A Field G MONTANA F STATE DOCUMENTS COLLI I IAY p 2003 MONTANA STATE LIBRARY 0864 1001 9491 Field Guide to MONTANA FISHES This handbook the fishes in is a compilation of clues used for identifying field A simple visual It includes: key to Illustrations of every fish families Montana fish with distinguishing features labeled Color illustrations of 30 Montana game and sport Montana's record-setting fish fishes through 2001 A list of Montana fishes indicating game fishes, fishes of special concern, and endangered species DATE DUE MAR JUL 2S 2004 A Field Guide to MONTANA FISHES THIRD EDITION Revised by George D Holton Howard E Johnson Chris J Hunter - Editor Joseph Tomelleri - Color paintings Glenn West Black-and-white paintings and line drawings Harold (Rich) Stevenson & unless otherwise noted Luke Duran - Macintosh graphic design and layout Luke Duran Paul F Map graphics Updike - Cover Photo Produced by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks 1420 East Sixth Avenue PO Box 200701 Helena, Montana 59620-0701 2003 Copyright © 1990, 1996, 2003 Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks All rights reserved Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Holton, George D., 1920- A Held guide to Montana fishes / revised by George D Holton, Howard E.Johnson p — 3rd ed cm Includes bibliographical references ISBN 1-56044479-7 I II and index (pbk.) Fishes-Montana-Identification I.Johnson, Howard E., 1935- Montana Dept of Fish, Wildlife and Parks III Title QL628.M9H65 2001 96-17534 597.09786-dc20 CIP Printed by Advanced Litho Printing Great Falls, Montana Table of Contents PREFACE VI MAP OF MONTANA'S MAJOR DRAINAGES VISUAL KEYTO FISH FAMILIES EXPLANATION OF INFORMATION IN SPECIES DESCRIPTIONS IMAGINARY FISH SHOWING EXTERNAL FEATURES COUNTS USED IN FISH IDENTIFICATION GLOSSARY DESCRIPTIONS OF MONTANA FISHES Sturgeon Family Paddlefish Family 12 Gar Family 13 14 Pike Family Mooneye Family Sucker Family 15 (Goldeye) (Suckers, Redhorse, Carpsucker, Buffalos) Minnow Family (Minnows, Shiners, Daces, Chubs, Pikeminnow, Peamouth, Goldfish, Carp) Mudminnow Family Killifish 16 21 34 Family 35 Livebearer Family (Mosquitofish, Mollies, Swordtail, Platyjish) Smelt Family 36 39 Trout Family (Trouts, Salmons, Grayling, Whitejishes) Bullhead Catfish Family Codfish Family (Catfish, Bullheads, Stonecat) (Sunfishes, Black Basses, Crappies, 64 66 (Burbot) 67 Stickleback Family Sunfish Family 48 63 Trout-perch Family Rock Bass) 68 Drum Family 76 Sculpin Family 77 Temperate Bass Family (White Bass) 80 Perch Family 81 (Perch, Walleye, Sauger, Darter) SPAWNING SEASONS PROCEDURE FOR HAVING A FISH DECLARED A STATE RECORD MONTANA'S RECORD-SETTING FISH (through 2001) 84 ANSWERS TO COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS 87 ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION ON MONTANA FISHES 88 LIST OF MONTANA FISHES 84 85 89 INDEX 92 COLOR ILLUSTRATIONS OF GAME AND SPORT FISHES 40 A Field Guide to Montana Fishes III DEDICATION To the memory of Dr C.J D Brown, mentor and fisheries professor at friend, Montana State University, author of Fishes of Montana A Field Guide to Montana Fishes Preface This handbook is the third edition of a field guide designed to provide a concise, easily understood for identifying Montana fishes The first edition was compiled by George D Holton and published by Montana by Holton and Howard E.Johnson of the shorthead sculpin (Cottus confusus) As the scientific in 1996 Changes in this third to northern pikeminnow and deletion name implies, there has been confusion taxonomy of this "species" for many years New genetic evidence indicates a variant of the mottled sculpin (Cottus are Parks in 1990 This was revised Fish, Wildlife Sc second edition published name of the northern squawfish edition include changing the over the in a bairdi) As