River Chub

Posted on June 24, 2022 by tspuckler

While looking for cool creatures in a creek in Columbiana County, Ohio, I managed to catch a couple of these large minnows.

The River Chub is robust, olive in color above and dusky yellow below. It has orange-red fins and large scales. During the breeding season, mature males develop pinkish-purple coloration and swollen heads with tubercles between the eyes and snout tip – they are sometimes called “Hornyheads.”

This fish is found in clear, medium-to-large creeks and rivers with moderate-to-swift current over rock and gravel substrate. Its range extends primarily through most of the Great Lakes and Appalachian regions.

The River Chub’s presence in a stream is a good indicator of water quality. It is intolerant of pollution, turbidity and siltation and requires a minimum pH 6.0. This fish lives up to 5 years in age and can grow to be a foot long,

It spawns in April and May. The males select sites with gravel substrate in riffles often adjacent to or just behind a large boulder. At these sites, males build a mound by stacking up a pile of pebbles with their mouths. They spawn above the pile of pebbles and continue to add to the mound between spawning events.

As spawning continues, this activity creates a round pile of pebbles that can be 2-3 feet across and 8-12 inches high. Many other smaller species of fish will sneak in and spawn in the nest of the River Chub, taking advantage of the way the male aggressively defends the nest, which insures their eggs are protected as well.

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Finescale Stoneroller

Posted on December 31, 2021 by tspuckler

I came across a couple of examples of this fine fish while on my outing to southern Illinois this year. This minnow is characterized by having a rounded snout overhanging a crescent-shaped mouth.

The Finescale Stoneroller’s preferred habitat is pools or riffles with gravel or rubble substrate in small to medium-sized streams. It prefers cool, clear water with moderate to fast currents.

This fish is generally herbivorous, feeding primarily on algae scraped from rocks and logs with the cartilaginous ridge on its lower jaw. It is classified as a grazing minnow and large schools of these fish often feed together.

During breeding season, males begin building nests starting in late Winter and continuing throughout Midsummer, creating large, bowl-shaped depressions in calm waters by rolling stones along the bottom with their noses, giving them their common name.

This small fish is prey to many larger fish as well as many birds and reptiles. To avoid them, they move fast, travel in schools and hide when they perceive danger.

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Striped Shiner

Posted on October 29, 2021 by tspuckler

While exploring southern Illinois this month, I caught this rather deep-bodied minnow with large, silvery scales that are are generally much higher than they are wide. Its common name refers to the occasional gold iridescence along its back.

This fish occurs in clear, permanent-flowing streams with clean gravelly or rocky bottoms. It prefers relatively warm and quiet water. As far as minnows go, it is reasonably sizeable, at a total length of 3 to 5 inches and a maximum of about 7 inches.

The Striped Shiner is an omnivore, feeding on both plants and animals. Minnows like this are high in ecological importance, because they are a great food source for other fish, birds and species that eat fish.

It was neat to come across this cool creature which I have never encountered before.

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White Crappie

Posted on September 16, 2021 by tspuckler

While fishing in the Ohio & Erie Canal this Summer I caught a few of these fish. They are of a silvery color with green or brown shades along their back and dark lateral bars along their sides.

White Crappies can be found in large rivers, reservoirs and lakes. They are more tolerant of murky waters than their relatives, Black Crappies. As adults, this species is generally about 9–10 inches in length.

These fish are neither cruise- nor ambush-feeding strategists. Instead, they swim intermittently and only search for prey when stationary. This strategy is energetically favored to reduce search time for this species.

As juveniles, they feed primarily on small invertebrates during their first year of life. As adults, they are largely minnow feeders, though their diet can vary based on location and food availability.

White Crappies are native to the Great Lakes, Hudson Bay, and the Mississippi River basins expanding from New York and southern Ontario westward to South Dakota and southward to Texas.

These fish were a fun summertime encounter in Northeast Ohio.

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Round Goby

Posted on August 27, 2021 by tspuckler

While fishing in the Ohio & Erie Canal, I caught something that I’ve never seen before. This fish is native to Eurasia where it is often found in brackish water. It was unintentionally introduced into Lake Superior from the Black Sea via freighter ballast.

Since that time, it has spread to all of the Great Lakes, where it is undergoing a dramatic population explosion (densities of several dozen per square meter of lakebed have been reported).

Round Gobies are small, soft-bodied fish characterized by a distinctive black spot on the first dorsal fin (which this example is seems to be missing). Their eyes are large and protrude slightly from the top of their head and, like most gobies, the pelvic fins are fused to form a single disc (shaped like a suction cup) on the belly.

These fish feed both nocturnally and diurnally and are believed to detect prey only while stationary. Their primary diet includes mollusks, crustaceans, worms, fish eggs, zebra mussels, small fish, insect larvae and other small invertebrates living on the bottom of lakes and streams.

The consequences of its accidental introduction are quite complex, as this fish both competes with native species and provides an abundant source of food for them, while consuming other invasive species (particularly Zebra Mussels).

The Round Goby’s robust ability to survive in degraded environmental conditions has helped to increase its competitive advantage over other fish. Although it is a controversial invasive species, it was neat to come across this unexpected find while fishing.

