Lab 8.  Trout & Salmon, Smelt, Pikes, Cavefishes, Trout-perch, Pirate perch, Cods, Sticklebacks,
Batfishes, Pipefishes, and Seahorses
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Vertebrata
Class Osteichthyes
Order Family Genus Etymology Species Etymology Common name
Salmoniformes Salmonidae Oncorhynchus hooked snout mykiss refering to trout in Kamchatka, Russia Rainbow trout
Salmoniformes Salmonidae Oncorhynchus hooked snout clarki Cutthroat trout
Characteristics: Dorsal soft rays (total): 8-11; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 8-12. Color is variable. Generally dark green to greenish-blue on back, olive-green on upper flank, silvery on lower flank and belly; flanks spots below lateral line are more numerous anteriorly; irregular spots on dorsal, adipose and caudal fins and the anal, pectoral and pelvic fin bases; gill covers are pinkish. Those found at sea or recent migrants to freshwater are silvery with a bluish back, yellowish lower flanks and fins, and sparse spots.
Salmoniformes Salmonidae Salmo Salmon of the atlantic trutta trout Brown trout
Salmoniformes Salmonidae Thymallus thymallos, -ou = a kind of fish similar to salmon arcticus Arctic Arctic grayling
Characteristics: Dorsal soft rays (total): 17-25; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 11-15; Vertebrae: 58-62. Distinguished by its greatly enlarged dorsal fin and its small mouth, which has fine teeth on both jaws. Dorsal greatly enlarged in adults (especially males), reaching adipose fin when depressed, but is shorter in females; pelvics rather long, reach anal fin in adult males, but not in females; lower lobe of caudal often longer than upper. A strikingly colored fish, the dorsal surface is dark purple, or blue black to blue gray, the sides gray to dark blue with pinkish iridescence, the ventral surface gray to white. Scattered dark spots on sides, these being more numerous on the young; a dark longitudinal stripe along lower sides between pectoral and pelvic fins; dorsal fin dark with with narrow purple edge (rows of reddish to orange or purple to green spots on body of fin); pelvics dark with irregular diagonal orange-yellow stripes; adipose, dorsal, anal, caudal and pectorals dusky to dark
Salmoniformes Salmonidae Salvelinus old name for chars fontinalis living in springs Brook trout
Characteristics: Dorsal spines (total): 3-4; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8-14; Anal spines: 3-4; Anal soft rays: 8-14; Vertebrae: 58-62. Distinguished by the combination of dark green marbling on its back and dorsal fin and by the red spots with blue halos on its sides. Pelvics with axillary process; caudal nearly straight or with a shallow indentation. Color varies, but generally rather green to brownish on back, marked with paler vermiculations or marbling that extend onto the dorsal fin and sometimes the caudal; sides lighter than back, marked with numerous pale spots and some red spots, each of the latter surrounded by a blue halo; anal, pelvic and pectoral fins with a white leading edge followed by a dark stripe, the rest of the fins reddish. In spawning fish the lower sides and fins become red. Sea-run fish are dark green above with silvery sides, white bellies and very pale pink spots. Caudal fin with 19 rays
Salmoniformes Salmonidae Salvelinus old name for chars namaycush Native American name Lake trout
Characteristics: Dorsal spines (total): 4-5; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8-10; Anal spines: 4-5; Anal soft rays: 8-10; Vertebrae: 61-69. Distinguished by its color, white or yellowish spots on a dark green to grayish background, its deeply forked tail and its numerous pyloric caeca. Lateral line slightly curved anteriorly; pelvics with small axillary process. Body typically trout-like, elongate, somewhat rounded. Head stout, broad dorsally; mouth large, terminal, snout usually protruding slightly beyond lower jaw when mouth is closed. Back and sides usually dark green liberally sprinkled with whitish to yellowish (never pink or red) spots; overall color varies from light green to gray, brown, dark green or nearly black; belly white; pale spots present on dorsal, adipose and caudal fins and usually on base of anal; sometimes orange-red on paired fins, especially in northern populations; anterior edge of paired and anal fins sometimes with a white border. At spawning time, males develop a dark lateral stripe and become paler on the back. Caudal fin with 19 rays.
Salmoniformes Salmonidae Coregonus kore = pupils of the eye + gonia = angle
Characteristics: 2 small flaps of skin between nostrils, fairly broad snout, small subterminal to terminal mouth, body compressed to round in cross section; forked caudal fin, usually long slender rakers, 18-64 on 1st gill arch, No small teeth on jaws, 9-16 dorsal rays; no par marks, usually no distinct black spots on body or fins.
