Observations by sjasch2

I chose to share with you a fish out of the Cyprinidae family. These fishes niche is to keep the number of plankton and aquatic insects down and are also a primary food source for predatory fish and birds. Cyprinids are characterized by their pharyngeal teeth in their throat, lateral line, single dorsal fin, and one pair of abdominal pelvic fins. They can be anywhere from 10mm in length or 3m and range from 0.5 of a pound up to 100 pounds. Though they are all so different, they all have very much in common.

Red Sided Shiner, also knows as the Richardsonius balteatus, have olive tops, silver underbellies, and a large red streak on their sides. Their dark tops make it hard view from the top and silver bellies make it hard to see looking up at them (like for other fish or predators). The red streak on males is more prominent for attracting females. These fish are different from their relative the Northern Pikeminnow because the shiner eats plants and vegetation, only grows to be 3 to 6 inches, and lay up to 16 batches of eggs per day. They differ from the Pikeminnow because they eat on other fish and insects, can be 25 inches in length, and lay 40,000 eggs in a lifetime.

Shiners prefer to spawn in slow moving streams from mid April to September. On average these fish can lay up to 70 eggs in a batch and can do 16 batches in a single day.

I found this species in the Chesnimnus creek, where he was collected in a minnow trap. It was collected in the trap with many other species that were both in and out of the family. The trap was placed in a shaded creek where the water was fairly deep and was cloudy. There were many insects in the water and there was an obvious mink den. This creek was home to many animals.

One adaptation could be a dark top and silver under bellies. The fish that were colored lightly would have been eaten more and eventually the darker ones were the only ones that would be alive to reproduce. This family is very diverse when it comes to looks, but they all have adapted to their surroundings in order to survive.

I chose to share with you a fish out of the Cyprinidae family. These fishes niche is to keep the number of plankton and aquatic insects down and are also a primary food source for predatory fish and birds. Cyprinids are characterized by their pharyngeal teeth in their throat, lateral line, single dorsal fin, and one pair of abdominal pelvic fins. They can be anywhere from 10mm in length or 3m and range from 0.5 of a pound up to 100 pounds. Though they are all so different, they all have very much in common.

Red Sided Shiner, also knows as the Richardsonius balteatus, have olive tops, silver underbellies, and a large red streak on their sides. Their dark tops make it hard view from the top and silver bellies make it hard to see looking up at them (like for other fish or predators). The red streak on males is more prominent for attracting females. These fish are different from their relative the Northern Pikeminnow because the shiner eats plants and vegetation, only grows to be 3 to 6 inches, and lay up to 16 batches of eggs per day. They differ from the Pikeminnow because they eat on other fish and insects, can be 25 inches in length, and lay 40,000 eggs in a lifetime.

Shiners prefer to spawn in slow moving streams from mid April to September. On average these fish can lay up to 70 eggs in a batch and can do 16 batches in a single day.

I found this species in the Chesnimnus creek, where he was collected in a minnow trap. It was collected in the trap with many other species that were both in and out of the family. The trap was placed in a shaded creek where the water was fairly deep and was cloudy. There were many insects in the water and there was an obvious mink den. This creek was home to many animals.

One adaptation could be a dark top and silver under bellies. The fish that were colored lightly would have been eaten more and eventually the darker ones were the only ones that would be alive to reproduce. This family is very diverse when it comes to looks, but they all have adapted to their surroundings in order to survive.