List of fishes of Indiana facts for kids

The state of Indiana is home to 208 species of fishes that inhabit its rivers, lakes, and streams that make up five watersheds. Indiana is the state with the most fish species of any state north of the Ohio River and includes Great Lakes species.

Native fishes taxa

Status is determined from IUCN data in a global context. Classifications include critically endangered , endangered , vulnerable , near-threatened , and least concern .

Common name	Scientific name	Picture	Status
Lampreys	Petromyzontiformes (order)
	Petromyzontidae (family)
Chestnut lamprey	Icthyomyzon castaneus
Northern brook lamprey	Icthyomyzon fossor
American brook lamprey	Lampetra appendix
Sturgeons and paddlefish	Acipenseriformes (order)
	Acipenseridae (family)
Lake sturgeon	Acipenser fulvescens
Shovelnose sturgeon	Scaphirhynchus platorynchus
	Polyodontidae (family)
American paddlefish	Polyodon spathula
Bowfin	Amiiformes (order)
	Amiidae (family)
Bowfin	Amia calva
Mooneyes	Hiodontiformes (order)
	Hiodontidae (family)
Goldeye	Hiodon alosoides
Mooneye	Hiodon tergisus
Eels	Anguilliformes (order)
	Anguillidae (family)
American eel	Anguilla rostrata
Carps, minnows, and relatives	Cypriniformes (order)
	Cyprinidae (family)
Southern redbelly dace	Chrosomus erythrogaster
Gizzard shad	Dorosoma cepedianum
Cypress minnow	Hybognathus hayi	N/A
Bigeye chub	Hybopsis amblops
Golden shiner	Notemigonus crysoleucas
Striped shiner	Luxilus chrysocephalus
Blackchin shiner	Notropis heterodon
Silverjaw minnow	Notropis buccatus
Bigeye shiner	Notropis boops	N/A
Pallid shiner	Hybopsis amnis	N/A
Shoal chub	Machybopsis hyostoma
Pugnose shiner	Notropis anogenus	N/A
Emerald shiner	Notropis atherinoides
Ghost shiner	Notropis buchanani
Ironcolor shiner	Notropis chalybaeus
Rosyface shiner	Notropis rubellus
Weed shiner	Notropis teanus	N/A
Mimic shiner	Notropis volucellus
Popeye shiner	Notropis ariommus
Suckermouth minnow	Phenacobius mirabilis
Bluntnose minnow	Pimphales notalus
Pugnose minnow	Opsopoedus emiliae
Fathead minnow	Pimephales promelas
Bullhead minnow	Pimephales vigilax
Western blacknose dace	Rhinichthys obtusus
Longnose dace	Rhinichthys cataractae
	Catostomidae (family)
White sucker	Catostomus commersonii
Blue sucker	Cycleptus elongatus
Bigmouth buffalo	Ictiobus cyprinellus
Smallmouth buffalo	Ictiobus bubalus
Black buffalo	Ictiobus niger
Spotted sucker	Minytrema melanops
River redhorse	Moxostoma carinatum
Harelip sucker	Moxostoma lacerum	N/A	Extinct
Catfishes	Siluriformes (order)
	Ictaluridae (family)
Blue catfish	Ictalurus furcatus
Channel catfish	Ictalurus punctatus
Black bullhead	Ameiurus melas
Yellow bullhead	Ameirus natalis
Stonecat	Notorus flavus
Flathead catfish	Pylodicitis olivaris
Pikes and Mudminnows	Esociformes (order)
	Esocidae (family)
Muskellunge	Esox masquinongy
Northern pike	Esox lucius
Salmon, Trout, Chars. Freshwater Whitefishes, Graylings	Salmoniformes (order)
	Salmonidae (family)
Chinook salmon	Oncorhyncous tshawytscya
Atlantic salmon	Salmo salar
Brown trout	Salmo trutta
Brook trout	Salvelinus fonrtinalis
Lake trout	Salvelinus namaycush
Toothcarps	Cyprinodontiformes (order)
	Fundulidae (family)
Banded killifish	Fundulus diaphanus
Blackstrip topminnow	Fundulus notatus	N/A
Northern studfish	Fundulus catenatus
Mail-cheeked fishes	Scopaeniformes (order)
	Cottidae (family)
Banded sculpin	Cottus carolinae
Mottled sculpin	Cottus bairdii
Slimy sculpin	Cottus cognatus
Deepwater sculpin	Myoxocephalus thompsonii
Sunfishes and perches	Perciformes (order)
	Centrarchidae (family)
Green sunfish	Lepomis cyanellus
Orangespotted sunfish	Lepomis humilis
Bluegill	Lepomis marochirus
Redspotted sunfish	Lepomis microlophus	N/A
Northern sunfish	Lepomis peltastes	N/A
Smallmouth bass	Micropterus dolomieu
Largemouth bass	Micropterus salmoides
Black crappie	Pomoxis nigromaculatus
White crappie	Pomoxis annularis
	Percidae (family)
Walleye	Sander vitreus
Sauger	Sander canadensis
Yellow perch	Perca flavescens
Logperch	Percina caprodes
Stargazing darter	Percina uranidea	N/A
Channel darter	Percina copelandi
Gilt darter	Percina evides
Dusky darter	Percina sciera
River darter	Percina shumardi
Tippecanoe darter	Etheostoma tippecanoe
Spottail darter	Etheostoma squamiceps
Banded darter	Etheostoma zonale
Johnny darter	Etheostoma nigrum
Iowa darter	Etheostoma exile
Western sand darter	Ammocrypta clara	N/A
Eastern sand darter	Ammocrypta pellucida
Mud darter	Etheostoma asprigene
Rainbow darter	Etheostoma caeruleum
Fantail darter	Etheostoma flabellare
Harlequin darter	Etheostoma histrio
Least darter	Etheosoma microperca
Cypress darter	Etheostoma proeliare	N/A
Bluebreast darter	Etheostoma camurum
Bluntnose darter	Etheostoma chlorosoma	N/A
Orangethroat darter	Etheostoma spectabile
Variegate darter	Etheostoma variatum
	Moronidae (family)
Yellow bass	Morone mississippiensis
White bass	Morone chrysops
Gobies	Gobiiformes (order)
	Gobiidae (family)
Round goby	Neogobius melanostomus