Salmoniformes Osmeridae Osmerus odorus mordax biting Rainbow smelt
Characteristics: Dorsal soft rays (total): 8-8; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 12-16; Vertebrae: 58-70. Body elongate, laterally compressed, greatest depth at anterior of dorsal fin origin. Head moderate; eye moderately large; snout elongate, pointed. Mouth large; lower jaw protruding, maxillary extending to middle of eye or beyond, well toothed on vomer, palatine, pterygoid, basibranchial, dentary, maxillary, and tongue. Teeth specially enlarged on tongue and front of vomer. Body color is pale green on back, with purple, blue, and pink iridescent reflections on the side when freshly caught.
Esociformes Esocidae Esox Old name for Pike lucius pike Northern pike
Esociformes Esocidae Esox Old name for Pike americanus America Grass pickerel
Characteristics: Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Anal spines: 0-0. Body robust, long, cylindrical, cross-section almost circular with flattened to slightly concave dorsal surface. Head large, flat, naked on top. Right branchiostegal membrane usually overlaps left. Snout short, broad spatulate, dorsal surface between raised orbits and tip of snout slightly concave. Mouth large, horizontal, lower jaw extending slightly beyond upper, maxillary usually not reaching beyond middle of pupil or to suborbital bar. Teeth moderately large, those in front of upper jaw and several along each side of ramus a little enlarged; cheek and opercle fully scaled. Gill rakers are reduced to patches of sharp denticles. Cardioid scales between pelvic fins 0-5, intergrades 0-26; notched scales in a line between dorsal and anal fin origins 0-8, intergrades 1-22. Pigmentation: Olivaceous to black above; belly pale amber to white, sometimes mottled wit dark; midorsal band from nape to dorsal fin origin inconspicuous, rusty brown. Sides with 15-23 olive to black wavy vertical bars separated by paler extensions of what had been lateral band in young, pale area between adjacent bars wider than bars. Suborbital and preorbital black bars pronounced, suborbital straight and vertical, postorbital horizontal; lateral edges of jaws lightly pigmented. Pupil yellow to yellow green, iris gold. Dorsal fin darkly pigmented, leading edge of all fins black, remainder dusky to amber.
Percopsiformes Percopside Percopsis perch like omiscomaycus Native American name Trout-perch
Characteristics: Dorsal spines (total): 1-3; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9-11; Anal spines: 1-1; Anal soft rays: 5-9; Vertebrae: 33-36. Distinguished by the presence of an adipose fin; small weak spines in the dorsal and anal spines; rough ctenoid scales; and pectoral fins reaching well behind the bases of pelvic fins. Gill rakers short, stubby mounds with small teeth; lateral line nearly straight. Pale yellowish to silvery, often almost transparent; with a row of about 10 dark spots along midline of back, 10 or 11 spots along lateral line, and another row of spots high on sides above lateral line; fins transparent
Percopsiformes Aphredoderidae Aphredoderus excrement throat sayanus patronym for Thomas Say Pirate perch
Characteristics: Digestive tract 1.2-1.6 SL; in adults, anal opening immediately behind the throat knob.Body stout, slightly compressed laterally, elevated at base of dorsal fin; caudal peduncle thick. Length 83-100 mm (3.3-3.9 in). TL = 1.26 SL. Depth into SL 2.8-3.4. Head into SL 2.6-3.0; head broad below, preopercle edge strongly toothed and rough to the touch; strong spine near upper edge of opercle. Snout pointed. Mouth large, oblique, with lower jaw projecting; numerous minute, villiform teeth in wide bands on upper and lower jaws; back of upper jaw reaching to anterior edge of eye. Dorsal fin convex, nearer snout than base of caudal fin, and behind pelvic fins; dorsal fin with 2-3 short spines, 10-11 rays; anal fin 2-3 spines, 6-7 rays; pelvic fins 1 spine, 6 rays. Scales strongly adherent, ctenoid, with a single row of teeth on exposed edges; cheeks and opercles fully scaled. Lateral series scales 48-59; lateral line incomplete, developed anteriorly. The sensory canal system on head is well developed, and consists of  relatively large sensory canals and numerous sense organ clusters.
Percopsiformes Amblyopsidae dim sighted Cave fishes
Characteristics: Freshwater; usually cave-dwellers. Distribution: southern and eastern United States. Scales cycloid. Head naked. Eyes small to vestigial. Dorsal fin spines 1-2 or absent; soft rays 7-12. Anal fin spines 1-2 or absent; soft rays 7-11. Usually without pelvic fins; Amblyopsis spelaea has small abdominal pelvic fins with 0-6 rays. Rows of sensory papillae on the head, body, and tail. Vertebrae 27-35. About 9 cm maximum length.
