List of fishes of Missouri

Found in the table below are fish found in Missouri separated by the Family that they are in. The list is not complete as there are over 200 species of fish found in Missouri. Common nameScientific namePictureHabitatNotesAcipenseridae (family)Lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens Bottom of lakes and big rivers over sand, gravel, or rock bottom Endangered Amiidae (family) Bowfin Amia calva Sloughs, sluggish rivers to medium rivers with moderate flow Anguillidae (family)American eel Anguilla rostrateLarge rivers w/ moderate flow Atherinidae (family)Brook silverside Labidesthes sicculus Clear, warm waters without current, backwaters, overflow pools of large streams Catostomidae (family) River carpsucker Carpiodes carpio Lakes, reservoirs, large sluggish riversQuillback Carpiodes cyprinus Large to medium sized rivers with swift flow, lakes Highfin carpsucker Carpiodes velifer Lakes, reservoirs, large sluggish rivers White sucker Catostomus commersonii Rocky pools of small cool streams or big rivers, lakesBlue sucker Cycleptus elongates Deep channels of large rivers with swift flow Endangered Northern hogsucker Hypentelium nigricans Rocky riffles, flowing pools of cool small to medium streams Bigmouth buffalo Ictiobus cyprinellus Streams, rivers, bayous, backwaters, lakes Black buffalo Ictiobus niger Deep waters of medium to large-sized rivers, lakesSmallmouth buffalo Ictiobus bubalus Medium to large-sized rivers, lakes Spotted sucker Minytrema melanopsLarge rivers, streams with deep pools, sloughs, backwatersSilver redhorse Moxostoma anisurum Muddy to rocky bottom pools, small streams to big riversRiver redhorse Moxostoma carinatum Small streams, rivers with moderate current over gravel bottomBlack redhorse Moxostoma duquesnei Lakes, river pools with sand or rock bottom Golden redhorse Moxostoma erythrurum Clear pools of large rivers, moderate flowing small streams with sandy or gravel bottomShorthead redhorse Moxostoma macrolepidotum Rocky pools and riffles, small streams, large rivers Centrarchidae (family)Shadow bass Ambloplites ariommus Cool clear streams with moderate flow, logs, roots of live treesOzark bass Ambloplites constellatus Cool clear streams with moderate flow, logs, roots of live treesRock bass Ambloplites rupestris Cool clear streams with moderate flow, logs, roots of live trees Flier Centrarchus macropterus Sluggish streams, ditches, wetlands with heavy vegetation Green sunfish Lepomis cyanellus Clear to muddy water, small streams and big rivers, lakes, reservoirs Warmouth Lepomis gulosus Sluggish streams, ponds, lakes, wetlands with vegetation, flooded trees Orangespotted sunfish Lepomis humilis Sluggish, slow flowing rivers and streams with muddy bottomBluegill Lepomis macrochirus Pools in warm, clear streams with moderate flow, ditches, ponds, lakes Dollar sunfish Lepomis marginatus Sluggish streams, backwaters, bayousLongear sunfish Lepomis megalotis Slow pools in moderate flowing small to large streams with rocky bottoms, lakesRedear sunfish Lepomis microlophus Pools in slow moving warm streams, ponds, lakes with vegetation Redspotted sunfish Lepomis miniatus Small to moderate flowing streams with slow current, oxbows, swamps Smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu Cool, clear, rocky streams with moderate flow, deep reservoirsSpotted bass Micropterus punctulatusWarm creeks and rivers with pools, deep reservoirsLargemouth bass Micropterus salmoides Slow moving streams, farm ponds, lakes, reservoirsWhite crappie Pomoxis annularis Lakes, reservoirs, large ponds, moderate streams Black crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus Lakes, reservoirs, large ponds, clear streamsClupeidae (family) Gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum Quiet water habitats, lowland lakes, pounds, pools, backwaters of streams and riversCottidae (family) Banded sculpin Cottus carolinae Quiet water habitats, lowland lakes, pounds, pools, backwaters of streams and riversGrotto sculpin Cottus specus Found in 5 caves and one stream in Perry County Endangered Cyprinidae (family) Common carp Cyprinus carpio Lakes, reservoirs, ponds, ditches, rivers, creeks Invasive Xenocyprididae (family)Grass carp Clenopharyngodon idella Large rivers, streams, ponds, lakes Invasive Silver carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix Large rivers and lakes Invasive Bighead carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis Large rivers and lakes Invasive Black carp Mylopharyngodon piceus Lakes, rivers, streams – escaped from a fish farm during a high water eventInvasive Leuciscidae (family)Central stoneroller Campostoma