Fish Diversity of Western Pennsylvania Thanks to: Dr. Andy Turner Dept. of Biology Clarion University Clarion, PA 16214

Fish Diversity > 25,000 species worldwide 58% Marine 41% Freshwater (9600 spp.) 1% Move back and forth (anadromous and catadromous) Diversity highest in tropics for both freshwater and marine fishes

North American Freshwater Fauna 1061 species Worlds most diverse temperate fauna –Pennsylvania: 159 spp. –Great Lakes: 176 spp. –French Creek: 66 spp. –Ohio’s Big Darby: 100 spp. –Ohio’s Little Miami: 84 spp.

Argent et al., JPAS, 2000

Higher Taxonomic Organization Superclass Agnatha - jawless fishes (lampreys, hagfishes) Superclass Gnathostomata –Class Chondrichthyes - cartilaginous fishes (sharks, skates, rays) (800 spp.) –Grade Teleostomi -bony fishes (24,000 spp.) Class Sarcopterygii (lobe-finned fishes) Class Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)

Petromyzontidae - Lamprey Chestnut lamprey

Lampreys Key Traits: eel-like body, circular mouth in adults (oral disk), horny teeth on tongue, seven gill slits, notochord, scaleless Diversity: five species in Laurentian Great Lakes, seven species in PA Two-stage life-history Parasitic and non-parasitic sister species in each genera, parasitic forms ancestral

Acipenseridae - Sturgeon

Sturgeons Key traits: heterocercal tail, five rows of large, bony scales (scutes), protrusable, ventral mouth, two pairs of ventral barbels in front of mouth, elongate snout, single dorsal fin placed far back near tail. Diversity: 24 spp. Northern Hemisphere, 8 spp. North America, 4 spp. PA 5 of 8 species endangered or threatened Long lived (White Sturgeon up to 80 years)

Sturgeons - cont. Largest of FW fishes: White Sturgeon up to 12 ft, 1,500 lbs. Late maturity: 5-30 years for Atlantic Sturgeon Fecund: ovaries 25% of body weight Commercially exploited for meat and caviar Some species anadromous Formerly very abundant Hurt by declining water quality and damming of large rivers

Polyodontidae - Paddlefish Paddlefish

Key Traits: Elongated, paddle shaped snout, heterocercal tail, no scales, cartilaginous skeleton Diversity: one sp. NA, two worldwide Large: up to 7 ft., 200 lbs zooplanktivore, filterfeeder, fine gill rakers long-lived, slow maturing species large river species currently being reintroduced into lower Allegheney

Lepisosteidae - Gar Longnose gar

Gars Key traits: heterocercal tail, ganoid scales, jaw and face extended into a long snout, elongate body, needle-like teeth Diversity: Seven species in Northern Hemisphere, 2 in PA Air gulpers: swim bladder connected to esophagus Large fish: Alligator gar to 10 ft., 300 lbs Piscivorous, ambush predators Ask about the chickens

Bowfin - Amidae

Bowfin Key traits: long dorsal fin, large mouth, massive bones covering head, cycloid scales Diversity: 1 sp. Worldwide Undulating dorsal fin allows backward movement widely distributed in North America Air gulper, tolerant of low O 2 Large, up to 1 meter length and 20 lbs Highly developed parental care

Hiodontidae - Mooneyes Mooneye

Mooneye and Goldeye Key traits: herring-like (laterally compressed), large eyes, teeth on tongue, dorsal fin placed far back Diversity: two species in family, North American Relict species Most primitive of the teleostei Resident of large rivers and large lakes Nocturnal Takes flies, good eating Goldeye - more tolerant of turbid waters

Angullidae - Eels American eel

Eels Key traits: snake-like shape, large mouth, pointed snout, elongate dorsal fin continuous with caudal fin Diversity: 15 spp. worldwide, 1 in NA Catadromous - migrate to open ocean to spawn. Spawning ground discovered to be in Sargasso Sea in Semelparous Nocturnal

Clupeidae Gizzard shad

Clupeidae - Herrings Key traits: Herring-like, laterally compressed, keeled ventral midline with sharp saw-tooth scales Diversity: 181 spp., mostly marine, 10 freshwater, 6 spp. in PA Examples: shads, herrings, sardines, menhaden, alwives Huge economic importance b/c of commercial uses as people food, livestock feed, fish meal, fertilizer Important forage fish in many systems A few anadromous species