this edition that this fish is goes to press, 85 species in 21 families known to be in Montana state waters In addition to these species, three unusual hybrids are described: the northern redbelly dace x finescale dace, the tiger muskellunge, and the tiger trout Information on characteristics, habitats, and spawning seasons of the fishes was gleaned from many publications and augmented with observations by the authors plus numerous suggestions from fisheries personnel of Montana Fish, Wildlife Curator Emeritus of Fishes, & Parks and other agencies Dr William R Gould, University, and Dr Reeve M Bailey, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, were particularly helpful Professor Emeritus, Biology Department, Montana State Designation of individual species as native or introduced and descriptions of native ranges are based, as a starting point, on information in C.J Bozeman, 1971) and supplemented by other D Brown's Fishes of Montana The range maps were initially prepared using maps from information from for this edition at Montana Models ever, Montana Fish, Wildlife & with information from field (Big Sky Books, literature Parks' stream Fishes of Montana enhanced with and lake databases These were updated personnel, department databases, and the fish collection State University for the black-and-white fish paintings Handbook of Fishes of Kansas History, Misc Publ 45, 1967) were taken from a number of publications; how- by Frank B Cross (University of Kansas and Fishes of Montana Museum of Natural were the primary sources We are indebted to the many individuals who helped prepare this guide and to the authors of the many books and articles from which much prevents individual recognition, but of the information was selected Space limitation we are sincerely grateful We hope this field guide is useful To facilitate future revisions, the text file Please send corrections, Wildlife new information, and suggestions to: Fish ID is in a word processing Guide, Montana Fish, & Parks, 1420 East Sixth Avenue, Helena, MT 59620 George D Holton Howard E.Johnson Helena, Montana November 2002 VI A Field Guide to Montana Fishes I Map of Montana's Major Drainages A Field Guide to Montana Fishes Visual Key to Fish Families This is a visual key to the arrangement of fishes in this book Families are aligned according to the type and position of fins on the back Use the drawings to determine which family or families a could be in, then go to pages indicated for descriptions of family members In the fishes are generally fish text, look-alike grouped STURGEON FAMILY pp 9-11 PADDLEFISH FAMILY p 12 GAR FAMILY p 13 PIKE FAMILY p 14 MOONEYE FAMILY (Goldeye) p 15 SUCKER FAMILY (Redhorse, Suckers, Buffalos, Carpsucker) pp 16-20 MINNOW FAMILY (Carp, Chubs, Daces, Pikeminnow, Peamouth, Goldfish, Minnows, Shiners) ^\^Z^-^ ^mm ^\^^ pp 21-33 MUDMINNOW FAMILY p 34 KILUFISH FAMILY ^SfflS^t) p 44 LIVEBEARER FAMILY (Mosquitofish, Tropical pp Aquarium Fishes) 36-38 A Field Guide to Montana Fishes Spawning Seasons Both water temperature and day length are important seasonal spawners Typical spawning seasons for in controlling the reproductive Montana fishes rhythm of are: : Spring Rainbow Cutthroat trout Arctic grayling Northern pike Goldeye Smallmouth bass Rock bass White bass Crappies Yellow perch Walleye Sauger Iowa darter Rainbow smelt Freshwater Shortnose gar Sculpin family Brook stickleback Golden trout Largemouth bass Sunfishes Paddlefish Sturgeon family Bullhead catfish family Sucker family Minnow family Plains Central trout drum mudminnow Spring or Summer killifish Trout-perch Fall Brown trout Lake trout Whitefishes Brook trout Bull trout Kokanee' Chinook salmon (including asco) Winter Burbot ^Pacific salmon die aftt PROCEDURE FOR HAVING A FISH DECLARED A STATE