Culaea inconstans

5 dorsal spines

Gasterosteidae

Pungitius pungitius

9 dorsal spines

Gasterosteidae

Gasterosteus aculeatus

3 dorsal spines

Gasterosteidae

Gambusia affinis

Dorsal fin origin posterior to anal fin origin

Poeciliidae

Labidesthes sicculus

Sickle shaped anal fin, spear-shape

Atherinidae

Cyprinus carpio

2 barbels on each side of mouth

Cyprinidae

Carassius auratus

No barbels, terminal mouth

Cyprinidae

Campostoma anomalum

Lateral band, dorsal crossbar, and caudal spot

Cyprinidae

Rhinichthyes obtusus

Tiny scales, lateral band, snout snub. Coloration above lateral line

Cyprinidae

Rhinichthyes cataractae

Tiny scales, prominent, projecting snout. Subterminal mouth.

Cyprinidae

Phoxinus eos

2 lateral bands. Upper length of jaw is 1/4 the length of the head

Cyprinidae

Phoxinus erythrogaster

Two lateral bands. Upper length of jaw equal to or more than 1/4 the length of head.

Cyprinidae

Semotilus atromaculatus

Black splotch on base of dorsal and lateral band

Cyprinidae

Nocomis biguttatus

Subterm. mouth. Snouth longer than diameter of eye.

Cyprinidae

Nocomis micropogon

Large scales. Snouth length into SL 8 times or less

Cyprinidae

Notemigonous crysoleucas

Deeply compressed. Plunging lateral like. Sickle-shaped anal fin. Surface oriented mouth.

Cyprinidae

Pimephales promelas

Predorsal scales small and crowded. Terminal mouth. Fat body and short fat head. Lateral band.

Cyprinidae

Pimephales notatus

predorsal scales small and crowded. Caudal spot and lateral band. Blunt, overhanging mouth, pointed nose.

Cyprinidae

Hybognathus hankinsoni

Rounded dorsal. Small, subterminal mouth. No barbel. Scales uncrowded and distinct.

Cyprinidae

Hypophthalmichthys molitrix

Gill rakers fused and spongelike. no barbels

Cyprinidae

Hypopthalmichthys nobilis

No barbels. Gill rakers unfused, long and pointed

Cyprinidae

Notropis volucellus

pigmented at base of anal fin and all around anus

Cyprinidae

Notropis texanus

spot on caudal. BIG eyes. 'Merica!

Cyprinidae

Notropis rubellus

Sharp snout, pigmentation above lateral line only

Cyprinidae

Notropis heterodon

Lateral band runs through entire body, chin, and tail.

Cyprinidae

Notropis atherinoides

Snout equal or less than diameter of the eye=BIG eyes. Silvery lateral band. 

Cyprinidae

Notropis stramineus

prominent mid-dorsal stripe, but does not go around base of the dorsal fin

Cyprinidae

Notropis hudsonius

Rounded caudal spot. Diamond shaped scales, BIG eyes

Cyprinidae

Notropis photogenis

Silvery lateral band. Dark crescents between nostrils. 

Cyprinidae

Cyprinella spiloptera

Carp-like. Black spot at posterior of dorsal fin

Cyprinidae

Lythrurus umbratilis

small crowded dorsal scales. Lateral band starts at the base of the dorsal origin and shading at base of the dorsal.

Cyprinidae

Luxilus cornutus

Scales diamond shaped and higher than wide. Elevated lateral line scales. 1st dorsal ray much longer than last

Cyprinidae

Luxilus chrysocephalus

Scales form a "V" on the dorsal side. Dorsal fin origin above front half of pelvic fin base

Cyprinidae

Macrhybopsis storeriana

Subterminal mouth, squarish chub head (how'd you like to have a chub head?)

Cyprinidae

Coregonus hoyi

Long gill rakers and fins. Lower jaw long and frail; protrudes, dissected operculum

Salmonidae, Coregoninae

Prosopium cylindraceum

Single flap between nares. Subterminal lower jaw. Snake-like head and cylindrical body

Salmonidae, Coregoninae

Prosopium coulteri

Blunt, rounded snouth that hangs over mouth. Much smaller. 12 to 14 body spots

Salmonidae, Coregoninae

Coregonus artedi

terminal mouth. Jaws of = length, nose relatively pointed.

Salmonidae, Coregoninae

Thymallus articus

Really long flag-like dorsal fin

Salmonidae, Thymallinae

Salmo salar

Caudal not spotted. Smaller, reddish specimen

Salmonidae, Salmoninae

Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

Black gums, spotting across dorsal and all over. Spots on top are larger and irregular

Salmonidae, Salmoninae

Salvelinus namaycush

Light splotches on a dark background; not circular, more diamond-like. No black stripe on the anal. Strongly forked tail.

