Dustrated Guide to Fishes in Kansas Frauke B, Cros - oseple T. The Univerwiby of Kawos Museum ob Motwnral History aud State Biological Swwey UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PUBLICATIONS MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY The Public Education Series is intended to provide popular publi- cations on natural history for the people of Kansas. Copies of publications may be obtained from the Publications Sec- retary, Museum of Natural History, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045 Cover design by Jeanne Robertson UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS Museum oF NatTurAL History PuBLic EDUCATION SERIES No. 4 May 30, 1976 Hlustrated Guide to | _ Fishes in Kansas By Frank B. (Chee Joseph T. Collins Curator of Fishes Vertebrate Zoologist Museum of Natural History Museum of Natural History The University of Kansas The University of Kansas Jeanne Robertson Scientific Illustrator Museum of Natural History The University of Kansas THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS LAWRENCE 1976 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PUBLICATIONS Museum oF Natura History Editor: Richard F. Johnston pp. 24; 80 figures Published May 30, 1976 © Copyrighted 1976 By Museum or Natura History THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS LAWRENCE, Kansas 66045 USS.A. ISBN: 0-89338-000-8 PRINTED BY UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PRINTING SERVICE LAWRENCE, KANnsAsS Preface In Kansas most people go fishing, or plan to do a little fishing sometime. One of the interesting things about fishing is that there is no certainty what will be caught. Nearly every angler (especially if he is a bait fisherman) sometime catches a fish he doesn’t recognize, and must have a name for it. Thus, some kinds of fish get many different names; the largemouth bass is known in various places by more than 40 other names. Several common fish are known by at least three or four names in Kansas, and some of the same names are used for different kinds of fish. That situation is confusing. No one con- fuses Dwight Eisenhower with Harry Truman, or John Brown with Jesse James; it is no more proper to confuse bluegill with green sunfish, longear sunfish, and warmouth, or to call them variously bream, perch, pumpkinseed, and goggleye. This booklet associates the more common kinds of fish in Kansas with their proper names, for the benefit of fishermen, young and old, who don’t already know all these fish and their names. We've tried to make the association as easy as possible, and we hope the process adds to your enjoyment of catching fish. The booklet is a companion to “Fishes in Kansas” (Public Education Series, No. 3, Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045). The style is based on a system developed by Daryl Karns and used in the “Illustrated Guide to Am- phibians and Reptiles in Kansas” (Public Education Series No. 2). For help in preparing this guide to fishes we are grateful to Philip Humphrey, Ray Ashton, Linda Trueb, and especially to Brad William- son, several elementary teachers and Lawrence High School students who tested the “key” in the course of its development. Frank B. Cross Joseph T. Collins Jeanne Robertson Lawrence, Kansas January, 1976 iv Bre Face yee ete ae a ee ae oe ee tee iii \WVihathistauhishipieee a eeeerter eee See en eres ae ee Vv LE KONA 1K) TERNS) Cae viii Lamprey, eel, paddlefish, burbot and sturgeon _____- 1 Carpyarid clr try seeien eas ene Nee een ee eae 2 White bass, striped bass, perch, walleye and sauger_ 3 (Chayayote aimel lel Joss 4 Sunfish, bluegill and warmouth 5 Ceisiiln ginel lowilleerls 2 6 IN E20 0) 6s ume eo RT ie a eye ely en i lee, Colton etal neve! a 8 Blue sucker, buffalo and carpsuckers 9 Redhorses, white sucker and hogsucker == 10 Gars, topminnows, killifish and mosquitofish _____ 11 [Dar ters 72T1G O30 0 vy Seen eee ee a 12 A checklist of fishes in Kansas 13 References on fishes inside back cover Fiskes WHAT IS A FISH? Fishes are vertebrate animals that differ from mammals, birds, reptiles and most amphibians (frogs, toads and salamanders) by having gills throughout their adult life. With the exception of two kinds of salamanders found in Kansas, fishes are the only adult Kansas vertebrates that live beneath the water and breathe by removing oxygen from water or from the water surface. Very simply, if you catch a vertebrate animal on a hook and line in the water, it is most likely a fish. Most fish have one or two dorsal (upper) fins on the back, a tail fin, and a single anal (lower) fin beneath the body near the tail fin. In addi- tion, most