List of fishes of Missouri

Last updated July 31, 2023

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	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

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The shovelnose sturgeon is the smallest species of freshwater sturgeon native to North America. It is often called hackleback, sand sturgeon, or switchtail. Switchtail refers to the long filament found on the upper lobe of the caudal fin. Shovelnose sturgeon are the most abundant sturgeon found in the Missouri River and Mississippi River systems, and were formerly a commercially fished sturgeon in the United States of America. In 2010, they were listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act due to their resemblance to the endangered pallid sturgeon, with which shovelnose sturgeon are sympatric.

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The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the Missouri Conservation Commission were created by Article IV Sections 40-42 of the Missouri Constitution, which were adopted by the voters of the state in 1936 as Amendment 4 to the constitution. The Commission is vested with control, management, restoration, conservation, and regulation of fish, forest, and wildlife resources of the state. The Department of Conservation owns and oversees hatcheries, sanctuaries, refuges, and reservations, and enforces the state wildlife code. The Commission consists of four individuals appointed by the Governor of Missouri to serve unpaid 6-year terms. No more than two of the individuals may be from the same political party.

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Valley Water Mill Pond is a 13 acres (5.3 ha) reservoir located just north of Springfield, Missouri. It is managed under a joint operation between the Watershed Committee of the Ozarks and the Missouri Conservation Department. The reservoir is spring fed and has Secchi disk readings of over 4 feet (1.2 m).

The bleeding shiner is a freshwater ray-finned minnow in the family Leuciscidae, which was recently changed to distinguish between North American and Asian minnows. It occurs in tributaries of Ozark-draining tributaries of the Missouri, and Mississippi rivers in southern Missouri and northeastern Arkansas. Its preferred habitat is rocky and sandy pools and runs of headwaters, creeks and small rivers.

Sara Parker Pauley is the director of the Missouri Department of Conservation and former president of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies. In each of those roles she was the first woman to serve.

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References

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

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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.

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v t e List of fishes of the United States by political division
States	Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming
Federal district	Washington, D.C.
Insular areas	American Samoa Guam Northern Mariana Islands Puerto Rico U.S. Virgin Islands