RECORD Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks administers the record fish program There are three requirements for having a fish declared a record: It It in must be legally caught in Montana should be weighed before witnesses on a government-inspected scale such as those found most grocery stores, and the weight should be department employee length Identification it, too, certified suffice the tip of the snout to the farthest tip of the should be certified good photograph If a The fish's tail fin — is also desir- by a department employee or other witness must be verified by a qualified person, species a by a department employee not present, an affidavit from the store will — measured from able information; some is preferably a department employee For will suffice Provide this information to a department employee or send it to: Conservation Education Division, Montana Fish, Wildlife 8C Parks, 1420 East Sixth Avenue, Helena, 84 MT 59620 A Field Guide to Montana Fishes Montana's Record-Setting Fish Weight Species Angler Year C Dah through 2001 Location 1994 Handkerchief Lake 57.75 lbs Craig D Grassel 1994 Nelson Reservoir Black bullhead 2.33 lbs Darwin Zempel, Jr 1994 Lower Flathead River Black crappie 3.13 lbs Al Elser 1973 Tongue 11.46 lbs Doug Askin 1989 Yellowstone River (near Miles City) Bluegill 2.64 lbs Brent Fladmo 1983 Peterson's Stock Brook trout 9.06 lbs John Cook 1940 Lower Two Medicine Lake 29.00 lbs E 1966 Wade 25.63 lbs James Hyer 1916 unknown 17.08 lbs JeffE 1989 Missouri River (near Wolf Point) 40.20 lbs Jared Albus 1998 Nelson Reservoir 27.17 lbs Ed Ellertson 1998 Castle 31.13 lbs Carl L 1991 Fort Peck Reservoir Cisco 1.75 lbs Curt Zimmerman 2001 Below Fort Peck Powerhouse Coho salmon 4.88 lbs Irven Stohl 1973 Fort Peck Reservoir 16.00 lbs William D Sands 1955 Red 0.59 lbs Douglas Jordan 2001 Thornton Pond 20.44 lbs Richard 1987 Fort Peck Reservoir Cave Lake Arctic grayling Bigmouth buffalo Blue sucker Brown trout Bull trout Burbot Carp Channel catfish Chinook Cutthroat trout Flathead chub Freshwater drum 3.21 lbs Frederick R I Bacon H "Peck" Iwen Niles G Lee River Reservoir Dam Lake Rock Reservoir Eagle Lake Golden trout 5.43 lbs Mike Malixi 2000 Coldeye 3.18 lbs Don Nevrivy 2000 Nelson Reservoir Green sunfish 0.56 lbs Roger 1991 Castle Kokanee 7.52 lbs Deed DeGolier 2001 Hauser Reservoir Lake trout 42.00 lbs Dave Larson 1979 Flathead Lake (east shore) Lake whitefish Fliger Rock Reservoir 10.08 lbs Theo Ham by 1995 Lower Largemouth bass 8.29 lbs Adam Nelson 1999 Many Lakes Largescale sucker 5.06 lbs Loren Kujawa 1996 Kootenai River Longnose sucker 3.27 lbs Ray Quigley 1988 Marias River Mottled sculpin 0.05 lbs Brad Sullivan 2001 Belt Mountain sucker 1.60 lbs Robert Garwood 2001 Beaver Creek Reservoir Mountain whitefish 5.09 lbs Mervin Fen more 1987 Kootenai River 37.50 lbs Lance Moyler 1972 Tongue 7.88 lbs Darrel Torgrimson 1991 Noxon Rapids Northern pike Northern pikeminnow i St Mary Lake Creek River Reservoir Reservoir (Continued) A Field Guide to Montana Fishes 85 Montana's Record-Setting Fish Weight Species Angler Year THROUGH 2001 Location 142.50 lbs Larry Branstetter 1973 Missouri River 60.00 lbs Gene Sattler 1979 Yellowstone River Peamouth 0.74 lbs Angela Price 1999 Noxon Rapids Pumpkinseed 0.95 lbs Tim Colver 1985 Milnor Lake Pygmy whitefish 0.18 lbs Frank 1999 Ashley Lake 33.10 lbs Jack Housel, Paddlefish Pallid sturgeon Rainbow trout Gamma Jr 1997 Reservoir Kootenai River (David Thompson Bridge) 30.25 lbs Pat Kelly 1982 Ashley Lake Redside shiner 0.10 lbs Josh Ahles 2001 Lost Lake River carpsucker 6.42 lbs Bill Odenbach 2000 Yellowstone River (near Intake) Rock bass 0.57 lbs Sauger 8.81 lbs Rainbow-cutthroat hybrid Saugeye 15.66 Don Holzheimer 1989 Tongue Gene Moore 1994 Fort Peck Reservoir Myron 1995 Fort Peck Reservoir Kibler River Reservoir Shorthead redhorse