Salmonidae, Salmoninae

Oncorhynchus kisutch

White gums. Small, REGULAR spotting on head and whole body. Upper lobe of caudal may be spotted.

Salmonidae, Salmoninae

Salmo trutta

dark and light spotting. White halos around spots. Golden body; spotting on the dorsal, adipose, and head. Subterminal mouth

Salmonidae, Salmoninae

Salvelinus fontinalis

White spots on a darker background. Vertical dark banding. Spotting in dorsal and caudal fins. 

Salmonidae, Salmoninae

Oncorhynchus mykiss

BIG eyes. Spotting all over. Mouth and eyes flush.

Salmonidae, Salmoninae

Cottus cognatus

3 pelvic fin rays. more slender body

Cottidae

Cottus bairdi

4 pelvic fin rays. Thicker body

Cottidae

Cottus ricei

way more flattened head. Tiny, barely perceptible dorsal fins. Very slender and damaged.

Cottidae

Morone americana

Dorsal fins semi-joined. Upper and lower jaw equal in length

Moronidae

Morone chrysops

Dorsal fins separate. Lower jaw projects before upper jaw

Moronidae

Ambloplites rupestris

Cheek fully scaled. Interrupted horizontal stripes and prominent dorsal spines

Centrarchidae

Lepomis gibbosus

Long caudal peduncle. Opercular spot. Gill rakers short and stout

Centrarchidae

Pomoxis annularis

Dorsal fin spines 5-6. Longer snout. Length of the dorsal fin base is < distance from 1st dorsal spine to eye

Centrarchidae

Pomoxis nigromaculatus

Dorsal spines 7-8. Black body splotches. Length of dorsal fine base >distance from 1st dorsal spine to eye. Shorter snout

Centrarchidae

Lepomis gulosus

Pectoral fin short and rounded. Opercular flap with black spot AND cheek bars

Centrarchidae

Lepomis cyanellus

Opercular flap enlongate with pale margin and black spot.

Centrarchidae

Lepomis macrochirus

Gill rakers long and thin. Opercular spot and dark blotch on posterior portion of its dorsal. Pectoral fins long and pointed.

Centrarchidae

Lepomis megalotis

Small mouth. Pectoral broad and rounded. Opercular spot and  flap extremely englongate. Elf ears!

Centrarchidae

Micropterus dolomieu

Back of mouth extends to middle or back of eye but not beyond.

Centrarchidae

Micropterus salmoides

Upper jaw extends beyond posterior edge of eye

Centrarchidae

Etheostoma blennioides

U or V shaped lateral markings. 2 anal fin spines.

Percidae

Etheostoma caeruleum

6-10 dark vertical bars. 

Percidae

Etheostoma exile

Teardrop angled straight down off of eye. 

Percidae

Etheostoma flabellare

2 anal fin spines. 6-8 dorsal fin spines. Premaxillary with frenum

Percidae

Etheostoma microperca

6 dorsal fin spines. Teardrop below eye angled posteriorly 

Percidae

Etheostoma nigrum

Blunt snouth. Dark X or W lateral markings

Percidae

Etheostoma spectabile

4-5 bars from anal fin origin to caudal fin

Percidae

Gymnocephalus cernuus

Rows of dark spots between spines on spiny lobe of dorsal. Body silvery with small black spot on upper body

Percidae

Perca flavescens

7-9 black vertical lateral bars. 2 anal spines. Separated dorsal; 1st spiny, 2nd soft

Percidae

Percina caprodes semifasciata

Conical snouth. Long thin body with many vertical bars. Often have caudal spot

Percidae

Percina maculata

Snout not enlongate. Big large black lateral blotches. Caudal spots. Anal fin small and does not reach caudal base. Black band across operculum and around snout

Percidae

Sander vitreus

Eye reflects light. Sharp long teeth. No spots on dorsal, but spots on 2nd dorsal. Spots on last 3 spines of 1st. Dorsal completely divided. 2 anal spines

Percidae

Aplodinotus grunniens

Two anal fin spines, 2nd spine broader and longer than first spine

Sciaenidae

Neogobius melanostomus

Large frog-like eyes and fused pelvic fins. Giant black spot on posterior of 1st dorsal fin.

Gobiidae

Proterorhinus marmoratus

Frog-like eyes and fused pelvic fins. NO black dorsal spot. 

Gobiidae