List of fishes of Missouri

Found in the table below are fish found in Missouri separated by the Family that they are in. The list is not complete as there are over 200 species of fish found in Missouri.[1][2]

Common name Scientific name Picture Habitat Notes
Acipenseridae (family)
Lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens Bottom of lakes and big rivers over sand, gravel, or rock bottom Endangered
Amiidae (family)
Bowfin Amia calva Sloughs, sluggish rivers to medium rivers with moderate flow
Anguillidae (family)
American eel Anguilla rostrate Large rivers w/ moderate flow
Atherinidae (family)
Brook silverside Labidesthes sicculus Clear, warm waters without current, backwaters, overflow pools of large streams
Catostomidae (family)
River carpsucker Carpiodes carpio Lakes, reservoirs, large sluggish rivers
Quillback Carpiodes cyprinus Large to medium sized rivers with swift flow, lakes
Highfin carpsucker Carpiodes velifer Lakes, reservoirs, large sluggish rivers
White sucker Catostomus commersonii Rocky pools of small cool streams or big rivers, lakes
Blue sucker Cycleptus elongates Deep channels of large rivers with swift flow ENDANGERED
Northern hogsucker Hypentelium nigricans Rocky riffles, flowing pools of cool small to medium streams
Bigmouth buffalo Ictiobus cyprinellus Streams, rivers, bayous, backwaters, lakes
Black buffalo Ictiobus niger Deep waters of medium to large-sized rivers, lakes
Smallmouth buffalo Ictiobus bubalus Medium to large-sized rivers, lakes
Spotted sucker Minytrema melanops Large rivers, streams with deep pools, sloughs, backwaters
Silver redhorse Moxostoma anisurum Muddy to rocky bottom pools, small streams to big rivers
River redhorse Moxostoma carinatum Small streams, rivers with moderate current over gravel bottom
Black redhorse Moxostoma duquesnei Lakes, river pools with sand or rock bottom
Golden redhorse Moxostoma erythrurum Clear pools of large rivers, moderate flowing small streams with sandy or gravel bottom
Shorthead redhorse Moxostoma macrolepidotum Rocky pools and riffles, small streams, large rivers
Centrarchidae (family)
Shadow bass Ambloplites ariommus Cool clear streams with moderate flow, logs, roots of live trees
Ozark bass Ambloplites constellatus Cool clear streams with moderate flow, logs, roots of live trees
Rock bass Ambloplites rupestris Cool clear streams with moderate flow, logs, roots of live trees
Flier Centrarchus macropterus Sluggish streams, ditches, wetlands with heavy vegetation
Green sunfish Lepomis cyanellus Clear to muddy water, small streams and big rivers, lakes, reservoirs
Warmouth Lepomis gulosus Sluggish streams, ponds, lakes, wetlands with vegetation, flooded trees
Orangespotted sunfish Lepomis humilis Sluggish, slow flowing rivers and streams with muddy bottom
Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus Pools in warm, clear streams with moderate flow, ditches, ponds, lakes
Dollar sunfish Lepomis marginatus Sluggish streams, backwaters, bayous
Longear sunfish Lepomis megalotis Slow pools in moderate flowing small to large streams with rocky bottoms, lakes
Redear sunfish Lepomis microlophus Pools in slow moving warm streams, ponds, lakes with vegetation
Redspotted sunfish Lepomis miniatus Small to moderate flowing streams with slow current, oxbows, swamps
Smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu Cool, clear, rocky streams with moderate flow, deep reservoirs
Spotted bass Micropterus punctulatus Warm creeks and rivers with pools, deep reservoirs
Largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides Slow moving streams, farm ponds, lakes, reservoirs
White crappie Pomoxis annularis Lakes, reservoirs, large ponds, moderate streams
Black crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus Lakes, reservoirs, large ponds, clear streams
Clupeidae (family)
Gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum Quiet water habitats, lowland lakes, pounds, pools, backwaters of streams and rivers
Cottidae (family)
Banded sculpin Cottus carolinae Quiet water habitats, lowland lakes, pounds, pools, backwaters of streams and rivers
Grotto sculpin Cottus specus Found in 5 caves and one stream in Perry County ENDANGERED
Cyprinidae (family)
Central stoneroller Campostoma pullum Small to medium sized streams with moderate to high gradients and rocky or bedrock substrates in or near riffles
Common carp Cyprinus carpio Lakes, reservoirs, ponds, ditches, rivers, creeks INVASIVE
Grass carp Clenopharyngodon idella Large rivers, streams, ponds, lakes INVASIVE
Cypress minnow Hybognathus hayi Backwaters of large, sluggish rivers, oxbow ENDANGERED
Silver carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix Large rivers and lakes INVASIVE
Bighead carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis Large rivers and lakes INVASIVE