fish have two sets of paired fins—the pectoral fins (like arms) behind the head, and the pelvic fins (like legs) behind or below the pectoral fins. Each fin on a fish can be spread or folded by means of thin rods, called rays if they bend easily, and called spines if they are stiff with tips sharp enough to prick your finger. Most Kansas fish have scales, but some do not, and others have scales so small they may not be no- ticed. Some fish have limp “whiskers,” called barbels, around the mouth. These are used in finding food. Differences in the position and shape of fins, and presence or absence of barbels and scales, are important in identifying the fishes in this illustrated guide. Differences in color also help to identify fish, but fish can change colors, so color is not always a safe way to learn to recognize fish. Only a few aquatic animals, both vertebrate and invertebrate, are confused with fish. These are: 1. Crayfish—these are the common “craw- dads” nearly everyone has observed or caught. They are invertebrates and have jointed legs. Like fish, they are sometimes caught on hook and line. 2. Tadpoles—these are the larvae (pre-adult free-swimming life stage) of frogs and toads. Un- like most fish they have soft, round scaleless bod- ies. In addition, they have no pectoral or pelvic fins. They cannot be caught by hook and line. 3. Frogs—bullfrogs and leopard frogs live along the edges of lakes and streams and are vi sometimes caught on hook and line, but they have arms and legs, and lack a tail. All fish have tail fins and do not have legs. 4, Salamanders—these are amphibians, like frogs and toads. The hellbender, mudpuppy (or waterdog) and larvae of tiger salamanders are found in water. They sometimes are caught on hook and line. These amphibians all have legs, so they are easily distinguished from fishes. 5. Aquatic turtles—these are reptiles that hunt their food in water. They are sometimes caught on hook and line, but can be distinguished from fish by their legs and shells. 6. Lamprey—this is a fish, but a very unusual one. You will not catch it on hook and line. Lampreys do not have pectoral or pelvic fins. They are long and snake-like, and lack jaws. Re- fer to the illustrated guide to see if you have found this rare Kansas fish. A note of caution. Different but closely re- lated fish sometimes breed and produce hybrids. This is particularly common among sunfishes. If you have difficulty in identifying a sunfish while using this illustrated guide, you may have a hy- brid. If you catch a fish you cannot identify, take it to the nearest office of the Kansas Forestry, Fish and Game Commission or to the biology de- partment of the nearest college or university. They will assist you in identifying your catch. If you seine or net small fish such as minnows and darters, you can identify the Kansas species by using the “Handbook of fishes of Kansas” (Cross, 1967) or “Fishes in Kansas” (Cross and Collins, 1975). There are 123 kinds (species) of fish in Kan- sas, only 51 of which are considered in this guide. These 51 kinds are primarily those caught by fishermen, although some small fish such as mad- toms and topminnows also are included. The 123 kinds of fishes found in Kansas are listed on page 13. Many native fish, like tropical fish, are inter- esting aquarium pets. Most of the minnows, madtoms and topminnows readily accept the same dry fish food sold commercially for goldfish and tropical fish. Other native fish, especially the colorful darters and sunfish, may not thrive on dry fish food, but can be kept healthy on frozen brine shrimp sold in pet stores. Native fish toler- ate a wider range of temperature than do most tropical fish, but some of the most colorful Kansas fish (darters and certain minnows) will retain their bright colors only at temperatures below 70° F. Some native species are aggressive and should not be kept in the same aquaria with ex- pensive tropicals. Basically the rules of aquarium management for tropical fishes apply to native species, including those of water conditioning, sanitation, and disease treatment. Several useful guides on these subjects are available in aquar- ium shops. vil How. to Use the Charts Begin at left side of page then go to the top of the page to the first fact [7 > box. If this fact is true (it describes the animal), move across the page. If the fact does not describe your animal, move down the line to the next fact box until you come to the one that best describes the animal. If the statement is true, continue across the page. A box <__] pointing to the left is the end of the line and should identify the animal for you. If