# List of freshwater fish species in Connecticut?



## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

This is driving me crazy. I'm trying to find a list or picture guide to all the species of fish in CT and the New England area. All I keep finding is a list of fish that people catch for sport, not a list of fish that might be nice to keep in our aquariums. Does anyone know where I can find a complete list of freshwater fish for CT?


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

There is a book of Calif fish like that, maybe there is an east coast equivalent. 
(can't find it now... my son had it)

Peterson Field Guide, Freshwater Fishes contains non-sport fish too. Covers North America, N of Mexico. Lots of maps.


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## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

Contact CT DEEP?


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## Bruce_S (Jun 11, 2012)

You might check U.S.G.S.'s website. They've got a pretty comprehensive listing, IIRC.

They survey the Norwalk river on a pretty regular basis, and I've chatted with them there. They had some tesselated darters in their bucket, and later discovered what appear to be mosquitofish. (Right where I suggested they look . . . )

~Bruce


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## asukawashere (Mar 11, 2009)

Werner's _Freshwater Fishes of the Northeastern United States_ is a comprehensive one that covers neighboring states as well. It addresses both game and nongame species.

DEEP's site indicates Whitworth's _Freshwater Fishes of Connecticut_ as the "definitive" work; having never read it myself, I honestly couldn't say. I do know that we have far less FW diversity than, say, NY (but NY is also several times the size of CT).

There aren't a ton of species here particularly interesting to aquarists, but some worth looking into are the tesselated/Johnny darter, the _Fundulus_ killifish (_F. diaphanus_ is best for freshwater, but mummichogs-_F. heteroclita_-are a pretty euryhaline species, or at least the males are pretty). A good brackish option is the sheepshead minnow, _Cyprinodon variegatus_, which are fun chubby little guys with interesting patterns. Tadpole madtoms, _Noturus gyrinus_, are the most aquarium-suitable of our native catfish, maxing out at roughly 4-5".

Most of the sunfish (Centrarchidae) make good pets, much like cichlids. Some _Lepomis_ species are gems-pumpkinseeds are pretty and easy to find, and introduced longear sunfish are stunning in breeding dress._ Enneacanthus_ sunfish, unfortunately, aren't legal to take here, or else I'd be all over them.


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