Similarities And Differences Among New York's Larger Unusual Fish

Description	Habitat	Reproduction	Feeding	Comments/ Fishing Information
Carp
15-20" long (up to 30") Up to 41 lbs. Olive green on back; yellow or gold on belly; fins have deep red tint Sharp spine of dorsal & anal fins Short barbels around mouth Body generally covered with large, heavy scales (see comments)	Found throughout the state except in cold trout streams & lakes Prefer slow moving water with soft bottom	Spawns in late spring/early summer Eggs are broadcast in weedy or grassy shallows. Their bodies are sometimes exposed out of the water and the splashing they do makes quite a commotion A 20 lb. female will lay nearly 10 million eggs	Adults eat a variety of plant and animal material Sometimes create quite a cloud of mud when they feed	Originally from Asia; brought here to provide a food fish. Introduced into NY in 1831 near Newburgh Carp taken from clean waters are excellent to eat State angling record is a 41 lb. 2 oz. fish taken from Tomhannock Reservoir Use of carp as bait is prohibited in NY waters Mirror carp have only a few enlarged scales and leather carp have no scales
Goldfish
12-14" long Generally olive green also red or orange, black and white Sharp spine on dorsal & anal fins No barbels around mouth Body covered with large, heavy scales Can have double & triple fan tails and long, flowing fins	Smaller ponds and lakes Mainly in warm, weedy shallows such as black water areas of streams and lakes	Spawns in early summer (May-June) Eggs are broadcast over vegetation in shallow, weedy water	Opportunity feeders Eats a wide variety of aquatic insects, small clams, snails, worms and other vegetation	Native of China Similar in appearance to carp Largely thought of as a pet. NY's goldfish populations are results of released pets or escapees from bait buckets Use of goldfish as bait is prohibited in New York's waters
Quillback
10-15" long (up to 20") Silvery tan in color No sharp spine on dorsal & anal fins No barbels around mouth Body covered with large scales Long, soft ray on front of dorsal fin	Large rivers & lakes	Spawns in spring (April-May) Broadcasts eggs over sand and mud bottoms	Eats insects and invertebrates	Closely resembles carp in looks Limited distribution in NY. Found in lakes Erie, Ontario and Champlain & the Susquehanna and Allegheny rivers Occasionally caught by anglers using doughballs, but few fishermen actively seek quillback
Grass Carp (Triploid)
18-25" long Color ranges from dark gray to golden brown on back & white on belly No sharp spine on dorsal and anal fins No barbels around mouth Body covered with large scales	Can live in a wide variety of habitats including lakes, ponds and streams Prefers large rivers	Triploid adults are sterile - no reproduction	A vegetation - eats a variety of submergent aquatic vegetation	Native to rivers of eastern China and the Soviet Union Similar in appearance to a large creek chub Reaches weights of 25 plus lbs. in NY waters and 100 lbs. in native waters Used as a biological form of aquatic weed control. In NY - possession of grass carp is prohibited except by permit from DEC
Suckers
6-20" long Generally large, fleshy lips Most species have underslung mouths Similar to appearance to large minnows Some species vary in appearance depending on habitat	Found in just about every water across the state	Spawns in spring Migrate upstream & spawn in groups in shallow, swift water Some species make large spawning runs Males develop prominent spawning tubercles on head and fins	Omnivorous - eats both plant and animal material	Numerous species of suckers inhabit NY's waters including: longnose suckers, white suckers, hogsuckers and redhorses Suckers are fun to catch and excellent eating when taken from cold stream waters during the spring
Longnose Gar
28-36" long Arrow-shaped body Long, narrow, well-toothed snouts Olive brown to gray with light colored belly	Lakes and slack water areas of large streams Usually associated with weeds and/or other structures such as sunken trees	Spawns in spring/early summer Spawns in groups. Eggs are scattered over vegetation In some areas gar migrate upstream to spawn	Carnivorous-mostly eats fish with some crayfish & insects	Sometimes called "living fossils" - been around for 100 million years Can survive in water with low oxygen. Unusual swim bladder enables them to breathe oxygen from the air Found in the St. Lawrence River, Niagara river, Lake Champlain, Eastern Lake Ontario & the larger tributaries to these waters Only a few anglers fish for gar. Gar eggs are extremely toxic to humans, but their flesh is edible