you reach a circle, it will tell you which page to turn to. The drawings will show what the animal should look like, and on some an arrow points out the most important identification fact. If you think you have made a mistake, go back to the first key and begin again. Santple Diagram lf true ———> If false If false, begin again Mammals Hair or feathers Feathers Scales Amphibians Animals with backbones and legs, wings or fins (except snakes) No scales, slimy skin No hair or feathers No legs or fins Fins only, or no legs or fins Tail fin only. Soft, round body Amphibians More than one fin. Long body | farhelse dorsal fin 4 adipose fin /, ViZ ZB Ne a ws re “ tail fin pector, al fin pelvic fin anal fin aa aoe “y en seine fa alla SIE zi ww Tays AS pectoral fin L spine anal fin pelvic fin | Oe Scales not visible Scales easily seen Round mouth. 7 pits behind head Chestnut Lamprey Mouth with jaws. Small fin behind head Paddle-snout One barbel on chin Shovelnose Sturgeon Eight barbels on head Thorny scales in five rows Flat scales cover body Dorsal fin has one stiff spine Only one dorsal fin Freshwater Drum Tail fin rounded Dorsal fin has several sharp spines Tail fin forked GO T0 Tail fin forked Dorsal fin without sharp spines Tail fin rounded Two dorsal fins Flat body, silvery with lengthwise stripes Torpedo-shaped body, brownish or yellow 3 Tongue with tooth patch Tongue with two parallel tooth patches Striped Bass Rings around body First dorsal fin dusky overall First dorsal fin with many dark spots Brightly colored. Less than 6 inches long Vertical bars. 5-6 spines in dorsal fin Dorsal and anal fins about same size Spotted body. 7-8 spines in dorsal fin Body torpedo or cigar shaped Dorsal fin much longer than anal fin Black stripe lengthwise on body Plain brown body Lines of spots along belly No lines of spots along belly Sometimes has vertical bars on sides Rusty line on back before dorsal fin Long ear-flaps with white edges No rusty stripe on back Orangespotted Sunfish Mouth small, Pectoral fin pointed Short ear-flaps not edged with white Blue streaks on sides of head Green Sunfish Mouth large. Pectoral fin rounded Brown streaks on sides of head Small fleshy flap (adipose fin) between dorsal and tail fin Thin ridge (adipose fin) before tail fin Tail fin not deeply forked Edge of anal fin rounded. No hump on back Edge of anal fin straight. Back has hump Lower jaw longer than upper—it juts out. Large size Lower jaw does not jut out. Usually less than 12 inches long 8 inches or less in length Brindled Madtom Neosho Madtom Upper lip Tail fin edged overhangs with yellow lower lip Upper and lower lips equal Slender Madtom Upper lip overhangs lower lip Freckled Madtom Upper and lower lips equal Tadpole Madtom Snout short, not duck-billed Northern Pike “aid td isdiaes FOALED IRE EEE E IM Teeth on jaws and tongue Razor keel on belly. Thin filament on dorsal fin No teeth on jaws and tongue Belly not sharply keeled. No filament on dorsal fin Body slender. Eye on back half of head 9 Blue Sucker Dorsal fin long and sickle-shaped Lower fins dark. Gill cover rounded along lower edge Body thick, sides flattened. Eye on front half of head Lower fins pale. Gill cover straight along lower edge 10 or more rays in dorsal fin. Large fish with thick, fleshy lips Dorsal fin short, rounded or triangular 9 or fewer rays in dorsal fin. Lips thin and smooth. Less than 6 inches long GO TO 12B 10 Shorthead Tail fin red Redhorse Tail fin not red. Body has rows of Spotted dark spots—one Sucker to each scale NAA. on = ; go TEER ERAS) PERT RTTYY LP EDE olden Lips grooved XS Rains A ris Wy : Redhorse ith eeieg 2 =, - Tail fin not red. Body not lined with dark spots Back with dark blotches. Frog-like eyes Back plain colored. Head rounded between eyes Jaws very long Longnose and narrow Gar Long jaws with many teeth. Large fish, up to 60 Growed inches in length (Bere Jaws broad and short Shortnose Gar Black stripe Blackstripe on body Topminnow Short jaws. Fish less than 5 inches long Vertical bars on body Plain color, no markings Male Female 12 You have a darter. There are 17 different kinds of darters in Kansas. To the right are some examples of darters showing their ohnny Dart variable shapes and patterns Johnny er Orangethroat Darter Creek Chub You have a minnow. There are 39 different kinds of ; minnows native to Kansas. Red Shiner To the right are some_examples of minnows showing their variable shapes and patterns Topeka Shiner A CHECKLIST OF FISHES IN KANSAS This is a list of the common names of the 123 kinds of fishes that occur in Kansas. The Illus- trated Guide will identify 51 of the fishes found in Kansas; the