Superorder Ostariophysi (Minnows, Suckers, Catfishes) Weberian Ossicles - a series of small bones that connect the inner ear to the swim bladder, aids in hearing Ostariophysan alarm system - speciealized cells in the skin that release an alarm substance when they are ruptured

Cyprinidae - Minnows Blacknose dace

Cyprinidae - Minnows Key Characters: soft rays, highly protrusible upper jaw, pharyngeal teeth, anal fin far relatively far forward Diversity: 2000 species worldwide, most diverse freshwater family 302 spp. in North America Often small fish, but not always: carp - 60 lbs. Colorful males, elaborate nest building and courtship behaviors

Creek chub

Striped shiner

Colorado squawfish

Common carp

Catostomidae - Suckers Shorthead redhorse

Catostomidae - Suckers Key traits: soft-rays, ventral, protrusable mouth, anal fin relatively far back, pharyngeal teeth in a single row of > 16 Diversity: 70 spp. in North America, 18 spp. Pennsylvania Thick lips - papillate Often the biomass dominant in lakes and streams

Ictaluridae - Catfishes Black bullhead

Ictaluridae - Catfishes Key Traits: Teeth on roof of mouth, adipose fin, a spine at the front of dorsal and pectoral fins that produce a toxin in some species, no scales, small eyes, whisker-like barbels Diversity: 37 spp., endemic to North America Madtoms: diverse group of little catfishes, adipose fin continuous with caudal fin Large: blue and flathead catfishes exceed 100 lbs. Barbels serve chemosensory and tactile functions

Esocidae - Pickerels Northern pike

Esocidae - Pickerels Key traits: extended snout, anal and dorsal fin placed far back, tail deeply forked, large mouth Diversity: 5 spp., worldwide, all of which are commonly found in PA voracious ambush predators large: world record muskie: 5 1/2 feet, 70 lbs.

Umbridae (Mudminnows) Central mudminnow

Umbridae (Mudminnows) Key traits: dark vertical bar at base of tail, cudal fin rounded, dorsal fin relatively far back Diversity: 4 species in North America, 2 in PA Can survive anoxic conditions, often is the sole fish species in ponds prone to winterkill

Osmeridae - Smelts Rainbow smelt

Osmeridae - Smelts Key traits: elongate body, large mouth, adipose fin, teeth on tongue, soft rays Diversity: one spp., rainbow smelt, an anadromous species that has been widely introduced to inland lakes A cold water fish Important food web effects, including a voracious predator on larval fishes

Salmonidae - Trout and Salmon Steelhead

Salmonidae - Trout and Salmon Key traits: adipose fin, soft rays, a triangular flap at base of pelvic fin (pelvic auxillary process), gill membranes free from ventral side of head, physotomous gas bladder (connected to gut), vertical barring (parr marks) on sides of young, maxilla included in gape Important group from aesthetic, economic, and scientific perspectives Three subfamilies

Coregoninae (Whitefishes) Lake whitefish

Whitefishes and Ciscoes About 32 species, North America and Eurasia No teeth on jaws, large scales Generally planktivorous, cold-water lake species A great deal of within-species variation in morphology Important in some commercial fisheries Several species extinct due to overfishing, competition with exotic species

Thymalinae - Graylings 5 or so species worldwide A high-latitude, cold-water fish high, elongate dorsal fin

Salmoninae Key traits: small dorsal fin, small scales, teeth present on maxillary bones Three genera and 20 spp. in North America Salvelinus (Chars): Artic char, dolly varden, bull trout, brook trout, lake trout,

Salvelinus (chars): artic char, dolly varden, bull trout, brook trout, lake trout Brook trout

brook trout

Lake trout

Salmo (Atlantic salmon and trout): Atlantic salmon, brown trout Brown trout

Oncorhynchus (Pacific salmon and trout): coho, chinook, chum, sockeye, and pink salmon; rainbow and cutthroat trouts, gila and golden trout (11 or so species total) Rainbow trout

Chinook salmon

Sockeye salmon

Yellowstone cuttthroat

Bonneville Cutthroat

Gadidae - Codfishes Burbot

Gadidae - Codfishes Key traits:Slender body, single barbel on tip of chin, no spines, long dorsal and anal fins Diversity: 25 NA spp., one of which is FW: burbot Burbot inhabit deep, cold waters of lakes and large rivers, a northern fish Spawns in winter, often under the ice Feeds on crayfish and fish

