” fish.

They also have a unique life history, going through a transformation, or metamorphosis, from larva to adult

Sunfish Smaller family members are

“pan” shaped, narrow when viewed head on and wide when viewed from the side (laterally compressed).

The eyes of the sunfish are large. The fish have no sharp spine near

the back of the gill covers. The dorsal fin of sunfish has two

sections, the front section with five to 14 sharp, spiny rays, and a back section, which is soft-rayed.

The two dorsal fin sections are joined a little or a lot, depending on the species, so they may look like two fins or one continuous fin.

The pectoral fins are relatively high on the side of the body. The pelvic fins have a leading spine and five soft rays. The anal fin also has spines on its leading edge.

Walleye Walleyes have a long, roundish

body, a forked tail and sharp canine teeth in their jaws.

The large eye is glassy and reflects light at night.

The dorsal fin is separated into two parts, the front portion with 12 to 16 spines, the rear portion with one or two short spines and the rest, soft rays.

The anal fin has one or two spines. Vary in color, ranging from a

bluish gray to olive-brown to golden-yellow, with dark-on-light mottling. Side scales may be flecked with gold.

Irregular spots on the sides can join to make a vague barred pattern.

The belly is light-colored or white.

White SuckerStout cylindrical or tube-

shaped body. The upper part of the head

and back is olive-brown, shading to light-yellow.

There is a dull, silvery sheen on the scales on the sides, and the belly is whitish.

Lower lip is wider than it is high, and is split into two parts. The rounded snout projects very little, or not at all, beyond the tip of the fleshy upper lip.

There is a single dorsal fin with 10 to 13 soft rays.

Largemouth BassThe largemouth’s head

and back are a bright-green to olive-green.

Its sides are lighter green, and the belly is whitish or pale-yellow.

The largemouth’s upper jaw extends beyond the back edge of its eye.

It has a broad black stripe or a line of broken splotches running along its side from head to tail.

The two sections of the dorsal fin are nearly separate

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