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Mountain Brook Lamprey
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Whitetail Shiner
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Lampreys
are descendents of the oldest fish, yet they lack scales, bones, jaws and
paired fins. They have circular mouths, rasping teeth, a slightly notched
dorsal fin, range about 7 3/4 inches and are gray-brown to olive in color
on their backs with cream bellies.
Minnows,
the largest group of fish in the US, includes shiners, chubs and daces.
Twenty seven species of minnows have been recorded in the National Park.
The Whitetail Shiner grows up to 6 inches in length, has a slender body,
and small eyes. Distinct markings include 2 white areas on the caudal fin
and the breeding males has a blue black and side with red color near the
anal fin.
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Flame Chub
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Warpaint Shiner
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The
Flame Chub grows to almost 3 inches with a chubby head, short snout, and
round eye. They feature a dark stripe along the back and dark streaks
along the uppers sides mixed with a light and dark tripe. Males, may have
red along the bottom of the body.
Warpaint
Shiners grow to 5 1/2 inches, have a black band on the yellow dorsal fin
with a black edge on the caudal fin. The breeding male has red on the
sides the snout and dorsal fin.
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Bigeye Chub
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Shorthead Redhorse
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Bigeye
Chubs grow to 3 1/2 inches and have large eyes. Their body is olive on the
back with silver sides and a black stripe along the length of their
slender body.
The
Shorthead Redhorse is a member of the Sucker family, which are
differentiated by their large, thick lips and lack of teeth. They average
lengths of about 29 inches, have a short head with a small mouth and a
stout body. Colored golden yellow on the sides, white bellies and the
caudal fin is often red.
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Yellow Bullhead
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Rainbow Trout
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Catfish,
including bullheads and madtoms, are the largest family of fish in North
America and Mexico. They feature 4 pairs of barbels, no scales, and stout
spines. Active mainly at night, most of the madtoms are endangered
including the Yellowfin Madtom and Smoky Madtom. 12 inches in length with
white or yellow chin whiskers, long anal fins, and saw-like teeth on the
pectoral spine. The top of their bodies are yellow-olive to almost black
with fading yellow sides with a bright yellow or white belly.
Trout,
the most popular cold-water fish have small scales and streamlined bodies.
Included in the trout species are rainbow trout, which is really salmon,
brown trout, which is a true trout and the brook trout or char. The brook
trout is the only native species to the Southern Appalachians. Rainbow
trout average lengths up to 45 inches, feature small black spots on the
back, greenish to silver on the sides with a pink to red stripe with white
bellies.
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Brown Trout
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Brook Trout
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Brown
trout grow up to 40 inches in length with red and black spots on the head
and body, yellowish brown background and white to yellow bellies.
Brook
trout grow up to 27 inches in length, though considerably smaller in the
Park, have light green wavy lines or blotches on the back, blue halos
around red spots on the sides with a black line behind a white edge on the
red lower fins.
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Brook Silversides
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Smallmouth Bass
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Silversides
are small, silvery fish with scales on the head, large eyes and 2 dorsal
fins. Only one species is found in the Park reaching lengths up to 5
inches with a long, beaklike snout. Pale green on top with silver sides.
Smallmout
Bass, members of the Sunfish family, grow up to 20 inches, are dark brown
black or bronze with white or yellowish bellies. They feature a red eye
and the upper jaw does not extend past the rear margin of the eye.
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