South Dakota State University Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange Extension Circulars SDSU Extension 1994 Guide to the Common Fishes of South Dakota Robert M. Neumann South Dakota State University David W. Willis South Dakota State University Follow this and additional works at: http://openprairie.sdstate.edu/extension_circ Part of the Aquaculture and Fisheries Commons Recommended Citation Neumann, Robert M. and Willis, David W., "Guide to the Common Fishes of South Dakota" (1994). Extension Circulars. Paper 511. http://openprairie.sdstate.edu/extension_circ/511 This Circular is brought to you for free and open access by the SDSU Extension at Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Extension Circulars by an authorized administrator of Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. EC 899 GUIDE TO THE COMMON FISHES OF SOUTH DAKOTA Robert M. Newnann and David W. Willis Department of Wildlife and Fis heries Sciences South Dakot.a S tate UnivcrSity and South Dnkotn Department or Gamt:. Fis h and Parks and South Dnkota Coopcrati\'\' Extension Service EC 899 GUIDE TO THE COMMON FISH ES OF SOUTH DAKOTA South Dakota is home to morc than 100 fi sh species. This guidc is a reference to the most common 50 species. Incl uded a re tips for identification. disUibution maps . and brief li fe histories. Also included is a comprehensive listing of the known fi sh spccies in South Dakota. Pa rU <l 1 fund ing for this project was provided by the South Da kota De pa rtment of Ga me. Fish and Parks through Federal Aid In S port Fish Restoration Aq uatic Education ProjeC l 5506 an d the Sou th Dakota Cooperative Extension Serv ice th rough Renewable Resourccs Extcnsion Act fu nds. We tha nk Robel-l Hanlen . Ronald I{ol.h . C; h~r1p.s Scaler. Sh!vc $.:"l.lllmons. a nd Mark Flamming for their technical assistance a nd manuscri pt review. Illustrations arc copyrigh ted by J oseph R TOlllclleri. External Anatomy of a Fish " ,~ o' '' '1 fin (s pi nes) 2nd fin (r<l)"s) - Cauda] fi ll / Barbels Allal fi n (r:lYs) I I fill (spines) CONTENTS Inlroducl.l on ..................... .............................................. 1 External Anatomy of a Fis h ............ ................................. I Sturgeon {family Aclpenscn dacl ...................................... 3 Paddlensh {fa mily Polyodon tidael .................................... 5 Car (family Lc pisosteidac) ............................................... 6 Eels (family Anguillidac) ............................ .... .................. 7 Herring mllnlly Clu peidacl ...... .. ...................................... 8 Mooncycs (family Hiodon Udacl ........................................ 9 Trout (fa mily Salmonidac) ... ... .... ......... ...... ................... 10 Sm ell (family Osm er idacl ..... .... ....... .......... ......... .... ....... 15 Pikes (family Esocidae) .. ....................... .... ......... ............ 16 Minnows (family Cypr inidae) .. .. .............. ........ .............. 18 Sucker s (family CastoslOllljdae) ... ................................. 25 Catfish (fa mily [claluridae) ........ ...... ............ ... ..... .......... 3 1 Cod fishes (family Gadidae) ....................... ..................... 36 Sticklebacks (fam ily Gastcrosteidae) ............................. 37 Temperate Basses (fam ily Pcrcichl..h yiclae) .....................38 Su nfish es {family Cemrarchidae} .................................. 39 Perches (fa mily Percidacl .............................................. 48 Drums (fa mily Sciaen idac) .. ............... ........................... 54 Fish speCies in South Dakota .... ................................. ... 55 Index to species ............ .................. .............................. 59 Issued in lurtnernr.ce 01 Cooperal,ve Exref\Si(ln MIlk. Acts of May 8 am:! June 30. 1914. in coopera rion wun lhe USOA. Mylo A. Hellickson. Direcror 01 CES, SDSU. al oo ~ l n!lS EducatIOnal programs and material s oUered WIthout regartllO age. race. color. Icllgkln. gcll(ler. d,sab,hty. 01 national origm. lItuSllauons C 1993 Joseph A. Tomelleri. USed by perrruss,on. Pnnrea by CES. "-lay t994: 28.000 COf1'l'S 011 a COS ! 01 .86c eaen. EC 899 2 STURGEON (family Acipenserida e) Pallid sturgeon ScaphirhY1lcllus albl15 Similar Species: Shovel nose sturgeon Identification: Bases of OUler barbels usually behind inner barbels. ouler barbels twice as long as in ncr barbels. bony pla tes absent on belly. Pallid sturgeon are almost entirely resUicted to the main channel of the Missouri River and lower half of the MiSSissippi River. The pallid sturgeon is an endangered species: therefore. it is illegal to have it in your possession. Throughout Ils range this s turgeon Is most common in Mont ~Ul a and the Dakotas. It is less common tha n the shov­ d nose. Li ke the shovelnose. pallid sturgeon prefer strong currents in sandy and gravel-bottomed rivers. All sturgeons. the pallid included. feed on bottom-dwelling organ isms such as s nails and insects. hut they also cat fish . Pallid sturgeon can we igh as much as 65 pounds. ( - - 1_1 I - Pallid Shovel nose 3 Shovelnose sturgeon Scaphirhynch us plaronJnchltS __~~ .. !.' Similar Species: PalUd sturgeon Identi.flcation: Bases of barbels straight across. all fou r are about the same length. bony plates present on belly. The s hoveln ose is the most abundant sturgeon In the MIsSissippi a lld Mi:>suul-1 rl vt:rs a nd Im-gt:I' tributaries. It prefers til C fast currents of large rivers with sand or gravel bottoms but C<'ln live in muddy rivers. The s hovclnose. like other sturgeons. feeds entirely from the bottom on larvae of aquatic insects. the bulk of its diel. It may occasionally eal small fis h. S pawning. which can begin at 5 to 7 years of age. occurs over sand and gravel in large channcls with fa st current. Shovelnose sturgeon are smaller than pallid s tur­ geon: the average size of adults is about 20 inches and I 1/2 pounds: a large specimen is about 5 pounds, 4 PADDLEFISH (family Polyodontidae) Paddlefi sh Polyadon spa/hula Similar Species: None Identification: Snout long and paddle-like. shark-like tail. no scales apparent on body. Paddlefish arc truly ancient survivors of the Mississippi Basin. In South Dakota. paddlefish occur in tile Mlssouli River system. Paddlefish numbers have declined since 1900 due to destnlcUon of habitat and overharvcst. In some arcas. [heir annual spring spawning migrations arc blocked by dams. Paddlefish cruise open water and feed on plank­ lon with their large. gaping mouths. Like sturgeon. their skeleton Is cartilage rather than bone. Ad ult paddlcfish may attain lengths up La 60 Inches and weights exceeding 100 pounds. Paddlefish arc very long-lived and can reach ages of 30 years or more. ( 5 GAR (family Lepisosteidae) Shortnose gar Lepisosfeus plaLOsfomus Similar Species: None in South Da kota Identification: Snout elongated with sharp teeth. olive green above to whiUsh below. dorsal nn far baek on body. di ,:ullond·s haped scales. Shortnose gar occur in the Missouri River and Its tributaries In eastern South Dakota and are the most comlllon gar In the Sla te. j\duh gar primarily eat other fish: howc\·cr. insect la rvae a nd crayfish a lso arc taken. Shortnosc gar a rc found most often in quiet pools and backwaters. They spawn in shallow water over vegetation wh en water temperature is around 70 F. The bony mouths of gar makc hooking with cOlwenlional tackle difficult: thus . shortnosc gar provide a considerable cha llcnge LO anglers. 6 EELS (fa mily Anguillldae) American eel Anguilla rostraw ... " ..... -- Similar Species: None Identification: Smooth body (-slippery as an eel-). dorsal (back) fin continues into tail fin and around bottom of body. The American eel is a unique fish thal spawns in the Allan Li c Ocean . but adults live and grow in North American rivcrs that fl ow into this ocean. They are seldom collcctcd in South Dakota. and their movement up the Missouri River was Slopped by the constm ction of Cavins Point Dam. La rge females rarely exceed 30 to 40 inches and 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 pounds. Males seldom exceed 24 inches. Adult American ecls arc voracious carnivores. Although they will feed on carrion. eels pnmarily seck living prey. 7 HERRING (family Clupeldae ) Gizzard s had Dorosoma cepedia/lu/lJ Similar Species: Goldcye, mooney!: Identification: Silvcry compresscd body, sharp or poInted scales on belly, last ray of dorsal (back) fin Is elongated (unlike the goldeye and mooncyc which have no dOI"5<'11 fin projection). South Dakota Is close to the northem limit of distribution for this fi sh species, which Is found on1y in th e Missouli River sys­ tem up lo Lake Oahe and in a fa... other rivers and la kes. Gizzard shad arc im port.:"ll1t prey fish in many imjxllIndmellts throughoul lhc U.S. AI UlO ugh adults can grow to I o ~ 2 pounds, most die during their first winter in Soutil Dakota because of cold water temperatures. Young gizzard shad typically reach 2 to 4 inches by late summer. 'nley fon11 large schools of several tJ lO usand fish and arc heavily preyed lIpon by fishes such as crappies. walleyes. and northcm pike. Giz7A'lJ'd shad spawn in the spring. usually over nooded lC1Tcstriai vegetation In shallow water. 11ley feed pri­ marlly on microscopic ( plants and animals <md also obtain food from ckcaying