List of fishes of Arkansas facts for kids

The state of Arkansas has a wide variety of freshwater fish species in its rivers, lakes, and streams.

Sport

Black Bass

Order: Perciformes, Family: Centrarchidae

• Native Species
  • Largemouth Bass, Micropterus salmoides
  • Smallmouth Bass, Micropterus dolomieu
  • Spotted Bass, Micropterus punctulatus

North American Catfish

Order: Siluriformes Family: Ictaluridae

• Native Species
  • Blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus
  • Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus
  • Flathead catfish, Pylodictis olivaris

Pikes

Order: Esociformes Family: Esocidae

• Native Species
  • Chain pickerel, esox niger
  • Grass pickerel, esox americanus vermiculatus
• Non-native, exotic species
  • Muskellunge, esox masquinongy
  • Northern pike, esox lucius

Sunfishes

Order: Perciformes, Family: Centrarchidae

• Native Species
  • Bluegill, Lepomis Macrochirus
  • Green Sunfish, Lepomis cyanellus
  • Long-ear Sunfish, Lepomis megalotus
  • Flier, Centrarchus macropterus
  • Redear Sunfish, Lepomis microlophus
  • Orangespotted Sunfish, Lepomis humilis
  • Warmouth, Lepomis gulosus
  • Redspotted sunfish, Lepomis miniatus
  • Black crappie, Pomoxis nigromaculatus
  • White crappie, Pomoxis annularis

Temperate Bass

Order: Perciformes, Family: Moronidae

• Native Species
  • White bass, Morone chrysops
  • Yellow bass, Morone mississippiensis
• Non-native, exotic species
  • Striped bass, Morone saxatilis
  • Hybrid striped bass, Morone chrysops x Morone saxatilis

Trouts

Order: Salmoniformes, Family: Salmonidae

• Non-native, exotic species
  • Brook trout, salvelinus fontinalis
  • Brown trout, salmo trutta
  • Cutthroat trout, oncorhynchus clarkii
  • Lake trout, salvelinus namaycush
  • Rainbow trout, oncorhynchus mykiss
  • Tiger trout, salmo trutta × salvelinus fontinalis

Non-sport

Bowfin

Order: Amiiformes, Family: Amiidae

• Native species
  • Bowfin, Amia calva

Gars

Order: Lepisosteiformes, Family: Lepisosteidae

• Native species
  • Alligator gar, atractosteus spatula
  • Spotted gar, Lepisosteus oculatus
  • Longnose gar, Lepisosteus osseus
  • Shortnose gar, Lepisosteus platostomus

Paddlefish

Order: Acipenseriformes, Family: Polyodontidae

• Native species
  • American Paddlefish, polydon spathula

Sturgeons

Order: Acipenseriformes, Family: Acipenseridae

• Native species
  • Lake sturgeon, Acipenser fulvescens
  • Pallid sturgeon, Scaphirhynchus albus
  • Shovelnose sturgeon, Scaphirhynchus platorynchus

The three types of sturgeon native to Arkansas are uncommon, and two of the species are listed as endangered nationwide. The lake sturgeon is near the southern end of its range in Arkansas, more commonly found in the Upper Midwest. Pallid and shovelnose sturgeon live in large, turbid rivers of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, including the lower Arkansas, Mississippi, and lower White rivers downstream of impoundments.

Eels

Order: Anguilliformes, Family: Anguillidae

• Native species
  • American eel, Anguilla rostrata

Herrings

Order: Clupeiformes, Family: Clupeidae

• Native species
  • Alabama shad, alosa alabamae
  • Skipjack herring, alosa chrysochloris
  • Gizzard shad, dorosoma cepedianum
  • Threadfin shad, threadfin shad

Lampreys

Order: Petromyzontiformes, Family: Petromyzontidae

• Native species
  • Chestnut lamprey, ichthyomyzon castaneus
  • Southern brook lamprey, ichthyomyzon gagei
  • Least brook lamprey, lampetra aepyptera
  • American brook lamprey, lampetra appendix
• Non-native, exotic species
  • Sea lamprey, petromyzon marinus

Mudminnow

Order: Esociformes, Family: Umbridae

• Native species
  • Central mudminnow, umbra limi

Smelts

Order: Osmeriformes, Family: Osmeridae

• Native species
  • Rainbow smelt, osmerus mordax

Mooneyes

Order: Hiodontiformes, Family: Hiodontidae

• Native species
  • Goldeye, hiodon alosoides
  • Mooneye, hiodon tergisus