sucker 4.68 lbs Ray Quigley 1985 Marias River (near Loma) Shortnose gar 3.06 lbs John Johnson 1977 Fort Peck dredge cuts 13.72 lbs Sidney 1986 Missouri River 6.40 lbs Ken Riska 2000 Flathead River 6.40 lbs Mike Otten 2000 Fort Peck Reservoir 32.63 lbs Richard Liesener 1994 Nelson Reservoir 0.54 lbs Dale Bjerga 1996 Milk River Shovelnose sturgeon Smallmouth bass Smallmouth bass (tie) Smallmouth buffalo Stonecat L Storm 27.00 lbs Dan Dupea 1994 Lebo Lake Tiger trout 4.04 lbs Joe Sobczak 1997 Bear Lake Utah chub 1.81 lbs Eugene Bastian 1992 Canyon Fort Peck Reservoir Tiger muskel lunge Walleye White bass White crappie White sturgeon Ferry Reservoir 16.63 lbs Danny Spence 2000 2.25 lbs Vernon Pacovsky 1998 Missouri River 3.68 lbs Gene 1996 Tongue 96.00 lbs Herb Stout 1968 Kootenai River Bassett River Reservoir White sucker 5.33 lbs Fred Perry 1983 Nelson Reservoir Yellow bullhead 0.93 lbs Carl Radonski 1998 Tongue Yellow perch 2.37 lbs Vernon Schmid 1988 Ashley Lake 86 River Reservoir A Field Guide to Montana Fishes Answers to Commonly Asked Questions QUESTION: Did migrating sea-run salmon or steelbead ever reach Montana? ANSWER: Fisheries scientists have scoured published and unpublished records of the historical spawning areas of Pacific salmons and steelhead (rainbow trout that go to sea when young and return to freshwater to spawn), not since the last glaciation and there is no evidence that these fishes Their migrations were evidently blocked by reached Montana, at waterfalls least However, white sturgeon and redband trout (also referred to as inland or interior rainbow trout) occur naturally in Montana's portion of the Kootenai River Drainage downstream from Kootenai their origins on the Pacific Coast, and the fact they are in Montana Falls Both had leads to the conjecture that spawning runs of Pacific salmon or steelhead also could have reached this section of the Kootenai River at one time QUESTION: Why some trout have pink flesh ANSWER: Flesh color fishes, is related to a trout's diet Trouts, along with can extract carotenoid pigmented Crustaceans (for example, water fleas, little or no pigmented oils QUESTION: What are cold-, cool, oils scuds, a diet high in crustaceans have pink flesh foods with while others have white flesh? salmons and some other from food and incorporate these and crayfishes) are rich in oils into their flesh pigmented oils have white flesh and cream-colored eggs and warmwaterfishes? ANSWER: Fish are coldblooded — that is, their temperature is about the same as the water surrounding them This greatly influences their biology and, in turn, their distribution live in of coldwater known as warmwater fishes To Sunfishes are Members water temperatures lower than 65° F and are examples of the trout family are adapted to fishes Trout with and salmon-colored eggs; those eating insects and other thrive they must have summer water temperatures of 75° F and higher Northern pike, walleye, and yellow perch prefer temperatures in the midrange, 65° to 75° QUESTION: What is F, and have come to be known summer as coolwater fishes a char? ANSWER: Char (also charr) is a name often given Montana are brook, bull, and lake trout They are to trouts in the genus Salvelinus, readily distinguished which in from the other trouts (genera Oncorhynchus and Salmo), by their "reversed" foreground-background color scheme Rainbow, cutthroat, golden, and brown trout always have foreground markings (spots) that are darker than the background; chars have a relatively darker background, typically gray, with lighter spots A Field Guide to Montana Fishes 87 Additional Sources of Information on Montana Fishes Many readers will desire additional information on Montana fishes Of the many excellent publications available, the following are particularly pertinent: The first two books