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Kentucky Fishes Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Kentucky Fish & Wildlife’s Mission To conserve, protect and enhance Kentucky’s fish and wildlife resources and provide outstanding opportunities for hunting, fishing, trapping, boating, shooting sports, wildlife viewing, and related activities. Federal Aid Project funded by your purchase of fishing equipment and motor boat fuels Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources #1 Sportsman’s Lane, Frankfort, KY 40601 1-800-858-1549 • fw.ky.gov Kentucky Fish & Wildlife’s Mission Kentucky Fishes by Matthew R. Thomas Fisheries Program Coordinator 2011 (Third edition, 2021) Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources Division of Fisheries Cover paintings by Rick Hill • Publication design by Adrienne Yancy Preface entucky is home to a total of 245 native fish species with an additional 24 that have been introduced either intentionally (i.e., for sport) or accidentally. Within Kthe United States, Kentucky’s native freshwater fish diversity is exceeded only by Alabama and Tennessee. This high diversity of native fishes corresponds to an abun- dance of water bodies and wide variety of aquatic habitats across the state – from swift upland streams to large sluggish rivers, oxbow lakes, and wetlands. Approximately 25 species are most frequently caught by anglers either for sport or food. Many of these species occur in streams and rivers statewide, while several are routinely stocked in public and private water bodies across the state, especially ponds and reservoirs. The largest proportion of Kentucky’s fish fauna (80%) includes darters, minnows, suckers, madtoms, smaller sunfishes, and other groups (e.g., lam- preys) that are rarely seen by most people. Nevertheless, these nongame species have important roles in stream and river ecosystems. The loss of these species and their habitats is a sign of poor stream health and an imbalanced ecosystem, which in turn can negatively affect the sport fishery. With a few exceptions, this booklet is intended to serve as a reference to the most common fishes occurring in Kentucky. It includes larger species often encoun- tered by anglers as well as other common nongame species that are less known due to their small size or cryptic habits. These species are grouped by family (scientific name in parentheses) and organized alphabetically by scientific name within each family. To aid in identification, a photograph (or two) is included for each species ac- companied by a short description of distinguishing features, maximum total length, distribution, and habitat. Labeled diagrams illustrating basic fish anatomy and terms used in the text are available on the back cover. Please enjoy using this booklet to learn more about Kentucky’s rich fish fauna! Acknowledgements hanks are extended to the following current or former Kentucky Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Fisheries Division staff for sharing information or providing com- mentsT and suggestions during the preparation of this booklet: Stephanie Brandt, Ronald Brooks, Don Bunnell, Gerald Buynak, Jeff Crosby, Eric Cummins, Dave Dreves, Kevin Frey, Doug Henley, Chris Hickey, Fred Howes, Ryan Oster, Paul Ris- ter, Rob Rold, Jeff Ross and John Williams. Special thanks to Stephanie Brandt and David Baker for field assistance with collecting fish for photographs. The following individuals graciously provided additional photographs or illus- trations: Brooks Burr (Southern Illinois University Carbondale); Eugene Beckham (Northwood University); David Eisenhour (Morehead State University); John Mac- Gregor (Kentucky Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Resources); Fritz Rohde (NOAA Fish- eries Service); Rick Hill (Kentucky Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Resources); Uland Thomas (North American Native Fishes Association); and U.S. Geological Survey. Special thanks are due to Adrienne Yancy for producing the layout and design, and Rick Hill for donating a portion of his time for the artwork. 2 Contents Sculpin Family Northern Lamprey Family Bluntnose Minnow ......... 16 Least Brook Lamprey ....... 4 Creek Chub .................... 17 Mottled Sculpin ............. 29 Ohio Lamprey .................. 4 Banded Sculpin .............. 29 Sucker Family Temperate Bass Family Sturgeon Family White Sucker ................. 17 Lake Sturgeon .................. 5 Northern Hog Sucker..... 18 White Bass ..................... 30 Shovelnose Sturgeon ........ 5 River Carpsucker ............ 18 Yellow Bass ..................... 30 Smallmouth Buffalo ....... 19 Striped Bass .................... 31 Paddlefish Family Spotted Sucker ............... 19 Hybrid Striped Bass ....... 31 Paddlefish ......................... 6 Golden Redhorse ............ 