Lab #3 Groups

Question 1

Order Cypriniformes (Common Carp)

Answer 1

Body colour is olive-green above and yellowish below, laterally compressed
Regular scales cover the entire body
Dorsal and anal spines at the front edge of fins are serrated
Fins are well developed
Triangular head, blunt snout, thick nose plate
Small mouth, pharyngeal teeth in rows, two barbels at each corner of the mouth

Question 2

Order Cypriniformes (Common Goldfish(

Answer 2

Body colour is variable a ‘standard’ colour is red/orange
Small body size for a member of the ‘carp’ group
Fins are well developed, caudal fin is well-forked
Blunt snout, no barbels present
Small mouth, pharyngeal teeth, upper jaw is protrusible

Question 3

Order Cypriniformes (Tench)

Answer 3

Deep body, colour usually olive/green
Caudal fin is square in shape
Fins are dark and rounded without spines
Eyes are small, red/orange in colour
Small scales
Small mouth, a single barbel in each corner

Question 4

Order Cypriniformes (Redside shiner)

Answer 4

Dark olive brown on back, silvery sides with reddish wash, underside is silvery
Dark mid-side band runs from snout to tail
Dorsal fin is well behind front of pelvic fins
Forked tail, no adipose fin

Question 5

Order Cypriniformes (Flathead chub)

Answer 5

Large subterminal mouth, small barbels in corner of mouth
Broad, flat snout, wedge-shaped head in profile
General body colour is silvery
Anal fin has eight rays, no adipose fin
Small eyes

Question 6

Order Cypriniformes (Northern Pikeminnow)

Answer 6

The body is dark green or dusky green above and silvery or creamy white below
Fins are clear but turn yellow during spawning period
Long flattened head with a large mouth that extends backwards to the eye
Tail is distinctly forked
No adipose fin

Question 7

Order Cypriniformes (Peamouth)

Answer 7

Upper body is grey/green/black in colour, while it retains a white colouration along its
abdomen
Fin colour is yellow to orange
Round head (especially when comparing to Northern Pikeminnow
Red colouring around the lips
Two dark lateral bars
No adipose fin

Question 8

Order Cypriniformes (Brassy Minnow)

Answer 8

The back of the brassy minnow is olive-green to brown, the sides are yellowish or dull
silver becoming brassy in adults, the underside is white
A dusky mid-side stripe is usually present
Front of dorsal fin ahead of pelvic fins
Dorsal fin rounded at the tip
Large scales
No adipose fin

Question 9

Order Cypriniformes (Longnose dace)

Answer 9

A distinctive minnow with a long fleshy snout, a sub-terminal mouth, and a deep caudal
peduncle.
The head and the nape slope downward from its cylindrical body, giving this minnow a
streamlined appearance.
Body colour is widely variable; the dorsum can be greenish, brown, or reddish purple,
and the lower sides and the venter may be silvery, white, or yellow.
The sides are sometimes marked by darkened scales, a lateral stripe, and a blotch near the
tail
The longnose dace can quickly be distinguished from most other minnows by the
presence of a frenum, a small fleshy bridge between the snout and the upper jaw.
Small barbels present in the corner of the mouth
No adipose fin

Question 10

Order Cypriniformes (Chiselmouth)

Answer 10

Overall colour is dark brown with lighter sides
Lower lip is covered with a hard skin (used to scrape algae from rocks, hence the
common name)
Dorsal fin is just behind pelvic fins
Light coloured anal, pelvic and pectoral fins
No adipose fin

Question 11

Order Cypriniformes (Fathead minnow)

Answer 11

Body colour is dull olive grey from above
Concave upper edge of the dorsal fin
There is a dark spot at the base of the tail fin, and sometimes a blotch on the anterior
portion of the dorsal fin
There is a darkening along the midline of the back
No adipose fin

Question 12

Order Cypriniformes (leopard dace)

