Similarities And Differences Among Some Common Minnows Of New York

Similiarities and differences among New York's minnow species
Species	Description	Habitat	Reproduction	Feeding	Comments/ Fishing Information
Fallfish	12-17" long Smaller fish are bright silver; larger fish are dull silver	Clear streams and lakes and ponds Young prefer riffles, adults pools Does not tolerate muddy water	Spawns in groups in late spring (April-June) Males build nests with stream gravel. Round nest can be 4' wide & 1.5' high After spawning, females float belly-up then recover and spawn again Males develop pink tint to the head	Eats insects, small fish crayfish & plant materials	Largest native minnow in NY (carp are the largest exotic minnow in the state) Found in waters scattered across the state, except on Long Island & the Black River Basin, Also rarely found west of the Genesee River Frequently taken by trout anglers when fly-fishing. Although edible - are rarely eaten
Creek Chub	6-12" long Somewhat cigar-shaped body is dark with a purple sheen on the sides Dark spot at base of dorsal fin	Found in all but the fastest moving waters of streams Rarely inhabits lakes	Spawns in spring (May) Male build nests in gravel by digging small pits. Several females deposit eggs in nest After spawning, females float belly-up then recover and spawn again Males develop pink color	Eats insects, fish, crayfish and plant materials	Found across the state except on Long Island Sometimes heavily covered with the parasite that causes black spot disease - resulting in the fish looking like it was sprinkled with black sand Readily takes a baited hook. Rarely eaten, Also uses as bait
Golden Shiner	5-10" long Body deep & compressed Lateral line noticeably dips down in the middle of the body Golden or grassy colored with red fins	Generally a lake species, but found anywhere there is quiet, weedy, clean, shallow water	Spawns in late spring/mid summer (May-July) Scatters adhesive eggs over algae and other aquatic vegetation	Eats insects, small fish & algae Feeds in midwater and at the surface	One of the most widespread fish in New York Extremely popular baitfish, is raised by pond culture for the bait industry Occasionally caught & eaten by anglers
Blacknose Dace	2-3" long Upper part of body is dark with speckles; lower part of body is light with fewer speckles	Found in clear streams with current Avoids stillwater & fast currents	Spawns in late spring (May-June) Males establish territories over gravel in shallow riffles Males develop green tint and red fins	Eats aquatic insect larvae, algae and fish eggs	Found across the state except on Long Island used as bait fish in some areas
Longnose Dace	3-5" long Shark-like in appearance: prominent snout & underslung mouth Olive to brown on back shading to cream on belly	Only found in riffle areas of streams	Spawns in late spring (May-June) in shallow riffles over a gravel bottom Males guard territories	Bottom feeder, eats fish eggs & insects (especially black fly larvae)	Bottom dwelling fish Found across the state except on Long Island Occasionally used as baitfish
Central Stoneroller	4-6" long Dull gray with a brassy tint Lips are light-colored with a prominent ridge on lower lip	Found in streams in riffles and pools with a current Requires clean water	Spawns in spring (April-May) Males build communal nests in gravel areas at the top of riffles. Use their mouths to move or push pebbles Males develop orange tint	Uses ridge on lower jaw to scrape algae & other tiny organisms off rocks to eat	Found in the Mohawk River drainage west to the Great Lakes & from the western side of the Catskills across the Southern Tier to Lake Erie Other than use as an environmental indicator, has little interaction with people
Cutlips Minnow	3-5" long Stubby body shape Slate gray in color Lower jaw has 3 lobes	Found in pools in streams where there is clean gravel & cobble Stays on the bottom among the stones	Spawns in late spring (May-June) Males build nests by dropping pebbles into a round pile Several females deposit eggs in one nest. Nests are abandoned after spawning	Eats mainly aquatic insects & mollusks Has unusual habit of feeding on the eyes of other fish	Rarely found west of Genesee River or on Long Island Habitat destruction due to siltration & excessive plant growth is the greatest threat to this fish Occasionally used as bait
Redside Dace	3-4" long Back is iridescent dark green or blue with gold stripe on sides. A red band runs from the gills to mid-body Dark scales scattered over body Large mouth and eyes	Found in clean, clear, small streams. Prefers pool areas Does not tolerate turbidity	Spawns in late spring (late May-June) Group spawners Often deposit their eggs in creek chub nests	Eats mostly insects. Jumps out of water and uses large mouth to capture flying insects	One of NY's most colorful minnows Found in the upper Mohawk drainage streams draining Tug Hill & across southern NY to the western Catskills Because of need for clean, clear water, sometimes used as an environmental indicator
Spottail Shiner	3-4" Silver colored with slight gold tint Dark spot on tail	Found in a variety of habitats Prefers large lakes & streams Often found over sandy bottoms	Spawn in groups in late spring/early summer (May-June) in sandy areas. Scatters eggs No parental care is given	Eats algae, insects, fish eggs and larvae	Found in the Great Lakes & St. Lawrence River; the Finger Lakes east to the Delaware & Mohawk Rivers; and in the Hudson River drainage Frequently used as baitfish Loses scales easily when handled
Emerald Shiner	3-4" long Silver in color with a green iridescence on top fading to silver/white on belly Short snout and large eyes Young are semi-transparent	Open water (pelagic) fish Found in large lakes and rivers	Has an extended spawning period, lasting most of the summer Group spawner. Scatters eggs in mid-water	Plankton feeders	Found in the Hudson, Niagara & lower Mohawk rivers and in the Great Lakes & Lake Champlain Often travels in large schools One of the most important baitfish
Northern Redbelly Dace	1.5-2" long Small mouth & large eyes Dark brown to black on back with yellow to red belly Two dark stripes found on upper body	Found in boggy lakes, creeks and ponds where the water is dark brown In streams, prefers quiet areas with silt or decaying vegetation on bottom	Spawns in late spring (May-June) Spawning pairs dart in and out of algae mats to deposit and fertilize eggs	Mainly eats plant materials and some zooplankton and insects	Common in the Adirondacks, but nearly absent from the rest of the state Although used as baitfish in parts of Canada, has little contact with people in NY
Common Shiner	3-4" long Silver colored with large diamond-shaped scales	Found in streams. Avoids areas of fast current Tolerates some silt, but not muddy water	Spawns in late spring (May-June) Males either build nests at the upstream side of riffles or use nests of other minnow species Spawns both as groups and individual pairs Males develop blue-colored backs and red bellies	Eats a variety of organisms including insects, larval fish and plant material	Found across NY except for Long Island Hybrid of this species are common Kingfishers, mergansers, bass & pike all feed heavily on these fish Commonly used as bait by northern pike anglers
Fathead Minnow	2-3" long Heavy-bodied with small mouth Lateral line ends under dorsal fin Dark colored with a brass tint on sides	Prefers slow moving water in streams & ponds Tolerates muddy water & is found in roadside ditches Also tolerates salt in water	Spawns in late spring (May-June) Deposits adhesive eggs in nest on underside of logs, roots, rocks & lilly pads Males guard the nest until the eggs hatch	Eats mostly algae	Found across NY except for Long Island Raised commercially as bait and for stocking in farm ponds as forage for gamefish. Also used for toxicity studies
River Chub	4-6" long Stubby looking with small eyes Dark on top, silver on sides & cream on belly Has large scales edged in black	Found in large gravel or rocky bottomed creeks with clear water	Spawns in spring (May) Males build nests in areas of large gravel & rocks. Eggs are deposited in a trough on top of the nest Males develop large fleshy pad on forehead	Eats mostly insect larvae	Primarily found in the Susquehanna drainage basin & portions of western NY Occasionally used as bait