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Esocidae (pikes) • • • • • Large size Torpedo shaped “Duck bill” Fanglike teeth Soft-rayed dorsal fin toward posterior end of body • Caudal fin homocercal, forked Fish of Isle Royale web album David Gagnon northern pike (Esox lucius)) Esocidae • Predators of vertebrates – Fish, amphibians, birds, mammals • Ambush predators of vegetated lakes GLERL/NOAA • Important IA sportfish muskellunge (Esox masquinongy)) • Most small, a few large • Mouth terminal or subterminal; some with barbels and/or suckerlike lips Cyprinidae (minnows) Konrad Schmidt • Fins of soft rays (exceptions: common carp, goldfish have 1 hard ray on dorsal fin) • Dorsal fin with < 10 rays (exceptions: common carp, goldfish have more, but lack suckerlike lips) • Cycloid scales Topeka shiner (Notropis topeka)) • Most abundant IA fishes in numbers of individuals, species, and biomass Cyprinidae Jane Cerza, Stratford Landing Virginia Elementary School • Critical link in food webs • Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and other exotic species threaten native species, ecosystems common carp (Cyprinus carpio)) • Mouth usually subterminal; lips usually suckerlike and thick, often papillose, plicate (exception: bigmouth buffalo) Catostomidae (suckers) GLERL/NOAA • Fins of soft rays • Dorsal fin usually with > 10 rays quillback (Carpiodes cyprinus)) • Anal fin near posterior end Iowa DNR • Cycloid scales northern hog sucker (Hypentelium nigricans)) Catostomidae • Important food web components • Spectacular spawning runs GLERL/NOAA • Many IA species endangered/extirpated (sensitive to environmental change) • Buffalofishes commercially important (1+ million lbs. harvested annually from border rivers) bigmouth buffalo (Ictiobus cyprinellus)) Ictaluridae (bullheads, catfishes) • Flat head with abundant, long barbels USDA Forest Service • Sharp, heavy dorsal and pectoral spines (hard rays) • Adipose fin • Scaleless body channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)) Ictaluridae • Primarily benthivorous; omnivorous • Glands in hard rays release irritating chemical; madtom hard rays venomous • Important food and sportfish; channel catfish might be most popular sportfish in IA. Iowa DNR black bullhead (Ameiurus melas)) Percopsidae (trout-perches) • Small body Iowa DNR • Dorsal, pelvic, anal fins with spines (perch-like) trout-perch (Percopsis omiscomaycus)) • Adipose fin (trout like) • Caudal fin forked Percopsidae • Consume aquatic invertebrates • Trout-perch (P. omiscomaycus) inhabits streams, lakes of northwest IA • Too small to be commercially important trout-perch (Percopis omiscomaycus))