There are several different type of minnow. Each of these types belongs to a particular family of fish, such as perch, trout, or muskie. These fish are the newly hatched young of their respective families. Listed below are the different types of minnows, along with their details and locations. Also, find out which species are the biggest.
There are many species of minnows. To determine the correct type, you must examine the characteristics of the fish. This article discusses the Western Blacknose Dace, Rhinichthys atratulus, the Tonguetied Minnow, Exoglossum laurae and some other minnows. Once you’ve identified each of them, you’ll know where to find them.
What are minnows?
Minnows are among the largest families of freshwater fish. Over 290 species are known to exist throughout North America, including 67 native to Virginia. While minnows are sometimes referred to as ‘baby fish,’ they are actually much bigger than that.
What are minnows
Despite their diminutive size, minnows grow to be more than 6 inches long. They feed on algae and insects and also serve as prey for sport fish. You can find them in a variety of environments, from lakes to rivers.
Are minnows baby fish?
Are minnows baby fish? The answer is yes, and they do not have a sexy nature. Minnows belong to the family Cyprinidae and are relatively peaceful, nonaggressive fish. They can be housed in a community tank with other community fish. When they are pregnant, male minnows protect their eggs from predators and remove damaged or unfertilized eggs. The fertilized eggs hatch in seven days and the larvae begin feeding on algae, microscopic animals, and waterborne crustaceans.
Are minnows baby fish
While many small fish start as baby fish, they are part of a specific family. These include the carp family, perch family, muskie family, and many others. Most of the species of minnows are baby fish, and they belong to a specific subfamily, the Leucisnae.
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How Many Different Types of Minnows Are There?
There are about 50 genera and over 300 species of minnows found mostly in freshwater, but they can also live in ponds, lakes, and brackish water. The adaptability of these fish is partially based on their willingness to consume a wide range of foods. For example, the Stoneroller will hollow out a nesting site in a stream bottom, which is used by other species for breeding.
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Bigeye Chub (Notropis amblops)
The bigeye chub is native to the upper Mississippi River basin. Their range extends from the Tennessee River to the Great Lakes. In the eastern United States, bigeye chubs are most common in the Tennessee River drainage and west of the Ozark Mountains.
Bigeye Chub (Notropis amblops)
They are also known to occur in Bear Creek and the Elk River systems. They can grow to be two to three inches in length and feed on aquatic insects. A good place to find this fish is a stream or river.
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Bigmouth Shiner (Notropis dorsalis)
The Bigmouth Shiner is a fish and type of minnow that is found across the eastern seaboard. Despite its widespread distribution, not much is known about the bigmouth shiner. The body of a Bigmouth Shiner consists of scales that cover the nape.
Bigmouth Shiner (Notropis dorsalis)
This is a characteristic of the species, which conforms to the subspecies N. d. dorsalis. There is no clear distinction between this species and others, but it does have some similarities with its closest relatives. These species are similar in skeletal morphology, allozymes, and mitochondrial DNA.
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Blackchin Shiner (Notropis heterodon)
The Blackchin Shiner (Notropis heterodon) is a type of minnow and an abundant freshwater fish found primarily in the Great Lakes and the upper Mississippi River drainage. Its typical habitat consists of lakes and streams with aquatic plants and they swim in schools during their spawning season from June to August. They feed on tiny crustaceans, aquatic insects, and plant material. These fish are easily recognized by their unique dental arrangement.
Blackchin Shiner
It has a smaller eye and a black stripe across the gills. The blackchin shiner also has an incomplete lateral line and a dusky spot above the sensory pore. It has eight rays on its anal fins.
Blacknose Shiner (Notropis heterolepis)
The blacknose shiner is a type of minnow and is found in small rivers and streams in the Midwest. Its preferred habitat includes clear, cool water with sand or gravel substrate.
Blacknose Shiner
During the winter, it may migrate into lakes and ponds with moderate aquatic vegetation. Unlike other ray-finned fishes, this species can survive in freshwater environments. The species also lives in schools.
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Bluntnose Minnow (Pimephales notatus)
The Bluntnose Minnow is a type of minnow and is a native of the Mississippi River Basins, from Southern Quebec to Louisiana, and the Atlantic Slope. Its preferred habitat is rocky streams with clear water. They feed on detritus, algae, and immature insects. Typically, they are found in shallow waters where there is less vegetation.
Bluntnose Minnow
It is distinguishable by its black lateral line and a dark stripe on its body. Their average lifespan is two years. The Bluntnose Minnow, Pimephales notatus, has a sharp, pointed snout. The fish has a hard jaw ridge that scrapes algae off rocks and has the longest intestine of any American minnow. A rare species of this fish is the comely shiner, but these are small and difficult to find.
