COMMON NAMES: Common carp, German carp, Mirror carp, Leather carp
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Cyprinus carpio
IDENTIFICATION: The common carp can be easily identified by several features. First, there are two barbels on each side of the mouth. No other species that closely resembles the carp has these barbels. Second, the first dorsal and anal fin spines are serrated. Most carp are bronze-gold to golden yellow on the sides and yellowish white on the belly. Partly scaled or scaleless individuals are frequently caught by fishermen: these are known as "half-scaled," "mirror" or "leather" carp.
RANGE AND HABITAT: The common carp is native to Europe, but were first stocked into Ohio waters in 1879 as a food fish. This species thrives in a wide variety of conditions and has spread to every county in the state. Carp prefer warm lakes, streams, ponds and sloughs with a lot of organic matter. They do not multiply readily in clear, cold water.
LIFE HISTORY: Common carp begin spawning in late April and continue into June. Large females lay between 100,000 and 500,000 eggs in vegetation with water depths between 1 and 4 feet. Young carp remain in these vegetated areas until they are 3 to 4 inches in length and eat primarily small crustaceans. Adults are omnivorous and eat insect larvae, crustaceans, mollusks, and fish. Carp usually live between 9 and 15 years.
ADULT SIZE: Most carp caught by anglers range from 1 to 10 pounds, but they can weigh up to 60 pounds. The state record carp taken by hook and line weighed 50 pounds and measured 40 inches in length. The state bowfishing record is 39 pounds and measured 40 inches in length.
COMMON NAMES: Bigmouth buffalo, Razor-backed buffalo, Hump-backed buffalo, Common buffalo
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Ictiobus cyprinellus
IDENTIFICATION: Bigmouth buffalo are carp-like in shape, but have a terminal mouth. The upper lip is level with the eye. In all other species of buffalo the upper lip is well below the eye. Their body color is generally olive-yellow. Bigmouth buffalo do not have barbels near the mouth like carp.
RANGE AND HABITAT: The bigmouth buffalo is native to Ohio, but found principally in the Ohio River, Scioto River and the lower Muskingum River. Bigmouth buffalo prefer large rivers or large lakes with deep water over substrates of mud, silt, sand, gravel, clay or rubble.
LIFE HISTORY: Bigmouth buffalo spawn during March and early May. One female and several males select small streams or ditches and randomly spread eggs over the substrate. Females can lay up to 400,000 eggs. Adults filter bottom sediment for small crustaceans, insects, and other invertebrates. Bigmouth buffalo compete for food with carp, river carpsucker, and smallmouth buffalo.
ADULT SIZE: Bigmouth buffalo range in size from 15 to 30 inches, but can reach a maximum size of 40 inches. These fish generally weigh anywhere from 2 to 30 pounds with a maximum of 40 pounds.
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Ctenopharyngodon idella
IDENTIFICATION: The grass carp is a long slender member of the minnow family. It resembles the common carp because of its large size and scales. Grass carp differ from the common carp with the lack of a sucker-like mouth, and the absence of barbels on the mouth. Furthermore, grass carp are usually silvery-white, rather than the brownish-yellow of the common carp.
RANGE AND HABITAT: The grass carp is not native to Ohio, but was introduced from China as a biological way to control aquatic vegetation. They prefer rivers but have adapted well to reservoirs.
LIFE HISTORY: Grass carp spawn in flowing water and do not reproduce in lakes and ponds. Reproductive success is largely dependent on an adequate flow of oxygen rich water to suspend the eggs until they hatch. Juvenile grass carp rely on plankton--one celled plants, for food. Larger fish feed on a variety of aquatic plants, but they prefer submerged vegetation. This species will not eat algae. Grass carp grow rapidly and attain weights of 100 pounds in their native waters.
ADULT SIZE: Grass carp are usually stocked when they reach 8 to 12 inches. Adults can reach 50 pounds in Ohio.
