Identification Freshwater Fish

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FRESHWATER FISH

SPECIESIDENTIFICATION

Agriscience 381Wildlife and Recreation Management

#8985-C

TEKS: (c)(3)(B)


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Table of Contents

Introduction

Game Fish Species Non-Game Fish Species

Protected Fish Species


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Introduction

Freshwater fish live in public orprivate waters such as rivers, streams,creeks, lakes, ponds, and reservoirs.

The salt content of freshwater rangesfrom 0 to 5 parts per thousand.

Any person can have access to publicwaters.


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Private water is any body of water

that is completely surrounded byprivately owned land.

Water can flow through privateproperty.

People can have access to thiswater, but not to the property oneither side.


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Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

(TP&WD) identified the nine mainspecies of freshwater game fishdiscussed in this presentation.

TP&WD regulates not only the gamefish, but the non-game species and

protected species.


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To help in identification of fish species, letsreview some terminology and parts of the fish.

Anterioron or towards the head.

Posterioron or towards the tail.

Anterior Posterior

Picture by Timothy Knepp courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.


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Dorsaltoward the back or uppersurface.

Ventraltoward the abdominal orlower side.

Dorsal

VentralPicture by Timothy Knepp courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.


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Medialtoward the central or middle ofthe body.

Lateralon or toward the right or left sideof the body.

Medial

Lateral

Lateral

Photo by Jan Dean courtesy of U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.


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Game Fish Species

TP&WD closely regulates taking of

game fish species.

Some species may be natural hybrids.

Drawing by Glenn Young courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.


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The following fish will be discussed inthis presentation of game species:

Bass

Catfish Crappie

Sauger

Chain Pickerel

Trout Walleye


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Bass

There are two families of bassdiscussed in this lesson:

Sea bass family

Sunfish family


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Temperate or true bass belong tothe sea bass family. They include:

Striped Bass

White Bass

Yellow Bass

Hybrid Striped Bass


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Striped BassMoronesaxatilis

Photo by Duane Raver courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.


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The striped bass is a saltwaterspecies that moves far upstream

during spawning.

Photo by Eric Engbretson courtesy of U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service.


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White BassMoronechrysops



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The white bass is a freshwater speciesthat can be identified by a double

dorsal fin in which the front spinyportion separates from the rear soft-rayed portion.



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Yellow BassMorone mississippiensis

The yellow bass gets its name from

the yellow color on its belly andsides.

It is easily confused with the whitebass or a young striped bass.


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The bottom two stripes on each sideare broken slightly behind the

middle of the fish.

The yellow bass is a small species,

usually less than one pound.


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Hybrid Striped BassMorone saxatilis x Morone chrysops

The hybrid striped bass is a crossbetween the striped bass and the

white bass.

This is a unique cross because the

striped bass is a saltwater speciesand the white bass is a freshwaterspecies.


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The sunfish family, also called blackbass, include the following species:

Largemouth Bass

Smallmouth Bass

Guadalupe Bass

Spotted Bass

h


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Largemouth BassMicropterussalmoides

The largemouth bass exists in Texaswaters as the native largemouth.

The Florida largemouth is an exoticto Texas waters.


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S ll th B


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Smallmouth BassMicropterusdolomieu

The smallmouth bass is similar tothe largemouth species, except forthe size of its mouth.


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G d l B


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Guadalupe BassMicropterustreculli

S tt d B


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Spotted BassMicropteruspunctulatus

C tfi h


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Catfish

There are five catfish species common to

Texas waters. (Note: three are game species andtwo are non-game species.)

Channel Catfish Blue Catfish

Flathead Catfish

Ch l C tfi h


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Channel CatfishIctaluruspunctatus

The channel catfish and the bluecatfish have very similar

characteristics.

The channel catfish is a popular

species for aquaculture.


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Blue Catfish


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Blue CatfishIctalurusfurcatus

The blue catfish are big-river fish thatreach weights up to 300 pounds.


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Flathead Catfish


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Flathead CatfishPylodictisolivaris

The flathead catfish, sometimes calledthe yellow cat, is another popularfreshwater sport fish in Texas waters.

The flathead or yellow cat isconsidered the largest popularfreshwater sport fish.


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Crappie

White crappie and black crappie arepopular game fish in Texas waters.

Both are sunfish.White crappie is common statewide,

whereas the black crappie is limitedto East Texas.

White Crappie


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White CrappiePomaxis annularis


Black Crappie


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Black CrappiePomoxisnigromaculatus



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Sauger


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Sauger

Saugers (Strizostedioncanadense)aremembers of the perch family.

They resemble walleye.

They are another exotic to Texas,coming from the Ohio River and Lake

Erie.They are a food species for winterfishing.