contain information on identification, distribution, breeding, and feeding habits of Montana fishes, and the history offish Brown presents age and growth Brown, C.J D 1971.207 Weisel, and introductions into Montana In addition, data for each species, Fishes of Montana Big Sky Books, George F Fish Guide for Intermountain Montana Montana State University Press, Out of print, but held by the Montana State Library in it can be borrowed from a local library through interlibrary loan is a revised scientific key to the identification of Montana fishes It Helena; serves to update Fishes of Montana: Gould, William R Key to the Fishes of Montana Biology Department, Montana State University, Bozeman, 1995 22 pp The following three books were written for areas other than Montana, but between them they contain in-depth information Baxter, George on all fishes found in Montana waters except tropical aquarium species T and Michael D Stone Fishes of Wyoming Wyoming Game and Fish Department, 1995 290 pp Features an excellent color photograph of each species underwater Pflieger, Scott, in an setting William L, The Fishes of Missouri 343 pp Has unsurpassed Missouri Department of Conservation, revised 1991 illustrated keys W B and E.J Crossman Freshwater Fishes of Canada Bulletin 184, Fisheries Research Board of Canada, reprinted with corrections 1985 966 pp A tremendous source book extremely detailed descriptions of individual species plus extensive life history accounts Includes over 80 percent of the fishes found in Montana 88 A Field f§ ™ W J Montana State University, Bozeman, pp Missoula, 1957 88 pp Next collections Guide to Montana Fishes Montana Fishes List of Families in this list are in phylogenetic most advanced Within betically This is order— that families the scientific different (Including selected hybrids) is, from the most primitive to the names (genus and species) are listed alpha- from the arrangement of fishes throughout this book, which is based on the type and position of fins on the back (see pp 2-3) N: Native E: Listed as I: Introduced P: Possibly native C: A fish of special concern endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act Retains status as state fish of special concern f: Designated a game fish +: Designated a nongame fish in Montana statutes in need of management in Administrative Rules of Montana STURGEON FAMILY N N ACIPENSERIDAE t E White sturgeon t E Pallid sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus Shovelnose sturgeon Scaphirhynchus platorynchus N t Acipenser transmontanus POLYODONTIDAE PADDLEFISH FAMILY NIC Paddlefish Polyodon spathula Sh.ortnose gar Lepisosteus platostomus GAR FAMILY NC LEPISOSTEIDAE MOONEYE FAMILY N HIODONTIDAE Goldeye Hiodc ides MINNOW FAMILY I N I I N N N NC NC NC N I N I N N NC CYPRINIDAE Goldfish Carassius auratus Lake chub , Common carp Cyprinus carpw Utah chub Western Brassy Plains silvery Gila atrana minnow minnow minnow Sturgeon chub Sicklefin chub Field Hybognathus argyritis Hybognathus hankinsoni Hybognathus placitus Macrhybopsis gelida Macrhybopsis meeki Pearl dace Margariscus marganta Peamouth Mylocheilus caurinus Golden shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas Emerald shiner Notropis atherinoides Spottail shiner Notropis hudsonius Sand shiner Notropis stramineus Northern Phoxinus redbelly dace eos Northern redbelly dace X finescale dace (hybrid) A Couesius plumbeus Guide to Montana Fishes Phoxinus eos x P neogaeus 89 N N N N N N minnow Fathead Pimephales promelas Flathead chub Platygobio gracilis Northern pikeminnow Ptychocheilus oregonensis Longnose dace Rhinichtbys cataractae Redside shiner Richardsonius halteatus Creek chub Semotilus atromaculatus CATOSTOMIDAE SUCKER FAMILY N N N N N NC N N N River carpsucker Carpiodes carpio Longnose sucker Catostomus catostomus White sucker