Bowfin
18-24" long Up to 11 lbs. Massive round head with heavy plates on cheeks Large mouth loaded with pointed teeth Rounded tail; long, wavy dorsal fin Dark olive color with oval black spot at base of tail	A big water fish found in swampy, vegetated bays of warm water lakes and rivers	Spawns in early summer (May-June) Males build nests by biting & tearing out leaves & stems of rooted vegetation Males stay & guard eggs & young for up to several weeks	Eats anything edible it can get its huge mouth around including fish, insects and crayfish	Another of NY's living dinosaurs - been here for last 60 million years Limited range in NY: Lake Champlain, the St. Lawrence River & a few Central NY large waters Have modified swim bladder-enables them to gulp air at surface Put up a good fight when hooked, though few anglers fish for them
Burbot
12-20" long (up to 36") Elongated body Single, prominent chin barbel Long dorsal & anal fins Deeply embedded, tiny scales Color usually yellow-brown with darker pattern overlaid	Usually found in lakes, but will live in streams with cool water and adequate hiding places	Spawns in mid-winter (Dec-March) Spawns in groups Scatters eggs over sand and gravel shoals Females lay up to one million eggs	Eats primarily fish, with some invertebrates	Looks like a cross between a bullhead and an eel Only New York freshwater fish that spawns in winter Sporadic distribution. Found in lakes Erie & Ontario, the St. Lawrence river, some larger inland lakes & the Susquehanna drainage Frequently caught by anglers-especially when ice-fishing at dusk & dawn Few people eat burbot
Freshwater Drum
18-20" long Heavy-bodied with blunt head and humpback appearance Numerous small, rounded crushing teeth Prominent spine on anal fin Overall silver color shading from white belly to dark olive green back	Big water fish found in large rivers and lakes Prefers clear water, but tolerant of turbid conditions	Long spawning season: summer/early fall (July - Sept) Spawning has never been observed in the wild The only North American fish that produces a planktonic egg that floats and drifts with the current	Uses its small, rounded teeth for crushing & eating freshwater snails and clams Will eat zebra mussels	Also called sheepshead Uses muscles around swim bladder to produce drumming sound-hence its name Common in lakes Erie, Ontario, Champlain and Oneida Commercially harvested on small basis in Great Lakes. Puts up good fight when caught on hook and line Have large otolith-ear bone. This round, smooth bone -- called a "Lucky Stone"-- is often picked up on the beach. It has a grove on one side that forms an "L" for luck
American Eel
24-40" long Long slender, snakelike body Dorsal & anal fins connected to tail (looks like one long, wraparound fin) Small, deeply embedded scales	Variety of habitats ranging from ocean to the headwaters of streams Spends most of time buried in gravel & mud or hiding under rocks	Only freshwater fish that is catadomous; migrates out to sea to spawn Spawning adults and eggs have never been found. It is assumed adults die after spawning Have a true larval stage; transparent ribbonlike creatures that drift with the current	A voracious feeder-prefers live food including insects, crustaceans & fish	Found in the Hudson-Mohawk River drainage, the St. Lawrence River, Lake Ontario, the Finger Lakes and tributaries to these waters Commercially important species in New York; however, many of the prime fishing areas have been closed due to high PCB levels Eels go through several life stages: larvae turn into glass eels when they reach 2 1/2" long. Glass eels become colored when they near costal rivers & are called elvers. Elvers travel upstream. Eels spend up to ten years in freshwater before returning to sea to spawn. Females travel upstream, males remain near the ocean