remaining 72 kinds are not in- cluded in the Illustrated LAMPREYS — Chestnut Lamprey STURGEONS — Shovelnose Sturgeon — Pallid Sturgeon (*) PADDLEFISHES — Paddlefish Gars — Shortnose Gar — Spotted Gar — Longnose Gar BowFINn — Bowfin (*) FRESHWATER EELS — American Eel HERRINGS — Skipjack Herring (*) — Gizzard Shad Guide, but are listed MOoNEYES — Goldeye TROUTS — Rainbow Trout (*) PIKES — Northern Pike MINNOWS — Carp — Goldfish (*) — Golden Shiner (*) — Creek Chub (*) — Southern Redbelly Dace (*) — Hornyhead Chub (*) — Redspot Chub (*) — Flathead Chub (*) — Gravel Chub (*) — Silver Chub (*) — Sicklefin Chub (*) — Speckled Chub (*) — Sturgeon Chub (*) — Redfin Shiner (*) — Duskystripe Shiner (*) — Common Shiner (*) — Striped Shiner (*) — River Shiner (*) — Red Shiner (*) — Topeka Shiner (*) — Bigmouth Shiner (*) below followed by an asterisk (* ). These 72 kinds are omitted from the Illustrated Guide because they are too difficult to identify in a flow-chart format, or because they are rare and are found only in very limited areas in Kansas. — Ozark Minnow (*) — Suckermouth — Brassy Minnow (*) Minnow (*) — Plains Minnow (*) — Emerald Shiner (*) — Western Silvery — Rosyface Shiner (*) Minnow (*) — Silverband Shiner (*) — Fathead Minnow (*) — Bullhead Minnow (*) — Slim Minnow (*) — Bluntnose Minnow (*) — Stoneroller (*) ; ; A SUCKERS — Bigeye Shiner © s — Blue Sucker — Bluntface Shiner (*) : 2 — Sooilin Sitter (2) — Bigmouth Buffalo (*) — Black Buffalo — Smallmouth Buffalo (*) — Quillback (*) — Sand Shiner (*) — River Carpsucker — Arkansas River — Highfin Carpsucker (*) Shiner (*) — Spotted Sucker — Mimic Shiner (*) — Black Redhorse (*) — Ghost Shiner (*) — Golden Redhorse 14 — River Redhorse (*) — Shorthead Redhorse — Hogsucker — White Sucker CATFISHES — Black Bullhead — Yellow Bullhead — Channel Catfish — Blue Catfish — Flathead Catfish — Tadpole Madtom — Freckled Madtom — Slender Madtom — Stonecat — Neosho Madtom — Brindled Madtom CoDFISHES — Burbot ToPpMINNows, KILLIFISH and MosQurroFIsH — Northern Studfish (* ) — Plains Topminnow (*) — Blackstripe Topminnow — Plains Killifish — Mosquitofish SILVERSIDES — Brook Silverside (*) ScULPINS — Banded Sculpin (*) TEMPERATE BASSES — Striped Bass — White Bass SUNFISHES — Smallmouth Bass — Spotted Bass — Largemouth Bass — Warmouth — Green Sunfish — Redear (*) — Bluegill — Orangespotted Sunfish — Longear Sunfish — Rock Bass (*) — White Crappie — Black Crappie PERCHES — Walleye — Sauger — Yellow Perch — Blackside Darter (*) — Slenderhead Darter (*) — Logperch (*) — River Darter (*) — Channel Darter (*) — Johnny Darter (*) — Bluntnose Darter (*) — Speckled Darter (*) — Banded Darter (*) — Greenside Darter (*) — Redfin Darter (*) — Stippled Darter (*) — Arkansas Darter (*) — Orangethroat Darter (*) — Fantail Darter (*) — Slough Darter (*) — Least Darter (*) Drums — Freshwater Drum References on Fishes BREUKELMANN, J. and R. BoLEs 1972. What have I caught? Kansas Forestry, Fish and Game Commission, Pratt. 42 pp. BucHANAN, T. M. 1973. Key to the fishes of Arkansas. Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. vi + 68 pp., 198 maps. Cross, F. B. 1967. Handbook of fishes of Kansas. Misc. Pub., Univ. Kansas Mus. Nat. Hist., 45:1-357. Cross, F. B. and J. T. Cotins 1975. Fishes in Kansas. Univ. Kansas Mus. Nat. Hist., Pub. Ed. Series, 3:1-189. Eppy, S. 1969. How to know the freshwater fishes. Wm. C. Brown Company, Dubuque, Iowa. x + 286 pp. GrREENWOop, P. H. 1975. A history of fishes. John Wiley and Sons, New York. Third edition. xxv + 467 pp. HERALD, FE. S. 1961. Living fishes of the world. Doubleday and Company, New York. 304 pp. Mitter, R. J. and H. W. Rosison 1973. The fishes of Oklahoma. Oklahoma St. Univ. Press, Stillwater. xiii -+ 246 pp. Morris, J., L. Morris and L. Wirt 1972. The fishes of Nebraska. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Lincoln. 98 pp. PFLIEGER, W. L. 1966. A checklist of the fishes of Missouri, with keys for identification. Missouri Dept. Conservation, Jefferson City. 63 pp. » one sh Illustrated quid das rag om me Museum Publications Public Education Series Museum of Natural History, The University of Kansas No. 1. Amphibians and Reptiles in Kansas. By Joseph T. Collins. Pp. 1-283, 18 figures, 91 maps, 103 photographs in text. Paperbound. August 23, 1974. No. 2. Illustrated Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles in Kansas. By Daryl Kams, Ray E. Ashton, Jr., and Tom Swearingen. Pp. 1-18, 8 figures in text. Paperbound. December 12, 1974. No. 3 Fishes in Kansas. By Frank B. Cross and Joseph T. Collins. Pp. 1-189, 5 figures, 122 maps, 122 illustrations in text. Paperbound. July 3, 1975.