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Greenside Darter

Posted on July 9, 2021 by tspuckler

While exploring a creek near Youngstown, Ohio, I came across one of these neat little fish for the first time. Greenside Darters have an elongated body with a long and rounded snout. Their body typically has U- or W-shaped blotches along the side. They typically grow to be about four inches long.

This fish is an insectivore, mainly feeding on insect larvae, crustaceans and other invertebrates found on the bottom of the waterways that it resides in. The name “darter” refers to the way this fish moves. Rather than swimming like most fish, the darter darts forward then sinks to the bottom.

It does this because its air bladder is greatly reduced, interfering with the darter’s ability to stay afloat. This allows it to live in riffle areas where fish with air bladders would have the disadvantage of floating and being swept away by the water current. When a darter comes to rest, its fins and tail fin prop up its body in sort of a tripod position with its head angled upward.

Greenside Darters primarily live in larger streams with cobble, pebble, and gravel on the streambed. In order to survive, they need waterways with high water quality. Due to this attribute, they are often viewed as an indicator of good water quality.

This was a great and unexpected creature to come across while out and about.

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Variegated Darter

Posted on August 14, 2020 by tspuckler

While exploring a creek near Youngstown, Ohio, this month I came across one of these neat little fish for the first time. The Variegated Darter has large fins, a blunt nose and a mouth at the lower tip of its head. It typically grows to be about four inches long.

When a darter comes to rest, its fins and tail prop up its body in sort of a tripod position with its head angled upward. The key identification characteristic of this fish is the four to six saddles along its back; three to four of these saddles tend to be dark and visible while the remaining saddles are not.

Variegated Darters primarily live in larger streams with cobble, pebble, and gravel on the stream bed. In order to survive, they need waterways with high water quality. Due to this attribute, they are often viewed as an indicator of good water quality.

This was a great and unexpected creature to come across while out and about.

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Yellow Perch

Posted on June 26, 2020 by tspuckler

Recently I caught one of these fine fish in Geauga Lake in northeast Ohio. It has a yellow and brass-colored body and distinct pattern, consisting of five to nine olive-green, vertical bars, triangular in shape, on each side.

Yellow Perch are only found in North America and reside in ponds, lakes, the pools of creeks and slow ﬂowing rivers. They are most often encountered in clear water near vegetation and tend to school near the shore during the Spring. They can also be found in brackish water.

Adults are typically 6 to 10 inches long and dine primarily on immature insects, larger invertebrates (like crayfish) and the eggs and young of other fish, which they take both from open water and from the bottom.

The young of this species often mixes with other small fish in schools. Adults often occur in schools of 50 to 200 or more fish, staying closer together in the Summer than in the Winter.

The Yellow Perch has two dorsal fines, the first of which has prominent spines. This fish reaches maturity at an age of one to two years; its average life span is seven to eight years.

This fish is also known as Lake Perch, Ringed Perch, American Perch, American Perch, Raccoon Perch and Ring-tailed Perch.

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Black Crappie

Posted on May 29, 2020 by tspuckler

This neat freshwater fish is found in lakes, ponds and sloughs. It prefers cover, usually in the form of vegetation, fallen trees or rocks and water that is clear with a sand or mud bottom.

This creature is silvery and has a pattern of mainly irregularly arranged speckles and blotches. It is a deep-bodied and slab-sided with a large mouth.

Young Black Crappie begin life by feeding primarily on zooplankton. Adults mainly feed on small fish, but also consume insects and crustaceans.

Like other members of the sunfish family, Black Crappie are nest builders. Males construct a nest by fanning out small underwater depressions in and around brush, rocks or vegetation at a depth of between one and five feet deep. Females then lay eggs in the nest.

Populations of this fish can be found in each of the 48 contiguous United States. It is a popular game fish and prized as a food source, so its original range has been artificially expanded by stocking lakes, ponds and rivers across the United States.

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White Sucker

Posted on April 10, 2020 by tspuckler

This fish is commonly known as a “sucker” due to its fleshy lips that suck up organic matter from the bottoms of rivers and streams. When full grown, it can reach lengths between 12 to 20 inches.

The White Sucker is native to my home state of Ohio and can be found in every county in the state. They are the most common species of sucker found in The Buckeye State.

Often described as being “torpedo shaped,” it has a broad, rounded head with a prominent downward-pointing, sucker-like mouth. It’s body is cylindrical and is covered with large, prominent scales.

This fish shows little preference for a particular habitat and can be found in nearly every lake, reservoir, river and stream in Ohio. It is very tolerant of pollution, murky water and low oxygen levels.

The White Sucker feeds on a variety of bottom-dwelling organisms, such as aquatic insect larvae, small mollusks, crustaceans, plant material and worms.

While not the most glamorous of fish, it fulfills an important ecological role.

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Category Archives: Fish – Freshwater

River Chub

Finescale Stoneroller

Striped Shiner

White Crappie

Round Goby

Greenside Darter

Variegated Darter

Yellow Perch

Black Crappie

White Sucker