Term
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Definition
Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)
Worm like marking along lateral line
greenish back
covered with light yellow spots with small bright red spot surrounded by blue halo along lateral mid-section
Habitat - Coldwater - Small-medium rivers, ponds, and lakes throughout the Northeast. |
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Term
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Definition
Rainbow trout (Oneorhynchus mykiss)
Tails and flanks heavily spotted with small black dots
Flank usually has a pink or reddish stripe (hence the name)
Migratory lake run fish are silverish and called steelhead
Habitat - Coldwater streams, rivers, and lakes. Young prefer fast water, old prefer pols |
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Term
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Definition
Pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus)
Small, brightly colored
Wavy blue lines on cheek and opercle
Dorsal fin with variable lines and blotches
Habitat - Warmwater - vegetated areas of small lakes and bays. Pools of small creeks and small to large rivers. Clearwater with cover. |
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Term
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Definition
Brown Trout (Salmo trutta)
Light brown with dark spots mixed with reddish orange spots along flanks
Each spot is surrounded by light halo
Habitat - coldwater - streams, rivers, and lakes. |
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Term
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Definition
Brown Bullhead (Ameirus nebulosus)
Most common catfish in VT
6 whiskers
Habitat - Warmwater - large lakes, small ponds to slow streams. Prefers mud or muck bottom in clear to turbid water |
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Term
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Definition
Smallmouth Bass (Microterus dolomieui)
ID- When mouth is closed, upper jaw extends only to about their eye
Flanks are golden green to bronze with 8-15 dark vertical bars
Habitat - Warmwater - Lakes in rocky or sandy areas. In gravely streams with moderate gradient where they are found in pools. |
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Term
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Definition
Largemouth Bass ( MIcropterus solmoides)
Large, round mouth when open, when closed the upper jaw extends well past the eye
Pronounced horizontal bar
Habitat - Warmwater - clear, shallow waters of lakes, ponds, or swamps with abundant vegetation. Slow rivers/streams over mud bottom and vegetation |
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Term
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Definition
Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush)
Forked tail
White leading edges on lower fins
Irregular light spots against olive gray background
Habitat - Coldwater - Deep cold lakes in southern parts of its range (which is VT) |
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Term
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Definition
Chain pickerel (Esox niger)
Fully scaled gill covers
Tail, dorsal, and anal fins have no spots or blotches
"Teardrop" below eye
Habitat - Warmwater - weedy areas of lakes and slow-flowing rivers. Shallow or deep waters of lakes. |
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Term
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Definition
Landlocked Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar)
Look just like anadromous salmon
Forked tail, silvery flanks, and black spots on upper half of body
Versus brown trout - no spot on adipose or tail fin
Habitat - coldwater - clear, well oxygenated lakes |
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Term
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Definition
Yellow perch (Perca flavescens)
Schooling fish with golden yellow flanks with 6-8 dark vertical bars.
In late winter, early spring spawning males have bright orange lower fins
Habitat - coolwater - lakes, ponds, and rivers |
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Term
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Definition
Rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax)
Small, slender schooling fish with a strongly forked tail and iridescent silver flanks
Habitat - coldwater - deeper and colder lakes in VT, elsewhere found in rivers and coastal waters |
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Term
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Definition
Northern Pike (Esox lucius)
Long with large mouth and dorsal fins near rear
Greenish gray flanks with several rows of irregular yellowish-white bean shaped spots
Scales on upper half of their gill covers.
Tail, dorsal, and anal fins have dark spots
habitat - coolwater - clear water, heavily vegetated rivers and lakes |
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Term
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Definition
Walleye (Stizostedion vitreum)
Large silvery eye (special tissue in eye that allows it to see in dim light)
Milky belly
Flanks that range from olive brown to golden yellow
Darkened spot on rear of dorsal fin
Habitat - Coolwater - larger lakes and deep rivers |
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Term
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Definition
Sauger
Cannot take this fish!
Black spots on dorsal
Dark colorations on sides
White margin along full length of tail |
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Term
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Definition
Muskellunge
"Straighter" looking than pike or pickerel, olive green with vertical pattern on flanks
Blotches on dorsal, anal, and tail fin |
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