ID on Unknown Fish Needed

[Death Pony]

There's a small, pristine stream close to my home. It's full of tiny, colorful fish during the breeding season. I've been having trouble IDing them. Here's what they look like.

_5127571.ORF by Wire Man, on Flickr

Any ideas?

 

[angelojg22]

looks like a fat oddly colored flying fox

 

[Noto]

It's a Clinostomus. I think the one in your area is C. funduloides funduloides, the eastern rosyside dace. Neat little minnows with "mailbox mouths"; look at the underside of the head and you'll see that the corners of the mouth nearly meet.

 

[Death Pony]

Their mouths are huge! That looks like a good match. Their fins are bright yellow during breeding season, and they have a little eye spot on the top of their back just in front to the dorsal fin.

 

[Mr.Catfish]

I'm pretty sure it's a blacknose dace (Rhinichthys atratulus).

 

[critter_bob]

If the mouth is huge on that, I second the Clinostomus, if it's more moderate-small in size, then it's a Rhinichthys.

 

[Red Devil]

very neat having these cuties around...

 

[Mr.Catfish]

Rosydside dace have larger and more defined scales and a superior mouth. This fishes scales are small and the mouth looks more subterminal.

 

[Noto]

You're right, it does have small scales and a subterminal mouth. I didn't consider Rhinichthys because the populations around me have long snouts, dark mottling, and strongly subterminal mouths. I forgot that the Atlantic slope populations are different.

I agree that it is most likely Rhinichthys atratulus. I would like to see a picture of the mouth, though.

 

[Death Pony]

Yup, R. atratulus looks to be correct. I'll have to go net another one to get a photo of the mouth. That photo was taken last year. I'll have to get a longer handled net and photograph some of the other inhabitants of this stream. There's some kind of bottom dweller that is found close by to their groups. They aren't easy to net! They're fast and blend in with the rocks, making it a guessing game with my awful vision.

Photographing these guys is difficult. The water is so cold that the container fogs over in a matter of second of being exposed to the much warmer air. They stress easily too. What size tank would be the minimum for these guys? I have an awesome idea for a native tank.