Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cypriniformes (Carps) >
Leuciscidae (Minnows) > Leuciscinae
Etymology: Notemigonus: Greek, noton = back + Greek, gonia = angled (Ref. 45335); crysoleucas: notemigonus, angled back; cryso, meaning gold; and leucas, white (Ref. 10294).
More on author: Mitchill.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; brackish; demersal; depth range 10 - ? m. Subtropical; 0°C - 35°C (Ref. 35682); 52°N - 25°N
North America: Atlantic and Gulf Slope drainages from Nova Scotia in Canada to southern Texas, USA; Great Lakes, Hudson Bay (Red River), and Mississippi River basins west to Saskatchewan in Canada, and Montana, west Oklahoma and Texas in USA.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm 6.4  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 32.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 86798); common length : 14.4 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 12193); max. reported age: 9 years (Ref. 72462)
Dorsal soft rays (total): 7 - 9; Anal soft rays: 8 - 19. Body extremely compressed; lateral line strongly decurved; scaleless keel along belly from pelvic to anal fin; dorsal- fin origin behind pelvic-fin origin; mouth small, upturned on pointed snout; appears silver in clear and turbid water, and gold side and fins in coffee-colored water; fins red in southern hemisphere; dusky stripe along side, herringbone lines on upper side of young. Scales on lateral line 44-54; dorsal fin with 7-9 rays; anal fin with 8-19 rays, usually 11-14; rakers on 1st gill arch 17-19; and pharyngeal teeth 0,5-5,0 (Ref. 86798).
Body shape (shape guide): fusiform / normal.
Inhabits vegetated lakes, ponds, swamps, backwaters and pools of creeks and small to medium rivers (Ref. 86798). Can tolerate low oxygen levels, high turbidity and high temperature; omnivorous but principally feed on plankton, insects and mollusks (Ref. 27549).
Page, L.M. and B.M. Burr, 2011. A field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Boston : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 663p. (Ref. 86798)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: minor commercial; aquaculture: commercial; aquarium: public aquariums; bait: usually
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources