6 replies to this topic

[danny]

so i was out carp fishing with corn and this fish manage to pull my bait runner lol i got so excited and this this was on the end of my line .....so sad haha i also dont know what it is my guess would be a baby sheephead?

 

[FrequentFlyer]

looks like an alewife, but i could be wrong

[MuskieBait]

Where did you catch this fish?

 

I'm asking because the only minnow species that resembles it is the Eastern Silvery Minnow (Hybognathus argyritis), but it has a very limited range mostly in the Ottawa River, St. Lawrence River, eastern Lake Ontario and the tributaries connected to them. The small, subterminal mouth, round snout, body deepest just in front of the dorsal fin, and the downward dipping lateral line seems consistent.

 

@FF, definitely not an Alewife. Alewife has a larger head (taller profile), a larger, upturned mouth, a black spot on the shoulder and the lateral line does not dip downward.

[danny]

I caught this in thorold at lake Gibson I have never seen this before

[Chunk]

Looks like a Spottail Shiner.

[Drop_Shot]

I'd say a spottail shiner... I've caught them on Lake Huron in bunches..

 

[MuskieBait]

OK. Yes, Lake Gibson would be way out of range for Eastern Silvery Minnow.

 

But I don't know about Spottail Shiner. Note the position of the dorsal fin vs. anal fin. In Spottail Shiner, the tip of the dorsal fin is either in line or behind the origin of the anal fin, especially when the fin is depressed. In the mystery fish, there is a clear gap, or distance, between the tip of the dorsal and the origin of the anal. The anal fin is well behind the dorsal.

 

Spottail Shiner has little crosshatch markings along the lateral line. I don't see these markings in the mystery fish...although that could be due to focus, glare, lighting, angle...etc.

 

The spot on a Spottail Shiner is much darker. In the mystery fish, it's a faint smuge. Again, this could be due to photography.

 

Here's a Spottail Shienr I caught to illustrate the point. Note the position of the dorsal vs. anal fins, the little black crosshatching along the lateral line, and the dark spot on the tail even with glare from scales.