Catostomus commersom Largescale sucker Mountain sucker Catostomus macrocbeilus Catostomus platyrhyncbus Blue sucker Smallmouth Bigmouth Cycleptus elongatus buffalo buffalo Ictiobus bubalus Ictiobus cyprinellus Shorthead redhorse Moxostoma macrolepidotum BULLHEAD CATFISH FAMILY ICTALURIDAE l Black bullhead Ameiurus melas I Yellow bullhead Ameiurus Nt Channel Ictalurus punctatus N Stonecat catfish natalis Noturusjlavus ESOCIDAE PIKE FAMILY Nt It Northern pike Tiger muskellunge Esox luaus Esox lucius (hybrid) x E masquinongy MUDMINNOW FAMILY I Central UMBRIDAE mudminnow Umbra limi OSMERIDAE SMELT FAMILY I Rainbow smelt Osme rus moraax SALMONIDAE TROUT FAMILY it Pt it NtC NtC Coregonus artedi Lake whitefish Golden \us clupeaformis Oncorbynchus aguabonita trout Yellowstone cutthroat trout Westslope cutthroat trout — Oncorbynchus clarki bouvieri Oncorbynchus clarki lewisi It Rainbow trout Oncorbynchus mykiss NtC Redband trout Oncorbynchus mykiss Pt Kokanee subspecies Oncorbynchus nerka It Chinook salmon Oncorbynchus tsbawytscha Nt Nt Pygmy whitefish Prosopium Mountain Prosopium williamsoni whitefish coulteri It Brown Salmo trutta It Tiger trout (hybrid) Salmo trutta Bull trout Salvelinus confluentus Brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis NtC It 90 Cisco trout x A Salvelinus fontinalis Field Guide to Montana Fishes N Nt Nt Lake trout Salvelinus Arctic grayling Thymallus arcticus C Arctic grayling Thymallus arcticus t (fluvial) namaycush PERCOPSIDAE TROUT-PERCH FAMILY NC Trout-perch Percopsis omiscomaycus GADIDAE CODFISH FAMILY N t Burbot Lota lota CYPRINODONTIDAE KILUFISH FAMILY ! Fundulus zebrinus Plains killifish POECILIIDAE LIVEBEARER FAMILY Western mosquitofish Sailfin molly Gambusia affims Poecilia latipinna Shortfin molly Poecilia Green swordtail Xiphopborus Variable platyfish Xiphophorus variatus mexicana helleri GASTEROSTEIDAE STICKLEBACK FAMILY N Brook stickleback Culaea inconstans COTTIDAE SCULPIN FAMILY N N N NC Mottled sculpin Cottus bairdi Slimy sculpin Cottus cognatus Torrent sculpin Cottus rhotheus Spoonhead sculpin Cottus ncei PERCICHTHYIDAE TEMPERATE BASS FAMILY I White bass Morone chrysops CENTRARCHIDAE SUNFISH FAMILY Rock I bass Green Ambloplites rupestns Lepomis sunfish Pumpki cyanellus Lepomis is gi Qibbosus Bluegill Lepomis macrochi Smallmouth bass Micropterus Largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides White crappie Pomoxis annularis Black crappie Momieu Pomoxis nigromaculatus PERCH FAMILY N Etheostoma Yellow perch Perca flavescens Sauger Stizostedion canadense Walleye Stizostedion vitreum Saugeye (hybrid) Stizostedion canadense N PERCIDAE Iowa darter f C exile DRUM FAMILY N A Field S vitreum SCIAENIDAE Freshwater Guide to Montana x drum Fishes Aplodinotus grunniens 91 Index Boldface page numbers indicate color illustrations See pp 89-91 for list of scientific names .59,44 Arctic grayling Sturgeon Utah Bass 69 Calico 75,47 Largemouth 22 Cisco 62 Coarsescale sucker 17 74 66 73,46 21 , Rock 29 74,47 White Bigmouth buffalo 17 80 Common sunfish 19 Counts used 70 in fish identification Crappie Black Bass Largemouth 75 Black 69,45 Smallmouth 74 White 68,45 65,44 Black bullhead Creek chub 27 69,45 52,53 Blackspotted trout 52,53 Upper Missouri 19 Westslope 52,42 Yellowstone 53,42 71,45 Bluegill Blackspotted 53 50 Blueback 52,53,42 52 Dace Bluegill sunfish 71 Finescale 25 Books, reference 88 Horned 27 29 Longnose 26 Brassy minnow 74 67 Brook stickleback 56,43 25 Northern redbelly x finescale hybrid 56 , 55,43 83 57 Dolly Varden 76 Buffalo Bigmouth 76 19 20 Bull trout Bullhead 57,43 77, 78, 79 65,44 Black Yellow Bullhead catfish family Calico bass 56 32 Emerald shiner Endangered species, defined minnow Fathead Finescale dace 25 64 Finescale sucker 18 69 Carp Fish cold, cool, color and warmwater, defined Mirror 21 lengths 21 of