Answer 12

Body colour is yellowy-green, body is shaped like a wedge,
Concave upper edge to dorsal fin, thick forked caudal fin
Dorsal fin sits above pelvic and anal fins
Slender body, narrow caudal peduncle
Long, pointed snout, long barbel protrudes beyond corner of mouth
Large blotches on back and sides
No adipose fin

Question 13

Order Cypriniformes (umatilla dace)

Answer 13

Similar to Leopard dace but barbel is short and does not protrude beyond corner of mouth
More robust body than Leopard dace

Question 14

Order Cypriniformes (spottail shiner)

Answer 14

Body colour is silvery
Large prominent spot at the base of the tail, dorsal, and anal fins
Dorsal fin, set directly over the pelvic fins and is more forward than most other minnows
The mouth is slightly sub-terminal (ending below tip of snout) and the snout protrudes
beyond the upper jaw.
No adipose fin

Question 15

Order Cypriniformes (Emerald Shiner)

Answer 15

Back is silvery with an emerald green or steel blue hue. Their sides are a shiny silver
colour and can have an emerald green hue. All of the emerald shiners fins are transparent
or white with no spots or any other markings on them.
Slender fish with a terminal mouth and rounded snout.
Laterally compressed, large eye
No adipose fin

Question 16

Order Cypriniformes (lake chub)

Answer 16

Overall colour leaden silvery, with olive brown back and silvery white belly; often
darkened scales scattered on sides and dark spots on lower sides and belly
Dorsal fin begins slightly behind pelvic fin origin
Full lateral line
Mouth of moderate size with a small barbel near each corner
Body elongate, not flattened from side to side, with long, slender caudal peduncle
No adipose fin

Question 17

Order Cypriniformes (northern pearl dace)

Answer 17

General mottled appearance due to many darkened scales scattered along sides; back
dark, sides dusky silver, and belly silvery-white ending in a spot on caudal fin base, often
visible only on the caudal peduncle of adults
Body elongate and tubular with rather long, slender caudal peduncle
Small, flap-like barbel at corner of mouth (may be poorly developed or totally lacking)
Dorsal fin begins distinctly behind pelvic fin origin
Lateral line well developed
No adipose fin

Question 18

Order Cypriniformes (speckled dace)

Answer 18

Extremely variable (may be a complex of species)
Usually back and sides are dusky yellow or olive-covered with dark speckles and
splotches
Silver-yellow sides, white below, yellow fins
Usually one barbel at the end of each jaw, and a frenum or flap of skin attaching snout to
upper lip
Bases of fins turn red in both sexes during breeding time, and males often get red snout
and lips
Pointed snout slightly overhangs mouth
Usually a groove separating snout from upper lip
No adipose fin

Question 19

Order Cypriniformes (finscale dace)

Answer 19

Back dark brown, ending sharply in lighter lateral stripe of olive green or gold; below
this is dark lateral band, beginning on snout and ending as a spot at base of caudal fin
Belly silvery-white on non-breeding adults
Body elongate and cylindrical in shape (somewhat flattened from side to side in tail area)
Mouth terminal and relatively large
Dorsal fin begins distinctly behind pelvic fin origin;
Scales relatively small; lateral line not full-length, ending even with pelvic fins
No adipose fin
Breeding males bright lemon yellow (possibly with red streaks) on lower sides and fins

Question 20

Order Cypriniformes (Northern redbelly dace)

Answer 20

Back olive to dark brown, often scattered with dark spots; two dark lateral bands on sides
(the upper one often broken), usually more visible on young or preserved specimens;
below lower band on adults, sides silvery or cream, turning brilliant yellow or red as
spawning time nears
Mouth terminal, sloping downward, and relatively small
Dorsal fin begins distinctly behind origin of pelvic fins
Lateral line not clear and not often full-length, usually ending ahead of pelvic fin origin
Scales very small, hardly visible to naked eye
No adipose fin

