The Silver Shiner is a slender minnow with large eyes. Adults average three to four inches. The body is silvery, with some blue or green iridescence. All of the fins are transparent, with no spots or other distinctive markings.
Shiners are schooling fish. They feed, travel and spawn sometimes in very large groups. When feeding, the “dimpling” they create may look like raindrops on the water.
They can often be seen jumping out of the water to capture flying insects at the tail end of deep swift riffles in moderate-sized, clear creeks.
This fish can be found in large streams and small rivers with clean water flowing over a bed of rocks. They typically avoid muddy bottoms and rooted aquatic vegetation.
The Silver Shiner is considered to be a minnow. Minnows are a huge family of fishes. About 2,100 species are distributed in North America, Eurasia and Africa.
Minnows are important food items for other fish species. They are essential in maintaining healthy aquatic systems. While several species of minnows are used as bait fish, the vast majority of them never even receive a passing glance from most humans.