special concern, defined Cat, spoonbill Catfish (bullhead catfish) family Catfish, channel mudminnow Channel Char catfish (charr) defined Chinook salmon 89-91 20 Fishes, 20 Flat 52 12 Flathead chub 28 64 Flesh color, trout 87 drum 76 64,44 34 64,44 87 49,41 Chub list of Freshwater Gar 13 family 13 Gar, shortnose German brown trout Gill rakers, illustration Glossary Creek 27 Goggle eye Flathead 28 Golden shiner Lake 27 Golden Sicklefin 28 Goldeye 92 20 White 87 21 Leather 30 65 66,40 Burbot Central 25 26 Pearl trout 55 6,50,70 7-8 73 24 54,42 15,41 A Field Guide to Montana Fishes 22 Goldfish 59,44 Arctic 59 N4ontana Green 74 Northern smallmouth bass Northern pikeminnow Grayling 72,46 sunfish 23 12,40 Paddlefish Paddlefish family 12 Palatine teeth, illustration 77 10 Sturgeon Green swordtail 38 Pallid Hackleback 11 Peamouth Hammer handle 14 Pearl dace 26 Herring, lake 62 Perch 81 Horned dace 27 Perch family Inland rainbow trout 51 Perch, yellow 23 81 81,46 14 51 Pickerel Iowa darter 83 Pike Jack 14 Northern Kamloops 51 Sand 82 Killifish family 35 Wall-eyed 82 Killifish, plains 35 Pike family King salmon 49 Pikeminnow, northern Interior rainbow trout 14 14,40 14 23 Pikeperch, yellow 82 Kokanee salmon 50 Plains killifish 35 Lake chub 27 Plains minnow 31 Lake herring 62 Platyfish, variable 50,41 Kokanee 58,43 Lake trout Lake whitefish 61 75,47 Largemouth bass 75 Largemouth black bass 38 Pumpkmseed 70,45 Pygmy whitefish 60 Rainbow smelt Rainbow 39 51,42 trout Largescale sucker 17 Inland Leather carp 21 Interior Ling 66 Record Livebearer family 36 Redband Loch Leven trout 55 Redbelly 52 Longnose dace 26 Redbelly dace, northern 25 Longnose sucker 18 Redeye 73 Mackinaw trout 58 Redhorse, shorthead 16 Redside shiner 24 Minnow 51 51 85-86 fish 51 trout barbel characteristics 33 River carpsucker Brassy 29 Rock bass 30 Rocky mountain 33 Sailfin 31 Salmon Fathead lateral line scale counts Plains 31 Chinook 21 King Mirror carp 21 Kokanee silvery Molly 60 whitefish 37 molly Minnow family Western 20 73,46 49,41 49 50,41 51 Silver Sailfin 37 Salmon migration Shortfin 37 Sand pike 59 Sand shiner Montana grayling Montana state fish 52,53 Sauger 87 82 33 82,47 Mooneye family 15 Mosquitofish, western 36 Mottled 79 Mottled sculpin 79 Slimy 77 Mountain 52 Spoonhead 78 18 Torrent 79 Sculpin family 77 trout Mountain sucker Mountain 60,44 whitefish Muddler Sculpin 79 Shad 15 34 Sheepshead 76 Mudminnow, central 34 Shiner Muskellunge, 14 Mudminnow family tiger Native Northern Northern pike Northern redbelly dace x 52,53 Golden 14 Redside finescale dace hybrid A Field Guide to Montana Fishes 15 32 24 24 Sand 33 25 Spottail 32 25 Shortfin molly 37 14,40 Northern redbelly dace Emerald 93 Shorthead redhorse 16 German brown Shortnose gar 13 Golden 11,40 Shovelnose sturgeon Sicklefin 28 chub 50,51 Silver Silver carp Silver salmon minnow, western Silvery , Skipjack 55 54, Inland rainbow 51 rainbow Interior 42 51 Lake 58,43 20 Loch Leven 55 51 Mackinaw 58 31 Mountain 15 Rainbow 51,42 52 Slimer 14 Redband 51 Slimy sculpin 77 Tiger 56 47 Upper Missouri cutthroat 52 74 Von Behr Smallmouth black bass 74 Westslope cutthroat 52, 42 Smallmouth 20 Yellowstone cutthroat 53, 42 Smallmouth bass Smallmouth 74, northern bass, buffalo 55 Smelt family 39 Trout family 48 Smelt, rainbow 39 Trout-perch 63 Spawning seasons 84 Trout-perch family 63 Spoonbill cat 12 Tullibee 62 Spoonhead sculpin 78 Upper Missouri cutthroat trout 52 Spottail shiner 32 Utah chub 22 56 Variable platyfish Squaretail Steelhead , 51,87 38 2-3 Visual key to fish families Stickleback family 67 Von Behr trout 55 brook 67 Wall-eyed pike 82 64 Walleye Stickleback, Stonecat , Pallid 10 , 11,40 Shovelnose White 29 Sturgeon chub Western silvery 36 minnow 31 Westslope cutthroat trout White 52, 20 Whitecrappie Blue 19 White sucker Coarsescale 17 Whitefish Common 