Question 21

Order Cypriniformes (mountain sucker)

Answer 21

Back and upper sides are dusky or dark green with black specks; may have dark mottling
shaped like saddles across the back; lower body whitish
Mouth is sub-terminal and long it sometimes exceeds head width, notch present in corner
of mouth
Possess a cartilaginous plate or ridge on the lower lip
Slender, cylindrical body, rounded fins, short conical head
No adipose fin

Question 22

Order Cypriniformes (bridgelip sucker)

Answer 22

Body is olive green and mottled brown or blue-black above, white to yellow below, fins
are dusky - light coloured
Fine-scaled sucker with 11-14 dorsal rays, a shallow incomplete cleft between the upper
and lower lips, and membranous stays that connect the pelvic fins to the body
Lacking distinct notches at the corner of the mouth
Rows of papillae usually present on middle of lower lip which has a deep median notch
No adipose fin

Question 23

Order Cypriniformes (longnose sucker)

Answer 23

The longnose sucker has a reddish-brown, dark green, or grey to black upper body and
the underside is usually white.
Lateral line is complete and usually brownish-black
Elongated, round body with a somewhat long snout
Large lips lined with papillae, no teeth located on jaws, instead pharyngeal teeth are
present
Caudal fin is forked with rounder lobes
No adipose fin

Question 24

Order Cypriniformes (largescale sucker)

Answer 24

Back and sides dark olive grey, changing abruptly to white or yellowish on underside
Dorsal fin base is long and lightly speckled
Scales are medium sized and obvious
Fin colour is dusky

Question 25

Order Cypriniformes (white sucker)

Answer 25

Brown to olive back and sides, white to yellow underside, lateral band of splotches
usually present
Small, fusiform sucker, sub-terminal mouth, fleshy lips with papillae
Upper and lower lips notched at lateral margins, lower lip has median “cleft”
Front of upper lip lacks papillae, lower lip lacks papillae in two semi-circles on inner
margin, cartilaginous scraper may be evident
Anal fins are long

Question 26

Order Characiformes (red bellied piranha)

Answer 26

All piranhas have a single row of sharp teeth in both jaws; the teeth are tightly packed
and interlocking (via small cusps) and are used for rapid puncture and shearing.
Individual teeth are typically broadly triangular, pointed and blade-like (flat in profile).
Characteristic blunt nose, deep body
Adipose fin present

Question 27

Order Siluriformes (brown bullhead)

Answer 27

Dark brown to olive green on the back, with mottled sides, and a creamy white belly
Thick rounded body, a broad, somewhat flattened head with a distinctive set of ‘whiskers’
around the mouth (four barbels)
Dorsal and pectoral fins have sharp saw tooth spines at their base that can be locked in an
erect position
Caudal fin is square and there is a pronounced adipose fin
Light coloured band near tail fin
No scales on their skin

Question 28

Order Siluriformes (black bullhead)

Answer 28

Black back and is white or yellow underneath.
Barbels are black, dark blotch at the base of the dorsal fin
Squarish tail with a light crescent near tail fin
Edge of the caudal fin is slightly notched in the middle
Caudal and anal fins have pale rays and black membranes

Question 29

Order Siluriformes (yellow bullhead)

Answer 29

Body colouring ranges from yellowish olive to brown or almost black on the back with
yellowish olive or brown sides, yellow or white on the belly, and dusky fins.
Rounded tail
Sharp, tooth-like serrations on the back edge of the spine at the top of the pectoral fins
Chin barbels are white, yellow, or pale pink
No scales

Question 30

Order Gymnotiformes (knifefishes – weakly electric fishes)

Answer 30

All black except for two white rings on its tail, and a white blaze on its nose, which can
occasionally extend into a stripe down its back
Slender fish with narrow body and tapering tail
It moves mainly by undulating a long anal fin on its underside.
Lack pelvic, dorsal fins, and caudal fin (or caudal fin is greatly reduced)