Freshwater
Page 5 of 9
-
The chain pickerel is Connecticut’s largest native freshwater predatory fish. Before the introduction of bass, it was the top predator in the state’s lakes and ponds.
-
Rock bass have relatively large mouths, so are commonly caught by anglers seeking larger gamefish.
-
Learn about goldfish in Connecticut, an introduced species that is native to Asia and common in urban ponds.
-
Swamp darters are very small, camouflaged and secretive. Primarily for this reason, their distribution in Connecticut is not fully defined, nor is it clear whether their range has changed over time.
-
Learn about the shortnose sturgeon, a state and federally endangered species that call the CT River home.
-
Native to China and Siberia, this gigantic freshwater fish has been widely stocked for weed control.
-
True to their names, sticklebacks have very sharp spines, which can be locked in an upright position, causing these little fish to be very unpalatable for most predators.
-
Perches are distributed throughout temperate fresh waters of the Northern Hemisphere. However, all of the many species of diminutive darters are native only to North America.
-
Freshwater populations exist as far south as Massachusetts, but none are known in Connecticut.
-
In Connecticut, the redbreast sunfish typically outnumbers other sunfish species only in river environments.
-
Ninespine stickleback males build little tunnel-shaped nests out of bits of vegetation.
-
Mudminnows are a small family of the Northern Hemisphere that look similar to killifish and minnows, but are actually more closely related to pike.
-
Atlantic salmon were extirpated from the Connecticut River and, despite extensive restoration efforts, self-sustaining runs do not occur.
-
Adorned with an armament of long, sharp spines, white perch are difficult for both anglers and predators to handle.
-
Although relatively feeble fighters on rod and reel, walleye are an esteemed game and food fish throughout their range.