COMMON NAMES: Bowfin, Dogfish, Grinnel
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Amia calva
IDENTIFICATION: The bowfin is a robust fish with a long dorsal fin that covers over half the length of its body. This fin is dark green and has two horizontal bars on it. The tail fin is rounded and adult males have a very prominent black spot at the base of the tail. They are usually dark brown in color with a cream colored belly and do not have barbels around the mouth.
RANGE AND HABITAT: The bowfin is native to Ohio, and is found primarily in large natural lakes, rivers, oxbows, embayments or other systems where clear water and abundant rooted aquatic vegetation is present. Bowfin can withstand turbidity from algal blooms, but not from clay silts.
LIFE HISTORY: Bowfin spawn in the spring. Males build nests near aquatic vegetation and guard the eggs. Little is known about the bowfin in Ohio other than they spend much of their time in or around vegetation. Adults feed on minnows, other small fish, including sport fish, and crayfish.
ADULT SIZE: Bowfin average between 1 and 5 pounds and range between 15 and 25 inches in length. Their maximum size is 9 pounds and 31 inches.
COMMON NAMES: White sucker, Gray sucker, Mullet, Brook sucker
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Catostomus commersoni
IDENTIFICATION: White suckers have a long slender body with silvery colored sides and a white belly. The mouth points down, allowing the fish to suck food from the bottom. The head is rounded between the eyes.
RANGE AND HABITAT: The white sucker is native to Ohio and can be found in every county in the state. Plus, it can be found in Lake Erie and its adjoining bays. White suckers can be found in small and large streams, ponds, lakes, and reservoirs. They prefer deeper water in the late fall and winter months but move into shallow water in lakes and riffle areas in streams. The white sucker can withstand a wide variety of conditions including turbidity, and low oxygen levels.
LIFE HISTORY: White suckers spawn from April to early May when they run upstream, usually starting at night. They seek areas with swift water and a gravel substrate to randomly spread their eggs. Females can lay between 20,000 to 50,000 eggs. The young hatch and remain in the gravel for one to two weeks before migrating downstream at night. Larval white suckers feed on protozoans, diatoms, and small crustaceans. As the young grow, the mouth moves to the ventral side of the fish and allows the fish to feed on the bottom. Adults are bottom fish and eat mud, plants, mollusks, insects, diatoms, crustaceans, and protozoans. Both adult and juvenile white suckers feed during the day and night.
ADULT SIZE: The average size white sucker runs from 6 ounces to 2 pounds. White suckers of 5 pounds are rare.
COMMON NAMES: Gizzard shad, Shad, Herring, Skipjack, Hickory shad
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Dorsoma cepadianum
IDENTIFICATION: Gizzard shad do not resemble any other fish in Ohio. They are a silvery colored fish with the last ray of the dorsal fin greatly elongated. The snout is well rounded and the small mouth points down. There is also a round black spot located on the side of the body behind the head.
RANGE AND HABITAT: Gizzard shad are found throughout Ohio in Lake Erie tributaries with low gradients. They have also been stocked in numerous impoundments throughout Ohio.
LIFE HISTORY: Gizzard shad usually spawn in May by broadcasting as many as 500,000 eggs into the water column. Adults are filter feeders that remove microscopic animals and algae by passing water through their gill rakers.
ADULT SIZE: Gizzard shad average 5 to 10 ounces but some fish can get as large as 3 pounds.
COMMON NAMES: Freshwater drum, Sheephead, Grunter, Silver bass, Gray bass
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Aplodinotus grunniens
IDENTIFICATION: Freshwater drum are silver-gray in color with a mouth that points down, and a rounded tail. Skeletal features are unique, with the skull heavily reinforced and large ear bones, with a characteristic "L" on one side.
RANGE AND HABITAT: The freshwater drum is native to Ohio. They inhabit deeper pools of rivers and prefer large lakes that are less than 60 feet deep.
LIFE HISTORY: Freshwater drum spawn from spring to late summer. Females broadcast eggs into water where they float on the surface and hatch in about one day and are left to survive on their own. Adults feed on mollusks, crayfish, fish, and aquatic insects.