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Chain Pickerel

The chain pickerel (Esox niger) is relatedto the northern pike and themuskellunge, or muskie.

They are another species that arefished for during colder weather.


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Trout


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Trout

Trout are cold-water species and, as

that would suggest, this does not allowthem to thrive in warm Texas waters.

Two species of trout are popular gamefish:

Rainbow trout

Brown trout

Rainbow Trout


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Rainbow TroutOncorhynchusmykiss

Rainbow trout are anadromous.That is, they live in the sea, but

return to rivers to breed.


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Brown Trout


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Brown TroutSalmo Trutta

The brown trout is an exotic toNorth American waters.

They are often stocked in Texaswaters during the winter.


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Walleye


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WalleyeSander vitreum

The walleye is a member of theperch family.

This species has been stocked inmany lakes and reservoirs.

They normally reach the 12 to 15pound weight range.


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N G Fi h S i


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Non-Game Fish Species

Non-game fish are often referred toas trash fish.

There are two reasons for this:(1.) Most of their meat has little

appeal; and

(2.) They tend to interfere with theproduction of game fish species.

Non game fish have no season and no


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Non-game fish have no season and nolimits.

However, this does not include anyspecies on the threatened or

endangered species list.

The following non-game species


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The following non game speciesare discussed in this presentation.

Sunfish

Drum

Alligator Gar

Bullhead Catfish

Carp

TilapiaSunfish


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Sunfish

Sunfish are a popular species that do

have tasty meat.

Often they are stocked to provide

food or fodder for game fish species.


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Five species of sunfish are discussed.

Bluegill Sunfish

Warmouth

Green Sunfish

Redear Sunfish

Longear Sunfish

Bluegill Sunfish


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Bluegill SunfishLepomismacrochirus

The bluegill sunfish is the mostpopular sunfish and is found

statewide.


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Warmouth


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WarmouthLepomis gulosus

Warmouth is another species foundstatewide and averages eight

ounces in weight.


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Green Sunfish


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Green SunfishLepomis cyanellus

The green sunfish has a largemouth like the warmouth and can

easily hybridize with other sunfish.


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Redear Sunfish


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Lepomismicrolophus

The redear sunfish does not havean ear as its name suggests. The

males opercule flap is red and thefemales flap is orange.


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Longear Sunfish


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gLepomismegalotis

The longear sunfish have a longopercule flap that gives the illusion

of a long ear.


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Freshwater Drum


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Aplodinotusgrunniens

The drum is a non-game fish thatproduces a deep booming sound.

The drum is a statewide speciesthat is found in all major rivers

and impoundments.


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Alligator Gar


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gAtractosteusspathula

The alligator gar is the largestmember of the gar family.

It can reach and often exceeds 150pounds in weight.

The gar is an air breather and cansurvive in stagnant waters where fewother species could survive.


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Bullhead Catfish


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The black bullhead catfish and theyellow bullhead catfish are non-game species.

Both will weigh about two pounds.

Black Bullhead


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Ameiurusmelas


Yellow Bullhead


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Ameiurus natalis



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Carp


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Carp

The two species of carp common toTexas are the common carp and thegrass carp.

These exotic species were originallynative to Asia.

Common Carp


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Cyprinuscarpio

The common carp, which can liveover 45 years and exceed 75

pounds, is a scavenger that feedson plants and animal materials.


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Grass Carp


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Ctenopharyngodonidella

The grass carp is a potentially invasivespecies that can strip a water body of

all aquatic vegetation.A triploid species has been genetically

developed to be sterile.The triploid grass carp is protectedand should be returned to the water.

The grass carp, also known as the


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diploid grass carp, is not protected.


Tilapia


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Oreochromis

There are several of the Oreochromisspecies, but the one commonly

found in Texas waters is theOreochromis mossambicusorMozambique variety.

Tilapia are exotic to Texas waters


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Tilapia are exotic to Texas waters.

They are native to Africa, specificallythe Nile River region.

They are herbivores and will not takea bait of earthworms or insects.

False hooking can occur.Tilapia are common aquaculturespecies.


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There are many fish in Texas watersthat are on the threatened orendangered species list.

The paddlefish is one species thatcan be caught with a hook and line

using a technique called snagging.

Paddlefishl d h l


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Polyodon spathula

Since the paddlefish is a planktonfeeder, it will not take bait.

Its meat has value, but it was oncesought after for its caviar.

Although classified as a game fish,TP&WD does not allow harvestingof this species.


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Reproduction or redistribution of all, or part,

of this presentation without writtenpermission is prohibited.

Instructional Materials ServiceTexas A&M University

2588 TAMUS

College Station, Texas 77843-2588

http://www-ims.tamu.edu

Identification Freshwater Fish

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