FISH LAB--SPECIMENS IN THE AQUARIUM ROOM OF THE MUSEUM

(characters listed are simple features that you can see on the particular live specimens that we have available)

CHARACIDAE

silver dollar, tetra, piranha
char.: jaw teeth, no spines, adipose fin


CYPRINIDAE

zebra danio (Asian), common shiner, silver shiner, spotfin shiner, river chub
char.: no spines, toothless jaws, small dorsal & anal fins


CATOSTOMIDAE

quillback sucker and Chinese sucker
char.: ventral mouth, posterior anal fin, large dorsal


ICTALURIDAE

yellow bullhead and tadpole madtom
char.: 4 pair of barbels, 1 pr pectoral spines, adipose fin


CYPRINODONTIDAE

black stripe topminnow, madagascar topminnows
char.: mouth dorsal and small, but wide; small slender body


POECILIIDAE

guppies, mollies, swordtails
char.: modified anal fin in males, no spines, livebearers,

small heads and very small dorsal mouths
small body, usually colorful

CENTRARCHIDAE

smallmouth and largemouth bass, green sunfish, longear sunfish, bluegill, pumpkinseed, black crappie
char.: D, A, and P2 spines, double nostrils, opercular spot


CICHLIDAE

many examples from Madagascar, South & Central America
char.: D, A, and P2 spines, single nostrils


ANABANTIDAE

gouramies and Siamese fighting fish (bettas)
char.: long dorsal and anal fins; filamentous pelvic fins


PERCIDAE

logperch
char.: small, slender, many dorsal spines, 2 anal spines

MALAPTERURIDAE--African electric catfish

GOODEIDAE--Mexican livebearing relative of cyprinodontids