Minnow - Small ID

Notropis dorsalis

Description: A slender shiner with elongated body. Eyes are directed upward which is apparent when viewed from above. Pupils can be seen from above. Body is olive on back and silvery below.

Family: Minnow (Small)
Type: Baitfish
Range: Widespread in Nebraska, found in all river basins except for the Blue River and White-Hat Creek basins.

Rhinichthys atratulus

Description: Dark-colored minnow with a fleshy snout not separated from the lip by a groove. Barbels are present in the corners of the subterminal mouth. Black stripe from snout through eye and all along the side with a black spot at the base of the tail. Red highlights will be present along this stripe on breeding males.

Family: Minnow (Small)
Type: Non-Game Fish
Range: Scattered populations are found in eastern and north-central Nebraska, usually in small streams that are tributaries to the Niobrara and Missouri rivers.

Notropis heterolepis

Description: A slender shiner with elongated body. Lateral stripe around the nose, through the eye, and to the tail where there may be a black spot. On the side, the black stripe is comprised of crescent-shaped black scale margins facing the rear of the fish.

Family: Minnow (Small)
Type: Endangered Fish
Range: Rare, found in small streams in north-central Nebraska.

Pimephales notatus

Description: Tubular-shaped minnow with blunt nose, well-defined scales and complete lateral line. Dark lateral band from head to tail with a small black spot at the tail. Lining of body cavity is black. Tubercles present on the snout of breeding males.

Family: Minnow (Small)
Type: Non-Game Fish
Range: Eastern Nebraska, most common in the Elkhorn and Little Blue river basins.

Hybognathus hankinsoni

Description: Shiny minnow with moderately compressed sides and relatively large eyes. Complete lateral line from head to tail with yellowish sides and brassy reflections. Fins have rounded margins. Snout overhangs a relatively small horizontal mouth. Body cavity is black.

Family: Minnow (Small)
Type: Baitfish
Range: Widespread in Nebraska.

Campostoma anomalum

Description: Slender when young but becoming stouter when larger with an arched nape and back. Bulbous snout overhanging a mouth with fleshy lips. Cartilaginous plate found in the lower lip. Tubercles will cover body of breeding males but largest on head. Silvery with a lateral stripe on young fish becoming more tan or brown with darker blotches on mature fish.

Family: Minnow (Small)
Type: Non-Game Fish
Range: Widespread in Nebraska.

Luxilus cornutus

Description: Deep-bodied, laterally compressed shiner with large, loose scales. Origin of dorsal fin about even with origin of pelvic fins. Dark stripe along middle of back under dorsal fin with additional less obvious stripes present on each side just below (one on each side). Silvery sides, adult males having some pink or red on the sides, under the head, and on the fins. Tubercles on snout of sexually mature males.

Family: Minnow (Small)
Type: Non-Game Fish
Range: Not common in Nebraska.  Small populations found in the western North Platte, Niobrara and Little Blue rivers.

Semotilus atromaculatus
Also known as: chub

Description: Adults have dark spot near front base of dorsal fin and near tail.

Family: Minnow (Small)
Type: Baitfish
Range: Statewide; most commonly found in small streams.

Notropis atherinoides

Description: Slender shiner with a large terminal mouth and large eyes. Origin of dorsal fin behind origin of pelvic fin. Silvery with a green or blue iridescence. 

Family: Minnow (Small)
Type: Baitfish
Range: Common in large Nebraska rivers and associated reservoirs.

Pimephales promelas

Description: Tubular-shaped minnow with blunt nose. Lateral line is incomplete. Small subterminal mouth. Spawning males develop large heads and darken in color, may be nearly black. Tubercles may be present on snout of spawning males.

Family: Minnow (Small)
Type: Baitfish
Range: Widespread in Nebraska in all types of waters.

Chrosomus neogaeus

Description: Tubular-shaped minnow with very small, barely visible, scales. Incomplete lateral line with a large head and terminal mouth. Dark dorsal surface with white belly. Single black lateral band from the head to tail. Males can be brightly colored with red or yellow flanking below the lateral band.

Family: Minnow (Small)
Type: Threatened Fish
Range: Rare. Glacial relict species found only in some small headwaters of the Niobrara and Loup rivers.

Platygobio gracilis
Also known as: chub

Description: Elongated minnow with streamlined body and broad, wedge-shaped head. Subterminal mouth with snout that extends over lower jaw. Barbels obvious in corners of mouth. Pointed fins with dark colored back and silvery sides.

Family: Minnow (Small)
Type: Non-Game Fish
Range: Widespread in Nebraska, found in all large rivers except the Blue.

Notemigonus crysoleucas
Also known as: shiner

Description: No barbels. Lateral line droops and is not straight. Golden color.

Family: Minnow (Small)
Type: Baitfish
Range: Statewide. Often found in impoundments with clean water and aquatic vegetation.

Couesius plumbeus

Description: Large minnow with tubular-shaped body. Small scales with a complete lateral line. Large terminal mouth usually has a barbel in each corner. Silver color with a dark lateral band from the head to tail. Mature males more colorful with red on the lower head and body. White belly.

Family: Minnow (Small)
Type: Non-Game Fish
Range: Glacial relict species found only in some small headwater steams in the Niobrara River basin.

Rhinichthys cataractae

Description: Dark-colored minnow with a fleshy snout not separated from the lip by a groove. Long snout over hanging mouth. Barbels are present in the corners of the mouth. Dark blotches found along the sides. Red colors on breeding males found under the head and at the base of fins.

Family: Minnow (Small)
Type: Baitfish
Range: Western Nebraska, Niobrara, Loup, and Platte River systems and Lodgepole Creek.

