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)
• Mosquitofishes - Gambusia
  • Eastern Mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki)
  • Western Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis)

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. As new species are discovered in Connecticut, original entries are also added here. These include Knobfin Sculpin, Eastern Mosquitofish, and Western Mosquitofish.

Content last updated in November 2024.