Unknown Species Identification

Key Characteristics
-rather "chunky"
-orange paired fins
-orange-brown stripe along the midside
-large lips that protrude before the snout tip

Unknown Species Identification

Key Characteristics:
-large terminal mouth
-eye is high on head
-dorsal fins slightly connected
-distinct blotches along lower body
-found in Potomac and Shenandoah river systems
-if you touched this species it would feel rather ______y.

Unknown Species Identification

Key Characteristics
-deep, compressed body
-dorsal fin origin front half of pelvic fin base
-terminal mouth
-few crescents/scale alterations on side
-dorsal, tail, pelvic, and anal fins have red band with clear outer margin

New darter species described!

Just when you thought you were learning many of the darters, a new one is discovered.

The new species name is Etheostoma akatulo and the species occurs in only four tributaries in Caney Fork River (upper Cumberland River drainage). It is a Federally recognized endangered species.

The scientific paper that describes the new species appeared in Copeia . Click on this link to see color photos of the new species as well as to review the content of a technical article that fully describes a new species to the scientific community.

The common name is the Bluemask darter and the species name, akatulo is from the Cherokee noun meaning mask. The bluemask refers to the intense blue pigment covering the lower face of breeding males.

What species is he holding?

This fish was caught in Virginia.

Fishes of Appalachian Streams

Fish A
Fish B
Fish C
Fish D
Fish E

Richard T. Kraus, Ph.D, teaches Ichthyology at George Mason University. His students take field trips to test their fish identification skills.
Here are a few specimens for their sampling.

What species are they?

Another minnow to know

This fish was not collected on our Craig Creek field trip. It is a minnow that reaches ~3inches as an adult. I include multiple photos and illustrations here as we learned yesterday that there is wide variation in color among specimens of the same species in the wild.

Concentrate on learning the diagnostic characteristics (some of which cannot be seen from this side view). For this specimen you should be drawn to its tiny scales, long snout with frenum, inferior mouth, fleshy lips and small terminal barbel at corner of mouth. Bring your hand lens for the next field trip.

What species is this?