pullum Small to medium sized streams with moderate to high gradients and rocky or bedrock substrates in or near riffles Cypress minnow Hybognathus hayi Backwaters of large, sluggish rivers, oxbow Endangered Common shiner Luxilus cornutus Small, moderately clear streams, gravel and rubble bottoms, bedrock poolsDuskystripe shiner Luxilus pilsbryi Stream pools with clean gravel bottoms Bleeding shiner Luxilus zonatus Midwaters, small creeks, large rivers, clean, gravelly or rocky bottoms, near riffles or in pools Hornyhead chub Nocomis biguttatusClear streams with permanent flow and clean gravel Golden shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas Sloughs, ponds, lakes, quiet pools of streams Fathead minnow Pimephales promelas Mid water or near bottom, streams, pools Flathead chub Platygobio gracilis Big rivers, bottom composed of sand and fine gravelEndangered Creek chub Semotilus atromaculatus Pools in headwater streams, large rivers with rocky bottomEsocidae (family)Grass pickerel Esox americanus vermiculatusSmall headwater streamsNorthern pike Esox lucius Lakes, reservoirs, rivers, streams with vegetation Muskellunge Esox masquinongy Clear waters of weedy lakes and medium rivers Chain pickerel Esox niger Lakes, reservoirs, rivers, streams with vegetation Fundulidae (family) Blackspotted topminnow Fundulus olivaceus Large lowland rivers, pools of streams Blackstripe topminnow Fundulus notatus Large lowland rivers, pools of streams Hiodontidae (family) Goldeye Hiodon alosoides Large rivers, backwaters, lake Ictaluridae (family) Black bullhead Ameiurus melas Slow flowing streams, oxbows, backwaters with mud bottom Brown bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus Oxbows, backwaters with mud bottom, slow flowing streamsYellow bullhead Ameiurus natalis Slow flowing streams, backwaters, vegetated ponds, lakesWhite bullhead Ameiurus catus Clear streams, dam tail waters Blue catfish Ictalurus furcatus Rivers and large creeks with fast water over sandy or rocky bottoms Channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus Ponds, lakes, moderate-flowing rivers and creeks with sandy or gravel bottomsMountain madtom Noturus eleutherus Large, moderately clear rivers Endangered Stonecat Noturus flavus Clear, gravel-bottom streamsNeosho madtom Noturus placidus Medium to large stream, clear watersEndangered Flathead catfish Pylodictis olivaris Large rivers and creeks with flow near logs, roots, rocks, and debrisLepisosteidae (family) Alligator gar Atractosteus spatula Large slow flowing rivers, lakes, bayous, reservoirsShortnose gar Lepisosteus platostomus Muddy rivers, oxbows, backwaters, lakes Longnose gar Lepisosteus osseusBayous, backwaters, oxbows, large creeks, rivers, lakesMoronidae (family) Hybrid striped bass Morone chrysops x Morone saxatilis Large streams with moderate flow, sandy or rocky bottom, reservoirsWhite bass Morone chrysops Large streams with moderate flow, sandy or rocky bottom, reservoirs Striped bass Morone saxatilis Large deep reservoirs Percidae (family) Crystal darterCrystallaria asprella Open channels of large, clear streams Endangered Greenside darter Etheostoma blennioides Swift to moderate current streams and rivers Arkansas darter Etheostoma craginiShallow, spring branches and spring-fed creeks with sandy bottoms – found in Spring River system of the southwestern Ozarks Harlequin darter Etheostoma histrio Streams and ditches, prefers sandy bottoms where logs, sticks, and other organic debris are present Endangered Johnny darter Etheostoma nigrum Pools, slow moving riffles in sandy streams Goldstripe darter Etheostoma parvipinne Small, shallow, spring fed streams, with low to moderate gradientEndangered Logperch Percina caprodes Deep riffles and silt free pools, small to medium sized riversSauger Sander canadensis Turbid water in streams and rivers with moderate or fast flow, large lakes, reservoirsWalleye Sander vitreus Deep water of large streams, lakes, reservoirs with sandy or rocky bottom Petromyzontidae (family) Chestnut lamprey Ichthyomyzon castaneus Large streams and small rivers, large reservoirsPolyodontidae (family) Paddlefish Polyodon spathula Channels in large rivers to medium rivers with moderate flowSciaenidae (family) Freshwater drum Aplodinotus grunniens Medium to large rivers, lakes, reservoirs with deep waterSalmonidae (family) Rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss Large rivers to small streams, lakes, below damsBrown trout Salmo trutta Lakes, small streams, large rivers Umbridae (family) Central mudminnow Umbra limi Bogs, sloughs, swamps, sluggish streams Endangered

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