17 Lake Finescale 18 Mountain Largescale 17 Pygmy Longnose 18 Rocky Mountain Mountain 18 Yellow bullhead White 17 Yellow perch Sucker family 16 Yellow pikeperch 68,45 White sturgeon Sucker 17 61 60,44 60 60 , 65 81,46 82 Yellowstone cutthroat trout Sunfish 42 80 bass White carp Sturgeon family 53, 42 71 Blueg.ll Common 70 Green 72,46 68 Sunfish family Swordtail, green 38 Temperate bass family 80 Threatened 82,47 Western mosquitofish Sturgeon species, denned 14 Tiger muskellunge Tiger trout 56 Torrent sculpin 79 Tropical aquarium fishes 37-38 Trout Blackspotted 53 Blackspotted cutthroat 52, Brook 56,43 Brown 55,43 Bull Cutthroat 53 57,43 52,53,42 Eastern brook 56 fleshcolor 87 94 A Field Guide to Montana Fishes Do not introduce any fish ) without authorization from * Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks p not only the wrong thing It is ^ to do, i it is illegal i> I ' The perils of illegal fish plants Sport fish populations have been severely damaged or eliminated where fish have been and there have been more than 295 documented cases of illegal transplants at 181 locations in illegally introduced, in almost every lake and stream I Montana through 1995 \ellow perch have been the most common problem fish Northern pike follow in occurrence and damage done, and even minnows and suckers dumped from bait buckets have caused irreversible damage Problems from the new species include voracious predation that decimates existing game or forage fishes, competition for food and space, interbreeding or hybridization with closely related species, introduction of diseases carp is and parasites, and even alteration of the aquatic habitat as when common introduced Sometimes there is a cure The entire fish population in a relatively small lake can be killed with chemicals and the lake restocked with desirable species, but this Chemical fish eradication is is costly and seldom beds, springs, or significant inflow and outflow Please help maintain Montana's outstanding fisheries by protecting against helping educate others on feasible not attainable in streams, large lakes, or even small lakes that have weed illegal fish plants and its perils A Field Guide to Montana Fishes 95 ABOUT THE AUTHORS Both are volunteers in completing George D Holton (b 1920) received a B.S in zoology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in in 1950 and an M.S this edition: in fish and wildlife management from Montana State College 1952 His fisheries career spanned 35 years — the last 30 with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks as chief fisheries biologist and Fisheries Division assistant administrator Howard E.Johnson (b 1935) received a B.S and M.S in from Montana State University of Washington in 1967 in fish and wildlife management 1959 and 1961 and a Ph.D in fisheries from the University He was a professor offish and wildlife at Michigan State University Subsequently he served in various natural resource agencies in Montana, most recently Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, where he was chief of the Fisheries Management Bureau ISBN 1-56044-479-7 50000 A Field Guide to MONTANA FISHES 9'781560"444794 Montana Fish, Wildlife 1420 East Sixth Avenue • & Parks Helena, Mc ... 40 A Field Guide to Montana Fishes III DEDICATION To the memory of Dr C.J D Brown, mentor and fisheries professor at friend, Montana State University, author of Fishes of Montana A Field Guide... Holton Howard E.Johnson Helena, Montana November 2002 VI A Field Guide to Montana Fishes I Map of Montana's Major Drainages A Field Guide to Montana Fishes Visual Key to Fish Families This is... hope this field guide is useful To facilitate future revisions, the text file Please send corrections, Wildlife new information, and suggestions to: Fish ID is in a word processing Guide, Montana