Chrosomus eos

Description: Tubular-shaped minnow with very small, barely visible, scales. Incomplete lateral line extending half-way from head to tail. Dark back with two dark lateral bands on sides from head to tail. Top band is thinner with a silvery band between the two. Mature males will be brightly colored with red or yellow below the lateral bands, white belly.

Family: Minnow (Small)
Type: Threatened Fish
Range: Rare. Glacial relict species found only in some small headwaters of the Platte, Niobrara and Loup rivers.

Margariscus nachtriebi

Description: Medium to large tubular-shaped minnow with small scales. Complete lateral line and large terminal mouth. Dark back with a dark lateral band from head to tail. Dark blotches may be scattered on the sides. Mature males more colorful with rose or orange below the lateral band, white belly.

Family: Minnow (Small)
Type: Non-Game Fish
Range: Rare. Glacial relict species found only in some small headwaters of the Niobrara and Loup rivers.

Hybognathus placitus

Description: Shiny minnow with moderately compressed sides and small eye. Subterminal mouth with no barbels. Complete lateral line with silvery sides. Looped intestine usually visible through belly.

Family: Minnow (Small)
Type: Non-Game Fish
Range: Widespread in Nebraska, found in all large rivers except the Blue.

Cyprinella lutrensis

Description: Shiner minnow with laterally compressed sides and large, diamond-shaped scales. Complete lateral line and terminal mouth with no barbels. Silvery color but mature males may become bluish with red accents on head, body, and all fins but the dorsal fin. Tubercles also present on the head of breeding males.

Family: Minnow (Small)
Type: Baitfish
Range: Widespread in Nebraska. One of the most common fish in Nebraska rivers and streams.

Notropis blennius

Description: Shiner with a tubular-shaped body. Silvery with no dark pigmentation or spawning colors. Large terminal mouth.

Family: Minnow (Small)
Type: Baitfish
Range: Present in all of Nebraska’s large rivers.

Scardinius erythrophthalmus

Description: Laterally compressed fish with yellow-gold color on sides. Fins can be red with orange tints. Large yellow eye with a small red spot. Scaled keel on belly from the vent to pelvic fins.

Family: Minnow (Small)
Type: Non-Game Fish
Range: Exotic species scattered widely across Nebraska.

Notropis stramineus

Description: Shiner with tubular-shaped body. Silvery with a series of small dots above and below the lateral line giving the appearance of “mouse tracks.”

Family: Minnow (Small)
Type: Baitfish
Range: Widespread across Nebraska, a very common fish in rivers and streams.

Macrhybopsis hyostoma

Description: Small minnow with elongated body and a rounded snout that overhangs the mouth. Barbels located in corners of the mouth. Relatively small eyes that look upward, and relatively small, rounded fins. Tiny black spots on back and sides.

Family: Minnow (Small)
Type: Non-Game Fish
Range: Missouri River and Elkhorn, Loup, and Platte Rivers. May be found in those interior Nebraska rivers as far west as central Nebraska.

Macrhybopsis meeki

Description: Streamlined minnow with a protruding snout and small eyes. Subterminal mouth with obvious barbels. Sharply pointed and sickle-shaped fins. Tip of pectoral fins reach past the origin of the pelvic fins. Deeply forked tail.

Family: Minnow (Small)
Type: Non-Game Fish
Range: Main channel of Missouri River.

Macrhybopsis storeriana

Description: Large minnow with elongated, compressed body and a short, rounded snout. Subterminal mouth with barbels in corners. Silvery with large eyes, lower lobe of forked tail has a white edge on bottom.

Family: Minnow (Small)
Type: Non-Game Fish
Range: Missouri River and lower reaches of Niobrara, Platte and Loup rivers.

Cyprinella spiloptera

Description: Slightly deep-bodied, laterally compressed shiner with large diamond-shaped scales. Oblique terminal mouth with no barbels, eyes relatively small. Silvery minnow with some purple or bluish tints, dark spot at the rear edge of dorsal fin.

Family: Minnow (Small)
Type: Non-Game Fish
Range: Missouri River, perhaps a short distance up tributaries to Missouri.

Notropis hudsonius

Description: Silvery shiner with laterally compressed and deep body. Large black spot at base of tail.

Family: Minnow (Small)
Type: Non-Game Fish
Range: Missouri River

Macrhybopsis gelida

Description: Streamlined and elongated minnow with protruding snout and relatively small eyes. Subterminal mouth has barbels in the corners. Rounded fins and tip of pectoral fins do not extend to origin of pelvic fins. Scales have a keel. Silver on the sides with a tan-colored back and scattered brown blotches.

Family: Minnow (Small)
Type: Endangered Fish
Range: Missouri and lower Platte rivers

Phenacobius mirabilis

Description: Elongated, tubular minnow with subterminal sucker mouth. Black lateral band with a black spot at the base of tail.

Family: Minnow (Small)
Type: Baitfish
Range: Found in most Nebraska river systems except the Niobrara and Loup.

Notropis topeka

Description: Deep-bodied shiner with short snout and relatively small mouth. Mouth is oblique and terminal. Silvery with white belly, dark horizontal stripe ending with a wedge or triangle shape at the base of tail. Scales above lateral line edged with black. Mature males have tubercles over body especially on head and snout, and can have orangish-red fins, head and body.

Family: Minnow (Small)
Type: Endangered Fish
Range: Rare in Nebraska, may only be found in headwater streams of Loup and Elkhorn rivers.

Hybognathus argyritis

Description: Shiny minnow with moderately compressed sides. Eye larger than that of the Plains Minnow. Subterminal mouth with no barbels. Coiled intestine.

Family: Minnow (Small)
Type: Non-Game Fish
Range: Found in all Nebraska river systems except the Blue.