Brassy Minnow Hybognathus hankinsoni
The Brassy Minnow is a member of the Cyprinidae family, which also includes carp and freshwater minnows. It is a small freshwater fish with a broad range of sizes and colors.
Brassy Minnow
The Brassy Minnow is a type of minnow that grows to be about two inches long and weighs 0.7 to 4 grams. It lives in cooler waters such as Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. It is common in small streams and is a valuable baitfish. It is found in shallow bog ponds, streams, and lakes, where it feeds on algae.
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Bridle Shiner (Notropis bifrenatus)
Despite their small size, the Bridle Shiner is a distinctive type of minnow. Their black lateral bands extend from their snout to their eye, and their scales are large and diamond-shaped.
Bridle Shiner
Their mouth is located below their snout, and they typically live in lakes, streams, and rivers with moderate amounts of aquatic vegetation. In addition to their habitat in lakes, they are also known to inhabit slow-moving streams and backwaters of larger rivers.
Central Stoneroller (Campostoma anomalum)
The Central Stoneroller (Campostoma anomalum) lives in headwaters and gravel-bottomed streams in the eastern United States. It feeds on insect larvae, filamentous algae, and small mollusks. In the spring, it migrates up small tributaries to spawn.
Central Stoneroller
During breeding season, males develop a slate-gray dorsum and small dark spots on the pelvic fins. The Central Stoneroller is a relatively large fish, measuring up to 18.7 cm. Its habitat includes rocky riffles and runs of headwaters but is non-native to the Delaware, Upper Hudson, and Mohawk watersheds. It has a few records from the Lower Hudson and Saint Lawrence watersheds.
Common Carp Cyprinus carpio
Common Carp, or Cyprinus carp, is a type of minnow that contributes about twenty million metric tons annually to fish production worldwide. In addition, they account for almost 70% of the world’s freshwater aquaculture production.
They have also been recognized as one of the most environmentally friendly fish. Carps are filter-feeders and require less fish meal and fish oil than many other types of fish. There are over one hundred countries around the world that culture of common carp.
Comely Shiner Notropis amoenus
The common name of this fish is Satinfin Shiner. This hardy schooling fish was first described in 1859 in a Potomac River tributary. Its silvery blue-silver body has a distinctly diamond-shaped pattern. Its white-tipped fins and silvery lateral line are useful characteristics.
Comely Shiner
The comely shiner lives in rivers, creeks, and lakes from the southern Hudson River system through the Cape Fear River system in North Carolina. There are no records of their feeding habits, but the shape of their mouth suggests that they are midwater feeders, likely feeding on aquatic insects.
Common Shiner Luxilus cornutus
The Common Shiner is a small but colorful baitfish with silvery sides and dark gray scales. It feeds on aquatic invertebrates, including mosquito larvae and green algae, as well as a few terrestrial insects. They spawn during the late spring or early summer. In Ohio, they are much less common than striped shiners. They are found in lakes, ponds, and streams, and are often called common shiners.
Shiner Luxilus cornutus
The Common Shiner is widely distributed throughout the Mississippi River basin, Hudson Bay, and Great Lakes basins, but is rare in coastal streams. Common shiners prefer cool, clear water, and are typically found in pools and shallow riverbeds. They are easy to catch with a small hook baited with worms.
Creek Chub Semotilus atromaculatus
The Creek Chub is easily distinguishable from other species because of its unique scales. These scales help the creek chub maneuver in the water. They first appear at around twenty-six to thirty-five millimeters, and by this time, they are about 30mm long. The first year of their life is a critical period for the creek chub’s growth. It can increase 50-70 mm in a single year. Male Creek Chubs grow faster than females and are mature at one to one and a half years of age.
Creek Chub Semotilus atromaculatus
The Creek Chub lives in headwater creeks, often in pools, and is usually found in small streams. It is often found associated with Campostoma anomalum in small creek habitats. They avoid large streams with high water flows and competing species of fish. It occurs in clear to dark brown water and is attracted to rocky substrates. They can tolerate water pollution but prefer silt-free environments.
Cutlip Minnow Exoglossum maxillingua
The Cutlip Minnow, Exoglossum maxillingui, is an olive-green, medium-sized minnow. Their lower jaw is distinctive, and they are isolated from other minnow species. They inhabit freshwater bodies from the St.
Cutlip Minnow Exoglossum maxillingua
Lawrence to Virginia, and are listed as threatened in Ontario. These fish feed on minuscule shellfish and are primarily found in shallow waters such as rivers, lakes, and rapids.
Eastern Blacknose Dace Rhinichthys atratulus
The Eastern Blacknose Dace, Rhinichthys atratulis, is a ray-finned fish that ranges from southeast Canada and the east coast of the United States. Males are a darker color than females, with a white belly and an orange lateral line. It has a rounded head and can reach up to 100 mm in length. It is found in lakes and streams throughout its range.
