Freshwater Fishes of CT - Table of Contents

How to Observe and Appreciate Fishes

• Direct Observation
• Snorkeling
• Capturing Fish for Identification
  • Umbrella Nets
  • Minnow Traps
  • Seine Nets
  • Scoop Net
  • Angling
• Home Aquariums
  • Equipment and Supplies
  • Rocks and Plants
  • Water
  • Balancing Your Fish Community
  • Fish Food
  • Keeping the Water Clean

How to Use This Guide

• Parts of a Fish
• Text Descriptions of Fish Families and Species
  • Identification
  • Size
  • Distribution
  • Habits
  • Comments
• Fish Distribution Maps
  • Fisheries Surveys
    • Lake, Pond and Large River Surveys
    • Stream Surveys
    • Anadromous Fish Data
    • Marine Shoreline Seine Survey
  • How to Interpret the Maps
    • Legend for Fish Distribution Maps

Guide to Families of Connecticut Freshwater Fishes

Fish Species Photos and Descriptions

• Lampreys - Petromyzontidae
  • Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus)
  • American Brook Lamprey (Lampetra appendix)
• Freshwater Eels - Anguillidae
  • American Eel (Anguilla rostrata)
• Sturgeons - Acipenseridae
  • Atlantic Sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus)
  • Shortnose Sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum)
• Bowfins - Amiidae
  • Bowfin (Amia calva)
• Trouts and Salmons - Salmonidae
  • Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar)
  • Brown Trout (Salmo trutta)
  • Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
  • Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)
  • Tiger Trout (Salmo trutta x Salvelinus fontalis)
  • Kokanee (Oncorhynchus nerka)
• Smelts - Osmeridae
  • Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax)
• Suckers - Catostomidae
  • White Sucker (Catostomus commersonii)
  • Longnose Sucker (Catostomus catostomus)
  • Creek Chubsucker (Erimyzon oblongus)
• Minnows and Carps - Cyprinidae
  • Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio)
  • Goldfish (Carassius auratus)
  • Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)
  • Tench (Tinca tinca)
  • Fallfish (Semotilus corporalis)
  • Creek Chub (Semotilus atromaculatus)
  • Cutlip Minnow (Exoglossum maxillingua)
  • Golden Shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas)
  • Rudd (Scardinius erythrophthalmus)
  • Common Shiner (Luxilus cornutus)
  • Spottail Shiner (Notropis hudsonius)
  • Bridle Shiner (Notropis bifrenatus)
  • Mimic Shiner (Notropis volucellus)
  • Bluntnose Minnow (Pimephales notatus)
  • Fathead Minnow (Pimephales promelas)
  • Blacknose Dace (Rhinichthys atratulus)
  • Longnose Dace (Rhinichthys cataractae)
• Mudminnows - Umbridae
  • Central Mudminnow (Umbra limi)
• Silversides - Atherinopsidae
  • Atlantic Silverside (Menidia menidia)
  • Inland Silverside (Menidia beryllina)
• Killifishes - Fundulidae
  • Banded Killifish (Fundulus diaphanus)
  • Mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus)
  • Striped Killifish (Fundulus majalis)
  • Spotfin Killifish (Fundulus luciae)
  • Rainwater Killifish (Luciana parva)
• Pupfishes - Cyprinodontidae
  • Sheepshead Minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus)
• Herrings - Clupeidae
  • American Shad (Alosa sapidissima)
  • Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus)
  • Blueback Herring (Alosa aestivalis)
  • Hickory Shad (Alosa mediocris)
  • Gizzard Shad (Dorosoma cepedianum)
  • Atlantic Menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus)
• Pike and Pickerel - Esocidae
  • Northern Pike (Esox lucius)
  • Chain Pickerel (Esox niger)
  • Redfin Pickerel (Esox americanus)
• Codfishes - Gadidae
  • Burbot (Lota lota)
  • Atlantic Tomcod (Microgadus tomcod)
• Catfishes and Bullheads - Ictaluridae
  • Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)
  • White Catfish (Ameiurus catus)
  • Brown Bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus)
  • Yellow Bullhead (Ameiurus melas)
• Sunfishes and Freshwater Basses - Centrarchidae
  • Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides)
  • Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu)
  • Black Crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus)
  • White Crappie (Pomoxis annularis)
  • Rock Bass (Ambloplites rupestris)
  • Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)
  • Pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus)
  • Redbreast Sunfish (Lepomis auritus)
  • Green Sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus)
  • Warmouth (Lepomis gulosus)
  • Hybrid Sunfish (Lepomis sp. x Lepomis sp.)
  • Banded Sunfish (Enneacanthus obesus)
• Temperate Basses - Moronidae
  • Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis)
  • White Perch (Morone americana)
• Perches and Darters - Percidae
  • Walleye (Sander vitreus)
  • Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens)
  • Tessellated Darter (Etheostoma olmstedi)
  • Swamp Darter (Etheostoma fusiforme)
• Sculpins - Cottidae
  • Slimy Sculpin (Cottus cognatus)
  • Knobfin Sculpin (Cottus immaculatus)
• Sticklebacks - Gasterosteidae
  • Fourspine Stickleback (Apeltes quadracus)
  • Ninespine Stickleback (Pungitius pungitius)
  • Threespine Stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus)
  • Blackspotted Stickleback (Gasterosteus wheatlandi)
• American Soles - Achiridae
  • Hogchoker (Trinectes maculatus)
• Mullets - Mugilidae
  • Striped Mullet (Mugil cephalus)

Text and images adapted from Jacobs, R. P., O'Donnell, E. B., and Connecticut DEEP. (2009). A Pictorial Guide to Freshwater Fishes of Connecticut. Hartford, CT. Available for purchase at the DEEP Store.