List of Freshwater Minnows

Minnows are generally small, silvery fish that constitute the largest fish family. Minnows commonly live in unpolluted freshwater streams; they are both carnivorous and herbivorous and are important links of the food chain since they are food for the larger fish. Though minnows generally like fresh water, they also may occupy other habitats, including bogs and brackish waters.

The goldfish is the best-known member of the minnow family and belongs to the species Carassius auratus. Goldfish is a descendant of the wild carp and was among the first fish to be kept as a human pet. There are four major distinctions of goldfish: ce goldfish or grass goldfish, which do not have any fancy features; the common goldfish, which has color modification as its distinguishing mark and comes in a variety of colors; the wen goldfish, which has a fancy tail and a dorsal fin; and the egg goldfish, which does not have any dorsal fins.

Bigeye chub (Hybopsis amblops) is a 2- to 3-inch-long minnow with a slender body, small mouth and blunt snout. The fish has large eyes with a diameter larger than its snout and light green sides and back. The fish is commonly found in the upper Mississippi River basin in small and mid-sized clear freshwater streams with sandy and rocky bottoms. Bigeye chub eats aquatic insects. Similar species of the fish include the lined chub, Hybopsis lineapunctata, and the clear chub, H. winchelli.

Bigmouth shiners (Notropis dorsalis) are typically 2 to 3 inches long. The silvery fish have large horizontal mouths with a protruding upper jaw. The bottom of the head is somewhat flat with the sides of the head angled inwards, and the eyes are located near the back of the head. Bigmouth shiners are freshwater fish commonly found in pools with sandy substrates. The usual diet of the fish consists of aquatic invertebrates and insects that fall into the water. The fish spawns during the summer.