Common shiner Luxilus cornutus Small, moderately clear streams, gravel and rubble bottoms, bedrock pools
Duskystripe shiner Luxilus pilsbryi Stream pools with clean gravel bottoms
Bleeding shiner Luxilus zonatus Midwaters, small creeks, large rivers, clean, gravelly or rocky bottoms, near riffles or in pools
Black carp Mylopharyngodon piceus Lakes, rivers, streams – escaped from a fish farm during a high water event INVASIVE
Hornyhead chub Nocomis biguttatus Clear streams with permanent flow and clean gravel
Golden shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas Sloughs, ponds, lakes, quiet pools of streams
Fathead minnow Pimephales promelas Mid water or near bottom, streams, pools
Flathead chub Platygobio gracilis Big rivers, bottom composed of sand and fine gravel ENDANGERED
Creek chub Semotilus atromaculatus Pools in headwater streams, large rivers with rocky bottom
Esocidae (family)
Grass pickerel Esox americanus vermiculatus Small headwater streams
Northern pike Esox lucius Lakes, reservoirs, rivers, streams with vegetation
Muskellunge Esox masquinongy Clear waters of weedy lakes and medium rivers
Chain pickerel Esox niger Lakes, reservoirs, rivers, streams with vegetation
Fundulidae (family)
Blackspotted topminnow Fundulus olivaceus Large lowland rivers, pools of streams
Blackstripe topminnow Fundulus notatus Large lowland rivers, pools of streams
Hiodontidae (family)
Goldeye Hiodon alosoides Large rivers, backwaters, lake
Ictaluridae (family)
Black bullhead Ameiurus melas Slow flowing streams, oxbows, backwaters with mud bottom
Brown bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus Oxbows, backwaters with mud bottom, slow flowing streams
Yellow bullhead Ameiurus natalis Slow flowing streams, backwaters, vegetated ponds, lakes
White bullhead Ameiurus catus Clear streams, dam tail waters
Blue catfish Ictalurus furcatus Rivers and large creeks with fast water over sandy or rocky bottoms
Channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus Ponds, lakes, moderate-flowing rivers and creeks with sandy or gravel bottoms
Mountain madtom Noturus eleutherus Large, moderately clear rivers ENDANGERED
Stonecat Noturus flavus Clear, gravel-bottom streams
Neosho madtom Noturus placidus Medium to large stream, clear waters ENDANGERED
Flathead catfish Pylodictis olivaris Large rivers and creeks with flow near logs, roots, rocks, and debris
Lepisosteidae (family)
Alligator gar Atractosteus spatula Large slow flowing rivers, lakes, bayous, reservoirs
Shortnose gar Lepisosteus platostomus Muddy rivers, oxbows, backwaters, lakes
Longnose gar Lepisosteus osseus Bayous, backwaters, oxbows, large creeks, rivers, lakes
Moronidae (family)
Hybrid striped bass Morone chrysops x Morone saxatilis Large streams with moderate flow, sandy or rocky bottom, reservoirs
White bass Morone chrysops Large streams with moderate flow, sandy or rocky bottom, reservoirs
Striped bass Morone saxatilis Large deep reservoirs
Percidae (family)
Crystal darter Crystallaria asprella Open channels of large, clear streams ENDANGERED
Greenside darter Etheostoma blennioides Swift to moderate current streams and rivers
Arkansas darter Etheostoma cragini Shallow, spring branches and spring-fed creeks with sandy bottoms – found in Spring River system of the southwestern Ozarks
Harlequin darter Etheostoma histrio Streams and ditches, prefers sandy bottoms where logs, sticks, and other organic debris are present ENDANGERED
Johnny darter Etheostoma nigrum Pools, slow moving riffles in sandy streams
Goldstripe darter Etheostoma parvipinne Small, shallow, spring fed streams, with low to moderate gradient ENDANGERED
Logperch Percina caprodes Deep riffles and silt free pools, small to medium sized rivers
Sauger Sander canadensis Turbid water in streams and rivers with moderate or fast flow, large lakes, reservoirs
Walleye Sander vitreus Deep water of large streams, lakes, reservoirs with sandy or rocky bottom
Petromyzontidae (family)
Chestnut lamprey Ichthyomyzon castaneus Large streams and small rivers, large reservoirs
Polyodontidae (family)
Paddlefish Polyodon spathula Channels in large rivers to medium rivers with moderate flow
Sciaenidae (family)
Freshwater drum Aplodinotus grunniens Medium to large rivers, lakes, reservoirs with deep water
Salmonidae (family)
Rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss Large rivers to small streams, lakes, below dams
Brown trout Salmo trutta Lakes, small streams, large rivers
Umbridae (family)
Central mudminnow Umbra limi Bogs, sloughs, swamps, sluggish streams ENDANGERED

References

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  1. ^ "Species A-Z | MDC Hunting and Fishing". huntfish.mdc.mo.gov. Retrieved 2017-05-03.
  2. ^ Springer, Craig (2016). Freshwater Fishes of Missouri. Quick Reference Publishing. ISBN 9781943334179.