Exotic or introduced taxa

Common name	Scientific name	Picture	Status
Lamprey	Petromyzontiformes (order)
	Petromyzontidae (family)
Sea lamprey	Petromyzon marinus
Herring	Clupeiformes (order)
	Clupeidae (family)
Alewife	Alosa pseudoharengus
Threadfin shad	Dorosoma petenense
Carps, minnows, and relatives	Cypriniformes (order)
	Cyprinidae (family)
Goldfish	Carassius auratus
Grass carp	Ctenopharyngodon idella
Red shiner	Cyprinella lutrensis
Carp	Cyprinus carpio
Silver carp	Hypophthalmichthys molitrix
Bighead carp	Hypophthalmichthys nobilis
Rudd	Scardinius erythrophthalmus	N/A
Catfish	Siluriformes (order)
	Ictaluridae (family)
White catfish	Ameiurus catus
Salmon, trout, chars. freshwater Whitefishes, graylings	Salmoniformes (order)
	Osmeridae (family)
Rainbow smelt	Osmerus mordax
	Salmonidae (family)
Coho salmon	Oncorhyncus kitsutch
Rainbow trout	Oncorhyncus mykiss
Chinook salmon	Oncorhyncous tshawytscya
Atlantic salmon	Salmo salar
Brown trout	Salmno trutta
Silversides	Atheriniformes (order)
	Atherinidae (family)
Inland silverside	Menidia beryllina
Mullets	Mugiliformes (order)
	Mugilidae (family)
Striped mullet	Mugil cephalus
Sticklebacks	Gasterosteiformes (order)
	Gasterosteidae (family)
Threespine stickleback	Gasterosteus aculeatus
Sunfishes and Perches	Perciformes (order)
	Moronidae (family)
White perch	Morone americana
Striped bass	Morone saxatilis
Gobies	Gobiiformes (order)
	Gobiidae (family)
Round goby	Neogobius melanostomus

• Hay, Oliver Perry. "The lampreys and fishes of Indiana." William B. Burford, Contractor for State Printing and Binding, 1894.
• Jacquemin, Stephen J., and Mark Pyron. "Fishes of Indiana streams: current and historic assemblage structure." Hydrobiologia 665.1 (2011): 39-50.
• Jordan, David S. "On the fishes of northern Indiana." Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (1877): 42-82.
• “Native Fish of Indiana.” Indiana Wildlife Federation, 2020, www.indianawildlife.org/wildlife/native-fish-of-indiana/.
• Nelson, Joseph S., and Shelby Delos Gerking. Annotated key to the fishes of Indiana. Department of Zoology, Indiana University, 1968.
• Simon, Thomas P. Fishes of Indiana: a field guide. Indiana University Press, 2011.
• Simon, T.P., Whitaker, Jr., J.O., Castrale, J.S. and S.A. Minton. 2002. Revised checklist of the vertebrates of Indiana. Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science.
• 111(2): 182-214.
• “The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.” IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, www.iucnredlist.org/.
• “USFWS National Digital Library.” USFWS, digitalmedia.fws.gov/.