Iowa Fish Families

• 10 species in Iowa

• rounded, scaleless bodies

• flattened bellies

• eight barbels or whiskers around mouth

• strong, sharp spines at dorsal and pectoral fins

• adipose (fat) fin on back in front of tail fin

• flathead and much rarer blue catfish are found in big rivers and can get very large; State record channel catfish was 38 pounds; bullheads rarely reach more than a pound or two

• larger members of the group include walleye and sauger; yellow perch are smaller, but also a popular game fish

• slender, elongated bodies

• large bone on gill covers, ending in a flat spine

• spiny and soft portions of dorsal fin are completely separated

• walleye is the largest member of the family, reaching up to 20 pounds

• sauger are typically in rivers and have distinctive dark "saddles" 

• yellow perch are found in lakes and have vertical bars; state record is less than 3 pounds

• darters look much like the large members of the family, but most only grow to a few inches 

• slender, elongated bodies

• large bone on gill covers, ending in a flat spine

• spiny and soft portions of dorsal fin are completely separated

• sunfish are a group of fish from this family that include "panfish" such as bluegill and similar species

• flattened vertically

• at least one spine at front of dorsal fin

• dorsal fin has spiny and soft portion; never completely separated 

• pelvic fins nearly beneath pectoral fins

• crappie are somewhat "black and white" in color, similar to the sunfish group in shape, but somewhat humpbacked

• flattened vertically

• at least one spine at front of dorsal fin

• dorsal fin has spiny and soft portion; never completely separated 

• pelvic fins nearly beneath pectoral fins

• "black bass" are predators with relatively longer bodies than crappie or sunfish and large mouths

• largemouth bass mouth extends past the eye when closed; smallmouth and spotted bass  do not go past the eye

• flattened vertically

• at least one spine at front of dorsal fin

• dorsal fin has spiny and soft portion; never completely separated 

• pelvic fins nearly beneath pectoral fins

• larger predators, northern pike and muskellunge are popular game fish

• long, cylindrical bodies

• short dorsal fin on far back of body

• flattened heads

• duckbill-shaped jaws with very sharp teeth

• most are less than 12 inches as adults, some as small as 2 inches

• similar in appearance to suckers, but with fewer than 10 rays on dorsal fin

• scaleless heads

• much larger than native minnows

• scaleless heads

• common carp has barbels on either side of mouth

• learn more about other invasive carp at https://invasivecarp.us/index.html 

• spiny and soft dorsal fin completely separate; slightly forked (notched) tail fin

• somewhat humpbacked

• includes white bass and yellow bass

• sucker mouth on underside of head, fleshy lips

• scaleless head

• fins lack rays

• often confused with minnows, but have 10 or more rays on dorsal fin

• larger smallmouth and largemouth  buffalo  may be confused with carp, but buffalo are native fish 

freshwater drum

• one species in Iowa - deep-bodied, silvery & humpbacked

• long dorsal fin that is divided into two lobes; rounded tail fin

• adults commonly weigh up to 5 pounds. 

paddlefish

•  rows of bony, armorlike plates sides

• skeleton of cartilage

• mouth on underside surrounded by barbels (whiskers)

• American  eel is the only freshwater species

• snakelike with a single fin that wraps around the body

• strong jaws with small, sharp teeth