Gadiformes Gadidae gadus = a kind of fish cods
Characteristics: Marine: Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific. Three dorsal fins and two anal fins, the first dorsal behind head. No spines. Pelvics before pectorals. Teeth present on vomer. Usually with barbel. No otophysic connection between swim bladder and auditory capsules. Egg without oil globule. Up to about 2 m maximum length in Gadus morhua. Members of the family are found in circumpolar and temperate waters, mainly of the northern hemisphere. Most species are demersal or benthopelagic, feeding on fish and invertebrates. Schooling and long-distance migrations are known for several gadid species.
Lopiiformes Ogcocephalidae ogkoo, to swell, to enlarge + Greek, kephale = head batfish
Characteristics: Body usually considerably depressed and flattened ventrally (box-shaped in Coelophrys). Relatively short illicium (composed primarily of the modified pterygiophore of the first fin spine, remnant of second present. The illicial cavity, with its anterior opening, encloses the esca upon retraction of the illicium. Mouth nearly horizontal. Gill opening located in or above base of pectoral fin. Gills 2 or 2.5; first gill arch reduced and without filaments. Scales well-developed and tubercle-like. The lateral line organs with modified type of scale. Capable of walking on the bottom using their large armlike pectorals and smaller pelvic fins. Swims awkwardly. Maximum length 40 cm, usually 20 cm. Bottom dwelling carnivores of small invertebrates and fishes.
Gasterosteiformes Gasteristeidae Gasterosteus gaster = stomach + osteon = bone aculeatus 3-spine stickleback
Characteristics: Dorsal spines (total): 2-4; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10-14; Anal spines: 1-1; Anal soft rays: 8-10; Vertebrae: 29-33. Identified by the 3 to 4 sharp, free spines before the dorsal fin, the pelvic fin reduced to a sharp spine and a small ray, and the series of plates along the sides of the body. Gill rakers long and slender, 17 to 25 on the first arch or strictly freshwater forms, 1 or 2 more in anadromous forms; lateral line with microscopic pores. The anadromous form is fully plated, with up to 37 plates on the sides and a rather pronounced keel on each side of the caudal peduncle. Dorsal spines separated from each other and from the soft-rayed fins, each spine having a reduced membrane attached to its posterior side; anal spine free from rest of the fin; posterior margin of pectorals nearly truncate; caudal truncate to slightly indented. Freshwater forms usually mottled brown or greenish; anadromous forms silvery green to bluish black. A few isolated populationsare black. Sides usually pale; belly yellow, white or silvery. Fins pale; pectoral rays often have dark dots. Breeding males (except for black forms) become brillant bluish or green with blue or green eyes, and the forward part of the body, especially the breast region, turns bright red or orange. Caudal fin with 12 rays.
Gasterosteiformes Gasteristeidae Culaea From generic name inconstans changeable, variable Brook stickleback
Characteristics: Body deep, compressed laterally. Length 38-61 mm (1.5-2.4 in). TL = 1.15 SL. Depth into TL 4.7-5.4. Head length into TL 3.4-4.3. Mouth small, oblique, and dorsal, with lips swollen. Lower jaw projecting beyond upper jaw; minute, needlelike teeth in several irregular rows on upper and lower jaws. Dorsal spines 4-6, separate, and each with its own membrane, followed by dorsal fin with 9-11 rays. Anal fin with 1 spine and 9-10 rays; pelvic fin with 1 heavy spine and 1 ray (pelvic skeleton absent in some populations. Pectoral fin 9-11 soft rays; caudal fin rounded to truncate. Body scaleless, but with 30-36 small, bony plates along the lateral line; lateral line complete. Digestive tract about 0.5 TL.
Gasterosteiformes Sygnathidae syn = with, together + gnathos = jaw Pipefish and seahorses
Characteristics: Mostly marine. Some in brackish and fresh water. Distribution: Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans (mostly in warm temperate to tropical). A series of bony rings encloses elongate body. Dorsal fin single; soft rays usually 15-60. Very small anal fin. Anal rays usually 2-6. Pectoral fin rays usually 10-23. Adults of some species may lack dorsal, anal, and pectoral fins. Pelvic fins lacking. Some without caudal fin. Caudal peduncle may be prehensile. Very small gill openings. Branchiostegal rays 1-3. Basisphenoid and supracleithrum lacking. Kidney unpaired (right side) and lacking glomerulus. About 60 cm maximum length. Some very colorful. Usually limited to shallow water. Feed on minute invertebrates sucked into a tubular snout. Males have a brood pouch in which the eggs are laid and where they are fertilized and incubated.