ADULT SIZE: In Lake Erie, freshwater drum run less than 20 pounds. In rivers they can reach 40 pounds.
COMMON NAMES: Quillback, Lake-quillback, Silver carp, Carpsucker
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Carpiodes cyprinus
IDENTIFICATION: The quillback has a stout body that looks like half carp and half sucker. The sucker-like mouth is on the underside of the head. The back is arched and the lateral line is nearly straight. Quillback are silvery on the sides and have a white belly.
RANGE AND HABITAT: The quillback is native to Ohio and is the most widely distributed carpsucker in the state. These fish prefer the low gradient streams of northwestern and southeastern Ohio.
LIFE HISTORY: Quillback spawn between early April and late May in small creeks and dredged ditches with a width of 10 feet or less. The eggs are randomly deposited over a sand or mud bottoms and left in quiet water. Females lay between 15,000 to 60,000 eggs. Adults feed on filamentous algae, consuming large quantities of single-celled algae, protozoans and small crustaceans.
ADULT SIZE: Quillback average between 12 and 17 inches in length and weigh up to 4 pounds. Inland lakes can produce fish of 10 pounds or more.
COMMON NAME: LONGNOSE GAR
OTHER NAMES: GARFISH
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Lepisosteus osseus
RANGE AND HABITAT: Found in Lake Erie and the Ohio River, and their larger, slower tributary rivers and streams. Prefers the clearest water of slow-flowing streams, backwaters, and harbors and bays of Lake Erie. Often seen lying almost motionless, basking near the water's surface.
FOOD: Longnose gar feed almost entirely on fish, mainly minnows and gizzard shad.
ADULT SIZE: Normally 24-40 inches and weigh 1-7 pounds; may grow to 49 inches and 25 pounds.
IDENTIFICATION: Snout is a very long and narrow beak containing many large teeth. Body long and cylindrical, covered with diamond-shaped, hard non-overlapping scales. Olive or brownish back with white belly. Fish from clear waters often have numerous dark spots on sides and tail.
Common name: Bullfrog
Native To: Central and
Means of Introduction: Accidentally introduced during trout stockings; also introduced through the aquarium trade and for sport and pest control
Impact: Competes with and preys on native species
The snapping TURTLE, family Chelydridae, is named for its powerful jaws and aggressive disposition. It has a massive upper shell, small lower shell, long tail, and large head.
The common snapping turtle is usually regarded as a single, widespread species, Chelydra serpentina, ranging from southern
A more appropriate name for softshell turtles might be pancake or flapjack turtles. The softshell turtles’ flattened, streamlined bodies and flexible shells make them unlike any other turtle species. Their huge oval shells are impeccably camouflaged to match the bottom of a pond, canal, stream, or other wetland. Although these turtles are large and impressive, they remain hidden much of the time. Softshell turtles have a habit of burying themselves in the sand or mud, on the bottom of the wetland, with just their head or snout exposed. The turtles’ long necks and odd-looking snorkels on their noses allow them to stretch up to the water surface, to breathe without having to leave their hiding place. By remaining mostly hidden in pond sediments or streambed sand, softshells are able to capture crayfish, fish, and other small animals by firing their longnecks out and grabbing the prey. Softshell turtles also have the ability to absorb oxygen from the water through vessels in the lining of the throat and other parts of the body. This adaptation allows them to remain under water for hours at a time. Softshell turtles reach massive sizes, with adult females sometimes measuring two feet across the carapace (top of the shell); males are usually much smaller than females. Female turtles lay 10-30 eggs in neatly excavated holes in sandy areas near the water’s edge. Occasionally, the turtles may even lay their eggs in a nearby alligator nest! Raccoons, foxes, skunks, and other predators commonly raid softshell nests and eat the eggs, so many eggs never get a chance to incubate and hatch. If a nest survives predation, the eggs hatch after 2-3 months, and small brightly patterned hatchlings emerge. These tiny softshell turtles must remain hidden as much as possible, because hatchling turtles are an ideal meal for a variety of predators, including bullfrogs, wading birds, fish, and even small alligators.
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