Spottail Shiners! (Notropis hudsonius)

[Desert Bus]

Spottail Shiners (Notropis hudsonius).

Found in rivers/lakes/streams/etc. These cyprinids can reach about four inches long. They are commonly stocked as a forage fish.

I found two in a tank at one of my LFSs. Neither employee knew what they were, and nor did I. I decided to take the risk, and $4 later, here's what we have.

I find myself wishing there had been more so they would school better, but they school with my Red Eye Tetras all the time. They're about two inches long, and seem to keep to themselves when they're not trying to join the school. I have them at 80f in a mixed community tank, and I haven't seen them turn down any food.

 

[spotfin]

I catch thousands of spottail shiners up here in Maine each year. They look somewhat different than yours; ours have a visible black line (more noticable in juveniles) that follows the lateral line and the black spot typically "blends" into the tail. Hard to tell from your pictures, but is the origin of the dorsal fin just in front of the origin of the pelvic fins?

 

[Desert Bus]

There is about an 1/8th inch gap between the two fin origins, with the dorsal coming first.

I never realized that there were so many types of Shiners:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notropis
It's entirely possible that mine are misidentified.

Not the same genus, but the Flagfin Shiner is beautiful:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pteronotropis_signipinnis

 

[Itsadeepbluesea]

nice fish!!!

 

[mbeatrice]

I catch thousands of spottail shiners up here in Maine each year. They look somewhat different than yours; ours have a visible black line (more noticable in juveniles) that follows the lateral line and the black spot typically "blends" into the tail. Hard to tell from your pictures, but is the origin of the dorsal fin just in front of the origin of the pelvic fins?

i could be wrong but im thinkin your catching dace or chub cause when i go to maine i use to go up little streams and catch them in nets all the time

 

[spotfin]

i could be wrong but im thinkin your catching dace or chub cause when i go to maine i use to go up little streams and catch them in nets all the time

They are spottail shiners. Where in Maine did you catch your fish. Spottails are found mainly in the Kennebec river. We don't see them in small streams.

 

[warmouth]

nice shiners whatever kind they are!

 

[Desert Bus]

nice shiners whatever kind they are!

Thanks! The longer I have them the more I like them. Wish I had more.