Larval Fish ID

Myomere Illustrations & Categories

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Pre & Post Anal Myomere Counts for a Larval Brook Silverside. 17 mm. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Calumet Harbor, Lake Michigan, IL. Ashley Smith. 2017.

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Pre & Postanal Myomere Counts for a Larval Bluegill. 16 mm. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Calumet Harbor, Lake Michigan, IL. Ashley Smith. 2017.

 

Myomere counts separate fish into three categories:

  • More preanal than postanal myomeres
    • Catostomidae, Clupeidae, Cyprinidae, Hiodontidae, and Sciaenidae.
  • Roughly equal numbers (within five) of pre and postanal myomeres
    • Centrarchidae, Gasterosteidae, Moronidae, and Percidae.
  • More postanal myomeres than preanal myomeres
    • Atherinidae, Cottidae, Gadidae, Gobiidae, Fundulidae, and Percopsidae.

Ictaluridae not categorized by myomere counts

Lake Michigan’s Larval Species

* - Indicates Invasive Larval Fish
These species were collected in 2017 with the USFWS.

The list below contains 29 Species/16 Families. Please click on either the picture or common/scientific names in order to access more larval species information.

Atherinidae   

Caption

Larval Brook Silverside. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Marian Shaffer. 2017.

Labidesthes sicculus (Brook Silverside)

 

Catostomidae   

Caption

Larval Quillback. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Marian Shaffer. 2017.

Caption

Larval White Sucker. 17 mm. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Green Bay, Lake Michigan, WI. Adam Dziewa. 2017.

Carpiodes cyprinus (Quillback)

Catostomus commersoni (White Sucker)

 

 

Centrarchidae   

Caption

Larval Rock Bass. 19 mm. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Milwaukee Harbor, Lake Michigan, WI. Ashley Smith. 2017.

Caption

Larval Pumpkinseed. 6 mm. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Burns Harbor, Lake Michigan, IN. Brianna McDowell. 2017.

Ambloplites rupestris (Rock Bass)

Lepomis gibbosus (Pumpkin Seed)

Larval Bluegill. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Marian Shaffer. 2017.

Caption

Larval Smallmouth Bass. 18.4 mm. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Milwaukee Harbor, Lake Michigan, WI. Adam Dziewa. 2017.

Lepomis macrochirus (Bluegill)

Micropterus dolomieu (Smallmouth Bass)

Caption

Larval Largemouth Bass. 19 mm. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Green Bay, Lake Michigan, WI. Adam Dziewa. 2018.

Micropterus salmoides (Largemouth Bass)

 

Clupeidae   

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Larval Alewife. 25 mm. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Green Bay, Lake Michigan, WI. Adam Dziewa. 2018.

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Larval Gizzard Shad. 21 mm. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Green Bay, Lake Michigan, WI. Marian Shaffer. 2017.

Alosa pseudoharengus (Alewife) Dorosoma cepedianum (Gizzard Shad)

 

Cottidae  

Larval Mottled Sculpin. 5 mm. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Green Bay, Lake Michigan, WI. Marian Shaffer.

Larval Mottled Sculpin. 5 mm. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Green Bay, Lake Michigan, WI. Marian Shaffer. 2017.

Caption

Larval Deepwater Sculpin. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Marian Shaffer. 2017.

Cottus bairdii (Mottled Sculpin) Myoxocephalus thompsonii (Deepwater Sculpin)

 

Cyprinidae

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Larval Common Carp. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Marian Shaffer. 2018.

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Larval Emerald Shiner. 13 mm. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Green Bay, Lake Michigan, WI. Marian Shaffer. 2017.

 *Cyprinus carpio (Common Carp)  Notropis atherinoides (Emerald Shiner)

Larval Spottail Shiner. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Marian Shaffer. 2017.

Caption

Larval Fathead Minnow. 5 mm. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Green Bay, Lake Michigan, WI. Adam Dziewa. 2018.

Notropis hudsonius (Spottail Shiner) Pimephales promelas (Fathead Minnow)

 

Fundulidae   

Caption

Larval Banded Killifish. 10 mm. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Green Bay, Lake Michigan, WI. Adam Dziewa. 2018.

Fundulus diaphanous (Banded Killifish)

 

Gadidae   

Larval Burbot. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Marian Shaffer. 2017.

 
Lota Iota (Burbot)

 

Gasterosteidae  

Larval Brook Stickleback. 25 mm. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Green Bay, Lake Michigan, WI. Adam Dziewa. 2018.

Culaea inconstans (Brook Stickleback)

 

Gobiidae  

Caption

Larval Round Goby. 7 mm. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Green Bay, Lake Michigan, WI. Adam Dziewa. 2018.

*Neogobius melanostomus (Round Goby)

 

Hiodontidae  

Caption

Larval Mooneye. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Marian Shaffer. 2017.

Hiodon tergisus (Mooneye)

 

Ictaluridae   

Larval Channel Catfish. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Marian Shaffer. 2017.

Ictalurus punctatus (Channel Catfish)

 

Moronidae

Caption

Larval White Perch. 18 mm. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Green Bay, Lake Michigan, WI. Brianna McDowell. 2017.

Caption

Larval White Bass. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Marian Shaffer. 2017.

*Morone americana (White Perch)

Morone chrysops (White Bass)

 

Percidae   

Caption

Larval Johnny Darter. 15 mm. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Green Bay, Lake Michigan, WI. Ashley Smith. 2018.

Larval Yellow Perch. 25 mm. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Green Bay, Lake Michigan, WI. Adam Dziewa. 2018.

Etheostoma nigrum (Johnny Darter)

Perca flavescens (Yellow Perch)

Caption

Larval Logperch. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Marian Shaffer. 2017.

Percina caprodes (Log Perch)

 

Percopsidae   

Caption

Larval Trout Perch. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Marian Shaffer. 2017.

Percopsis omiscomaycus (Trout Perch)

 

Sciaenidae   

Caption

Larval Freshwater Drum. 11.5 mm. United States Fish & Wildlife Service. Green Bay, Lake Michigan, WI. Adam Dziewa. 2018.

Aplodinotus grunniens (Freshwater Drum)