Eastern Blacknose Dace Rhinichthys atratulus
The Blacknose Dace primarily feeds on insects and invertebrates, but it also consumes some plants and animals. It’s young forage in shallow silty lakes, but as it matures, it moves into eddying pools. Several larger fish prey on the Blacknose Dace, including smallmouth bass, brook trout, and rainbow trout. Its diet is also a popular food source for blue heron and common merganser.
Eastern Silvery Minnow Hybognathus regius
The Eastern Silvery Minnow, also known as the plains minnow, is a small ray-finned fish that is native to North America. They inhabit lakes, streams, and rivers of all sizes, though they are not native to the Allegheny and Erie Rivers.
Eastern Silvery Minnow Hybognathus regius
The Rio Grande silvery minnow has been found in low-flow streams and rivers along the Rio Grande, as well as the Missouri River and its drainage. They can also be found in the Cochiti Dam and Elephant Reservoir, just north of Albuquerque. The plains minnow, on the other hand, is native to the Mississippi, Red, Colorado, and Missouri River basins. Their range also extends to North Dakota.
Emerald Shiner Notropis atherinoides
Emerald shiners are abundant and widespread in large lakes and rivers and can be found throughout Illinois. Their diet includes zooplankton, terrestrial insects, and small crustaceans.
Emerald Shiner Notropis atherinoides
They live from late spring through early summer and are known to be hardy even in colder climates. Their scientific name, Notropis atherinoides, comes from the Greek noton, or “noticeable.” The emerald shiner is a small fish with emerald sides and a silvery body. It is native to North America and is commonly found in deep lakes and rivers.
Fathead Minnow Pimephales promelas
The Fathead Minnow, or Pimephales promelas, is one of the most popular fish species sold in pet stores. They live in the Nearctic biogeographic province, which includes Greenland and the Canadian Arctic islands, all of North America, and the highlands of central Mexico. They are also found in the Old World biogeographic region, which covers Europe, Asia, and northern Africa.
Fathead Minnow Pimephales promelas
The Fathead Minnow spawns when the temperature is between 68 and 76F, and the photoperiod is 14 to 16 hours. It spawns regularly in most year-round tank conditions, and females lay their eggs in caves. The male guards the nest until the eggs hatch and covers the eggs periodically with anti-fungal material.
Finescale Dace Phoxinus neogaeus
The fine-scale dace is a species of ray-finned fish with fine scales that run along its body. Its distinctive appearance includes a blunt head with dark stripes running parallel to its body. Its leptoid scales are thin and flexible and are arranged in two distinct groups, leptoid and ctenoid. The finescale dace is also characterized by cteni running along its posterior area.
Finescale Dace Phoxinus neogaeus
The range of the Finescale Dace, Phoxinus neogaeum, is similar to that of the Northern Redbelly Dace. Both species live in calm and clear waters and overlap in areas with different habitats. They are found in the same rivers and lakes as their parents, although hybrids are found in a greater diversity of habitats.
Finescale dace is found in small streams and rivers in the northern U.S., with some populations found as far north as the Yukon Territory. They occur in various tributaries and can be found in freshwater lakes, ponds, and streams. They are not aggressive or invasive, and they are very easy to spot.
Golden Shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas
The Golden Shiner Notemigonus crysoleugas is a common species of lake trout. This species is endemic to Lake St. Louis and varies in size and coloration. The genus Notemigonus is widely distributed in North America.
Golden Shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas-Type of Minnow
The golden shiner is a deep-bodied minnow with 7-9 rays on the dorsal fin and eight to nine on the anal fin. Its mouth is small and upturned. The sides and back are silvery-gold in color. The golden shiner is the only native minnow of Kentucky. It weighs approximately 0.25 pounds.
Type of Minnow- Goldfish Carassius auratus
The Goldfish, also known as the Caspian goldfish, is a small species of fish from the family Cyprinidae. They originate from Asia, but they can also be found in Europe. Their physical structure is well proportioned, and they have strong flakes and are reddish-orange. They live about 20/30 years and need more care than other fish.
Goldfish Carassius auratus-Type of Minnow
Goldfish are opportunistic feeders. Their diet consists of various plant and crustacean matter. Although goldfish are omnivorous, they can be harmful to the health if overfed. The intestines of goldfish are designed to move food and waste through their body, so overfeeding can block them. While feeding your goldfish, be careful not to overfeed it, as this can result in blockage of the intestines and reduced productivity. The feces will trail behind the cloaca in a small amount of water, indicating that it has been overfed. These fish are widely distributed across the US. They live in every state but Alaska and Puerto Rico.