Advanced Teleosts Upper jaw mobility and protrusibility are maximal Pharyngeal dentition highly developed Spiny rays Pelvic fins places far forward Physoclistous gas bladder Two distinct dorsal fins Pelvic and anal fins with spines, pectoral fins placed laterally on body

Atherinidae (Silversides) Brook silversides

Atherinidae (Silversides) Key traits: quite elongated, nearly transparent, superior mouth, large keel-like anal fin, small dorsal Diversity: 170 spp. world-wide, mostly marine. One important North American freshwater representative: brook silversides Schools near waters surface, feeds on plankton and emerging insects, quite fragile.

Fundulidae (topminnows) Northern studfish

Fundulidae (topminnows) Key traits: flattened head and back, upturned mouth, large eyes, spineless fins, one dorsal far back on body Diversity: 40 spp. in family, two freshwater species in PA (banded killifish, mummichog) Found in fresh, brackish, and salt water Center of diversity in SE US Great aquarium fish Surface feeders

Plains killifish

Gasterosteidae (sticklebacks) Brook stickleback

Gasterosteidae (sticklebacks) Key traits: spiny rays, each dorsal spine connected to back with its own membrane, scaleless, narrow caudal peduncle Diversity: 7 spp. worldwide, 4 spp. NA Complex mating behaviors Phenotypic plasticity Distinctive morphs, or subspecies

Cottidae (sculpins) Mottled sculpin

Cottidae (sculpins) Key traits: enlarged, flattened head, expansive pectoral fins, no scales Diversity: about 300 spp. worldwide, mostly marine, PA reps include mottled, slimy, and spoonhead sculpins Bottom dwellers in clean, cold water Males defend nests under rocks Muddler flies?

The Perciformes Most diverse order of fishes (and of all verts) 148 families, 9300 spp. (all birds = 9000 spp.) Most highly derived of all fishes Cichlids, croakers, gobies, wrasses, temperate basses, sea basses, centropomids (snooks), sunfishes, drums, perch, and damselfishes

Moronidae - Temperate Basses Striped bass

Moronidae - Temperate Basses Key traits: laterally compressed, deep bodied fish, 2 dorsal fins, first with 9 spines, 2nd with 1 spine and rays, 3 anal spines, large spine on gill cover, strongly sawtoothed preopercle Diversity: 4 spp. in NA, 3 spp. in PA Striped bass and white perch - anadromous (in part), yellow bass and white bass FW Pelagic, schooling piscivores Important sport fishery

Sciaenidae - Drums Freshwater drum

Sciaenidae - Drums Key traits: deep body, highly arched back, 2 dorsal fins, 1st short with spines, 2nd long with rays, 1-2 anal spines, lateral line extends across tail Diversity: 210 spp. worldwide, mostly marine spp. (red drum, black drum of US Gulf coast) One NA FW species: Freshwater drum –lives in medium to large rivers, large lakes –huge range: Guatamala to Canada –quite vocal: uses gas bladder as a reasonating chamber

Centrarchidae - Sunfishes Bluegill

Centrarchidae - Sunfishes Key traits: laterally compressed, 2 dorsal fins, 1st with spines, 2nd with rays, broadly joined so as to be a single fin Diversity: 32 spp., 9 genera, endemic to NA freshwaters east of Rocky Mountains, 16 spp. PA Genera include Lepomis (true sunfishes), Micropterus (black basses), Ambloplites, (rock basses), Pomoxis (Crappies), Enneacanthus (banded and bluespotted sunfishes)

Black crappie

Green sunfish

Longear sunfish

Orangespotted sunfish

Rockbass

Smallmouth bass

Largemouth bass

Percidae - Perches Rainbow darter

Percidae - Perches Key traits: seperate dorsal fins, thoracic pelvic fins with 1 spine, five rays Diversity: three subgroups –Perca - 1 NA species, yellow perch –Stizostedion - 2 NA species, walleye and sauger –darters spp., mostly in the genera Etheostoma and Percina small, benthic fish that live in streams and less frequently, lakes. Amazingly colorful. Endemic to North America. French Creek darter diversity = 15 spp.

Walleye

Gilt darter

Greenside darter