20 Sunfish Family North American Gar Family Rock Bass ....................... 32 Catfish Family Alligator Gar .................... 6 Green Sunfish ................. 33 Spotted Gar ...................... 7 Yellow Bullhead .............. 20 Warmouth ...................... 33 Longnose Gar................... 7 Blue Catfish .................... 21 Bluegill ........................... 34 Shortnose Gar .................. 7 Channel Catfish ............. 21 Longear Sunfish ............. 34 Stonecat .......................... 22 Redear Sunfish ............... 35 Bowfin Family Brindled Madtom ........... 22 Smallmouth Bass ............ 35 Bowfin .............................. 8 Flathead Catfish ............. 22 Spotted Bass ................... 36 Largemouth Bass ............ 36 Mooneye Family Trout Family White Crappie ............... 37 Goldeye ............................ 9 Rainbow Trout ................ 23 Black Crappie ................. 37 Mooneye ........................... 9 Brown Trout ................... 23 Perch Family Brook Trout .................... 24 Freshwater Eel Family Greenside Darter ............ 38 Pike Family American Eel.................. 10 Rainbow Darter .............. 38 Grass Pickerel ................. 25 Fantail Darter ................. 39 Herring and Shad Family Muskellunge ................... 25 Johnny Darter ................. 39 Skipjack Herring ............ 11 Banded Darter ................ 40 Silverside Family Gizzard Shad .................. 11 Logperch ........................ 40 Threadfin Shad ............... 11 Brook Silverside .............. 26 Sauger ............................. 41 Walleye ........................... 41 Topminnow Family Carp and Minnow Family Drum Family Central Stoneroller ......... 12 Northern Studfish .......... 26 Southern Redbelly Blackstripe Freshwater Drum ........... 42 Dace ............................. 13 Topminnow .................. 27 Potential Invaders Grass Carp ..................... 13 Blackspotted Common Carp ............... 14 Topminnow .................. 27 Blueback Herring ........... 43 Silver Carp ..................... 14 Snakehead ...................... 44 Livebearer Family Bighead Carp ................. 14 Checklist of Kentucky Striped Shiner ............... 15 Mosquitofish .................. 28 Fishes Golden Shiner ................ 16 ............................. 45 3 Northern Lamprey Family (Petromyzontidae) ampreys are jawless fishes representing one of the most ancient vertebrate groups in existence. Eight species are native to Kentucky, including three that are para- Lsitic and five that are nonparasitic. Lampreys are easily identified by their long, eel- like bodies and circular mouths. Adults of parasitic species are often found attached to a host fish. Larval lampreys, called ammocoetes, are usually found burrowed in soft bottoms of streams. Two of the state’s most common species are presented below. LEAST BROOK LAMPREY (Lampetra aepyptera) Matthew Thomas / Ky. Dept. of Fish & Wildlife Resources Ç Identification: A nonparasitic lamprey with a small circular mouth and two dorsal fins. Adults grow to about 7 in. Distribution and Habitat: Common throughout most of the state except extreme western Kentucky, Tradewater River basin, and Blue Grass region. Usually found in small to medium-sized streams with gravel and sandy bottoms. OHIO LAMPREY (Ichthyomyzon bdellium) Matthew Thomas / Ky. Dept. of Fish & Wildlife Resources Ç Identification: A parasitic lamprey with a large circular mouth and one slightly notched dorsal fin. Adults grow to about 12 in. Distribution and Habitat: Occurs in larger streams and rivers from the upper Green River basin eastward. Adults are often seen attached to a larger host fish. 4 Sturgeon Family (Acipenseridae) hree species of sturgeon are known from Kentucky. Sturgeon are large, heavy- bodied fish with several distinctive features, including a cartilage skeleton and Tfive rows of bony plates called scutes that run along the length of the body. They are bottom feeders using sensitive barbels under the snout to locate food items, such as small invertebrates, which are sucked in through a protrusible mouth. The Shovel- nose Sturgeon is the species most frequently encountered in Kentucky. The Lake Sturgeon is extremely rare, but efforts are underway to re-establish a native popula- tion to the Cumberland River. The Pallid Sturgeon (not shown) occurs in the Missis- sippi River in western Kentucky and is federally protected as an endangered species. LAKE STURGEON (Acipenser fulvescens) Matthew Thomas / Ky. Dept. of Fish & Wildlife Resources Ç Identification: A large, robust sturgeon distinguished by its short cone-shaped snout and short caudal peduncle. Young individuals have a dark blotchy pattern on the body, which fades to solid gray in adults. Adults grow to about 8 ft. (310 lbs), although