Type of Minnow – Hornyhead Chub Nocomis biguttatus
The hornyhead chub, also called the redtail chub, is a small fish in the family Cyprinidae. Its range extends from the Mohawk River system in New York to northern Arkansas. Its preferred habitat is warmer, freshwater rivers with rocky bottoms and aquatic vegetation. It is primarily found in streams and lakes with clear, warm water.
Hornyhead Chub Nocomis biguttatus-Type of Minnow
The hornyhead chub has a small, conical barbel on its head and a wide horizontal mouth. The hornyhead chub’s back and belly are olive-brown with a dark edge, while its head is white. Males have a prominent red spot behind the eye. These fish are a native of the Forest and Park rivers in North Dakota. While this species is not found in any other river, it is threatened by water quality degradation.
Type of Minnow – Ironcolor Shiner Notropis chalybaeus
The Ironcolor Shiner, Notropis chalybaeu, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish. It belongs to the family Cyprinidae, along with carps and minnows. These fish are often confused with the pugnose minnow and weed shiner.
Ironcolor Shiner-Type of Minnow
Moreover, they differ from their ancestors due to the black pigment inside the mouth, greater anal ray count, and more intense lateral bands. Although they are not widely distributed, they are extremely rare and endangered. Their range includes the eastern U.S.
Western Blacknose Dace Rhinichthys atratulus
The Eastern Blacknose Dace is also known as the elk dace. Both species are ray-finned fish. Their names come from the Old French “dars” (the nominative form of dart) and “obtusus,” which means obtuse.
Western Blacknose Dace-Type of Minnow
Previously considered conspecific, both species live in the eastern United States and on the south shore of Canada. The female is larger than the male and lays between 400 and 1100 eggs. This species has been found throughout eastern North America, and it tends to live in large populations.
Type of Minnow- Tonguetied Minnow Exoglossum laura
Tonguetied Minnow, or Exoglossum laurae, are types of minnow found in North America. They have unique mouths. While most minnows have fleshy lobes on the lower jaw, the western tonguetied has only the outer third of its lower lip covered in flesh. The western tonguetied Minnow has a slate gray to brown back, with lighter gray or brown sides flecked with purplish spots. The belly is white or cream-colored.
Tonguetied Minnow Exoglossum laurae -Type of Minnow
There are two subspecies of tonguetied minnow. The western subspecies is found in southwestern Ohio; it is restricted to tributaries of the Great Miami River. This fish is tolerant of murky streams but needs a gravel stream bottom and clean gravel. It prefers alternating riffle pools with undercut bank areas. In addition, the species prefers cooler water than the average Ohio stream during the summer.
Swallowtail Shiner Notropis procne
If you’re a fish enthusiast, you might want to find out more about the Swallowtail Shiner, Notropis procne, and where you can find them. These North American species are brightly colored freshwater fish with a long, slender body, a silvery white belly, and a pale yellow back. Their fins are yellowish with a black spot at the base of their tail. These slender creatures live near warm creeks and lakes and are also known to migrate to the Atlantic slope during the summer.
Type of Minnow-Swallowtail Shiner Notropis procne
The scientific name of the species is Notropis procne, which comes from the Greek word noton, meaning back. It lives in the Atlantic and North American drainages. It prefers brackish and sandy pools, but it can also live in large rivers. Its breeding season is from April through June. They are similar to the Cape Fear and sand shiners, which both breed well in aquaria.
What is the biggest type of minnow?
There are many types of minnows. The largest, and most common, is the bluntnose minnow, which lives in streams in the eastern U.S. It ranges in size from 2.5 inches to 4 inches and has a light olive upper body with small dark spots on its dorsal fin. The bluntnose minnow has a single dark stripe running down both sides of its body and ends in a large, dark dot on its tail fin. It feeds on aquatic immature insects.
Tiger barbs are a rare species of minnow, with a huge range of colors and shapes. They come from ancient China, and have been domesticated for generations as food. Their varied diets include crustaceans, insects, and plants. They can grow from 5 to 15 inches in length, and have a dark-cored scale with a silvery tinge on the sides.
What is the smallest type of minnow?
The smallest known type of minnow is the creek chub. These minnows grow to about six inches in size. Their bodies are dark brown, sometimes with brown spots, and they have a distinctive white lateral line. They live in a wide variety of freshwater environments, including stream and river beds. They feed on small clams and aquatic insects and live for approximately five years.
Conclusion about the Type Of Minnow
Despite their common name, minnows can survive in a variety of habitats. While most live in freshwater streams, some are found in ponds, lakes, rivers, and headwaters. Some are even adapted to living in brackish waters. Their ability to live in such diverse environments is partly based on their willingness to feed on different food sources.
